Commodore 64 User Manual page 8

CHAPTER 2
GETTING STARTED
In addition to your VIC or 64, there are sev
eral items you will need in order to use the
computer. The essential items are discussed in
this chapter. Other equipment that you even
tually may want to have, but that is not nec
essary for just starting out, is discussed in
Chapter 4, "Peripherals."
YOU NEED A TV OR A MONITOR
When you use your computer, you need a
screen on which to view your messages to the
computer and the computer's messages to
you. If you are using a television set, you can
use either a black-and-white or color set. Or,
you may prefer to use a special type of TV
called a monitor. For just starting out, how
ever, you may want to use your family TV set,
since this means one less item to purchase.
Whether you use a black-and-white or color
screen should depend on your needs. Since
one of the nicest features of the VIC and 64 is
their use of color, many people prefer using a
color TV or monitor—especially for the variety
of games and other programs that use color.
On the other hand, if most of your work is
with text and figures, you may want a black-
and-white TV or a monochrome (single-color)
monitor. If you need to display up to 80 col
umns on the screen instead of the usual 22
columns (on the VIC) or 40 columns [on the
64), you will have to use a black-and-white
or monochrome monitor, since a TV or color
monitor cannot display more than 40 columns.
For monochrome monitors, the most readable
colors are amber and green.
YOU NEED SOFTWARE
When you use your VIC or 64 by itself, you
are using the computer's hardware. As soon as
you turn on your computer, you can communi
cate with it by typing messages in its lan
guage, Microsoft BASIC, which is built right
into the computer.
When you use a program that is outside of the
computer, you are using software. Software
programs come in three formats for the VIC
and 64: cartridges, cassettes, and diskettes. In
addition, when you create your own programs
or type letters and reports, you can store your
work on a blank cassette or diskette.
Cartridges: Self-Contained Software
Cartridges are programs stored inside small
boxes that plug into the large expansion slot
of your VIC or 64. These programs are com
pletely self-contained and usually cannot be
altered. When you turn on your computer, the
instructions in the program are automatically
loaded (entered) into the computer. You may
find that cartridges are the easiest way to start
using your computer. However, cartridge pro
grams are relatively expensive (about S25 per
program for most games).
The computer must be turned off when a car
tridge is put in or taken out. When you plug
in the cartridge of your choice and turn on
your VIC or 64, the computer is automatically
turned over to the cartridge's program—the
computer cannot do anything else.
When you want to save your own work for
later use, however, your best bet is a cassette
or a diskette. This is because you cannot buy
blank cartridges to store information or pro
grams. And if you are allowed to save your
work on a program cartridge, there usually is
not much storage space available.
Cassettes: For Commercial Programs
and Your Own Work
When buying commercial software programs,
cassettes are the least expensive type of soft
ware to buy, ranging in price from about $5
to S30 per cassette. You will need a cassette
player to use cassettes. The cassette player lets
you load programs from a cassette into the
computer. It also lets you record information
you've put into the computer onto a cassette.
If you are using cassettes, you will most likely
want to get Commodore's Model 1530 Datas-
sette tape recorder. Although it works like an
ordinary cassette recorder, the Datassette re
cords information digitally, which prevents any
kind of electronic interference (radio waves or
microwaves, for example) from altering your
programs when you send them from the cas
sette to the computer. It also sends your pro
grams at a greater speed than a regular
cassette player, and it tends to be much more
precise.
Software formats for the VIC and 64:
cartridges, cassettes, and diskettes.
Datassette recorder, to be used with
cassettes for the VIC and 64.