Historical Technology Books: Commodore C64 Manual: Commodore 64 Users Guide (1982) - 15 in a series

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Technology isn't just computers, networks and phones. Technology has always been part of the human experience. All of our ancestors have looked for ways to help the survive and do less work for more gain. Archive.org has a host of old technology books (from mid-19th to mid-20th Century) available in many formats and on a host of topics. Many of the technologies discussed within these books are being put to use again these days in the back to the land" and homesteading movements. You might even find something that could address one of your own garden or farm issues, but has been lost to time and history. Enjoy! --Douglas
Historical Technology Books: Commodore C64 Manual: Commodore 64 Users Guide (1982) - 15 in a series
 
My son has been getting deeply into retro computers and gaming consoles lately, so I have been revisiting the systems which I used early in my career with computers. I was an Apple II user, but even then I still spent some time on friends Commodore 64s and 128s over the years. Flipping through this manual was truly like traveling back through time to a simpler technological time. — Douglas

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations, on your purchase of one of the best computers in the world. You are row the proud owner of the COMMODORE 64. Com- modore is known as The Friendly Computer company, and port of being friendly is giving you easy to read, easy to use and easy to understand instruction manuals. The COMMODORE 64 USER'S GUIDE is designed tn give you all the information you need to properly set up your equipment, ge" acquainted with opercring the COMMODORE 64, and give you a simple, fun start a- learning to make your own programs.

For those of you who don't want to bother learning how to program, we've put all the information you need to use Commodore programs o' other prepackaged programs and/or game cartridges (third party software) right up front. This means you don't have to hunt throjgh -he entire boo< to get started.

Now let's look at some of the exciting features that are just waitirg for you inside your COMMODORE 64, First, when it comes to graphics you've cot the mosl advanced picture maker in the microcomputer in- dustry. We call it SPRITE GRAPHICS, and it allows you to design your own pictures in 4 different colors, just like the ones you see on arcade type video games. Not only that, the SPRITE EDITOR let's you animate as many as 8 different picture levels at one time. The SPRITE EDITOR will soon be available as a software program that you con load directly into your COMMODORE 64. You can move your creations anywhere on the screen, oven pass one image in front of nr behind another. Your COM- MODORE 64 even provides automatic collision detection which instruct; the computer to take the action you want when the sprites hit each other.

Next, the COMMODORE 64 has built-in music and sound effects that rival many well known music synthesizers. Tl-ig part of your computer gives you 3 independent voices, each with a full 9 octave "piano-type" range. In addition you get 4 different waveforms (sawtooth, triangle, variable pulse, ond noise), a programmable ADSR (attack, decay, sus- tain, release) envelope generator and a programmable high, low, and bandpass filter for the voices, and variable resonance and volume con- trols. If you want your music to play back with professional sourd re-

UNPACKING AND CONNECTING THE COMMODORE 64

The following step-by-step instructions show you how to connect the Commodore 64 to your television set, sound syslem, or monitor and make sure everything is working properly.

Before attaching anything to the computer, check the contents of the Commodore 64 container. Besides this manual, you should find the fol- lowing items:

1 . Commodore 64

2. Power supply (black box with an AC plug and supply cord)

3. Video coble

4. TV Switchbox (small silver box with short antenna leads).

If any items are missing check back with your dealer mmed ately for a replacement.

First, let's take a look ot the arrangement of the various connections on The compute' and how each functions.

SIDE PANEL CONNECTIONS

1. Power Socket. The free end of the cable from the power supply is attached here to supply power to the Commodore 64.

2. Power Switch. Turns on power 'o the Commodore 64.

3. Game Ports. Each game connector can accept a joystick or game controller paddle, white the lightpen can only be plugged into the game port closest to the front of your computer.

REAR CONNECTIONS

4. Cartridge Slot. The rectangular slot to the left accepts program or game cartridges.

5. Channel Selector. Use this switch to select which TV channel the computer's picture will be displayed on.

6. TV Connector, This connector supplies both the picture and sound to

your television set.

7. Audio & Video Output. This connector supplies direct audio, which can be connected to a high quality sound system, and a "compos- ite" video signal, which can be fed into a television "monitor."

8. Serial Port. You can anach a printer or single disk drive directly to the Commodore 64 through this connector.

 

 

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