|
|
 |
| Commodore
64 Communications Modem |
|
|
In the days before the internet and the world wide
web, it was still possible to communicate over the
phone lines with your computer. The Commodore 64
Communications Modem plugged into the cartridge
port, most modems used the RS-232 user port. It
gave access to online services including, in the
UK, Compunet and Prestel. This service allowed users
to download and upload information including programs
and to send and receive e-mail. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The Commodore 64
Communications Modem is your key to
the information technology revolution.
This direct connect modem creates a
telephone link from your Commodore 64
to computers all over the world containing
vast amounts of varied information. |
|
| Offered free with
the purchase of the Commodore 64 Communications
Modem is one year's membership of COMPUNET,
the U.K.'s best and most versatile service
for Commodore 64 owners. |
|
| This service gives
you access to:- |
| • |
|
General
information on the latest Commodore
hardware and software. |
|
| • |
|
Technical
hints and tips about all Commodore
products. |
|
| • |
|
Purchase
of software which is transmitted
over the telephone line into your
Commodore 64 for you to save to
cassette or diskette. (Downloading).
|
|
| • |
|
Free
software in many of the sections
for you to download. |
|
| • |
|
Electronic
Mail - a secure person to person
communication system. |
|
| • |
|
Bulletin
Board - for you to leave and receive
messages from all other COMPUNET
users. |
|
| • |
|
Other
viewdata systems including Prestel. |
|
|
| Compunet is expanding
and developing new services all the
time. It is anticipated you will soon
be able to enjoy the services of the
high street from the comfort of your
own home including teleshopping, telebanking,
the buying and selling of real estate,
insurance quotes, and much more. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
All this in 1984! It wasn't cheap. With early modems,
the telephone handset was placed in two rubber cups.
Downloads often contained errors due to interference.
For the plug-in type like this one, you needed the
old Post Office Telephones hard wired connection
changed to a new style socket. There was a charge
for this and of course there would be a subscription
and call charges while online. The phone system
was still a state monopoly so there was no choice.
They didn't make it easy but this was the future
and it was available now. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Keyboard Overlay |
|
| Thanks to the
SID chip, the Commodore 64 and 128 were capable
of playing complex music. A number of software options
were available. Some even allowed a full size keyboard
to be connected. A simpler solution was to fit a
keyboard over the computer itself. Although not
very robust, this seems to work quite well. This
example is for the 128. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Reset Switch |
|
| For those of
us who wrote software in machine code, one of the
most annoying things about the Commodore 64 was
the lack of a reset switch. This allows the computer
to be returned to normal without clearing the memory
as would happen if it was switched off. Essential
when testing routines.The answer was to buy a switch
like this one. It plugs into the RS-232 user port
and has a pass through for other peripherals. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Work Station |
|
| I bought this
metal stand through a computer magazine. |
|
| The cables from
the computer pass underneath and out
of the back. There is room for two disk
drives and the television or monitor
sits on top. |
|
| The stand is solid
and keeps the work area tidy. It has
a copy-holder which can be screwed onto
either side to hold paperwork. |
| |
| |
|
|
|
