Vic 20 vs. a modern PC

[PaulQ]

After using my Vic 20 for a while, I came up with ten reasons why it's superior to my PC:

1. It runs absolutely quiet. My PC has "Quiet" fans, but is still audibly noticable next to the Vic.
2. Energy efficient. My Vic only uses 8.5 watts of power.
3. Boot up time is under one second.
4. Time to load up a programming language is under one second.
5. It's much more portable than most desktop PC systems.
6. It's much less apt to get stolen than most laptop PC systems.
7. No viruses to worry about.
8. No "Critical Updates" that need installing.
9. No Ad-ware or spyware.
10. My son doesn't bug me to go on my Vic.

[ral-clan]

11. Plays VIC-20 games without needing an emulator
12. Since they are not really releasing any more hardware, you don't have that desperate feeling of falling behind, or trying to keep up.

[6502dude]

13. Big fingers are not a problem when doing repairs (no SMT chips)
14. Replacement computer is $5 to $10 (ok, maybe $20 for a really clean unit in great shape)

[orion70]

Plus, Italian rap band Articolo 31 wrote a song about comparison between PC and a Commodore computer (I know, it's not the VIC - put my post in "other systems" if you want ).
It' called "Commodore 64 vs. PC":

Anno di pubblicazione: 1982
Memoria: 64 Kb
ROM: 20 Kb
Microprocessore: 6510 A
Colori: 16
Risoluzione: 320x200
Tastiera: type writer
Suono: nove ottave
Lui non aveva super processori
Soltanto 16 colori
Non lo capivano i genitori
Lo sconsigliavano i professori
Lo attaccavi al televisore e ore e ore
A caricare giochi dal registratore
La grafica mancava di definizione
Ma la sostituiva l’immaginazione
La tua adolescenza con solo un joystick
Ma nessuno scooter andrà più veloce di quella BMX
Il Commodore 64 rompe il culo al Pc
Il Commodore 64 è più di Xp o Osx
Col Commodore 64 ora ci giocano gli dei
E il Commodore 64 si è inculato anche la Play
Anche la Play, anche lei (anche lei)
Sembrava non potere fare niente
Con 39 kbytes per utente
Invece ne hanno fatti a milioni
Sparatutto, avventure e simulazioni
Un solo chip sonoro
Ma lo potevi anche suonare
E poco prima di morire
Iniziava anche a parlare
Il Commodore 64 rompe il culo al Pc
Il Commodore 64 è più di Xp o Osx
Col Commodore 64 ora ci giocano gli dei
E il Commodore 64 si è inculato anche la Play
Il Commodore 64 rompe il culo al Pc (anche la Play)
Il Commodore 64 è più di Xp o Osx (anche la Play)
Il Commodore 64 (anche lei)
Il Commodore 64 (anche la play)

Rough translation:

Year of publication: 1982
Memory: 64 Kb
ROM: 20 Kb
Microprocessor: 6510
Colors: 16
Resolution: 320x200
Keyboard: type writer
Sound: nine octaves
It did not have a super processor
Only 16 colors
Parents did not understand it
Professors did not recommend it
It was connected to the TV set - and hours and hours
To load games from the datassette
Graphics lacked definition
But they were replaced by our imagination
Your adolescence with a joystick
But no scooter will ever be faster than that BMX
Commodore 64 kicks ass against the PC
Commodore 64 is more than Xp or OsX
Now the Gods are playing with a Commodore 64
And the Commodore 64 fucked also the Play [NB-Playstation]
Also the Play, her also (her also)
It seemed not able to do anything
With 39 kbytes for the user
But they raised millions
With shoot'em ups, adventures and simulations
A single sound chip
But you could also play it
And shortly before dying
It began to speak
Commodore 64 kicks ass against the PC
Commodore 64 is more than Xp or OsX
Now also the Gods are playing with a Commodore 64
And the Commodore 64 fucked also the Play
Commodore 64 kicks ass against the PC (also the Play)
Commodore 64 is more than Xp or OsX (also the Play)
The Commodore 64 (also the Play)
The Commodore 64 (also the Play)

[carlsson]

2. Energy efficient. My Vic only uses 8.5 watts of power.

Isn't that quite low, compared to what other people have measured, and the fact it says up to 25W on the underside?

[Alan]

15. One word: SHATNER

[MacbthPSW]

Isn't that quite low, compared to what other people have measured, and the fact it says up to 25W on the underside?

I just measured with my "Watts Up?" and my main JiffyDOS equiped VIC (newer DIN power connector) uses about 18 watts on it's own, and about 19 watts with a 16K RAM cart connected.

[PaulQ]

The label on my power supply clearly states 8.5 watts; but maybe that's the output. I've been known to make those kind of mistakes...

[eslapion]

12. Since they are not really releasing any more hardware, you don't have that desperate feeling of falling behind, or trying to keep up.

My marketing campain FAILED !!!

[Boray]

After using my Vic 20 for a while, I came up with ten reasons why it's superior to my PC:

1. It runs absolutely quiet. My PC has "Quiet" fans, but is still audibly noticable next to the Vic.

5. It's much more portable than most desktop PC systems.

These two are not true for mine...

[Schema]

My marketing campain FAILED !!!

Haha. You need to do the Microsoft thing, maybe release a "Contiki XP" for the VIC20 that requires 32K...

[carlsson]

Contiki as it is today hardly fits into 32K anyway. Since nobody seemed thrilled about the project, I didn't waste any more time trying to figure out how to configure the cc65 compiler to compile into loadable modules going into different areas of memory (to use the BLK5 for such data).

[saundby]

13. Big fingers are not a problem when doing repairs (no SMT chips)
14. Replacement computer is $5 to $10 (ok, maybe $20 for a really clean unit in great shape)

15. The average user can start writing their own software for it in with only an hour's training, and sophisticated software with only about 10 hours of training.

16. You never have to wonder where that file ended up.

17. You never have to wonder where bits of that new program installed itself to, or whether it's going to hose all your other apps.

18. You can build your own hardware add ons from scratch with simple hand tools and a basic knowledge of digital electronics. No protocols, no licensing of IP, no SMT components, no inscrutible invisible magic mechanisms buried in VLSI components.

19. No app slowdowns from other processes.

20. No CEOs telling you why you need to be excited to spend more money on a system you already own just to keep it performing basic tasks that you can already do, but which will soon be broken by updates.

21. Meaningful technical feats like "Robotic Liberation", as opposed to the latest FPS pushing more polygons in version n+1 but everything else is the same as version n (and prepare to spend $350 on new hardware to play version n+1, because your old hardware can't keep up.)

22. When a kid watches games run on a Vic, they become convinced that they can make games, too. When they watch them on a PC, they are amazed--but the idea that they could do that, too, is about as remote as the idea that they could personally produce an A-budget Hollywood film in their back yard with the family video camera. When introduced to the Vic's manual and BASIC, they actually start trying to make games. When introduced to Visual C++ or Visual BASIC, DirectX, MFCs, etc., they go back to watching TV.

-Mark

[vic user]

what a great post saundby!

22 was super good!

[PaulQ]

I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiment, vic user. Saundy's post is dead on and point 22 striked a chord with me as well. The PC has become a "Consumer" machine, carefully engineered to keep people spending money on them.

The realm of hardware and software development that once belonged to hobbyists has been taken away from inividuals and given to corporations with deep pockets and offshore manufacturing facilities, and if it won't sell by the thousands, it will never be made.

That said, with a cheap digicam and a modern PC with the right software (I like Movie Edit Pro 10), it may be possible for a talented individual to produce a movie that compares to some of the A-budget Hollywood ones. I'll give modern day computers that.