Commodore 64 User Manual page 73

SOFTWARE SOURCES
Where can you buy the software programs
you need? As with peripherals, the most obvi
ous source is Commodore itself. The store
where you bought your computer will prob
ably carry the most popular Commodore pro
grams. Also, check out other computer stores,
stereo and electronic shops, and large depart
ment stores. The independent companies that
specialize in providing software for the VIC
and 64 advertise in computer magazines and
also sell through many Commodore dealers.
Another important source of programs is
other computer owners. The users' groups
listed in Chapter 6 collect programs that have
been placed in the public domain. That means
the author doesn't expect a royalty. You can
copy these programs and give them to some
one else without breaking copyright laws. You
still may have to pay a small amount for these
programs, to pay for the cost of the blank cas
sette or diskette and the time it took someone
to copy it. Surprisingly, many public domain
programs are as good or better than commer
cial programs. This is because different people
in the users' groups take someone else's pro
gram and add their own ideas and improve
ments. After many people have improved a
program, it can't help being good!
One last source of programs in the public
domain can be found by hooking your com
puter to a network via telephone, as described
in Chapter 6. For this method, the only cost is
your telephone bill.
BUYING SOFTWARE
When buying software, choose products that
run on Commodore's most up-to-date version
of Microsoft BASIC. If you have a VIC 20 and
have not expanded its memory, only buy pro
grams needing 5K or less of RAM memory
unless you also plan to buy the additional
amount of memory needed. Some games and
most business software need a VIC expansion
cartridge of 8K or I6K extra memory. |Memory
expansion is discussed in Chapter 4,
"Peripherals."]
For each program you want to buy, ask your
self these questions:
* Does this version of the program run on my
VIC 20 or Commodore 64? Many Apple and
Atari programs, for instance, are also avail
able for the VIC and 64. But you can't just
buy the Apple or Atari version and expect it
to work. Each of these companies makes
sure that its own programs work only on its
equipment.
• Do I need an expansion cartridge [FOR THE
VIC 20) for this program, and if so, which
one? 8K? 16K? More?
• Does the program come as a cassette, car
tridge, or diskette?
• Are there any extra pieces that must be
plugged into the computer before the pro
gram can work?
These extra pieces can include components
called dongles [or keys) and interfaces. A
dongle is a plastic component that you insert
in a port of your computer to make the pro
gram run. Certain programs use the dongle as
a protection device against illegal program
copying, because the program will not work
properly unless the dongle is used.
• Will I need to use a particular port for some
other program at the same time I am run
ning the program I want to buy?
For instance, don't buy a word processing pro
gram that uses a dongle in the same port
needed for a spelling checker program that
you want to use to check your letter after
you've typed it!
• What other equipment do I need to use this
program effectively?
• Does the program work best with a printer,
joysticks, or game paddles?
• Will I have to buy this equipment?
For instance, WordPro on the 64 works only
with printers connected to the serial bus con
nector on the back of the disk drive. This soft
ware program is not set up for some of the
popular new printers, such as Leading Edge's
Banana Gorilla model.
Which Programs Should You Buy?
Let's divide the software into the following
categories:
• Games and entertainment programs
• Educational programs
• Word processing programs
• Home finance programs
• Data base programs
• Computer languages
RECOMMENDED GAMES AND
ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMS
Most computer games are sold only as car
tridges. There are a variety of games from
which to choose. The so-called arcade games
emphasize skill and help the player to develop
extremely fast eye-hand coordination. These
games can be separated into shoot-'em-up,
steering, and chase categories.
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