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#1
General Discussion - Introductions / Re: Why 80 Columns? Very inter...
Last post by eto - Today at 10:26I can't believe that punch cards have anything to do with the 80 column display. The holes in punchcards are basically bits. Why should it have any relevance to map those bits to characters on screen?
But... I don't know - just based on observations I could imagine that 80 was the "sweet spot", at least based on restrictions from the early/mid 70s.
But... I don't know - just based on observations I could imagine that 80 was the "sweet spot", at least based on restrictions from the early/mid 70s.
- CRTs needed to have borders, so you can't use the full width of a monitor
- the screens were probably quite small. At least that's what I assume from pictures of vintage computer systems. Much more columns and lines might have been hard to read
- 80x25 almost perfectly fits into 2K of screen RAM - anything even slightly above requires twice as much screen RAM.
- 80 characters fit fine on a normal letter page with typical borders and well readable (monospaced) font size (10 points).
#2
General Discussion - Introductions / Re: C64 Vs Speccy: Which one d...
Last post by Sykobee (Briggsy) - Today at 10:25C64
I say this since I got a Spectrum Next, and truly realised how awful the plain old Spectrum was.
However on a 'preferableness / £' metric they are about equal - that awfulness came cheap.
C64 has SID, some ability to mix colours, sprites and hardware scrolling and 64KB. As a games machine it was far superior to the Spectrum. It also, due to its massive US sales, had a lot of business software that may have paled in comparison with the CPC due to 40 column limitation and overuse of blue, but at least wasn't 32 column.
However if you had a Spectrum as your first computer, I can understand the nostalgia weight that applies.
I say this since I got a Spectrum Next, and truly realised how awful the plain old Spectrum was.
However on a 'preferableness / £' metric they are about equal - that awfulness came cheap.
C64 has SID, some ability to mix colours, sprites and hardware scrolling and 64KB. As a games machine it was far superior to the Spectrum. It also, due to its massive US sales, had a lot of business software that may have paled in comparison with the CPC due to 40 column limitation and overuse of blue, but at least wasn't 32 column.
However if you had a Spectrum as your first computer, I can understand the nostalgia weight that applies.
#3
C
General Discussion - Introductions / Re: Why 80 Columns? Very inter...
Last post by cwpab - Today at 08:47Interesting! You're probably right about point 2 (printers).
About point 1, however, please note the article I mention as being wrong is the one written in late 83 ("Consumer Reports" magazine, not specialized in computers). So it's not a "contemporary" take.
About point 1, however, please note the article I mention as being wrong is the one written in late 83 ("Consumer Reports" magazine, not specialized in computers). So it's not a "contemporary" take.
#4
A
General Discussion - Introductions / Re: Why 80 Columns? Very inter...
Last post by andycadley - Today at 08:31@cwpab
1) Was it though? I'm sure sales were picking up by then but I think I'd take a contemporary article over assumptions about how it was viewed in the market at the time.
2) Most printers could do more than 80 columns and where they were limited to 80, it's because that was the "standard" screen resolution and thus and obvious number to pick rather than the other way around.
1) Was it though? I'm sure sales were picking up by then but I think I'd take a contemporary article over assumptions about how it was viewed in the market at the time.
2) Most printers could do more than 80 columns and where they were limited to 80, it's because that was the "standard" screen resolution and thus and obvious number to pick rather than the other way around.
#5
Worth a look....
'New Computer Express' article from April 1988 (courtesy of CPCRulez):
https://cpcrulez.fr/people-cpcstaff-hip_to_be_square.htm
'New Computer Express' article from April 1988 (courtesy of CPCRulez):
https://cpcrulez.fr/people-cpcstaff-hip_to_be_square.htm
#6
C
General Discussion - Introductions / Re: Why 80 Columns? Very inter...
Last post by cwpab - Today at 07:39Update: Apparently both articles are getting some things wrong:
1) The Consumer Reports one lists the C64 as a minor player in late 83, when they were already destroying the competition
2) The Why 80 Columns one seems to ignore that printers were a major reason why 80 columns were used: apparently, even the VIC-20 could print on 80 columns wihout having that display
1) The Consumer Reports one lists the C64 as a minor player in late 83, when they were already destroying the competition
2) The Why 80 Columns one seems to ignore that printers were a major reason why 80 columns were used: apparently, even the VIC-20 could print on 80 columns wihout having that display
#7
Quote from: GUNHED on Today at 02:15And the CPC still runs like a charm.Have you ever tried to speed up the motor that spins a floppy disk? Is this controlled by the device software?
#8
#9
Quote from: Prodatron on Yesterday at 20:32Yeah, and now that's your old story too. Like usually you want to tell people what's 'useless' for them. But what you mean is just, that something is useless for you / SymbOS. Try to be a bit less Narciss.Quote from: GUNHED on Yesterday at 18:07BTW: I have a CPC6128 running at 6 MHz stable. Just replaced the 16 MHz crystal by a 24 MHz one.Yes, your old story.
But "stable" is a very relative description.
It is useless/not compatible regarding video, FDC and probably more.
Unfortunately I forgot it, but what was the CPC meeting, where you presented this 6MHz machine to the public?
Come on, allow us to live our CPC hobby our way! 
BTW: IIRC the meeting was either one of the CPC-Only meetings or some XzentriX, but it's something like 18-21 years ago. And the CPC still runs like a charm. I love the enhances = horizontally squeezed screen and also to be able to put 50% more data on an disc.
Anything else... It's 3 the morning. Read you later the day...
#10
Quote from: cwpab on 20:20, 13 April 24Spannerman must be one of the most anxiety-inducing games ever! I will check it out on CPC-Power and CPC Games Reviews too see what people think about it. I had it as a kid, definitely not among my favorites.I had it on pirate thanks to my Dad's mate David from the pub. He transferred a load of games to floppy, added a menu and gave them to us. Spannerman was a game I rarely played. I must revisit it. Gem Software wasn't it which means there may be versions for other home micros.
BTW, are you guys ready for the 50th anniversary of EVERYTHING? Better get ready because it all starts in 3 years, with the Atari 2600... and Star Wars.