How to Use The

mdilithium Press How to Use The ---Computer--- jerry Wtllis and Deborrah Wtllis '";' \ •• \ , \ J ' How to Use the VIC 20™ Computer How to Use the VIC 20™ Computer Jerry Willis and Deborrah Willis dilithium Press Beaverton, Oregon © 1984 by dilithium Press. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher, with the following exceptions: any material may be copied or transcribed for the nonprofit use of the purchaser, and material (not to exceed 300 words and one figure) may be quoted in published reviews of this book. Where necessary, permission is granted by the copyright owner for libraries and others registered with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) to photocopy any material herein for a base fee of$1.00 and an additional fee of $0.20 per page. Payments should be sent directly to the Copyright Clearance Center, 21 Congress Street, Salem, Massachusetts 01970. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Willis, Jerry. How to use the VIC 20 computer. Includes index. 1. VIC 20 (Computer)-Programming. 2. Basic (Computing program language)!. Willis, Deborrah. II. Title. III. Title: How to use the V.I. C. 20 computer~ QA76.8.V5W54 1984 001.64 83-17147 ISBN 0-88056-134-3 Cover: Vernon G. Groff Printed in the United States of America dilithium Press 8285 S.W. Nimbus Suite 151 Beaverton, Oregon 97005 Trademark Acknowledgements Apple II Apple Computer, Inc. ATARI400, 800 Atari Computer SuperCalc Sorcim Corp. TI-99/4A Texas Instruments TRS-80 Color Computer Tandy Radio Shack Corp. VIC20, PET, Commodore Computer Commodore 64 VisiCalc VisiCorp IBM PC International Business Machines Corp. vi How to Use the VIC 20 Computer Table of Contents Chapter 1 Well, What Do We Have Here? 1 Chapter 2 Setup and Installation 15 Chapter 3 Up and Running-VIC 20 27 · Chapter4 Loading Information from Cassette or Disk 35 Chapter 5 Output to Cassette, Diskette or Printer 47 Chapter6 Programming in BASIC 59 Chapter 7 Getting Information into the Computer 69 ChapterS More BASIC 79 Chapter9 Graphics, Sound (and More BASIC) 97 Chapter 10 Software 117 Chapter 11 Selecting Hardware and Accessories 133 Chapter 12 Sources of More Information 155 Appendix A Abbreviations for VIC 20 BASIC Key Words 161 AppendixB Error Messages 165 INDEX 167 viii How to Use the VIC 20 Computer Chapterl Well, What Do We Have Here? This book is aimed at the novice computer user who owns, or is thinking of buying the VIC 20 computer from Commodore. The VIC 20 was a revolutionary computer when Commodore President Jack Tramul announced its introduction in 1980 at a London meeting of Commodore executives. The machine has a full size, typewriter-style keyboard, can be programmed in a standard version of the most popular computer language, BASIC, and has very good color graphics and sound synthesis features. None of the features noted above, however, are revolu tionary. The revolution was the price-$299. In 1980, no other company had offered so much computing ppwer for so small a price. Figure 1.1 The VIC 20 and accessories. 2 How to Use the VIC 20 Computer By the summer of 1983, the VIC 20 had become one of the best selling computers ever, with sales estimated to be between 5 and 1. 5 million. The revolutionary price of $299 had dropped to as little as $86 and the computer could be purchased in such mass market outlets as K-Mart, Montgomery Ward, and Toys-R-Us. The VIC 20 competes today in a crowded market where the TI-99/4A, the TRS-80 Color Computer, and the ATARI 400 all sell for under $100. Is a computer that costs less than $100 to be considered seriously? Will it do anything besides let you plug in video-game cartridges and play space fantasies? The answer is a definite YES. The VIC 20 is a real computer and can do plenty in your home, office, or classroom. This book is geared to the beginning computer user with little background in computer science or electronics. It will provide you with the information needed to make maximum use of the VIC 20. We wrote the book with the following objectives in mind: 1. To introduce you to the computer and its basic components, what they do, and how they work together (Chapters 1, 9 and 10). 2. To provide an overview of the things you can do with your computer (Chapter 1). 3. To give step-by-step instructions on how to set up or "install" your computer and tell you how to get it "up and running" (Chapters 2 and 3 ). 4. To describe how to load and save programs on standard audio cas settes and diskettes (Chapters 4 and 5). 5. To introduce the novice to the standard computer languages and to the use of color graphics and sound synthesis with the VIC 20 (Chapters 6, 7 and 8). 6. To provide information on what accessories you may want to buy for your computer and how to select, buy, install, and use them (Chapter 8). 7. To provide information on other sources of information about your computer such as magazines, books, user's groups, and computer-based information networks (Chapter 12). 8. To provide information on the software available for the VIC 20, how to select the best programs for your needs, and where to buy it (Chapter 10). If you are eager to get started using the computer, move ahead to Chapter 2. Well, What Do We Have Here? 3 A LI'ITLE IDSTORY In 1974, Commodore International was known as a successful manufac turer of calculators. It was a relatively small company that had d~monstrated its ability to match development and marketing skills with giants, such as Texas Instruments, and hold its own. The development of hand-held calculators in the early '70s required manufacturers to design systems that made use of electronic devices called "integrated circuits" or ICs. These ICs enabled designers to replace hun dreds of discrete transistor circuits with three or four integrated circuits. A standard integrated circuit could perform all the functions of 50 to 200 transistors and it drastically reduced the steps and time required to man ufacture a calculator. Today, the technology of creating integrated circuits has reached the point where many hand-held calculators have only one large integrated circuit in them. ICs routinely are manufactured that replace tens of thousands of individual transistor circuits. The little IC, which was the foundation of the calculator industry, was also the foundation of the personal computer revolution. One of Com modore's chip suppliers; MOS Technology, was also a pioneer in the 'development of the "computer on a chip," also known as the micro processor integrated circuit. MOS developed the 6502 integrated circuit or "chip" which is used in many of the most popular computers. The Apple II, the ATAR! 800 and 400, the Commodore PET, and the VIC 20 all use the 6502 chip. When Commodore decided to move into the developing field of per sonal computers, it bought MOS Technology and thus created a company that had both marketing experience (from its calculator background) and technical expertise (from its chip development work). The result was a remarkably successful product, the PET computer. In 1977, Commodore announced the PET, a $495 computer that was the first "appliance" computer. That is, it was a computer that could be taken home, plugged in, and used immediately. Although the original PET had a hard-to-use calculator style keyboard, orders exceeded all expectations and almost overnight Commodore be come one of the major players in the personal computer game. Some would say the PET was too successful. The company was not prepared for· the . product demand and as orders came in the time until delivery also in creased. At one time, Commodore had a five-month backlog of orders. Commodore, in fact, was never able to meet production schedules, estab lish a strong dealer network, and provide necessary support. Their share of the market in the United States dropped steadily after the first year. Today 4 How to Use the VIC 20 Computer it is not uncommon to find bitter computer dealers and PET purchasers who remember the problems of Commodore during the 1977-1981 period. Phone calls were not returned, accessories were announced but not man ufactured, problems occurred because of design errors, and a generally slip-shod mode of operation created a poor image of Commodore in the minds of many. While Commodore was developing a poor reputation in the U.S., it was moving toward domination of several major European markets. That difference is based on two facts- the computers they built were fine products, and the marketing strategies used in Europe were excellent, especially when compared to the ill-conceived U.S. promotions. Between 1977 and 1981, Commodore expanded its original PET computer into a line that included five different models with four different styles of disk drives. The 8032 computer, when combined with an 8050 disk drive, was one of the best computers in the small business market in 1981. Figure 1.2 The Commodore 8032. Well, What Do We Have Here? 5 By 1981, however, good equipment was not enough. Competitors also had good machines and they answered their phones, gave si:rong support to their dealer network, and were generally easier to deal with.

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