Anyone here remember the Commodore days?

[livnxxxl]

I was just typing with another member here in another thread about the good old c64/c128 Commodore days. Anyone else have one of those speedy awesome machines? I still have my c128 although I have not used it in years. Every so often I get it out and hook it up and play some of the cooler games on it. Then I get sick of the slooooow load times, computer lock up when it gets too hot after hours of use and bad graphics so I pack it away again for another couple of years until the nostalgic urge hits again. Just wondering if anyone else here has any Commodore stories that want to share?

[Marvelmania]

Had 2 of the c64. Sold them both for $5 a piece a couple of years ago.Can't remember the exact date I got them but think it was around 1983-84.

[boss]

[Bo8a_Fett]

did you ever put a game cassette into a tape recorder and listen to it.....lol.I used to love my old c64 and then amiga...rememebr the microprose games...airborne ranger, microprose soccer WITH RAIN!!!, f-17, and of course my favourite GUNSHIP....me and my brotehr played that to death...one on the joystick and one doing the keyboard commands....we even got ourselves leather flying helmets to "enhance" the simulation...lol good days

[Bo8a_Fett]

I also remember those days of ZZAp 64 (a computer mag for 64 gamers), that would print(in the early days) pages of computer langusge to type into your system for a free game...4 hours of one fingered typing later you would hit start and get :
Syntax error line 13....and youd finished over 500 or more lines of data.....that was a day wasted...but oh the anticipation....lol

[megojim]

http://megomuseum.com/mmgallery/file...Commodores.jpg

[livnxxxl]

did you ever put a game cassette into a tape recorder and listen to it.....lol.I used to love my old c64 and then amiga...rememebr the microprose games...airborne ranger, microprose soccer WITH RAIN!!!, f-17, and of course my favourite GUNSHIP....me and my brotehr played that to death...one on the joystick and one doing the keyboard commands....we even got ourselves leather flying helmets to "enhance" the simulation...lol good days

Ohh yeah!! Those were indeed the days. Gunship was one of my favs back then as well. I also liked Maniac Mansion, Zack McKracken and the Alien Mind Benders. I do in fact remember the Microprose games as well. Airborne Ranger was a good one to. Those were the days. Trade parties, 300-1200 baud modems (YUCK!) , BBS's and groups cracking software before it was even released for sale in some cases. Good times!!!

[livnxxxl]

http://megomuseum.com/mmgallery/file...Commodores.jpg

I just knew that it would not be long after I posted this thread that The Commodores would be mentioned.

[livnxxxl]

Had 2 of the c64. Sold them both for $5 a piece a couple of years ago.Can't remember the exact date I got them but think it was around 1983-84.

You got that much for them? Actually, you did pretty good. It is sad to see the depreciation value drop like that. I still have the c128 with the original box with the price sticker on it from Target. I believe it was like $300.00 brand new. Worth every penny of it at the time. I know they are next to worthless these days and that is why I refuse to get rid of mine. That and like Mego's some day I may regret getting rid of it. There are folks out that still like to play with those machines just like we like to play around with Mego's. Sad but true. I still like Mego's better now though.

[livnxxxl]

I also remember those days of ZZAp 64 (a computer mag for 64 gamers), that would print(in the early days) pages of computer langusge to type into your system for a free game...4 hours of one fingered typing later you would hit start and get :
Syntax error line 13....and youd finished over 500 or more lines of data.....that was a day wasted...but oh the anticipation....lol

Remember Computes Gazette and Run 64? I have some of those issues stashed away somewhere. Probably in the attic with all the rest of my obsolete stuff. I been there done that on the ML and it sure does suck big time.

[trekfan]

Yep. Count me in as a proud Commodore 64 owner. I still have it - MIB naturally. I haven't hooked it up in decades, but get the urge once in a while. My younger brother used to run a BBS from his 128 and got me about 20+ disks filled with games. I bought mine when Gemco, anyone remember them???, had a going out of business sale - so, it only cost about $100. A great deal for the time.

David

[cjefferys]

Ah yes, the C64. I bought one as soon as they came out (based on advice from my "computer genius" friend, who now works for IBM, so I guess his was good advice to take!). The downside of being an early adopter was that there initially wasn't very much good software available for the 64, and about a year or so later, I could have bought it for a fair amount less money (I never learn, I still do that with electronics!).

But when it finally came into it's own it was good. I bought Compute's Gazette too, and input all those endless lines of code to play some so-so games. Soon after, I became a part of a huge bootleg video game trader group at high school (it helped that our computer lab, equipped with Commodore PETs, had a Commodore 4040 dual disc drive that made copying discs a snap ). After that, I had tons of great games to play, and any actual educational benefits of the machine fell by the wayside.

The 64's disc drive add on was VERY tempermental, and mine finally crapped out and I sold everything at a yard sale for a song. But I got a good 6 or 7 years use out of everything at least. Not bad compared to computers these days,considering how fast everything becomes obsolete.
.

[livnxxxl]

Yep. Count me in as a proud Commodore 64 owner. I still have it - MIB naturally. I haven't hooked it up in decades, but get the urge once in a while. My younger brother used to run a BBS from his 128 and got me about 20+ disks filled with games. I bought mine when Gemco, anyone remember them???, had a going out of business sale - so, it only cost about $100. A great deal for the time.

David

hmmm.. Gemco kind of sounds familiar. Were they a catalog based company? $100.00 was a great deal at that time. I was a proud member of a group back in the days. I eventually branched off on my own and even started my own group. A friend of mine was real close to one of the big groups leaders. Does Eagle Soft or ATC ring a bell with anyone?

I used to love the Demos that the various groups put out.

[livnxxxl]

Ah yes, the C64. I bought one as soon as they came out (based on advice from my "computer genius" friend, who now works for IBM, so I guess his was good advice to take!).

Actually I would have considered it pretty good advice at the time. I learned a lot from that little machine believe it or not. I probably would not have had an interest in programming and ML had it not have been for the Commodore when I was younger.

The downside of being an early adopter was that there initially wasn't very much good software available for the 64, and about a year or so later, I could have bought it for a fair amount less money (I never learn, I still do that with electronics!).

I finally learned that lesson the hard way as well. I stopped when I paid $300.00 for my 3DO gaming system. I do not feel quite as bad as another friend of mine bought it when it first came out and paid an ungodly $600.00 for it just to be the first to have one. I could care less about being the first anymore in regards to most electronics anyway. I know the prices will fall like a rock eventually and it is always a buyers market.

After that, I had tons of great games to play, and any actual educational benefits of the machine fell by the wayside.

I hear you there. Those were the days. The same thing happened with me as well. The c128 was bought for initially bought for schooling and it was used for school AT FIRST that was.

The 64's disc drive add on was VERY tempermental, and mine finally crapped out and I sold everything at a yard sale for a song. But I got a good 6 or 7 years use out of everything at least. Not bad compared to computers these days,considering how fast everything becomes obsolete.
.

I sold a non working 1581 back a couple of years ago for parts. I was just going to throw it away like most then I ended up getting offered $20.00 for it so I guess it was worth holding onto after all. It is amazing what sells well and what does not. I did not think that it would have been worth $20.00 especially in non working condition. The guy said he wanted it for parts so who was I to disappoint.

[Hector]

hmmm.. Gemco kind of sounds familiar. Were they a catalog based company? $100.00 was a great deal at that time. I was a proud member of a group back in the days. I eventually branched off on my own and even started my own group. A friend of mine was real close to one of the big groups leaders. Does Eagle Soft or ATC ring a bell with anyone?

I used to love the Demos that the various groups put out.

Gemco is basically Target now.

Gemco - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I loved that store, my dad bought many Megos for me there.

Two main things Gemco was known for:

The store manager of each Gemco was always referred to over the intercom system as "Number 1," and the assistant manager was called "Number 2". The lowest paid staff member, the courtesy clerk, was called "29" or more frequently "29C" (C for shopping cart retrieval). There were not 29 levels of employees, however. The paging of "10 variety" meant help was needed at the check out registers. The paging of a "99" meant a janitor was needed, i.e., "99M" meant a mop to clean a spill or 99B" meant a broom to sweep up a mess.

Karen Carpenter, of the Carpenters singing duo, lived about a quarter mile from the Downey Gemco. Legend states that she was getting ready to go to this particular store on the morning of February 4, 1983, when she suffered a heart attack in her parents' home and died. Her brother, Richard, was also a frequent shopper at the Downey store.