--- In publicmouth@..., "Steve" <roughcut2001@...>
wrote:
>
> The Commodore 64 was my path into LOOT, which started in early
1985.
> I got the Commodore 64 in May 1984. I hoped to learn how to program
> computers.

During my very frustrating time trying to program the Commodore 64
graphics and sound, I had various thoughts. One of my ideas was to
beg Commodore to exchange my Commodore 64 for a Commodore 16 free of
charge. This was because Commododore had finally upgraded their BASIC
and given the Commodore 16 and Commodore Plus 4 "Commodore BASIC 3.5"
with some additional commands for colour, graphics, and sound.
Unfortunately, the sound and video chips were different from and not
as powerful as the Commodore 64. I think the sound chip was described
as a "tone generator" and could only play 1 note at a time instead of
3. Actually, the only reason I put the Commodore 64 on my shortlist
of potential computers to buy was because of the sound chip
or "synthesiser chip" because I wanted to use it play electronic
music. I got this details from a book of reviews for all computers on
the market, including some I'd never seen in shops. Unfortunately,
their details comparing other facilities on these computers were
wrong. They gave C64 BASIC about 4 or 5 stars instead of 1 star or no
stars at all. After several months of frustration, I was desperate
for a "proper" computer. My efforts at making music on the Commodore
64 were limited to editing some data statements from a program in the
BASIC course "Backgroud To BASIC"? which I bought at the same time as
the computer. Perhaps it was some other program. Unfortunately, I
only remember getting it to play one note at a time, so I may as well
have bought an Acorn Electron. Later on, I bought some music editor
software by mail order from Commodore, but the tape was faulty and
wouldn't load. I sent it back for a replacement, but just got a
refund instead. I think all of this may have scarred me for life and
damaged my confidence in programming on any other computer. I often
wonder what would've happened if my first computer had been a
Sinclair ZX81, an Atari 400, 800, 600XL, or 800XL, or anything else.

During my time as a Commodore 64 owner, I used to hang round various
shops which had other computers on display, type in some short BASIC
programs and do things I could only dream of on the Commodore 64. I
read quite a lot about BBC BASIC, Sinclair BASIC, MSX BASIC, and
Locomotive BASIC for the Amstrad CPC range. After buying an Amstrad
CPC664 I was looking forward to working some miracles on it, compared
to the Commodore 64, but although I was really happy drawing lines
across the screen (which was impossible for me on the Commodore 64)
and various other things, I never had the success I was hoping for.
This would've been to write a simple original game.

Before anyone bothers to mention it, there were various replacement
BASICs on sale for the Commodore 64, but programs written under any
of these BASICs would only run if that BASIC had been loaded. They
were all Copyright and didn't have any type of code I could include
which would allow the programs to run unless the owner had a copy of
that type of BASIC.