Top Tips

Starting with this premier issue of Commodore World, I'd like to continue that exciting tradition. Think of this as YOUR column, where we seek to publish the very best reader-submitted hints, tips, and techniques that allow you to get the most out of your Commodore.

Never one to mince words, here's my top-ten Do's and Don'ts list:

1. DO get in the habit of using your 64/128 more. It's no secret; the more you use the computer for everyday tasks (printing grocery lists, mailing labels, balancing your checkbook, and so on), the more computer-savvy you'll become.
2. DON'T give your vintage Plus/4 or Vic-20 the heave-ho: Many schools and civic organizations gladly accept computer equipment. Old hardware, software, disks, books, and assorted computer reference material that's outdated by your standards may be precious to others.
3. DO get a modem, telecommunication software, and a network account. GEnie, CompuServe, and BIX represent three mainstream, low-cost networks that provide support areas and forums for the 64/128. Your Commodore offers plenty of potential--many non-platform-specific forums on CompuServe (the General Motors of computer networks) keep the needs of timeworn computer models in mind. Consequently, they don't permit file compression techniques not supported by the Tandy 100 or Model III--computers more elderly than the 64/128!


Services such as GEnie's CALC (Computer-Assisted Learning Center) let you attend classes from your Commodore and even work towards an associate's degree. If you're interested about the much-ballyhooed Information Superhighway, your modem serves as an on-ramp that takes you onto the open roads of BIX, Portal, and Delphi, three nets that offer direct access to both the Internet and its subsystem, Usenet.

No single activity perpetuates the life of your Commodore quite as well. Remember: the mightiest Mac, Amiga, or PC is no quicker than your C-64/128 at sending or receiving data at any given baud rate.

4. DON'T send program or text files through on-line services without first compressing them. Get in the habit of compressing your files before e-mailing or transmitting them through the modem. For one of the easiest Commodore-compatible archiving programs, get VSD Maker v3.0 (Vision Self Dissolve Maker), an aggressively supported file-archiving system.


If you download (retrieve) text files from BBSs and networks, you'll save considerable time and money with a copy of UNZIP.SFX. Regardless of the originating platform, this self-extracting archive dissolves text files created with PKZip 1.10 on your Commodore. Another Basic program found in public domain circles, LZHSFX.SFX, converts .LZH files (files compressed with the popular PC/Amiga program LHarc) into Commodore-compatible .SFX files.

5. DO routinely back up all your important word processor, database, and graphic files on floppies. Speaking from experience, large capacity devices such as one of CMD's hard drives make it all too easy to forget good file maintenance and archiving practices.
6. DON'T shy away from learning to program your C-64/128. Books on programming the 64/128 may be out of print, are still widely available. Commodore 64 Assembly Language by W. Douglas Maurer (Computer Science Press, ISBN 0-88175-040-9) and Programming the Commodore 64 (Compute! Books, ISBN 0-942386-50-7) are two reference guides I highly recommend. With a foundation based on Basic programming, you'll be able to master other programming languages quickly.
7. DO get a database program. Of all the programs I've used over the years, none offered more long-term benefits. I now keep all manner of lists on a database. If I need to call a company, contact an author, look up a product, or whatever, the information is merely a mouse-click or three away. When I need to generate mailing labels, a database lets me selectively print only those I need.
8. DON'T rely solely on your memory and disk directories to keep track of files and programs. Besides making backups on floppies whenever possible, get several large-capacity three-ring binders, a paper punch, and make printouts of your disk directories, lists, and important text files and file them in the binders. The advantages are two-fold: you'll have reference material at your fingertips and a hardcopy in the unlikely event your computer goes down for the count. Attach important files as e-mail to your on-line accounts for really important, secure (but short-term) backups.
9. DO form or join a Commodore users group. Direct interaction with well-intentioned, knowledgeable computerists still remains the best method of sharing information and getting help.
10. DON'T be quick to abandon your Commodore 64/128 if you decide to upgrade to a bigger, faster computer. Continue to use your Commodore to compliment the new machine, perhaps as a dedicated telecommunications computer for operating a BBS.