LGR - Commodore VIC-20 Computer System Review
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Date: 2022-04-14
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Comments and reviews: 10
pr0wl3r666
As a kid I didn't even know about the VIC20. When I was 10 I had a C64, a friend also had one, another friend had a C16. Until 1992 I really enjoyed my C64, then I moved on to PCs. Around 1998 I acquired a huge computer lot; cases, motherboards, cpus, graphic cards, . which I used to build computers and sell them again. In the lot there was also a VC20 (yes the German one, at the time I had no use for it so it ended up in the attic.
Last year I came across it again, took it down from the attic, bought an AV-cable, an aftermarket PSU (much safer) and a LCD CCTV monitor (because it has about every connection you would possibly need. I also ended up buying a game cartridge: River Rescue. I still had an old The Arcade joystick. Later I also bought a cartridge port expander; makes using cartridges easier.
That V(I)C20 quickly stole my heart; although it's quite limited, it's still quite capable! If needed you can always expand it's memory with (a) cartridge(s. :-)
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As a kid I didn't even know about the VIC20. When I was 10 I had a C64, a friend also had one, another friend had a C16. Until 1992 I really enjoyed my C64, then I moved on to PCs. Around 1998 I acquired a huge computer lot; cases, motherboards, cpus, graphic cards, . which I used to build computers and sell them again. In the lot there was also a VC20 (yes the German one, at the time I had no use for it so it ended up in the attic.
Last year I came across it again, took it down from the attic, bought an AV-cable, an aftermarket PSU (much safer) and a LCD CCTV monitor (because it has about every connection you would possibly need. I also ended up buying a game cartridge: River Rescue. I still had an old The Arcade joystick. Later I also bought a cartridge port expander; makes using cartridges easier.
That V(I)C20 quickly stole my heart; although it's quite limited, it's still quite capable! If needed you can always expand it's memory with (a) cartridge(s. :-)
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Chris
Any plans to LGR the TI-99/4A? I've seen one (in original box) lurking on a shelf in your other videos. Amazingly, after TI dumped the 99, you were able to by one (as my parents did for me at the urging of my 4th grade teacher) for $79. 99 from a catalog mailorder house. (There were actually 2 big ones - Tenex and Triton) Anyway, I had the TI, a couple of buddies had TRaSh-80s, and the coolest among us had a C-64. Ahh, the good old days!
I still have my (original, complete with all the stuff) Zork I-III games, on 5. 25 for the 99/4A. Wish I'd have kept the rest of that great old clunker!
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Any plans to LGR the TI-99/4A? I've seen one (in original box) lurking on a shelf in your other videos. Amazingly, after TI dumped the 99, you were able to by one (as my parents did for me at the urging of my 4th grade teacher) for $79. 99 from a catalog mailorder house. (There were actually 2 big ones - Tenex and Triton) Anyway, I had the TI, a couple of buddies had TRaSh-80s, and the coolest among us had a C-64. Ahh, the good old days!
I still have my (original, complete with all the stuff) Zork I-III games, on 5. 25 for the 99/4A. Wish I'd have kept the rest of that great old clunker!
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Steven
I love my Commodore Vic-20 too! Paid 30$ for it also. initially it did not seem worth it. due to some problems with the RF modulator. and well having no game cartridges. my parents discouraged me from buying games for it because of the RF modulation problems. they thought it was junk. still, I now have a composite cable from China for my Vic-20, it-s been perfect ever since. I paid 10$ for each of my Vic-20 games I believe. two in a pack at a junk store, the other at a retro game/collectibles store. I love Omega Race! Played it tonight. it-s great.
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I love my Commodore Vic-20 too! Paid 30$ for it also. initially it did not seem worth it. due to some problems with the RF modulator. and well having no game cartridges. my parents discouraged me from buying games for it because of the RF modulation problems. they thought it was junk. still, I now have a composite cable from China for my Vic-20, it-s been perfect ever since. I paid 10$ for each of my Vic-20 games I believe. two in a pack at a junk store, the other at a retro game/collectibles store. I love Omega Race! Played it tonight. it-s great.
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William
The VIC-20 was my best friends first computer. It was awesome. Back in those days a freak'n calculator was cool, but the VIC-20 was just awesome. He later go the Apple IIc and it was super awesome. These two influences really got me hot on computers and lead up to me buying my own computer (age 13 or there abouts) the Apple IIe, with 128K RAM, Duo Disk Drives and a Sanyo Color monitor. It was the awesomest of them all. I've ranted about it in various other LGR comment sections so I'll spare you, but this computer right here started it ALL!
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The VIC-20 was my best friends first computer. It was awesome. Back in those days a freak'n calculator was cool, but the VIC-20 was just awesome. He later go the Apple IIc and it was super awesome. These two influences really got me hot on computers and lead up to me buying my own computer (age 13 or there abouts) the Apple IIe, with 128K RAM, Duo Disk Drives and a Sanyo Color monitor. It was the awesomest of them all. I've ranted about it in various other LGR comment sections so I'll spare you, but this computer right here started it ALL!
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Ekkehard
I just remembered something while watching this video: I think there was a VC-10 model announced in Germany, not sure if it was actually shipped, but I recall seeing it in a catalog as a kid. It was black with a membrane keyboard, just like the Atari 400 differed from the Atari 800. -- I got a VIC-20 (VC-20) during X-Mas 1982. It's still one of my most favorite 8-bit computers. Strangely, I still like it better than the C-64, but perhaps only b/c I programmed the s--t out of it! ;)
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I just remembered something while watching this video: I think there was a VC-10 model announced in Germany, not sure if it was actually shipped, but I recall seeing it in a catalog as a kid. It was black with a membrane keyboard, just like the Atari 400 differed from the Atari 800. -- I got a VIC-20 (VC-20) during X-Mas 1982. It's still one of my most favorite 8-bit computers. Strangely, I still like it better than the C-64, but perhaps only b/c I programmed the s--t out of it! ;)
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When I was a kid my parents bought me a vic-20 and big book of video games in BASIC that could type into the machine by hand and after hours of typing a games code into the machine and fixing typos SYNTAX ERROR after you hit run you would have some ok games with graphics but no way to save the code no floppy drive nothing and if turn the machine it would all be gone, it wasn't worth the effort just to play one of those games.
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When I was a kid my parents bought me a vic-20 and big book of video games in BASIC that could type into the machine by hand and after hours of typing a games code into the machine and fixing typos SYNTAX ERROR after you hit run you would have some ok games with graphics but no way to save the code no floppy drive nothing and if turn the machine it would all be gone, it wasn't worth the effort just to play one of those games.
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Edd
Got one at Kmart for $99 when I was a kid. Dad bought it because he wanted me to learn programming. He built a really cool desk for it. He taught himself to code on it.
Then a year later my friend got a C64 and I realized that the VIC was just a poor man's C64. I liked it and loved the games. But I think I liked the Timex sinclair that a teacher gave to me in highschool better. Funner to code and I could do more.
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Got one at Kmart for $99 when I was a kid. Dad bought it because he wanted me to learn programming. He built a really cool desk for it. He taught himself to code on it.
Then a year later my friend got a C64 and I realized that the VIC was just a poor man's C64. I liked it and loved the games. But I think I liked the Timex sinclair that a teacher gave to me in highschool better. Funner to code and I could do more.
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HellsAcre727
Mom: -Son, level with me, the computer costs $299! why don't you want a trs-80 or Ti-994/A? -
Son: -Mom, it plays pac man, will help me with my homework and doesn't have a crappy keyboard-
(mom goes to his father)
Mom: -Talk some sense in to him! -
(dad goes into other room, unveils a box bearing the name Vic 20)
Mom: -I'm getting a divorce! -
(she gets his vic 20, he dies heartbroken)
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Mom: -Son, level with me, the computer costs $299! why don't you want a trs-80 or Ti-994/A? -
Son: -Mom, it plays pac man, will help me with my homework and doesn't have a crappy keyboard-
(mom goes to his father)
Mom: -Talk some sense in to him! -
(dad goes into other room, unveils a box bearing the name Vic 20)
Mom: -I'm getting a divorce! -
(she gets his vic 20, he dies heartbroken)
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Angroid
Pretty much exactly 10 years later, here's an important bit of information: DO NOT USE Genesis Controllers on anything other than the Genesis. While they share the plug, Genesis controllers are wired differently than other controllers and will fry your components when used on a VIC, C64 or any other machine with said plug. It's the most common reason for dead joystick ports on old commodore machines.
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Pretty much exactly 10 years later, here's an important bit of information: DO NOT USE Genesis Controllers on anything other than the Genesis. While they share the plug, Genesis controllers are wired differently than other controllers and will fry your components when used on a VIC, C64 or any other machine with said plug. It's the most common reason for dead joystick ports on old commodore machines.
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George
The first computer I remember using. I wrote programmes from a book of games on Christmas Day in 1984 (I think it was 1984) with my dad. The cassette player was kicking around in the house for years after we got rid of it. Then I think we went to a BBC B microcomputer after that. That was mint. It had nightlore! Isometric gaming in that age was vivid. I was a bit too young to appreciate elite though.
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The first computer I remember using. I wrote programmes from a book of games on Christmas Day in 1984 (I think it was 1984) with my dad. The cassette player was kicking around in the house for years after we got rid of it. Then I think we went to a BBC B microcomputer after that. That was mint. It had nightlore! Isometric gaming in that age was vivid. I was a bit too young to appreciate elite though.
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