Another joins the C128 fold

[RobertB]

     it was a good day yesterday.  One of our FCUG members, Alfredo M., decided to take the plunge and graduate from the C64 to the C128.  From storage, I brought him a flat C128, Magnavox 40/80-column monitor, 2 1571 disk drives and cables, a 512K ram expander, 1351 mouse, 80-column video cable, 40-column video cable, a GEOS 64 v2 package, a virgin (!) GEOS 128 v2 package, and a GEODex package, and a GEOS Desk Accessories package.  I helped him set up the system, showing him the all-important reset switch on the side of the C128 and the 40/80 column button on the top of the computer.  Now he is going about the wonders of the C128 as a C128 newbie. 
     He also paid a fair sum, the money going to pay off CommVEx v7 2011.

            I should dig out a C128 User's Manual for him, too,
            Robert Bernardo
            Fresno Commodore User Group
            http://videocam.net.au/fcug
            The Other Group of Amigoids
            http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
            Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network
            http://www.sccaners.org

[MrPagel]

Same thing recently happened to me.  Had a 64 my whole childhood, recently learned my parents THREW IT AWAY.  Couldn't believe it.  Anyway, looked everywhere for a new one, finally found someone who had a 128 they let me use.  How funny is it to look at and try out a 30-year-old computer and be like "Dude!  This is AWESOME!"

[RobertB]

How funny is it to look at and try out a 30-year-old computer and be like "Dude!  This is AWESOME!"

Heh, at Alfredo's house the other day, his wife was watching as I gave command after command to the C128 in C64 and C128 mode as I initialized drives, listed directories, and loaded up GEOS.  She couldn't believe that I was typing in all those commands on the keyboard at breakneck speed; it was all very "old school" to her.  When GEOS was finally going, she was more comfortable looking at its GUI and at my mousing around. 

          Truly,
          Robert Bernardo
          Fresno Commodore User Group
          http://videocam.net.au/fcug
          The Other Group of Amigoids
          http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
          Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network
          http://www.sccaners.org

[BigDumbDinosaur]

...I helped him set up the system, showing him the all-important reset switch on the side of the C128...

Did you also warn him of the dangers of accidentally touching the pins in the joystick ports while reaching for the reset button and zapping CIA #1 with static?   

[RobertB]

Did you also warn him of the dangers of accidentally touching the pins in the joystick ports while reaching for the reset button and zapping CIA #1 with static?   

No, I didn't, but I thought about it.

          Truly,
          Robert Bernardo
          Fresno Commodore User Group
          http://videocam.net.au/fcug
          The Other Group of Amigoids
          http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
          Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network
          http://www.sccaners.org

[RobertB]

From storage, I brought him a flat C128, Magnavox 40/80-column monitor...

Ack!  The Magnavox has failed now with the common monitor problem; its power switch will not stay on.
     Tonight I dug out a Thomson monitor... not good... it had the same problem, too.  O.K., time to dig out a Commodore 1084-S monitor for him.  A return visit is in order.

            And he wants to buy a disk notcher now,
            Robert Bernardo
            Fresno Commodore User Group
            http://videocam.net.au/fcug
            The Other Group of Amigoids
            http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
            Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network
            http://www.sccaners.org

P.S. Hmm, more monitors for Ray Carlsen to fix.

[BigDumbDinosaur]

Ack!  The Magnavox has failed now with the common monitor problem; its power switch will not stay on.
     Tonight I dug out a Thomson monitor... not good... it had the same problem, too.  O.K., time to dig out a Commodore 1084 monitor for him.  A return visit is in order.

I have a 1084 here with the opposite problem: the power switch is stuck in the on position.

[RobertB]

I have a 1084 here with the opposite problem: the power switch is stuck in the on position.

Heh, the 1084-S monitor that Alfredo got today has a sticky switch; you have to give it a good punch to turn it on and an equally good punch to turn it off.
     The two 1571s that Alfredo got had the buggy -03 rom in them; he was having trouble with them recognizing disks and listing directories.  He gave me a few dollars more, and I traded those for a couple of 1571s with JiffyDOS.  That should cure those rom problems.

          Truly,
          Robert Bernardo
          Fresno Commodore User Group
          http://videocam.net.au/fcug