VIC-1001 promo pic - higher res?

smj · Post by **smj** » Mon May 04, 2009 9:00 pm

Does anyone have a higher resolution of this promo pic?

Post by **Jeff-20** » Mon May 04, 2009 10:15 pm

how many times did you have to flip through to find that image again?

smj · Post by **smj** » Mon May 04, 2009 10:26 pm

This will sound funny, but I found it (again) via google and then when I
went to the forum to ask about it .. I'm not kidding .. it freakin' popped up
on the page. So I decided to link to that photo rather than the one
I found via google

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Tue May 05, 2009 3:51 am

I am afraid none of us have the source, so you'll have to contact the CSI people. You know on TV when they can zoom in detail from just a few pixels.

ral-clan · Post by **ral-clan** » Tue May 05, 2009 5:24 am

I think we all have lamented the fact we can't get a higher resolution version as it's the only known photo of the official VIC-1515 monitor - and you can only BARELY make out the model number.

smj · Post by **smj** » Tue May 05, 2009 10:47 am

Re the google image (slightly larger but no doubt the same image). Is the
VIC-1515(10?) documented anywhere else? I think someone pointed out
that it was actually an RCA TV with some photo-metal nameplates attached
to it. A one off, but if the TV were available you could roll your own.

ral-clan · Post by **ral-clan** » Tue May 05, 2009 10:55 am

Yes, you're right, it's the VIC-1510. My memory failed me.

I've no doubt Commodore just re-badged a regular TV with their product number, but that wasn't unusual. The datasette in the PET2001 was a Sanyo model (or some similar). Most Commodore printers were re-badged EPSONs and Japanese (Matsushita?) company printers. So re-badging an existing TV is not unusual.

Whether or not they made an actual run of them beyond the prototype is not known, but they did at least reserve that product number and never used it again.

The only other place that the VIC-1510 is noted is in a 1982 price list, but I don't think anyone had matched up the above photo with the mention on the list until we did here Denial a couple of years ago.

There's an article about the 1510 in the Denial Wiki which basically sums up everything we theorize about the VIC-1510.

http://sleepingelephant.com/denial/wiki ... e=VIC-1510

smj · Post by **smj** » Tue May 05, 2009 12:28 pm

The wiki fucking rocks and so does this forum. If anyone comes across
one of these TVs (if its RCA or other) you can have nameplates made for
a reasonable price using that photo-metal technique. Most trophy shops
still do this in house.

orion70 · Post by **orion70** » Wed May 06, 2009 6:26 am

I've come across this scan of an old japanese ad.
Anyone can translate it, at least the part regarding the VIC-1510?

See the whole brochure here (bottom of the page).

ral-clan · Post by **ral-clan** » Wed May 06, 2009 8:12 am

Excellent find Orion70! Yet another document that backs up the idea that the VIC-1510 was actually sold to the public in Japan. Although, that monitor in the picture looks more like an early version of the 1701 without the C64 rainbow on the front.

Boy, if anyone in Japan could track down a VIC-1510 and sell it on Ebay, I'm sure it would fetch more than $1000US.

Did anyone else notice the VIC-1211M 3K Super Expander? Interesting that it has that "M" suffix in Japan.

Page 7 (COMMODORE'S FORMATION) mentions the VIC-1013, but there is no mention of what that is in the brochure. Can anyone read the Japanese text below the model number? It looks like it has something to do with the VIC-1540 - maybe the model number for the serial cable or a blank floppy disk?

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Thu May 07, 2009 12:16 am

I think VIC-1211M is quite common in the rest of the world too? For a long time, I thought VIC-1211 was Super Expander sans memory expansion while 1211M included 3K but apparently they all include a memory expansion. Possibly Commodore played around with the model number a bit to see which was less confusing to the customer:

VIC-1210 = +3K
VIC-1211(M) = Super Expander +3K
VIC-1212 = Programmers' Aid +0K
VIC-1213 = Machine Language Monitor

smj · Post by **smj** » Thu May 07, 2009 12:32 am

Orion -

I've translated the 2nd page of that brochure.
Maybe this one ought to go in the WIKI along with the image of the
original (salesy) Japanese. *BUT* what is cool, is it gives us more info
on that VIC-1510 which it states has a "composite" interface. This is
actually the second page, the first page is here:

http://www4.plala.or.jp/animaka/MZ2000/ ... 01_P04.jpg

Which can be translated later.

***********************************************************

VIC-1000 series is the computer which has many options. By
endless augmentability, the world of personal computer can be extend
widely. Sometimes unique, sometimes dynamic .. from the beginner to
the advanced, it will respond to a wide range of needs.

Super Expander needs to be connected to the VIC-1010 and use together with
the extension RAM pack. Additional BASIC commands: HIRES, PLOT, BOX,
CIRCLE, SETC, SOUND, MUSIC, TEMPO, PIANO, LOCATE, CHAR, PDL,
LIGHT, JOY, RELEASE, and such. Assignment (possible to change by user)
of 12 commands to function key, addition control function.

----------
VIC-1212
-----------
Programmer's Aid Cartridge

Commodore's version of an efficient "toolkit" and debugging for BASIC
programming. All sorts of BASIC commands for programming or
debugging such as RENUMBER, MERGE, FIND, CHANGE, DELETE, AUTO,
TRACE, STEP, DUMP, HELP. For function keys, there are assigned two
modes with a total of 24 kinds of commands (configurable by user).
You can connect via the expansion port or VIC-1010.

-----------
VIC-1213
-----------
Machine Language Monitor Cartridge

This is the tool kit to make machine language programming more
efficient to debug.

1. Type in machine language commands on the keyboard, you can
control CPU and also file system.
2. It's also possible to do step action of the CPU.
3. You can change a register, program states, stack pointer or memory
at will.

-----------
VIC-1311
-----------
Joystick

This is the tool you can use to play games more like arcade games.

-----------
VIC-1510
-----------
Dedicated Color Monitor (including monitor cable)

Composite video input.
Internal speaker.
14 inches.
Connect VIC-1001's color video interface with the monitor cable.

-----------
VIC-1515
-----------
Graphic Printer

Dot Matrix impact printer 80 lines (columns?).
Printing speed of 30 words/sec.
You can print out all of fonts that the VIC-1001 has: (alphabet, graphic
fonts, katakana).
Possible standard fonts print, 2x horizontal font print, programmable
graphic print.
Connect VIC-1001 serial port or VIC-1540 serial port with included
cable.

-----------
VIC-1530
-----------
Cassette Drive

Storage capacity, about 160k (when use C-30). The way of memory is
Commodore protocol (500 baud). You can connect to the VIC-1001's
cassette interface.

-----------
VIC-1540
-----------
Single Floppy Disk Drive

This is an intelligent floppy drive and it doesn't need the VIC-1001's memory.
As it is a compact size, it will process 170k data with high speed.
You can use as big capacity file and also process data so rapidly
compared with cassette based.
Diskettes used: 5.25 inches standard mini floppy (soft sector) .
Memory capacity 175K per diskette.
Directory entry: 144/ diskette.
Sector / track: 17 ~ 21.
Byte / sector: 256. track: 35.
Block: 683.
Directly connect VIC-1001 serial port with included cable.

-----------
VIC-1801
-----------
Basic for the VIC

Program cassette to learn BASIC for VIC. You can learn basics of
BASIC with this program just made for beginners of the BASIC. Just
enter keys and simply follow commands on the monitor from this program.

-----------
VIC-1901 ~
-----------
All kinds of games (seriously, thats all it says!)

orion70 · Post by **orion70** » Thu May 07, 2009 1:01 am

Thanks a lot smj, another piece of the puzzle was found

.
Now, we can put these new infos in the VIC wiki page of the monitor.

-----------
VIC-1901 ~
-----------
All kinds of games

Geez, those were times for enthusiastic people...

ral-clan · Post by **ral-clan** » Thu May 07, 2009 6:11 am

Great! The Wiki article has been updated.

Interesting that the monitor in the brochure is different than the one in the photo at the top of this thread.

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Thu May 07, 2009 7:02 am

Apparently Commodore sourced monitors from multiple manufacturers already in 1980/81.

As you probably know, a later monitor of a certain model number can have many different looks and even inputs depending on which manufacturer they bought from.