From: brain@msen.com (Jim Brain) Subject: Commodore Triviai Edition #6 Answers Date: 13 Jun 1994 16:49:11 -0400 Organization: Brain Innovations, Inc. Lines: 142 Sender: brain@garnet.msen.com Message-ID: Reply-To: brain@mail.msen.com NNTP-Posting-Host: garnet.msen.com Here are the answers to Commodore Trivia Edition #6 for May, 1994. Q $050) The Commodore 1551 Disk Drive is a parallel device. How did it connect to the Commodore Plus/4 and C16? A $050) The Commodore 1551 connected via the expansion port. Therefore, it was a parallel device, and could work at much faster speeds. Q $051) How many could you attach? A $051) Two, The second drive cable attached to the back of the first cable. Q $052) What were the addresses they used? (Not device numbers) A $052) The two drives were mapped into the Address space at $fec0 and $fef0 of the Plus/4 or C-16. The 6523 Triple Interface Adaptor chip is mapped in at these locations and has 8 registers each. Q $053) What is the maximum number of sound octaves the VIC-20 sound generator can reach? A $053) This has two equally valid answers. On the Vic-20, each sound generator has a range of 3 octaves. However, all the sound generators together can range 5 octaves, since each sound generator is staggered one octave apart. Q $054) Who wrote the reference guide that was distributed with almost every PET computer sold? A $054) The infamous Adam Osborne, of Osborne I fame. Q $055) The box that the C64 comes in has some propaganda on the side describing the unit. In the specifications section, it claims how many sprites can be on screen at one time? A $055) I neglected to note that the Commodore 64 packing box has underwent many changes. However, for quite a while, CBM used a blue box with many views of the 64, and a specification list on on side of the box. On that spec list, it claims that the the 64 can have "256 independently controlled objects, 8 on one line." Why is this important? It gives us a clue that the VIC-II designers figured people would and could use the interrrupts on the VIC-II to change sprite pointers. Q $056) The Commodore Plus/4 computer contained the first integrated software package to be placed in a personal computer. What was the name of the software package? A $056) The package was called "3+1". Q $057) What popular computer software did the software package parody? A $057) Lotus 1-2-3. Q $058) One familiar Commodore portable computer was called the SX-64. What did SX really stand for? A $058) Depending on whom you believe, the SX stands for two things. If you choose to believe Jack Tramiel, the SX stands for "sex", since Jack has been quoted as saying, "Business is like sex, You have to be involved". This is a plausible answer, as Jack usually picked the names of the computers. However, if you don't buy that, here is the marketing version. SX stands for Single Drive Executive, as the portable 64 was called the Executive 64. There was to have been a DX model, which would have had two drives. You decide. Q $059) Who (what person) invented the Sound Interface Device (SID) chip? A $059) Bob Yannes, who also worked on one of the VIC prototypes, developed this chip. Q $05A) The ill-fated UltiMax (later called the MAX Machine) contained a number of Commodore 64 features. However, it did not share the 64's feature of 64kB RAM. How much RAM did the MAX have? A $05A) A whopping 2 kilobytes. If you plugged in the BASIC cartridge, memory dropped to .5 kilobyte or 512 bytes. No wonder CBM scrapped this one. Q $05B) What famous person was featured in U.S. television advertising for the VIC-20? A $05B) William Shatner. Yes, Captain James T. Kirk himself did the ads. He was not, however, in uniform, since CBM did not have rights to Star Trek of any sort. Q $05C) What company designed the first VICModem? A $05C) Anchor Automation. Sometimes called the "Most Inexpensive Modem", the VICModem was designed to be sold for under $100 when most were $400 or more. The secret to the cost containment was the ability to use what we soetimes think of as a disadvantage of the User Port to the modem's advantage. The TTL level RS-232 signals did not need to be buffered before driving the modem, and the +5 volt power available through the User Port just was not available through normal RS-232 lines. Not having the already TTL level signals would have meant extra components that would have increased case size and cost, and not having the on-board power would have meant a power connector and power supply would need to be bundled. Being one of those people who used the first VICModem, I can tell you it was worth the hassle. Q $05D) Everyone has seen or heard of BYTE Magazine. Known for technical articles in the 80's, and coverage of PC products in the 90's, BYTE was founded by Wayne Green. What Commodore computer magazine did Wayne Green later publish? A $05D) RUN Magazine. As of right now, CMD has purchased the rights to RUN. Q $05E) (Three part question) What are the official names of the colors used on the VIC-20: a) case? b) regular typewriter keys? c) function keys? A $05E) a) ivory. b) chocolate brown. c) mustard. Q $05F) Commodore is set up as a ___________ chartered company. Name the missing country. A $05F) Bahamas. Doing so gave CBM a great tax break. With the tax rate in the Bahamas as low as 1%, more money could be kept from the governments. End of Commodore Trivia Edition #6! Jim Brain brain@mail.msen.com 2306 B Hartland Road Hartland, MI 48353 (810) 737-7300 x8528 New questions follow.... -- Jim Brain, Embedded Systems Designer, Brain Innovations. brain@msen.com Dabbling in VR, Old Commodore Computers, and Good Times! "The above views DO reflect my employer, since I am my employer" - Jim Brain