Fresh meat...just got a C128, curious about what cool things I can do to it

[Major_Tom_coming_home]

I recently purchased a Commodore 128 and I'm planning to get a uIEC/SD from retro innovator. I'm curious to know if there are any other worthwhile expansions or software for my machine? I'm probably not interesting in running CP/M versions of Visicalc or Wordstar, but anything entertaining would be nice. I don't have a disk drive or cassette player but I'm thinking uIEC/SD replaces them functionally. Thanks!

[carlsson]

You might want an utility cartridge with built-in fastloader. There are modern replicas of Epyx FastLoad at the bottom end of the spectrum, that should be fully compatible with the SD2IEC and uIEC/SD devices, but as reported on this forum recently, another member using an original cartridge failed to get the combination to work. Other options that may be interesting to you would be an used The Final Cartridge III, an Action Replay Mk 5-7, Retro Replay or perhaps an EasyFlash 3, which has the ability to simulate either of these cartridges. It also has storage capacity of its own, so it can be used as a multicart complementing the SD device. It all depends on how much money you want to spend.

 

An alternative to an utility cartridge may be to install JiffyDOS. Jim Brain is licensed to sell the operating system, both as ROM images and ready made chips. It would require some internal modifications on your C128 to use it, but you get built-in fastloader that is compatible with the SD device, plus a bunch of other goodies that is part of JiffyDOS.

[motrucker]

If you are going to rely completely on an SDIEC device, are you planning on using the 128 mode? I also use a 1571 drive so I can handle real floppies when I run across them.

There are a couple of older cartridges that can be used with both C-64 and C-128 modes of this machine. Warp Speed and Mach 128 will work in both modes. For speeding up serial access, Jiffy DOS is, hands down, the best way to go. You can get this from Retro Innovations (Jim Brain) or from this outlet for a switchless version:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Commodore-128DCR-switchless-JIFFYDOS-KERNAL-with-clips-NO-DRILLING-/161870675453?hash=item25b03e7dfd:g:xgYAAOSw5ZBWLo9I

 

This ebay seller is great to work with, and will ship world wide. Good luck with your C-128.

 

 

[7800fan]

An alternative to an utility cartridge may be to install JiffyDOS. Jim Brain is licensed to sell the operating system, both as ROM images and ready made chips. It would require some internal modifications on your C128 to use it, but you get built-in fastloader that is compatible with the SD device, plus a bunch of other goodies that is part of JiffyDOS.

 

The only mod needed is to install the switch outside the case for easy access. The chips themselves do not need any mod or work to install, just pop the original chips, put it somewhere for safekeeping (I taped mine inside on top of the cart metal shield) so it's there if I needed to go back to stock. I put the switch on the front for easy access since 128D is fairly big and not everyone is comfortable with drilling metal.

 

Another mod is to install a fan. The 128D metal box has a spot and a place on power supply board for fan power but Commodore left them out to save about $3 per 128D they sold. It is optional but it'll help a lot.

 

Third mod to consider is to either install ID switch or disk disable switch for the internal 1571 so you could use SD2IEC or other SD card drive on ID 8.

[eightbit]

I agree with JiffyDOS. Easy to install and very useful.