d have hated to do by hand with graph paper - like rotating
all the Pacman images. On the other hand, debugging can be a big pain,
unless there is some source level debugger that single-steps through your original source code that I'm unaware of. I'm not sure that we really have
it that much easier now than then in that respect.

- - - - - - - - - -

Q. If you could code the VIC in the 80s, what would you have done (maybe a career change)?

A. Yes, that was the dream - to make a career of programming 8-bits.
Honestly though, I wonder, "If I had been the age I am now when the VIC20
first came out, would I have paid any attention to it?" I say that because
I pay very little attention to the "popular" technology that is out there
right now, like the iPhone, for example. I may have written the VIC20 off
as some fad of "the young" while I was busy with my IBM and COBOL
programming.

- - - - - - - - - -

Q. If you could go back in time and change one thing about the VIC, what
would you change and why?

A. Wow, another killer question! Hmm... I remember the day I unpacked my VIC, lamenting how low the screen resolution was compared to the Apple II
and Atari. However, there was no way I could have afforded those. That is
the obvious complaint of a 12-year-old in 1982, but looking with the eyes
of an adult in 1982, what would I have changed? Hmm... I don't think I
would have changed a single thing. Anything added would have increased the cost - and that was the whole point back then. Maybe they should have
included the Programmers Reference Manual as part of the base
documentation. Commodore had great documentation.




*************************************
INTERVIEW WITH THE CREATOR OF THE
C64P
By Commodore Free
*************************************

The Future was 8bit is a website that has grown from a fanatical Commodore owner's own need for toys into a one-stop shop for SD2IEC, C64p, and other peripherals. "My own long-held desire for a C64p is the only reason my
line of SD2IECs exist. Something like three or four years ago I built an SD2IEC to try with a C64DTV. The left-over SD2IECs ended up on eBay...
and the rest is history."

First, what is the C64p? Well, it is a C64DTV-based laptop measuring 21×14
cm. which Nic has customized. The laptop starts as a new product; then
all the insides are removed - even the the TFT screen is replaced. The
only remaining parts are the battery and chassis, which are then populated
with an SD2IEC, keyboard interface, three custom PCBs, 7? TFT, 1530 joystick-mode mouse, and an ASUS unit which replaces the charger/PSU. Add
a dash of custom firmware flashed onto the DTV chip (which lets you choose kernels). JiffyDOS anyone?

www.sd2iec.co.uk/index.html

SPECIFICATIONS OF THE RETAIL C64P

* C64DTV PAL
* 7" TFT (480×234 Pixel) 4:3/16:9 + infra-red remote
* Mouse pad emulates a 1350 joystick-mode mouse in port 2
* Joystick port x2
* IEC disk/printer port (rear)
* SD2IEC (left)
* Disk swap button (left)
* SD2IEC button root/reset (left)
* Speakers x2
* Volume (rear)
* Power/Charge (rear)
* C64DTV Reset (bottom)
* C64DTV firmware upgradable via Joy2
* LED - Green - Power
* LED - Orange - Charge - bright full charge rate - dim trickle charge
* LED - Blue - SD2IEC
* 1800 mAh Battery (run-time approx. 3.5 hrs depending on system load)
* Audio/Video out (the output isn't switched so the display is dimmed)
* 100-250 VAC Asus Charger
* Custom firmware which supports a number of built-in DTV games, plus
JiffyDOS, BASIC, and file browser
* Colour fix has been applied
* Keyboard Twister NG is also fitted

NOTES ABOUT THE KEYBOARD NG

This means a lot to people who know about the DTV. If you connect a DTV to
a real keyboard the biggest issue is the lack of F7, among other oddities
(not good if you want to play KikStart!), but the keyboard twister fixes
this. NG - Next Generation gives extra functions. There is a hack on the
NG ROM (the standard ROM is for German keyboards) so it runs in US mode.
The NG ROM, with a simple add-on diode, gives a user the ability to "CTRL-ALT-DEL", which resets the DTV. No need for power-off/power-on.

- - - - - - - - - -

Q. Will you please introduce yourself to our Commodore Free readers?

A. Hi Commodore Free readers! I'm Nic from Dorset in the UK. I've had Commodore computers for (I hate to say) 31 years, and still use one every
day!

- - - - - - - - - -

Q. How did you become involved with Commodore and computing in general?

A. Christmas '82 or '83... I found a VIC20 under my tree. A few years
later I managed to get my Dad to buy me a C128... a few years later I
bought myself an Amiga 4000. These days, of course, I work in IT - Yay me!

- - - - - - - - - -

Q. The C64p, although expensive, is quite an elegant-looking device. How
long does it take to make the unit?

A. Well, first - it's expensive because it costs an eye-watering amount to build. I never really thought I'd sell any. After all, I really only
built it because I wanted one, but the word got out, so I made a few
extras. It's difficult to guess how long one unit takes to build. It took
me about 3 years to get them to where they are now, but if I had to guess,
I'd say 20-30 hours each.

- - - - - - - - - -

Q. Are these items made to order - or are they in-stock?

A. All of the units sold so far were sold from stock. All of the
components are in-stock, so I don't have to go fishing for DTVs if I want
to make more.

- - - - - - - - - -

Q. I see you have JiffyDOS. Is this licensed? Some forums have suggested this is not the case. Do you think JiffyDOS was an important addition to
the device, and does it actually speed up loading from the SD card? Or is
it more for the convenience of extra commands and features?

A. I don't really follow too many forums, and I really don't get the
chance to sit in front of my PC with nothing to do! Anyhow, yes -
technically it's not licensed, but it's not the same JiffyDOS you'd find
inside a real C64. DTV-JiffyDOS is a hybrid that is easily available for download from the internet. JiffyDOS, just like on a real C64, transforms loading times.

- - - - - - - - - -

Q. Talking about forums - have you had any negative comments about the
unit, and do you have any comments you would like to share back to readers?
(no swearing, please)

A. Urm, I have read interesting comments like, "I'd pay no more than £80
for one" or, "It's a DTV, so it's not 100% compatible." Makes me laugh, as you've only got to use one for 10 minutes to know it's something special.
I've loaned a couple of demo units out and the feedback was amazing. It
seems most people`s idea of the DTV doesn't do it justice. Yes, some
functions are slightly non-standard, but overall, once you turn one on, you don't want to turn it off. The people at CiA ( awesome.c ommodore.me/articles/kitty/commodore- c64p-review/ ) gave me some wonderful feedback. Originally (before they used one) they thought something like
this could retail for £100-150, but after they touched one they realised
how cool these things are and how much has gone into making them. They
agreed that you'd never get anything like this for 100quid.

They really do look "shop bought" and not knocked together. Everything
inside the C64p has been built with longevity in mind. Calculators were
used in the making of these units! To give you an idea - the original
donor laptop's charging circuit could only be described as dangerous; I
tested seven original chargers - and I kid you not - only two worked after
24 hours, and four of them went "pop" with sparks jumping out of the nasty plastic so-called CE-marked PSUs. My charge circuit was designed by a
friend that has designed charge controllers for Nokia/Motorola and
Panasonic.

- - - - - - - - - -

Q. I find it interesting that people spend so much work developing units
l

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