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Oldsoftware.com

I had a rather disappointing experience with this Computer Bargain Store.  I solicited them for what I diagnosed as a bad chip that handles the joystick/keyboard I/O.  Its symptoms perfectly matched the problem-resolution matrix in this useful C64 repair guide, which I was referred to after soliciting advice from the Denial user community.  I had opened up the unit to see if I could easily pull the bad chip, but alas, the chip was not in a socket, but rather soldered to the motherboard.  So I asked this shop if they would de-solder the bad chip, put in a socket, and insert a working chip.  They replied that job would cost only $50 including return shipping.

I thought that was a very reasonable price to charge, even though I could get another C64 from ebay for around the same price.  But why not get this unit fixed?  So, after getting two more follow-up emails from them for shipping and payment instructions — with annoying reminders to pack the unit well — I did just that during my mancation.

A week later, I got a couple of voice mails at work (I was still away) and no emails.  Basically, the voice with the distinct Utah dialect was claiming that “the chip was already socket-ed” and “swapped to test all other socket-ed chips” and  “a lot more than $50 of my time was spent working on this unit already”.  He also claimed that the unit was not worth repairing nor worth anything for parts.  Then came the follow-up email offering me “choices” of what to do with the dead unit, including donating it to him, or paying for return shipping, or using it as a $20 store credit towards a working refurbished unit that sells for $157.  My favorite part of the message was, “I think there may be a bad trace on the main board or a bad solder connection on one of the sockets or something equally difficult to troubleshoot.”

Interesting.

So, I calmly replied with my confusion on why all the fuss was put into this “dead” and “worthless” unit to begin with.  First, if I was the idiot that mistakenly took a socket-ed chip as a soldered one, then you SAVED a lot of time and scrupulous work from not having to bother to de-solder the defective chip.  So, it was simpler matter of just swapping the chip with a working one and testing it.  If it did not work, then why not just let me know that upfront and we could have worked out any additional details?  Or, simply ship it back with the SOL assessment.

His reply was even more useless, “You must have shipped a different unit to me than you had intended to.  Or, perhaps someone else had worked on the unit without you realizing it.”  Er, okay.  I re-tested the unit BEFORE packing it (well) and shipping it first class postal.  After his insistence that I was mistaken, I also checked my other (broken) unit, which is completely dead, and yes, it is still in my possession and it is still very much dead.

The last corker from him was, “I actually spent more time on this unit checking out all of the other possibilities than I would have spent if the problem had been as you had originally indicated.  However, since you had not agreed to cover this extra time I cannot charge you for this extra time ethically without your consent.  I’m into this unit $50 worth of time at least.  A $10 handling fee still leaves me $40 behind for the time spent.”

Even more interesting.

First, I cannot even assess his technical abilities, because nothing technical was done to the unit — I do not consider using a screwdriver to open the case and swapping out some already socket-ed chips as invested technical work.  That does not take a lot of effort nor a lot of time to do, as there are only a few chips that can be pulled (except for the “extra” CIA chips).  Before this comeback statement, he was requesting an additional $15 for return shipping and $10 for handling — and by his estimate and math, he insinuated here that if he waived the $10 handling fee, then he was “put out” even more with only $40 for all the work done.

Wow.

I attempted to call his toll-free number — only to get repeated busy signals for over an hour — to just pay him over the phone that $25 return fee.  But since I could not get through to him, and after re-reading his emails the following morning, I just said, “forget it.”  Well, I used another F-word, but you get the feeling here.

If anything, this guy is a shrewd business person.  In my estimate, he basically got a computer filled with working parts and a check for $50 delivered for his tinkering and future consumption.  Oh, he won’t see it that way, and I don’t really blame him.  After all, I was the sucker looking and he was the smarty taking.  My take away from this is to make absolutely certain that the statement of work order is crystal clear upfront, and not what took place here:

ME: “I have a bad 6526 CIA chip — the one that controls the keyboard & joystick.  It requires desoldering, a replacement IC, and re-fitted with a socket.”

HIM: “If that is all that is wrong we can install a socket and replace that chip for a total of $50.  This includes return shipping.”

Oh, wait, that IS crystal clear!!  Forget him.

C64 Forever

A neat Windows player has emerged from the same Cloanto folks that brought us Amiga Forever — this time for the Commodore 8-bit line of computers, with the strength of its focus naturally on the world reknown C64 model.  Consequently, it is dubbed C64 Forever.

I purchased the boxed version, but also received a 2-week timed secure link to download the product.  It installed flawlessly on my Vista64 workstation and it was up and running in seconds.  It comes with 100+ games and another 100+ demos — some of which really showcase what the VIC-II graphic and SID sound chips could really do, easily outshining Apple Macintosh and Microsoft DOS computers of the day.  As a matter of fact, the C64 was Commodore’s own biggest competition for nearly three years until the successful Amiga 500 and Amiga 2000 were launched to replace the world’s first multimedia personal computer in Amiga 1000.

I am pleased to say that my Commodore archive is usable with this integrated player/emulator — it will not only launch a title from a simple double-click of the binary file, but it attempts to parse and recognize title, manufacturer, and year published while it adds an italicized row in the player selection list.  I have not attempted this feature yet, but there is this import to a newer RP2 format that allows for multi-disk games to be managed as a single compressed archive — managed by a hot-key within the emulator for the swap disk operations.

There are also a couple of media files included, two of which are scanned PDF copies of old magazines featuring hardware reviews of the Commodore 64.  The article layouts, the accompanying advertisements, the technical writing style — wow, what to say except that things have certainly changed from those early electronics days.

imageToday, I received my ebay purchase in a Commodore luggable version of its C64 — the SX-64 Executive.  Even with all this wonderful PC emulation technology available to me, there is nothing like using and playing it on the real thing, baby!!  I am excited to say that it arrived safely and is operating in very good condition.  The seller provided a few software titles on 5-1/4″ floppy — it was fun watching an old favorite in Activision’s Fireworks Construction Set blasting away on the tiny color screen and speakers.

My First Eagle

It only took 22 years, but yesterday on the 12th hole at Sun Valley CC in Reheboth MA, I shot a three on a relatively short par 5.  For low handicappers (<10), this plays as the course’s number one handicap hole when it is played as a par 4.  For the rest of us weekend golfers, the 8th hole secures that honor as it plays as its most difficult par 4.

The difficulty is not the yardage to cover — it plays a mere 425 yards from the middle tees.  It starts with the tee shot that must be played short of a brook wiggling through the 175 yard marker, guarded by trees and a boulder on the right and trees long down the center.  Hitting the left part of the fairway makes for the longest approach into a small green front-to-back, guarded by a bunker left and a grass mound on its right.  Plus, your shot needs the lift and carry to cover the trees that will be in front of you.

So the only realistic place for a go-for-the-green approach is a 200+ yard tee shot that is center cut.  Fortunately, we had a good wind at our backs and my choice of a 5 fairway metal hit that center spot and left 215 yards to the green.  I chose to hit that 5 again, because of the uncut fairways and would have been satisfied with it coming up short for an up-and-down attempt for birdie.  Instead, my approach bounced harmlessly onto the green and drifted 3 feet left of the cup!  It was a mere formality in sinking the putt for a three.

I have played this course on a regular basis since I caught the golf bug in 1987.  And I have never hit that green in two before.  I have gotten there in two on the prior par 5 hole numerous times, with my shortest eagle attempt at 20 feet — I thought if ever I were to make an eagle, that would have been the hole.

I can recall vividly the day I first made a par 5 green in two.  It was at Swansea CC and I had a 300+ yard tee shot to inside the 150 yard marker.  My approach did not make the center of the green where the pin was, but it was a relatively straight uphill putt.  My enthusiasm took control of me as I scorched the 25 foot putt passed the cup 15 feet — then missing the comeback and settling for an unceremonious score of par.

I also recall four putting the first hole at Beaver River CC for a bogey.  And another 3-putt mishap occurred after I smashed a 353 yard drive and landing a nice 187 yard 4-iron to the center of the green.  Those missed opportunities quickly transformed into misfortunes.

Still, I had an eagle shot pop out of the hole from a long approach shot, leaving a 3+ foot putt for birdie — and I lipped that attempt out of the hole too.  And I missed an ace, which counts as an eagle too, by 8 inches at Midville’s 155 yard par 3.

Yes, a lot of eagle attempts each with their own story.  But I finally get to gloat about the one that did not get away.