Commodore 64 User Manual page 62

OWB4 PERIPHERALS -
EXPANDING YOUR SYSTEM
Your basic computer system (computer, TV or
monitor, and software) can take you a long
way. There are, however, many other compo
nents available for use with your VIC 20 or
Commodore 64. In the computer world, any
piece of equipment beyond the computer con
sole itself is called a peripheral. Peripherals
allow you to expand your computer system
and use it for a variety of purposes.
EVALUATING YOUR NEEDS
Once you are familiar with your keyboard and
with using software programs on your VIC 20
or Commodore 64, you may start thinking
about different ways you want to use your
computer. Are you going to need a monitor to
replace the home TV, a dot-matrix or letter-
quality printer to print your pictures or letters,
a modem to talk to other computer users, or a
joystick for that favorite game? You'll need to
decide how fancy a brand you want to buy.
Do you need a cheaper one-color monitor [for
word processing) or a more expensive full-
color monitor (for those colorful games)?
BUYING PERIPHERALS
Who makes peripherals that will work with
your VIC or 64 computer? The most obvious
source is Commodore itself. The store where
you bought your computer should carry Com
modore peripherals, as well as the most popu
lar software programs that Commodore makes.
Hundreds of independent companies specialize
in peripherals for the VIC and 64, especially
printers, modems, controllers, and memory
expansion products. These companies advertise
in computer magazines, such as those
described in Chapter 6, "Your Computer's
Network." Peripherals from independent com
panies may be available at stores that sell
computer equipment, or by mail.
When buying peripherals for the VIC or 64, be
sure that they will work with your computer.
This may mean finding the right interface
[adapter) and possibly the right software pro
gram to go with a peripheral.
To help you think about ways you may want
to expand your system, let's look at some of
the most commonly used peripherals for the
VIC and 64.
ADDING A COLOR MONITOR
At some point, you may want to connect your
VIC or 64 computer to a color monitor. While
a TV screen is sufficient, the computer's picture
quality on a TV is nearly always inferior to the
picture quality possible on a monitor. This is
because the computer generates a video signal
that is correct for a monitor, but needs extra
corrections, both by the modulator and the
TV, before the signal can be displayed on an
ordinary television.
If you are shopping for a TV set to be used
with your computer, consider looking for one
that is both a TV and a monitor [such as Pana
sonic's Omni series). The monitor connections
can also be used by videotape recorders and
other video equipment. However, avoid the
special RGB [Red-Green-Blue) monitors that
are on the market. Although RGB monitors
display very high quality pictures, neither the
VIC nor the 64 can be used with them. Com
modore's own Model 1701 monitor for the
VIC and 64 offers similarly high quality, using
a different principle, at a much lower cost.
USING BOTH A MONITOR AND TV
If you are using a monitor with the 64, you
have an option not available to VIC owners:
after connecting a monitor (using the same
cable as on the VIC], you also may add a
regular TV, connected via the usual cable and
TV/game switch box. This might be useful if
you have both a color TV and a monochrome
(black-and-white, green, or amber screen)
monitor. You could then use the color TV
screen for games and for educational programs
that make use of color. You could use the
monochrome monitor for business-related soft
ware programs, which often appear more
clearly in one color. Generally, most people
find monochrome monitors easier on the eyes
during long sessions of reading words and
numbers.
DO YOU NEED A PRINTER?
If you plan to use your computer either for
business purposes or for writing long programs
of your own, you may want a printer to make
paper copies of your work. Once you decide
on what types of material you want to print,
you can determine the type of printer you
need. Nearly any printer on the market can be
connected to a VIC or 64 via a suitable
adapter.
Which Kind of Printer?
A popular type of printer is the dot-matrix
printer. This kind of printer produces char
acters made up of dots, like pictures in a
newspaper. This method is relatively fast and
inexpensive, and it allows the printer to dupli
cate any character that can be displayed on
the screen. Commodore's current printer for
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