Should I develop for tape or disk or both?

[jdxpolygon]

This is a small amount off topic, but for expanded VIC games on Tape, do any of them use a custom (i.e. fast) loader? I myself have never seen one. I can't imagine it'd ever be practical on an unexpanded VIC due to the memory it'd take up, unless someone knows better - the only ones I've ever used (on the C64) were 512-768 bytes in size, although I guess they could be smaller with less presentation features. I suppose the other obvious point is it doesn't take that long to load the 3.5k even with the standard tape loader, Carling The Spider loads in around 1 minute 40 seconds and that's actually 2 different PRG files.

[English Invader]

The Mega Cart has Easy Load which, when used with the fully expanded VIC, will load any tape/disk program in any RAM configuration.

[Boray]

As for RAM expansion...I still don't know how I feel about it. On the practical side, I don't have a RAM cart. On the emotional side, I'm naturally more nostalgic about the plain old unexpanded VIC I've always known.

If you think the retro aspect is important, I would say the gear would come in this order:

1. Tape: Everyone had one (except for Jeff).

2. Ram expansions: I would guess that a majority had them.

3. Disk drive: Close to non existant. Consider that the disk drive costed about the same as a c64, so people who bought a disk drive probably bought a c64 first and then a disk drive.

[rhurst]

1. Tape: Everyone had one (except for Jeff).

What did Jeff use? Floppy? He must have been one of those rich kids ...

I didn't buy a floppy for those precise reasons; and besides, tape was fast enough for me and 3.5kb saves and loads.

[IsaacKuo]

If you think the retro aspect is important, I would say the gear would come in this order:

1. Tape: Everyone had one (except for Jeff).

2. Ram expansions: I would guess that a majority had them.

3. Disk drive: Close to non existant. Consider that the disk drive costed about the same as a c64, so people who bought a disk drive probably bought a c64 first and then a disk drive.

I know--indeed, I got a C64 first and then a disk drive, after a long period of disk drive envy for everyone else with a C64. Around here, there was NO C64 software on tape. Not in stores, and not in the pirating community. It was all disk from the start.

But for me the retro aspect isn't as important as convenience. I don't have any nostalgia for any "VIC20 community", since I was never part of any. No one else had a VIC20. There was no software available on tape or disk, only cartridge. I've never seen a commercial software tape of any sort for any computer.

My personal experience includes using the VIC20 with 1541 because my C64 died. I know that's an unusual circumstance, but it nevertheless applies to 100% of VIC owners I know.

[English Invader]

According to the Denial newsletter, he started out with only the VIC and had to make do with type-in programs and his own creative endeavour.

Maybe there's something to be said for that. When all the games you want are available at the click of a mouse, there's little incentive to use your own imagination.

[IsaacKuo]

I started without a datasette also. Didn't everyone?

My mass storage was writing down a program on a notebook; my other method of "saving" the program was to only turn the TV off.

But I did eventually get a datasette.

[edit added:]

I mean, a datasette without a VIC is just a paperweight. But a VIC without a datasette is a respectable home computer system, useful as an awesome programmable calculator as well as perfectly capable of running cartridge software. So obviously, you'd get a VIC first, right?

[Boray]

Around here, there was NO C64 software on tape. Not in stores, and not in the pirating community. It was all disk from the start.

Not here. There was a lot of people using a c64+tape and there was lots of commercial software too. People also copied a lot of cracked games on tape, and had a tape turbo at the start of every tape.

[Boray]

I think many people bough a vic-20 + datasette or a c64 + datasette as a bundle... My brother bought a vic-20 + datasette + small black&white tv set as a bundle...

[IsaacKuo]

Yes, I know tape software was commonplace in other places (not sure exactly where, but certainly in Europe at least).

I think here in the USA, home computers were expected to use disk drives, thanks to the influence of the Apple II and maybe the TRS-80. The Apple II had a cheap disk drive; the TRS-80 originally had a horribly bad tape drive. By the time the C64 entered the scene, both Apple II and TRS-80 were firmly established disk drive based systems.

[English Invader]

This is slightly off topic, but anyone know what computer Matthew Broderick used in Wargames?

[Jeff-20]

According to the Denial newsletter, he started out with only the VIC and had to make do with type-in programs and his own creative endeavour.

My storage device was loose sheets of paper. The VIC was such an investment, I dared not ask for additional accessories. After I wrote a game (and literally wrote it on paper), I would retype it over and over whenever I wanted to play a game.

It really taught me to be patient. Game play on the VIC was always preceded by 45 minutes of typing. I really wish I had those original sheets of paper. I even drew little arcade-style bazels at the top of each page!

[Mike]

This is slightly off topic, but anyone know what computer Matthew Broderick used in Wargames?

That was an IMSAI 8080 computer.

Greetings,

Michael

[Jeff-20]

Just because it looked cool with all the gratuitous LEDs.

[gklinger]

That was an IMSAI 8080 computer.l

Much, much more information here. It's all very interesting. Would you believe the original WOPR got sold on eBay a few years ago? I snagged the images: