Finally got a chance to watch this. Fantastic work Steven! A great synopsis that I can provide to people after they ask me about this strange see-through computer on my desk! :)
Super work! Its great to see the MEGA65 getting tested out and showcased by more folks, so that we can share the joy of this machine around. Looking forward to the 2nd half of your top-10 :)
Thanks, Paul and thanks for the amazing opportunity to watch the development of this "wonder computer of the 2020s." That'd make a great commercial. Think we can get William Shatner? 😂
@@retroCombs Our pleasure. It was always our goal to recreate the fun and wonder of the early 8-bit home era with the MEGA65, and it therefore pleases me immensely to see people having lots of fun and joy with it.
@@PaulGardnerStephen There was a question about REU support for the MEGA65 to provide more than the default 128K in C65 mode. I seem to remember conversation about this in the works. Am I correct?
@@retroCombs Yes, there is a half-progressed plan to add REU emulation to access BANK 4 and 5 as a 128KB simulated REU, or alternatively, the 8MB Attic RAM as REU.
@@retroCombs Microsoft basic 10 Even Amiga wb 1.3 had one, but it did not support Amiga chips. Seems this basic 10 and QL super basic are top of that line, maybe BBC mocro
I was expecting Amiga-like graphics during the demo portion of the video, and what was shown was disappointing. Well, minus Turrican. I guess the developers need more time with the hardware. 🤷
And we need more developers. As the next batch goes out, we should begin to see more great games and apps. Still a young platform. Stay tuned. Oh, and this video was awhile ago. There are some newer titles that I plan to show in a later video.
Please be advised that FPGA, fortunately, is not emulation. This is technology that, so to speak, rests on its own shoulders. The very electrons within the M65 flow in the same way that they do inside actual C65 hardware - and unlike emulation, it isn't reliant on a foreign operating system that tells it what to do. The M65 doesn't bow to some other party like Apple or Microsoft - on the contrary, it stands firm on its own feet.
I'm not in disagreement with you. I've been down this discussion many times which is why I shrug my head in the video knowing that someone is going to set me straight. After several online discussions there is 50/50 disagreement. It's not the actual hardware, but it also does not follow the traditional emulation definition. I chose the word because it's the easiest to describe for those new to an FPGA. Thanks foe sharing!
Nice video ! Thank you very much, this really expresses, my love for the MEGA65 as well. So many possibilities and such a great machine ;-) One comment: at 14:22 Turrican demo, you're running the demo in the wrong video mode. Should be PAL ;-)
And that explains why the sprite is out of sync with the background! I'll give it a shot in PAL mode tomorrow. Thanks so much for the heads up and for watching/commenting.
at the moment i don't think i will buy a Mega65, but the mouster thing you presented in your video seems to be really cool. This is a nice addition for my c64 :)
Be sure to check out my most recent video (Turning a Nexys4 into a MEGA65). Might be a fun project in the interim. th-cam.com/video/gfsNLwCtIjo/w-d-xo.html
Thanks. I did this one quite some time ago but it came from the TH-cam Audio Library. I think I searched for retro and it popped up. Sorry I didn't capture the name.
Oooh and Retro Games Limited announced a Commodore Tank Mouse-Style USB-Mouse for its new "A500 Mini". So maybe you can use it with the Mouster to have a brand new commodore looking mouse :)
I'm a ZX Spectrum Next 2 backer. Looking forward to that one next year. I was not a ZX guy back in the 80s and looking forward to seeing what it can do, but have played a bit with the ZX core on the MEGA65 too!
At 19:46, there is a 9pin=> USB adapter, with a receiver plugged in...i have been searching for this, but can't find one. May i know where did you get this?
Basic 3.5 was a revelation opposed to 2.0 it is therefor so unfortunate that the hardware was so limiting (although the machines had more and better colors)
Bil Herd explained some of the TED series design choices made in his 40th anniversary video. Recommended. I took a deep dive into BASIC 3.5 in my Plus/4 users manual series (www.stevencombs.com/plus4) and really enjoyed it.
I REALLY don't like limiting the base model to 128K ram. This will lead to most software aiming for that lowest denominator. I think everyone should get the machine maxed out with ram.
My understanding is that 128K is part of the base and that they are working on REU emulation support via the FPGA later for maintain compatibility. Don't quote me, but I believe they were looking at 512K to 1Mb.
Very expensive (whether this is justified is not is another thing, even justified, it still is objectively expensive). Also it REALLY needs cores for the other Commodore 8bit computers and I mean definitely VIC20, C128 and +4 and even PET (or even Amiga as this FPGA seems to be able to handle it easily). Very restricting that it cannot expand too much, because it would allow for WAY more cores that need more RAM.
Other cores are on the way. I too am looking forward to them. There's also talk of an Amiga core. Cores are based on miSTer cores so the base is already there. REU support is also on the way to provide more memory. I don't think we are even close to the end of the development and I expect much expansion.
All my C64 stuff except 2 game cartridges are on tape, that includes like spreadsheet programs and stuff my dad used for serious business. That's my problem, I guess, but it's what put me off. I have over 100 tapes and wouldn't be able to use them.
Whoa, that's a lot of tape! Sounds like a great collection. While it won't have datasette support initially, the MEGA65 includes two PMOD connectors that will allow this feature, and other hardware connections, later.
@@retroCombs Here in England, tape software was abundant everywhere, and started at 99p(about $2.20 American using conversion rates of the time). Even a kid like I was could have a game collection that size.
When I started with my VIC-20, software was very hard to find. I remember purchasing several titles on Cassette only to find them very disappointing. I preferred cartridges, but they were expensive. I know cassette software was popular over the pond, but in my neck of the woods, they were hard to find and I don't remember ever finding them around $2! I'd love to see what your collection looks like. Do you have an image online? And how do you store and protect them?
I remember how easy it was to develop small and practical, straight to the point programs on a C64. I have missed that ever since. I am thinking of using a modern 8-bit machine like the C65 as a simple ASCII based terminal for data entry. That data could be communicated back and forth to any backend system (like an ERP). I loved those 80s applications with simple menu options like 1., 2., 3., etc..., ASCII UI and mouse-less interaction. A machine like this can be used wherever data is collected, be it electronic scales (i.e. for weighing whatever kind of material) where human interaction is needed, measurements and of course simple data entry (e.g. warehouse management, RMI processes etc..). An SQL (postgres, maria or whatever...) "driver" would be a luxury of course as a data integration could be achieved in many other ways like using flat files (maybe even XML and webservices?) and then through a middleware-alike piece of software. I am just fascinated that 8-bit machines like the C65 became so powerful, that these could be used in a modern environment as production machine, dedicated to single individual use cases. In fact, the C65 is so powerful, it could be used as a POS as well. I am thinking of using these modern 8-bit computers as 1-use-case-dedicated, simple data entrance for a long time already. I just miss the good old times!
@@danield.7359 The MEGA65 will be perfect. With it's mechanical keyboard, the typing sessions are a joy and for the use case you outline, ready for the job! I myself am looking forward to GEOS and a dedicated word processor to write long form and blog entries. Thanks for the detail. Now I'm missing the old days. 😀
not that this would be a deal breaker, but as it comes with an ethernet port and possibly could be used also for BBS browsing or even some other protocols such as gopher and generally for data exchange, did anyone think about UTF-8 support? That would be extremely helpful.
It is already capable of BBS connections (www.stevencombs.com/mega65-3#bonus-1-connect-to-a-bbs-and-the-internet-via-ethernet) and more online capabilities are on the way.
You show a USB to DB9 adapter at 19:48. Will that let us use a joy stick from "The64" for example, on the MEGA C=65? If yes, where can I find that adapter? Thank you.
That's the mouSTer. Here's my video and blog post: www.stevencombs.com/mouster Joystick support is coming, but mainly used for mice. Recommend one of the joysticks I share in my previous comment: amzn.to/2TVS3kU and amzn.to/3iVpE9j. You can get one of each for the same price as the mouSTer.
Really looking forward to this but you can purchase a C64 Reloaded MK2 or C64 Ultimate Elite. (C64 U.E. goes up to 48Mhz). I would like to see it have USB for the joystick ports and dump the 3.5 floppy drive for a Gotek. Why use FPGA then stick us with old peripherals?
I'd really like to try one of these C64 alternatives but availablity and price is holding me back. See my other comment about peripherals. Excited that the community can add old and new drives through two MEGA65 expansion connectors!
1MB maximum RAM seems too little for using 256 colors. Compare it to the stock A500, which was really short on RAM with it's stock 512K, but only 32 colors in 320x200 mode. The M65 would need 8 times more RAM for images than the Amiga with 32 colors... and the upgrade to 1MB RAM was standard on the A500
Great question and I asked those more knowledgeable about the hardware to respond on the Discord #motherboard channel. You can read their more informed responses here: discord.com/channels/719326990221574164/793683199518703638/909812005630799912
First, did you try link on computer? Second, here are the answers. First the hardware answer from Developer, LGB: "In a nutshell 320*200 / 256 colour for each pixel is 64000 bytes of info. Everywhere. The layout of memory / organization (bitmap vs "chunky" etc) is one thing, but in sum the needed amount of information is 64000 bytes always. In case of Amiga OCS, I suppose the limitation is the available bus cycles, and memory bandwidth / speed to fetch more data per video clock. So some shouldn't forget that amount of memory for a certain task is one thing, alone it does not say much, since you may need some minimal speed to access that information to be usable! In case of video signal generation there is the pixel clock it must keep up with, otherwise it won't work." Now a practical answer from Developer, Paul: "I would say that the spirit of an 8-bit computer is that there should be limitations that require careful thought to work around. For example, in this case, it is quite hard to have 720x576 256 colour display, because using a flat frame buffer (or bitplanes), but like with demo coders and 8-bit game developers, people find creative solutions. The hunt is part of the joy of these machines. If you want an unlimited machine, buy a new PC. 😉"
@@retroCombs The links opens Discord, but doesn't add a new server. But that's now problem, I am happy with all the explanation you gave! :) Thank you!
1280 X 200? Wow, those are some seriously disproportionately tall pixels! Why can't they put more of that resolution into the vertical count to be more even?
It's a legacy resolution from the C65. They kept all the original resolution screens to maintain compatibility with the original ROM. It is odd, for sure and will likely NEVER be used. Great question.
@@retroCombs: Thanks. Oh, I imagine that it _will_ be used here and there, I mean at least played with. And I understand that it would be included in the new computer so as to not break things. I just wonder why _Commodore_ would've made it so uneven.
I like retro but I’m sorry I can’t see any reason I would go out and buy this and definately. It because their going to develop 8 bit games for it I mean retro is revisiting games I used to play I’m afraid 8 bit is just to outdated and come on my pc can do every thing it can to a degree for the tiny bit extra it’s offering would I pay nearly £600 pounds no This feels like someone seeing the retro vibe and jumping on it to make a serious amount of money The whole thing about this was it was going to be marketed as “commodore” I can see they have dropped that now 600 on something my pc can or the c64 mini or the Commodore 64 wedge that I own can do better at
I understand. The MEGA65 isn't for everyone, especially until the cost begins to drop, and of course, modern computers will run rings around this device. To your point, this is all about nostalgia. The only point I disagree is the "make serious money." This is a community project and completely open source. The developers are doing this for their love of Commodore computers, to build and distribute an unreleased Commodore computer, and to keep their retro-memories alive in the 21st Century. I'm not sure I remember a plan to market with the "Commodore" brand. They've been very careful to not go anywhere near that since there are still ownership issues with the name. In fact, they aligned their name with the Museum of Eletronic Games and Art (MEGA at www.m-e-g-a.org) and created an open-rom to ensure compliancy with copyright and intellectual property. I might have agreed to some of your points until I received the DevKit and now an actual MEGA65 (th-cam.com/video/-qQH3CZjtUk/w-d-xo.html) on my desk (along with all my other orginal Commodore computers). It's at thing of beauty and provides many capabilities not available on those original devices and the upgraded BASIC 10 is amazing. Anyway, that's my short rebuttal and thanks so much for commenting. That's another thing that makes this whole project fun, understanding the views of other retro-fans. Keep on "Commodoring!" Glad to meet another retro-computing hobbist!
Won't be C128 compatible, but many of the titles, such as GEOS began as the C128 version and are making the conversion. A C128 core shouldn't be far behind either.
@@bricethompson1922 It should be once a core is created. Several cores are already avaialble such as a Gameboy and ZX Spectrum. MiSTer cores are the easiest way for folks to port. Not a guarantee, but still a good chance down the road.
Finally got a chance to watch this. Fantastic work Steven! A great synopsis that I can provide to people after they ask me about this strange see-through computer on my desk! :)
Great idea! I'll be sure to tell all my friends to watch too! Thanks for the kind words.
Super work! Its great to see the MEGA65 getting tested out and showcased by more folks, so that we can share the joy of this machine around. Looking forward to the 2nd half of your top-10 :)
Thanks, Paul and thanks for the amazing opportunity to watch the development of this "wonder computer of the 2020s." That'd make a great commercial. Think we can get William Shatner? 😂
@@retroCombs Our pleasure. It was always our goal to recreate the fun and wonder of the early 8-bit home era with the MEGA65, and it therefore pleases me immensely to see people having lots of fun and joy with it.
@@PaulGardnerStephen There was a question about REU support for the MEGA65 to provide more than the default 128K in C65 mode. I seem to remember conversation about this in the works. Am I correct?
@@retroCombs Yes, there is a half-progressed plan to add REU emulation to access BANK 4 and 5 as a 128KB simulated REU, or alternatively, the 8MB Attic RAM as REU.
One gpt to love the effort put in MEGA65, the keyboard, maual, floppy, reacreation of C65 plus mega mode ...
It really is a sweet device. And BASIC 65 is a blast!
@@retroCombs Microsoft basic 10
Even Amiga wb 1.3 had one, but it did not support Amiga chips. Seems this basic 10 and QL super basic are top of that line, maybe BBC mocro
There have been some cool BASIC 65 demos. Check out their file host at files.mega65.org
@@retroCombs yes I do, thanks and I love it's growing
👍🏻
I was expecting Amiga-like graphics during the demo portion of the video, and what was shown was disappointing. Well, minus Turrican. I guess the developers need more time with the hardware. 🤷
And we need more developers. As the next batch goes out, we should begin to see more great games and apps. Still a young platform. Stay tuned. Oh, and this video was awhile ago. There are some newer titles that I plan to show in a later video.
It was possible connecting Commodore computers to any tape player/recorder in the house, with some light tinkering with the connector.
This is also possible with the MEGA65, when development of internal expansion cards begin.
Pre-orders started today successfully ! can’t wait for them to get into users hands 🤟❤️
It's a fun machine full of nostalgia.
Please be advised that FPGA, fortunately, is not emulation. This is technology that, so to speak, rests on its own shoulders. The very electrons within the M65 flow in the same way that they do inside actual C65 hardware - and unlike emulation, it isn't reliant on a foreign operating system that tells it what to do. The M65 doesn't bow to some other party like Apple or Microsoft - on the contrary, it stands firm on its own feet.
I'm not in disagreement with you. I've been down this discussion many times which is why I shrug my head in the video knowing that someone is going to set me straight. After several online discussions there is 50/50 disagreement. It's not the actual hardware, but it also does not follow the traditional emulation definition. I chose the word because it's the easiest to describe for those new to an FPGA. Thanks foe sharing!
@@retroCombs FPGA is hardware simulation, as opposed to software emulation.
@@macstar8317 Agree. Did I say software emulation in the video? Rats.
Nice video ! Thank you very much, this really expresses, my love for the MEGA65 as well. So many possibilities and such a great machine ;-)
One comment: at 14:22 Turrican demo, you're running the demo in the wrong video mode. Should be PAL ;-)
And that explains why the sprite is out of sync with the background! I'll give it a shot in PAL mode tomorrow. Thanks so much for the heads up and for watching/commenting.
at the moment i don't think i will buy a Mega65, but the mouster thing you presented in your video seems to be really cool. This is a nice addition for my c64 :)
Be sure to check out my most recent video (Turning a Nexys4 into a MEGA65). Might be a fun project in the interim. th-cam.com/video/gfsNLwCtIjo/w-d-xo.html
I wonder if it is possible to connect the Mega65 to a modern printer on the local network using the Ethernet port... It would be cool.
Not yet, but I do remember someone in the community mentioning this along with automatic firmware upgrades.
When is it coming out can't wait
Looking like there may be an opportunity for a pre-order in a month or so!
Nice video, thanks. Any chance you could tell me the tune at 9:40 please?
Thanks. I did this one quite some time ago but it came from the TH-cam Audio Library. I think I searched for retro and it popped up. Sorry I didn't capture the name.
Great video and love your delivery style...especially like the Smashout clip ;) More! Cheers - Geehaf
Stay tuned. More is on the way and thanks for the kind comments.
Cool!
That's 1 "cool" for the first five "cool things!" 😂 Thanks for watching!
@@retroCombs your welcome!
Oooh and Retro Games Limited announced a Commodore Tank Mouse-Style USB-Mouse for its new "A500 Mini". So maybe you can use it with the Mouster to have a brand new commodore looking mouse :)
That's what I'm hoping as well!
it has a cart port? wonder if it would benefit in any way shape or form if a Turbo Chameleon cart was put in it? an fpga inserted into an fpga...
How meta. No reason it shouldn't work, one cartridge port is fully operational. Wish I had a Turbo Chameleon to try.
I'll stick with my ZX Spectrum Next
I'm a ZX Spectrum Next 2 backer. Looking forward to that one next year. I was not a ZX guy back in the 80s and looking forward to seeing what it can do, but have played a bit with the ZX core on the MEGA65 too!
At 19:46, there is a 9pin=> USB adapter, with a receiver plugged in...i have been searching for this, but can't find one. May i know where did you get this?
Here's all the info: www.stevencombs.com/mouster
Thank you!
You bet!
Basic 3.5 was a revelation opposed to 2.0 it is therefor so unfortunate that the hardware was so limiting (although the machines had more and better colors)
Bil Herd explained some of the TED series design choices made in his 40th anniversary video. Recommended.
I took a deep dive into BASIC 3.5 in my Plus/4 users manual series (www.stevencombs.com/plus4) and really enjoyed it.
I can't wait for this
Trust me. It will be worth the wait and the wait is not as long as it was yesterday!
I REALLY don't like limiting the base model to 128K ram. This will lead to most software aiming for that lowest denominator. I think everyone should get the machine maxed out with ram.
My understanding is that 128K is part of the base and that they are working on REU emulation support via the FPGA later for maintain compatibility. Don't quote me, but I believe they were looking at 512K to 1Mb.
Why did you get rid of your first C128, especially despite still wanting one because you're replacing it?
I sold it to upgrade to an Amiga 500 back in 1987. It was all about the money! 🤑
@@retroCombs: Oh, OK. Too bad you couldn't afford the Amiga back then without selling the 128.
Thanks for filling in my curiosity.
Very expensive (whether this is justified is not is another thing, even justified, it still is objectively expensive).
Also it REALLY needs cores for the other Commodore 8bit computers and I mean definitely VIC20, C128 and +4 and even PET (or even Amiga as this FPGA seems to be able to handle it easily).
Very restricting that it cannot expand too much, because it would allow for WAY more cores that need more RAM.
Other cores are on the way. I too am looking forward to them. There's also talk of an Amiga core. Cores are based on miSTer cores so the base is already there. REU support is also on the way to provide more memory. I don't think we are even close to the end of the development and I expect much expansion.
All my C64 stuff except 2 game cartridges are on tape, that includes like spreadsheet programs and stuff my dad used for serious business. That's my problem, I guess, but it's what put me off. I have over 100 tapes and wouldn't be able to use them.
Whoa, that's a lot of tape! Sounds like a great collection. While it won't have datasette support initially, the MEGA65 includes two PMOD connectors that will allow this feature, and other hardware connections, later.
@@retroCombs Here in England, tape software was abundant everywhere, and started at 99p(about $2.20 American using conversion rates of the time). Even a kid like I was could have a game collection that size.
When I started with my VIC-20, software was very hard to find. I remember purchasing several titles on Cassette only to find them very disappointing. I preferred cartridges, but they were expensive. I know cassette software was popular over the pond, but in my neck of the woods, they were hard to find and I don't remember ever finding them around $2! I'd love to see what your collection looks like. Do you have an image online? And how do you store and protect them?
I'd like to see a PostgreSQL client for the C65 so one can connect to a database via ethernet.
Curious, what would be your use case. Sounds interesting.
I remember how easy it was to develop small and practical, straight to the point programs on a C64. I have missed that ever since. I am thinking of using a modern 8-bit machine like the C65 as a simple ASCII based terminal for data entry. That data could be communicated back and forth to any backend system (like an ERP). I loved those 80s applications with simple menu options like 1., 2., 3., etc..., ASCII UI and mouse-less interaction. A machine like this can be used wherever data is collected, be it electronic scales (i.e. for weighing whatever kind of material) where human interaction is needed, measurements and of course simple data entry (e.g. warehouse management, RMI processes etc..). An SQL (postgres, maria or whatever...) "driver" would be a luxury of course as a data integration could be achieved in many other ways like using flat files (maybe even XML and webservices?) and then through a middleware-alike piece of software. I am just fascinated that 8-bit machines like the C65 became so powerful, that these could be used in a modern environment as production machine, dedicated to single individual use cases. In fact, the C65 is so powerful, it could be used as a POS as well. I am thinking of using these modern 8-bit computers as 1-use-case-dedicated, simple data entrance for a long time already. I just miss the good old times!
@@danield.7359 The MEGA65 will be perfect. With it's mechanical keyboard, the typing sessions are a joy and for the use case you outline, ready for the job! I myself am looking forward to GEOS and a dedicated word processor to write long form and blog entries. Thanks for the detail. Now I'm missing the old days. 😀
not that this would be a deal breaker, but as it comes with an ethernet port and possibly could be used also for BBS browsing or even some other protocols such as gopher and generally for data exchange, did anyone think about UTF-8 support? That would be extremely helpful.
It is already capable of BBS connections (www.stevencombs.com/mega65-3#bonus-1-connect-to-a-bbs-and-the-internet-via-ethernet) and more online capabilities are on the way.
You show a USB to DB9 adapter at 19:48. Will that let us use a joy stick from "The64" for example, on the MEGA C=65? If yes, where can I find that adapter? Thank you.
That's the mouSTer. Here's my video and blog post: www.stevencombs.com/mouster
Joystick support is coming, but mainly used for mice. Recommend one of the joysticks I share in my previous comment: amzn.to/2TVS3kU and amzn.to/3iVpE9j. You can get one of each for the same price as the mouSTer.
I own a C64 with thousands of games on Cassette tape and on Disk 5 1/4. Can I connect my 1571 disk drive and cassette tape to the Mega65?
A 1571 yes, but a cassette adapter is still a work in progress.
@@retroCombsIs it possible to use the amiga games on 3.5” disks with the mega 65?
Not currently. When the Amiga core comes to the MEGA65, then that will likely be possible.
Really looking forward to this but you can purchase a C64 Reloaded MK2 or C64 Ultimate Elite. (C64 U.E. goes up to 48Mhz). I would like to see it have USB for the joystick ports and dump the 3.5 floppy drive for a Gotek. Why use FPGA then stick us with old peripherals?
I'd really like to try one of these C64 alternatives but availablity and price is holding me back. See my other comment about peripherals. Excited that the community can add old and new drives through two MEGA65 expansion connectors!
No, keep the floppy :D
The original experience!
Needs internet explorer and some cool games
Cool games already on their way. Internet Explorer, never, but there is a browser in development. 😂
@@retroCombs and of course, by internet explorer I mean browser, not the sucky Bill product :))
1MB maximum RAM seems too little for using 256 colors. Compare it to the stock A500, which was really short on RAM with it's stock 512K, but only 32 colors in 320x200 mode. The M65 would need 8 times more RAM for images than the Amiga with 32 colors... and the upgrade to 1MB RAM was standard on the A500
Great question and I asked those more knowledgeable about the hardware to respond on the Discord #motherboard channel. You can read their more informed responses here: discord.com/channels/719326990221574164/793683199518703638/909812005630799912
@@retroCombs Hello! For some reason the link doesn't work (It opens Telegram, but no channel). But thank you for asking! :)
First, did you try link on computer? Second, here are the answers. First the hardware answer from Developer, LGB:
"In a nutshell 320*200 / 256 colour for each pixel is 64000 bytes of info. Everywhere. The layout of memory / organization (bitmap vs "chunky" etc) is one thing, but in sum the needed amount of information is 64000 bytes always. In case of Amiga OCS, I suppose the limitation is the available bus cycles, and memory bandwidth / speed to fetch more data per video clock. So some shouldn't forget that amount of memory for a certain task is one thing, alone it does not say much, since you may need some minimal speed to access that information to be usable! In case of video signal generation there is the pixel clock it must keep up with, otherwise it won't work."
Now a practical answer from Developer, Paul:
"I would say that the spirit of an 8-bit computer is that there should be limitations that require careful thought to work around. For example, in this case, it is quite hard to have 720x576 256 colour display, because using a flat frame buffer (or bitplanes), but like with demo coders and 8-bit game developers, people find creative solutions. The hunt is part of the joy of these machines. If you want an unlimited machine, buy a new PC. 😉"
@@retroCombs The links opens Discord, but doesn't add a new server. But that's now problem, I am happy with all the explanation you gave! :)
Thank you!
1280 X 200? Wow, those are some seriously disproportionately tall pixels! Why can't they put more of that resolution into the vertical count to be more even?
It's a legacy resolution from the C65. They kept all the original resolution screens to maintain compatibility with the original ROM. It is odd, for sure and will likely NEVER be used. Great question.
@@retroCombs: Thanks. Oh, I imagine that it _will_ be used here and there, I mean at least played with. And I understand that it would be included in the new computer so as to not break things. I just wonder why _Commodore_ would've made it so uneven.
It is odd, indeed.
I hope GEOS improves
I agree. Still much work needed before it can be used reliably. It really needs a development team behind it.
Could someone really clever make a laptop portable version. I have nowhere to setup a monitor or TV.
They are already working on it:
c65gs.blogspot.com/2019/06/megaphone-prototype-is-taking-shape.html
Loved your introduction?.
Well I'm glad at least one of you liked it! :D
I like retro but I’m sorry I can’t see any reason I would go out and buy this and definately. It because their going to develop 8 bit games for it I mean retro is revisiting games I used to play
I’m afraid 8 bit is just to outdated and come on my pc can do every thing it can to a degree for the tiny bit extra it’s offering would I pay nearly £600 pounds no
This feels like someone seeing the retro vibe and jumping on it to make a serious amount of money
The whole thing about this was it was going to be marketed as “commodore” I can see they have dropped that now
600 on something my pc can or the c64 mini or the Commodore 64 wedge that I own can do better at
I understand. The MEGA65 isn't for everyone, especially until the cost begins to drop, and of course, modern computers will run rings around this device. To your point, this is all about nostalgia. The only point I disagree is the "make serious money." This is a community project and completely open source. The developers are doing this for their love of Commodore computers, to build and distribute an unreleased Commodore computer, and to keep their retro-memories alive in the 21st Century.
I'm not sure I remember a plan to market with the "Commodore" brand. They've been very careful to not go anywhere near that since there are still ownership issues with the name. In fact, they aligned their name with the Museum of Eletronic Games and Art (MEGA at www.m-e-g-a.org) and created an open-rom to ensure compliancy with copyright and intellectual property.
I might have agreed to some of your points until I received the DevKit and now an actual MEGA65 (th-cam.com/video/-qQH3CZjtUk/w-d-xo.html) on my desk (along with all my other orginal Commodore computers). It's at thing of beauty and provides many capabilities not available on those original devices and the upgraded BASIC 10 is amazing.
Anyway, that's my short rebuttal and thanks so much for commenting. That's another thing that makes this whole project fun, understanding the views of other retro-fans. Keep on "Commodoring!" Glad to meet another retro-computing hobbist!
So is it compatible with the I'll be it small library of c128 software if so shut up and take my damn money already
Won't be C128 compatible, but many of the titles, such as GEOS began as the C128 version and are making the conversion. A C128 core shouldn't be far behind either.
@@retroCombs so at some point it will?
@@bricethompson1922 It should be once a core is created. Several cores are already avaialble such as a Gameboy and ZX Spectrum. MiSTer cores are the easiest way for folks to port. Not a guarantee, but still a good chance down the road.