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Hello and welcome to the '''Denial WIKI'''! The Denial WIKI is an open information base regarding the Commodore [[VIC-20]] - a popular home computer of the early 1980s. This WIKI hopes to become a comprehensive repository of technical, historical & anecdotal information regarding Commodore's "friendly" computer.  Please feel free to browse and learn something new about our favourite computer and if you have anything to add, please '''contribute'''!
  
[[Image:Vic20logo.jpg]]
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Don't know where to start?  Try reading about the "little computer that could" - introducing the [[VIC-20]]'''!
== History ==
 
  
===Origin, marketing===
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Because of massive spam on our wiki, new users can't register. But you can get an account (if you are not a spammer) if you send a PM to joshuadenmark on Denial Community, see the link to the left.
The VIC-20 was intended to be more economical than the PET computer. The VIC-20's video chip, the [[MOS Technology VIC]] was a general-purpose color video chip designed by [[Al Charpentier]] in [[1977]] and intended for use in inexpensive display terminals and game consoles, but Commodore couldn't find a market for the chip. With [[Apple II]] gaining momentum with the advent of [[VisiCalc]] in [[1979]], [[Jack Tramiel]] wanted a product out that would compete in the same segment, to be presented at the January [[1980]] [[Computer Electronics Fair|CES]]. For this reason [[Chuck Peddle]] and [[Bill Seiler]] started to design a computer named ''TOI'' (The Other Intellect).
 
  
The TOI computer failed to materialize, much due to the fact that it required an 80-column character display which in turn required the MOS Technology 6564 chip, which could not be used since it required very expensive static RAM to operate fast enough. In the meantime, freshman engineer [[Robert Yannes]] at MOS Technology (then a part of Commodore) had designed a computer in his home dubbed the ''MicroPET'' and finished a prototype with some help from Al Charpentier and Charles Winterble. When Jack Tramiel was confronted with this prototype he immediately said he wanted it to be finished and ordered it to be mass produced following a limited demonstration on the CES, since the TOI had not yet been finished.
 
  
The very hackish prototype produced by Yannes had very few of the features required for a real computer, so [[Robert Russell (engineer)|Robert Russell]] at Commodore headquarters had to coordinate and finish large parts of the design under the codename ''Vixen''. The parts contributed by Russell included a port of the operating system (kernel and BASIC interpreter) taken from [[John Feagans]] design for the [[Commodore PET]], a character set with the characteristic [[PETSCII]], an [[Atari 2600]]-compatible [[joystick]] interface and the cartridge port. The serial [[IEEE 488]]-derivative interface was designed by [[Glen Stark]]. Some features, like the memory add-in board, were designed by Bill Seiler. At the time, Commodore had an oversupply of 1Kbit×4 [[Static random access memory|SRAM]] chips, so Tramiel demanded that these be used in the new computer. The end result is arguably closer to the ''PET'' or ''TOI'' computers than to Yannes prototype, albeit with a 22-column VIC chip instead of the custom chips designed for the more ambitious computers.
 
  
In April 1980 at a meeting of general managers outside of London, Jack Tramiel declared that he wanted a lowcost color computer.  When most of the GMs argued against it, he said, "the Japanese are coming, so we will become the Japanese."  This was in keeping with Tramiel's philosophy which was to make "computers for the masses, not the classes."  The concept was championed at the meeting by [[Michael Tomczyk]], newly hired marketing strategist and assistant to the president; Tony Tokai, General Manager of Commodore-Japan, and Kit Spencer, the U.K.'s top marketing executive.
 
  
When they returned to California from that meeting, Tomczyk wrote a 30 page memo detailing recommendations for the new computer and presented it to Tramiel.  Recommendations included programmable function keys, full size typewriter style keys, built-in RS-232.  Tomczyk insisted on "user friendliness" as the prime directive for the new computer and proposed a retail price of $299.95. He recruited a marketing team and a small group of computer enthusiasts, and worked closely with colleagues in the U.K. and Japan to create colorful packaging, user manuals, and the first wave of software programs (mostly games and home applications).  Scott Adams was contracted to provide a series of cartridge-based adventure games.  Tomczyk's account of the story is told in his 1984 book, The Home Computer Wars.
 
  
While the PET was sold through authorized dealers, the VIC-20 primarily sold at retail, especially discount and toy stores, where it could compete more directly with game consoles.  It was the first computer to be sold in K-Mart. Commodore took out advertisements featuring actor [[William Shatner]] of ''[[Star Trek]]'' fame as its spokesman, asking, "Why buy just a video game?".  Television personality Henry Morgan (best known as a panelist on the TV show What's My Line?) became the ironic voice on a series of clever Commodore product ads.
 
  
The VIC-20 had 5K of Ram, which netted down to 3.5K on startup, which is the equivalent to the words and spaces on one sheet of typing paper.  The computer was expandable to 32k with an add-on memory cartridge.  Although the VIC-20 was criticized in print as being underpowered, the strategy worked: in 1982 it was the best-selling computer of the year, with 800,000 machines sold, and in January 1983 it passed the 1 million unit mark—a first in computer history. At its peak, 9,000 units per day were produced, and a total of 2.5 million units were sold before it was discontinued in January [[1985]], when Commodore repositioned the C64 as its entry-level computer due to the forthcoming release of the [[Commodore 128|C128]] and [[Commodore Amiga|Amiga]] (the latter taking Commodore into the [[16-bit]] world).
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[[Image:vicman_shy.gif|center]]
  
In 1981, Tomczyk contracted with an outside engineering group to develop a direct-connect modem-on-a-cartridge (the [[VICModem]]) which at $99 became the first modem priced under $100.  The VICModem was also the first modem to sell over 1 million units.  [[VICModem]] was packaged with $197.50 worth of free telecomputing services from the Source, CompuServe and Dow Jones.  Tomczyk also created an entity called the Commodore Information Network to enable users to exchange information and take some of the pressure from Customer Support inquires, which were straining Commodore's lean organization. In 1982, this network accounted for the largest traffic on CompuServe, which, it can be argued, was an early implementation of Internet-style user groups.
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[[Category:Main]]
 
 
== Technical ==
 
SPECIFICATIONS:
 
Display area: 23 rows x 22 characters, 176x184 pixels
 
Colors: 16
 
etc...
 
[[Hardware Modifications]] now has its own page.
 
 
 
== Peripherals ==
 
===Vic 20 expansion schematic===
 
[[Image:Vicexpand.jpg]]
 
 
 
 
 
==== [[Datasette]] ====
 
 
 
By far, the most common and popular peripheral for the Vic 20 was the [[Datasette]] - an external magnetic media drive which could read from and write to standard Compact Cassettes.
 
 
 
==== Memory Expansion ====
 
Next to the Datasette, [[memory expansion]] was another very popular peripheral upgrade for Vic 20 owners.  Many people ran into limits with 3.5k of memory rather quickly; while it was sufficient for simple games and terminal emulators, more sophisticated programs required more memory.  Memory expansion was achieved by plugging a RAM cartridge into the Vic 20's cartridge port. With the exception of the 3k expansion solutions, most memory expansion came in 8k blocks and changed the Vic 20's memory map.  For memory expansion needs, the 8k RAM cartridge was one of the more popular solutions.
 
[[Image:8kram.jpg]]
 
 
 
====VicModem====
 
As the world of computer telecommunications grew with various on-line services and computer bulletin board systems, the VicModem became another popular peripheral for the Vic 20.  At the time, it was the cheapest modem available for a home computer.  Running at up to 300 baud, one would manually dial the phone number of the service on the telephone, with the cord normally running to the telephone handset plugging into the modem.  The modem itself plugged into the [[user port]] of the Vic 20, leaving the [[cartridge port]] free for telecommunications software [[cartridges]] or memory expansion.  A red LED on the side of the modem showed you if it was active or not, and a switch on the side would set the modem to "Answer" mode or "Originate" (or call) mode.
 
 
 
[[Image:vicmodem.jpg]]
 
 
 
==== Protecto-80 Cartridge / DATA-20 ====
 
 
 
This cartridge takes over the video functions of the VIC, and allows the display of 40 or 80 columns B+W, using its own DIN port.
 
 
 
The VIC chip is still functional, so it is possible to setup a dual monitor system. Regular POKE statements can be used to update the original VIC chip screen.
 
 
 
This cartridge has space for expansion memory, which is populated in the Data-20 8K units.
 
 
 
[[Image:Protecto80.jpg]]
 
 
 
===== Memory Map =====
 
$9BF0 CAT Controller / data register
 
$9BFC Mode Register
 
      Bit 0: Character set. 0 - upper case, 1 - lower case
 
      Bit 5: 40/80 Columns. 0 - 40 Columns, 1 - 80 Columns
 
$9FB0-$A7FF - BIOS ROM
 
$B800 - $BFFF - Video RAM
 
 
 
== Programming ==
 
 
 
* [[Memory Map]]
 
 
 
== Software ==
 
 
 
* [[Cartridges]]
 
* [[Cassette Tapes]]
 
 
 
== Manuals / Documentation ==
 
[[Image:Manualfront.jpg]][[Image:Manualback.jpg]]
 
 
 
== Promotional/Magazine Materials ==
 
 
 
Byte Magazine, May 1981 VIC-20 Review [[Media:Bytemay81.pdf]]
 
 
 
== Links ==
 
 
 
[http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_VIC-20 Original Commodore VIC-20 Wikipedia article]
 
 
 
[http://sleepingelephant.com/denial Denial Commodore VIC-20 Community]
 

Revision as of 09:17, 25 June 2016

Hello and welcome to the Denial WIKI! The Denial WIKI is an open information base regarding the Commodore VIC-20 - a popular home computer of the early 1980s. This WIKI hopes to become a comprehensive repository of technical, historical & anecdotal information regarding Commodore's "friendly" computer. Please feel free to browse and learn something new about our favourite computer and if you have anything to add, please contribute!

Don't know where to start? Try reading about the "little computer that could" - introducing the VIC-20!

Because of massive spam on our wiki, new users can't register. But you can get an account (if you are not a spammer) if you send a PM to joshuadenmark on Denial Community, see the link to the left.




Vicman shy.gif