Screen Shot Gallery -- Commodore® 64/128

"Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing..." While there are thousands of copies of Commodore emulator programs running .D64 disk images around the world, I choose to display these original Commodore programs in their original and "pure" format -- running on original Commodore hardware with digital photos of actual Commodore monitor screen displays. Not all Commodore programs run in an emulator. Some utilities act upon the actual Commodore hardware, such as drive alignment software. Other programs have proprietary routines that do not work when running in an emulator. But they all run on Commodore hardware.

There are thousands of Commodore-based .D64, .G64, .T64, .CRT and .TAP image files on warez sites around the world. The larger percentage of those disk images have been hacked, cracked and jacked by pirates for decades. Many are useless because they are failed attempts to duplicate copy- protected disks and don't work, are corrupt and don't work or are mixes of different programs in custom images which may or may not work. Dan's 20th Century Abandonware collects only "pure" whole software titles, free of multimedia "demos" by pirates sending "greets" to fellow pirates, free of titles bearing title screens with lines saying "Cracked by ... ," free of unoriginal logical disk labels and free of being mixed with other software titles. They are the original, complete software titles or they are not a part of Dan's 20th Century Abandonware.

Card-Sign-Banner-Etc.     In the mid-1980's software companies began making programs that could print cards, signs, banners, letterheads, calendars, and later, even newsletters. It made the computers like the Commodore 64 more "personal," and while targeted mainly at the home computer user, schools and businesses found use for this software as well.      People could now print cards saying exactly what they wanted to. They could print signs for garage sales and other things with professional-looking lettering and pictures. Big long or tall banners could be printed for birthday parties or other occasions. Calendars could be printed for personal schedules from card/sign/banner software with calendar features.     Schools could print signs for upcoming events to post at the school and send home to parents. Banners could be printed for displaying the "ABC's," highlighting class topics, and for topics that could be displayed in main school areas. Calendars could be printed for everything from assignment deadlines to event schedules for students and parents, etc. Letterheads could be printed for official school business. Cards could be printed for student and parent event invitations. This software could even create certificates for awards and achievements.     Businesses also saw advantages for this software. For a fraction of the cost of a printing service they could print professional letterheads complete with pictures. And if the software had a graphics editor, they could even add their logo. Calendars could be printed for weekly, monthly, and yearly event scheduling. Signs announcing anything from the annual company banquet to the winner of the football pool look more presentable than handwritten ones. Cards could be printed for invitations to the annual Christmas party or golf scramble. OK, so not every application may have been 100% business- oriented but it made life a little more fun.

COPY- PROTECTED Software The Print Shop 1.1a Copyright © 1984 Br0derbund Software This is one of the earliest Commodore 64 versions of The Print Shop. Print greeting cards, signs, banners, create "screen magic," and edit The Print Shop graphics images with the Graphics Editor. Features include 9 fonts, 9 border images, 50 graphics images, 10 pattern images, fixed placement of images in documents and more. The original media is copy-protected. This version was released on one 165K floppy (2 disk sides total).

COPY- PROTECTED Software PrintMaster Copyright © 1985 Unison World, Inc. Looking nearly identical to the same PC versions of PrintMaster, this is the first Commodore version of PrintMaster. Make and print stationary, calendars, banners, signs and greeting cards. Other features include print preview, graphics editor, printer setup, support for 4 printer models, 140 graphics images, 8 fonts and more. This Commodore 64 version of PrintMaster was created by Berkeley Softworks, creators of the GEOS graphical user interface, for Unison World, Inc. The original media is copy-protected. This version was released on one 165K floppy (2 disk sides total).

COPY- PROTECTED Software The Print Shop Companion 1.0 Copyright © 1985 Br0derbund Software This is the first Commodore version of The Print Shop Companion. Features include Graphic Editor +, an extended version of Print Shop's Graphic Editor. It features drawing tools for lines, rays, ovals, boxes, draw, erase, insert/delete row/column, flood fill, flip horizontal/vertical, negative, get, save, tile, lock, clear, print, select device, etc. Border Editor creates custom border graphics. Font Editor creates custom fonts. Tile Magic is a changing sequence of patterns that can be "frozen" to create custom tile graphics. Creature Maker is a drawing tool where "parts" are put together to make a "creature." Calendar has weekly and monthly options and year range of 1753-9999. Graphics and fonts can be chosen for custom effects. Dates can be highlighted and include 8 lines of text. It can then be saved or printed. Setup updates the Print Shop disk to recognize new borders and fonts and the Print Shop Companion disk with printer data from the Print Shop's configuration. It also has joystick and KoalaPad support. The original media is copy-protected. This version was released on one 165K floppy (2 disk sides total).

COPY- PROTECTED Software AwardWare Copyright © 1986 Hi Tech Expressions Design and print awards, certificates, ribbons, tickets, coupons, checks, and more. AwardWare is menu-driven and features such as QuickAward, pre-made templates, editable templates -- 60 award/license (portrait & landscape), 25 letterhead/memo, 2 checks, 1 ticket, 4 coupons, 4 ribbons, 1 scroll, 1 trophy, 1 key, 1 newspaper, and 6 plaques. It also has 5 fonts, 20 borders, 20 graphics, 5 seals and 4 signature boxes. The original media is copy-protected. Hi Tech Expressions also released a DOS version of AwardWare. This version was released on one 165K floppy (2 disk sides total).

COPY- PROTECTED Software Certificate Maker Copyright © 1986 Springboard Software, Inc. Make certificates for any event or occasion. Choose from over 200 certificate templates, six border styles, five fonts, enter up to four lines of text, certificate date, and signature line. Print in portrait or landscape mode and more. The original media is copy-protected. This version was released on four 165K floppies (8 disk sides total).

COPY- PROTECTED Software Muppet Print Kit Copyright © 1989 Hi Tech Expressions Kermit, Ms. Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Professor, Beaker, Animal and Rowlf are all here to brighten up your print projects in the Muppet Print Kit. Print cards, banners, signs, stationary, storybooks, masks and puppets. It uses the same menu-driven interface as Hi Tech's DOS version of PrintPower 1.00. Features include dozens of print borders and portrayals of the Muppet characters, 7 fonts, support for 18 printer models, document preview during creation/editing and more. The original media is copy-protected. This version was released on one 165K floppy (2 disk sides total).

COPY- PROTECTED Software Print Power Plus Copyright © 1989 Hi Tech Expressions This Commodore 64 version of Print Power Plus is the same program as Hi Tech Expression's 1987 DOS PC version of PrintPower 1.00. Print cards, banners, signs, and stationary. Features include a menu-driven interface, document preview during creation/editing, support for 18 printer models, 7 fonts, 100 graphics images and more. The original media is copy-protected. This version was released on one 165K floppy (2 disk sides total).

Database     "Information is power." In the early 1980's computer-based database software created the ability to make electronic database file management systems which could store vast amounts of information in a relatively compact manner.     No longer did companies have to write or type volumes of print-based data. No longer was it necessary to store tons of paper-based information in warehouses. Thousands of pages of information could be stored on computer floppy disks.     Database software made finding specific information infinitely faster than searching through printed material. With a few keystrokes, depending on the size of the database, information could be displayed on a computer monitor in mere minutes. Electronic database software can also sort database information many ways. Try changing the order of entries in a telephone book.     Making backup copies of electronic databases is as easy as saving files to floppy disks. Can a backup copy of a telephone book be made that easy? Imagine photocopying every page or handwriting every entry.

PractiFile 3.00AB Copyright © 1983 PractiCorp International, Inc. A database program for the Commodore 64, PractiFile features up to 3,800 records per file, set/change key field, add/change/find/sort up to 5 fields deep/delete records, wipe one record, all records, entire file, recover book allows access to database files exceeding normal size limits or that were not closed properly, batch entry, file calculations, create mailing labels, report writer with headers, columns and subtotals, restructure random files, create/load/view sequential (SEQ) files, customize PractiFile for display character width (40-80 characters), printer type, disk type, number of disk drives, run another program, disk copy backup utility and more. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

The Database Manager Copyright © 1983 Main Street Publishing, Inc. A database development program, The Database Manager features form creation, merge files, create sequential (SEQ) files, merge files, append file, replace fields, create subfile for relational databases, create single or multiple field sort indexes, calculated fields, pack file, review/edit file/record, delete file, print mailing labels, print in report format, on-line tutorials and reference (second disk side) and more. This version was released on one 165K floppy (2 disk sides total).

COPY- PROTECTED Software pfs:file A.00 Copyright © 1984 Software Publishing Corporation An extremely rare find in its original format, this is the first Commodore 64 version of pfs:file. Features include create file, form creation, change file, add records, search, update, print, remove forms and more. The original media is copy-protected. Software Publishing Corporation also released DOS PC versions of pfs:file. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

COPY- PROTECTED Software Database Copyright © 1985 BCI Software Distributed by BCI Software, this database program was created by SPC Software Limited. Features include add, browse, create, delete, edit, find, housekeeping (directory, initialize, new, scratch, validate, re-run, defaults, main menu, exit to Basic), print, read, sort, view and write. A spreadsheet-like display shows records. This company put a particularly nasty copy-protection on their media. If a copy was made of the floppy disk that did not defeat or duplicate the copy protection, when the program is run on the copied disk the message "When a pirate attempted to run the program, the data base CRASHED!" is displayed followed by a crash sound. If the copied disk is not write protected, the copy protection deletes all files on disk and rewrites the logical disk label as "PIRATE." If you are a legal purchaser and try to backup Database, are you a "pirate?" This version was released on one 165K floppy (2 disk sides total).

Easy Working Filer 1.01 Copyright © 1987 Spinnaker Software Corporation Using a similar style pull-down menu as in their DOS-based version, Easy Working Filer is a database program featuring storage new/open/close database, update add/edit/find/remove/export/import records, print to printer/screen, set up printer/ storage/screen options, and exit. Up to 10 fields can be defined in a database file and each field name can be up to 12 characters in length. There are 4 field types: key (1 allowed per database file), alphanumeric, numeric, and date in MM/DD/YY format. Field sizes can be from 1-25 characters (8 characters minimum for date fields). The total of the ten field sizes per database file cannot exceed 250 characters. Print format for database fields can be left justified (default), right or center justified, currency (US $ with 2 decimal places), or numeric up to 4 decimal places. The maximum number of records is calculated based on the size and number of fields in the database definition and the size of the available space on the floppy disk. The initialization process of creating the database structure on disk can take up to 10 minutes to complete! Other features include ASCII import/export and on-line help. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

SwiftData Copyright © 1987 COSMI Corporation Another in the series of COSMI Corporation's "Celery Software," this title is called "Celery Swiftdata" Copyright © 1984 A&C Software and Copyright © 1986 Celery Software. It is also referred to as "DATAPRO" and "Professional Data Base." How many different names and copyright dates does one Commodore software title need, anyway? Features include create new file, add/delete/amend record, sort, save, read, print file, total fields, memory check, maximum 200 records in a single file, first database field is the sort "key" field, view all records, direct key search, search within limits, global search, relational search, total fields, memory check and more. Three years later, this same version of SwiftData was included as part of COSMI Corporation's integrated suite "Top 20 Software Tools." This version was released on one 165K floppy.

Desktop Publishing     Desktop publishing software was popular from the mid-1980's to the mid-1990's. A combination of word processing and graphics tools, desktop publishing software is used to make newsletters, fliers, presentations, and illustrated publications.     So stop the press and set your print on your computer screen. The "electronic revolution" is here!

Swift Desktop Publisher Copyright © 1988 COSMI Corporation With its Halloween-colored orange-on-black screen text, Swift Desktop Publisher is actually a suite of graphics and printing software combined with sample fonts and graphics images. Draw & Paint is a program for making screen-size images. Create Clip Art is a graphics program for making smaller graphics images. Customize Characters is a program for creating custom character sets. Create lettering is a program for creating custom letters for specialized use. Format a printed page is a program to set all the parts of your document on page-sized layouts for printing. Banners & Bumpers is a program to lay out formats in up to 6-pages for a banner or "bumper sticker." Print, as the name implies, lets you select which type of document to print and then allows you to select the printer to print with. List Sample Files is a listing of the files on the Swift Desktop Publisher program disk that contain special lettering, fonts, clip art, and banner lettering. Two years later, COSMI incorporated a later version of Swift Desktop Publisher in their integrated suite Top 20 Software Tools. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

Educational     Since the early 1980's, educational computer software has redefined how children and people of all ages can learn knowledge.     Computers can not only crunch numbers for businesses, they can also help teach children and adults knowledge. Educational software can teach any aspect of knowledge -- reading, math, science, languages, etc.     Many educational software programs, especially those for children, take on the form of a game and blend the teaching and knowledge into the game. As the game is played, the knowledge is taught.     Learning knowledge on a computer also adds an additional benefit -- basic computer skills. In order to run the educational program, you need to know how to operate the computer.

Library and Reference Helper Copyright © 1983 Micro-Ed, Inc. Distributed by Disk-Count Software, Inc., this educational program is designed to help students from grades 5-9 learn dictionary guide words, 16 library terms (author, autobiography, bibliography, biography, call number, card catalog, copyright date, Dewey Decimal System, fiction, illustrator, index, non-fiction, publisher, reference, setting, table of contents), key words (to find information in encyclopedia volumes), and how to use a library's card catalog. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

A,B,C Song Copyright © 1984 Micro-Ed, Inc. A basic program (no pun intended) for preschool children to learn the English alphabet. The program begins with the letter "A" and when the correct letter on the keyboard is pressed the note for that letter in "The Alphabet Song" is played and the next letter in the alphabet is displayed. This continues throughout the alphabet, displaying different colors and playing the notes for each letter. After "Z," the entire Alphabet Song is played and each letter is displayed in sync with the song on a black screen. After the song, a colorful "reward" saying, "YOU DID WELL!" is displayed and the program asks if you want to "try again." While this is a good program to teach children the alphabet, I have to wonder if preschool children can read the words "PRESS [letter]" in the program, "YOU DID WELL!" and "TRY AGAIN? YES OR NO" on the "reward" screen. If they could read and understand those words why would they need to use the program? This version was released on one 165K floppy.

Expeditions Copyright © 1984 MECC MECC stands for Minnesota Educational Computing Corporation. Expeditions is a suite of three educational text games: Furs, Voyageur, and Oregon. In Furs, the player takes the role of an Ottawa Indian leading a fur-trading expedition across three routes in North America in the 1600's. In Voyageur, the player travels into fur trading country in North America between 1770 and 1830. Oregon is a simulated journey across the Oregon Trail from Independence, Missouri to Oregon City. The player is leading a family of five across the New Frontier with all the perils it brings. MECC would later take the concept of "Oregon" and turn it into its own educational game to run on DOS-based PCs, Macintosh, Windows 3.1x, and even Windows 9x. MECC would call this educational game "The Oregon Trail." It would be utilized by educational institutes and home computers and would eventually be purchased from MECC by Softkey and The Learning Company. Expeditions is the birthplace of The Oregon Trail and now a part of software history. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

Mathaletics 1 Copyright © 1984 Main Street Publishing, Inc. Mathaletics 1 is a suite of five math-based educational programs by Micro-Ed for Commodore 64 and 128 systems. Number Jumper is a learning game to improve your speed adding a group of numbers. Sum-It Mountain is a learning game in which you must carry a flag to the top of "Sum-It Mountain" in the fastest time possible. You must add numbers quickly to advance up the mountain. If a mistake is made you go back to the bottom and start over. Two-Minute Warning is a football-oriented learning game in which you subtract the correct yardage to advance down the field to score a touchdown. If you make a mistake or request the answer it is a touchdown for the other team. Last Of The Ninth is a baseball-oriented learning game where your team is losing 10-0 and you must score 11 runs before getting three outs to win the game. Base hits are achieved by solving multiplication problems. You can select a single, double, triple, or home run. The better the base hit, the harder the multiplication problem is. Slam Dunk is a basketball-oriented learning game in which you choose add, subtract, multiply or divide problems and solve as many equations as possible in three minutes. Main Street Publishing called these programs "edutainment." This version was released on one 165K floppy.

Financial -- Accounting & Payroll     Debits, credits, checks, and balances. Revenues, deficits, interest, and taxes. Reconciliation, expenditures, budgets, and statements. If it can be done with pencil, calculator, and ledger book it can also be done with keyboard, computer, and software.     Accounting and payroll software allows one person to do what up to dozens of financial staffers did by hand. The right software can process a single ledger entry across many different facets of the accounting process with the press of a button. And it can calculate in seconds -- 100% error-free every time -- what would take staffers days and even weeks the "old-fashioned" way.     From the early 1980's to the early 1990's Commodore accounting software systems were created to manage the accounting needs of the home financier and corporate business.     Say goodbye to your CPA and hello to CCA (Commodore Computer Accounting).

COPY- PROTECTED Software General Ledger 1.4 Copyright © 1982 Info-Designs, Inc. An extremely rare find on its original media, this accounting program was created the same year the Commodore 64 computer made its debut on the market. This accounting system prompts you to enter the system date upon startup and then asks you for a 4-character password prior to allowing access to the main menu. Features include program "modules" for General Ledger, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Payroll, and Inventory Management, direct posting entry/print, cash journal entry/print, general ledger update, account maintenance/inquiry, general information file, print reports, electronic calendar, disk backup utility, initialize files, configuration file maintenance, and more. A bold red-and-black decal placed on the floppy disk states: "WARNING! THIS DISK IS COPY PROTECTED -- Any attempt to duplicate may cause permanent damage to disk drive." The disk can be duplicated without any harm to the drive. Scare tactic. This version was released on one 165K floppy (2 disk sides total).

Financial -- Financial Manager     In the early 1980's, personal computers were too expensive for most home users' budgets, costing several thousand US dollars. "Home" computer systems such as the Commodore 64 cost a fraction of a same-year model IBM PC and was capable of running applications such as financial manager software.     A financial manager program consolidates your personal financial records into a single program and can manage and reconcile your checkbook, manage credit card accounts, track expenses, show your current financial status, and some even offer tax information. Nearly all financial manager programs offered some way to back up your personal information.     Are you still tracking your personal finances the way people did in the third century B.C.? If so, it's time to throw away your abacus, columnar books, financial notepads, and all but one or two of those No. 2 pencils. The "electronic revolution" is here!

Easy Finance I Copyright © 1983 Commodore Business Machines and Eagle Software Publishing Inc. Called a "loan analysis package," Easy Finance I is a program which calculates 11 financial events. They include Principal, Regular Payment, Last Payment, Remaining Balance, Terms of a Loan, Annual Interest Rate, Mortgage Amortization Table, Adjusted Rate Mortgage Payments, Rule of 78's Interest, Mortgage Comparison Analysis, Property Investment Cost Analysis, can generate bar graphs, has on-line help and more. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

Easy Finance II Copyright © 1983 Commodore Business Machines and Eagle Software Publishing Inc. Called a "basic investment analysis package," Easy Finance II is a program which calculates 15 financial events. They include Future Investment Value, Initial Investment, Minimum Investment for Withdrawals, Regular Investment Withdrawals, Nominal Interest Rate on Investments, Annual Interest Rate, Net Present Value of an Investment, Internal Rate of Return, Regular Deposits, Future Annuity Value (Regular Deposits), Present Value of an Annuity, Earned Interest Table, Continuous Interest Compounding, Current Value of Common Stock, and Current Value of Bonds. It can also can generate a bar graph based on period input values. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

Easy Finance III Copyright © 1983 Commodore Business Machines and Eagle Software Publishing Inc. Called an "advanced investment analysis package," Easy Finance II is a program which calculates 15 financial events. They include Future Investment Value (uneven cash), Present Value of a Tax Deduction, Current Value of a Treasury Bill, Discount Commercial Paper, Accrued Interest on Bonds, Net Present Value - Variable Period Lengths, Financial Management Rate of Return, Syndicated Investment Analysis, Financial Statement Ratio Analysis, Maximum Price for Acquisition/Merger, Financial Leverage and Earnings/Share, Combined Leverage and Earnings/Share, Cost of Common Stock Equity Captial, Weighted Cost of Capital, EBIT-EPS Financial Indifference Point, bar graph, on-line help and more. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

Personal Finance Pak Copyright © 1985 Keypunch Software A personal finance manager consisting of 3 programs: Home Budget, Checkbook Keeper, and Checkbook Balancer. Home Budget creates monthly budgets and allows the creation of budget categories with budget and beginning amounts. Checkbook Keeper maintains a running balance and transaction register from a beginning date and balance. It allows one checking account per data disk. Checkbook Balancer helps keep a balanced checking account by reviewing all charges, withdrawals, and deposits. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

The Electronic Checkbook Copyright © 1987 Melody Hall Publishing Corp. A financial manager for your checkbook transactions, The Electronic Checkbook creates a "data disk" to store your financial information on. The data disk is used while running the program. Features include view/modify information, enter new items, view/modify transactions, analyze transaction amounts, monthly reconciliation, dump records to printer, maximum transaction amount of 99999.99, cross search (x-search), interfaces with The Money Manager (a separate program by Melody Hall Publishing Corp.) and more. This version was released on one 165K floppy. (Side 2 has an Atari 400/800 XL/XE version)

Graphical User Interface     Commodore 64 computers have no operating system to interact with, just a BASIC interpreter. The Commodore 128 can run the CP/M operating system but has no graphical user interface.     A software company called Berkeley Softworks invented a graphical user interface that runs on both the Commodore 64 and the Commodore 128 in C64 mode. They called their product GEOS which stands for Graphical Environment Operating System.     Thanks to GEOS, the Commodore 64 and 128 were given capabilites of more advanced computers of the day such as the Macintosh and PCs running their own graphical user interfaces such as GEM and Windows 1.x.     Eventually, Berkeley Softworks would bring an advanced version of GEOS to the PC. Both their company name and their product would take on new identities. Berkeley Softworks would rename themselves GeoWorks, and GEOS for PCs would also be known by that name. Later PC versions of GeoWorks would pass through different owners such as New Deal and Breadbox Software, but the production and distribution rights for english Commodore versions of GEOS were acquired by Creative Micro Designs, Inc. in 1993 and maintained until July 21, 2001 when they were acquired by Click Here Software Co.

COPY- PROTECTED Software GEOS 1.3 Copyright © 1986 Berkeley Softworks An extremely rare find these days on its original media, GEOS is a graphical user interface that runs on Commodore 64/128 systems. A joystick controller acts as a "mouse" to move an arrow cursor and the "fire button" to "click" on items. The interface is a deskTop and uses a "notepad" to display disk contents with icons for directories, programs, files, etc. A "page advance" in the lower left corner of the "notepad" navigates a disk. GEOS 1 3 includes GeoWrite 1.1, GeoPaint 1.3, alarm clock, photo manager, text manager, calculator, and notepad. Other features include pull-down menus with file and disk utilities, "shell" to the BASIC interpreter (RESTORE returns to GEOS if the system disk is present), RESET restarts GEOS, a QLINK option starts the QuantumLink communications disk process (disk is on the other side). A 5¼" floppy icon represents the current disk. It has printer support and a Macintosh-like "trash can" to delete files and folders. The GEOS 1.3 system disks are copy-protected. A second GEOS 1.3 backup system disk was provided. This version was released on two 165K floppies (4 disk sides total).

GEOS gateWay 2.5 Copyright © 1991 Creative Micro Designs, Inc. From the beginning, GEOS was made to look similar to Apple Macintosh's graphical interface. When Creative Micro Designs, Inc. acquired the rights to the Commodore versions of GEOS they took that similarity to a whole new level. GEOS gateWay looks like a cross between a Macintosh and Windows 2.x. The Macintosh attributes are very evident right from the moment you boot GEOS gateWay. You are greeted with "Welcome to... the gateWay" and driver icons load across the lower left corner of the screen, just like Mac OS. GEOS gateWay's Control Panel is also modeled in the same style as Mac OS 6.x.x, even with the name "Finder" for the file manager which has extended file description and size in typical Mac Finder style but with a unique "slider" to show or hide details. And let's not forget the Mac-like trash can. GEOS gateWay features support for 1541/71/81 floppy drives, a unique "fuel gauge" shows disk usage, RAMDisk, GEOS RAMDisk, BigInfo, ScrapPeek, Touch, MakeDir, HDTime, file open/info/rename/copy/erase/print, disk validate/format, custom file view, set disk icon, open partition, empty trash, browse, reset, shutdown and more. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

Integrated Suite     Integrated word processor/spreadsheet/database/communication/etc. software suites were popular from the mid-1980's to early 1990's.     The predecessors to full-scale "office" suites, they provided less expensive, multi-application functionality instead of having to purchase individual full-version software application programs.     At a time when a personal computer system cost over US$3,000.00 and full-featured PC-based word processor, spreadsheet, and database software cost US$495.00 each for a single-user license, sacrificing some features and purchasing an integrated suite for Commodore systems saved a buyer hundreds, and sometimes literally thousands, of U.S. dollars.

Writer/File Pak Copyright © 1985 Keypunch Software With its flashy, animated marquee-like border, Writer/File Pak is an integrated suite of word processor and database software. Letter Writer is a word processor featuring a unique interface for separating two 40- character lines on screen which print as one line. The program clears memory before creating a document. Features include insert/delete line, Create, load, display, save, print document, get directory, set left, right, top, bottom margins, page and line number status bar, change screen colors, and more. Mail List, Phone List, and Labeler are three database programs to store and print contact information. Mail List and Phone List can add, change, delete, view and print database records. Labeler has nearly the same record layout as Mail List, lacking the second address field. It allows data entry and printing. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

COPY- PROTECTED Software Top 20 Software Tools Copyright © 1990 COSMI Corporation Top 20 Software Tools is an integrated suite of Commodore programs COSMI had released in the past as individual programs. It includes word processor, database, spreadsheet, communication, desktop publisher, financial, productivity, and utility software. DISK 1 (Sides 1&2): - Swiftword (TextPro) Copyright © 1987 Celery Software - SwiftServer Copyright © 1985 COSMI Corporation    - CheckServer Copyright © 1985 COSMI Corporation    - DateServer Copyright © ? COSMI Corporation    - Disk Utilities Copyright © ? COSMI Corporation    - HomeServer Copyright © ? COSMI Corporation    - InfoServer Copyright © ? James R. Knibb    - PhoneServer Copyright © 1985 COSMI Corporation DISK 2 (Sides 1&2): - Celery SwiftData Copyright © 1984 A&C Software - SwiftSheet (microSWIFT v1.3us) Copyright © 1985 Metamorphosis Dev. Ltd *    - Disk Backup Copyright © ? Dave Middleton (sector disk copy program) - Swift Desktop Publisher Copyright © 1989 COSMI Corporation    - Draw & Paint    - Create Sprites    - Customize Characters    - Compose Music    - Create Screen Displays    - Create Lettering    - Format A Screen    - Animate A Display    - Format A Printed Page    - Print    - List Sample Files * This program is copy-protected. The rest of the software is not. DISK 3 (Side 1): - Turbo MIRV Copyright © ? ?     - Calculator     - Clock     - Auto-Dial     - Calendar     - Save To Disk     - Load From Disk     - Last Note/Help Turbo MIRV is a TSR program that is loaded before running one of the programs on the other disks and can then be "popped-up" when needed using a hot-key sequence. This version was released on three 165K floppies (5 disk sides total).

Productivity     If it can be written on a scrap of paper, scrawled on a napkin, or scratched onto the palm of your hand it can also be entered into a computer program. Schedules, events, reminders, confidential information, business and personal contact information, custom documents, and on and on. Throw away your handwritten "planner" binders, but don't forget to pack your Commodore computer. The "electronic revolution" is here!

Pro Organizer Copyright © 1985 Green Valley Publishing With it's multi-color menu screen border, Pro Organizer offers programs to manage your bank account and your contacts. Consisting of three programs, Pro Organizer features Checkbook II, Mailing List, and Calendar. Checkbook II features add transactions, change transactions, print check register, balance inquiry, and budget analysis. Mailing List is a contact database featuring a five-line address record with label group, Xmas list, Xmas label "flags," edit, print, next, back, home, backup, load, save, utility (print list of all entries, print list from current record, search, Xmas card count, reset Xmas cards sent indicators), delete, add and more. The Electronic Calendar is introduced with a splash screen stating, "Electronic calendar ... Know the past, the present and the future. Find those lost days and dates you thought were gone forever. Look them up and do some remembering or thinking into the future." It can print monthly calendars from 1752 to 9999 (theoretically). It only prints monthly calendars for a single month or whole year and can highlight one day of a month. It stores no other information. You have to write your data on the printed calendar. Upon exiting Pro Organizer you are bid fairwell with an advertisement from Target. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

Spreadsheet     The concept for the original spreadsheet program was to create a program that offers a "grid" to put text and numbers into and give it the ability to calculate those numbers. Spreadsheet software offered a means to save a myriad different types of data spreadsheets. From budgets to salaries, accounting and payroll, spreadsheet software revolutionized the way computers "crunched numbers."

COPY- PROTECTED Software PractiCalc v1.01 Copyright © 1982 PractiCorp International, Inc. Released the same year as the Commodore 64, this is one of the first versions of PractiCalc. It is copyrighted by the registered trademark CSA. Features include letters for rows, numbers for columns, shaded columns, spreadsheet size up to 250 rows and 100 columns, 3 to 38-character wide column width, 22 formula functions (sum, average, maximum/minimum range values, range entry number count, log, exponent, absolute value, integer value of numeric quantity, sign, square root, random number, sine, cosine, tangent, arc tangent, and true/false conditionals), sort text and numeric values, low-resolution bar graphs (asterisks), high-resolution bar graphs (solid rectangles), blank cell, insert/move/delete row/column, resize sheet, four cell formats, label justification, change number to graphics, load/save/print file, search, fixed titles, replicate values and more. The original media is copy-protected. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

COPY- PROTECTED Software Microsoft Multiplan 1.06 Copyright © 1983 Microsoft Corporation Nearly impossible to find today on its original media, Microsoft released versions of Multiplan for PC-DOS, BTOS (Burroughs Technology Operating System), TI, and the Commodore 64. Features include spreadsheet size of 255 rows and 63 columns, 40 functions for formulas, recalculation, iteration, external copy, external list, use external file, constant, exponential, fixed, general, integer, currency, percentage cell formats, left, right, center, general cell horizontal alignment, Alpha(numeric) data entry, set decimal places, split screen, link screens, set screen borders, lock cells, blank, copy, move, delete cells, formulas, edit, insert rows/columns, sort, name cell range, transfer (load/save files), go to cell location, Commodore 64 file format to ASCII conversion, ASCII to Commodore 64 conversion, on-line help and more. The original media is copy-protected. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

COPY- PROTECTED Software Personal Financial Worksheet Copyright © 1983 Main Street Publishing, Inc. Wait a minute -- the screen shot says "BusiCalc." Is this the wrong picture? No, it isn't. While Main Street Publishing calls the title "Personal Financial Worksheet," it is actually a spreadsheet program called BusiCalc, Copyright © 1983 Skyles Electric Works, Inc. The program displays "(c) Supersoft 1983" which is the distributor. BusiCalc is a spreadsheet program which has a maximum worksheet size of 99 rows and 99 columns. You are prompted to input the number of rows, column width, and number of columns before the program loads. A sheet size greater than 65x65 will result in an out of memory error on a Commodore 64. Features include "jump" to block, save, load, replicate, insert/delete row/column, print, automatic calculation, "walk" through the workshet using Return, format column width and block values, show memory usage and perform "garbage collection," show formulas, and more. The original media is copy-protected. This version was released on one 165K floppy (2 disk sides total).

COPY- PROTECTED Software ValueCalc 1.00 Copyright © 1986 Melody Hall Publishing Corp. This is the first Commodore version of ValueCalc released under the "ValueWare" software line. Features include a spreadsheet size of 64 rows by 64 columns, two formula functions (sum and average), insert/delete row/column, clear cell, copy cell information, file save, load, catalog, print, change cell width from 4 to 36 characters, change display colors, 3 spreadsheet templates and more. While ValueCalc is claimed to be a Commodore "64/128" program, it is only a 40- column display 64K program. Melody Hall Publishing Corp. also released a DOS version of ValueCalc this same year. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

Easy Working Planner 1.01 Copyright © 1987 Spinnaker Software Corporation Using a pull-down menu style and color scheme similar to their DOS versions, Easy Working Planner features storage new/load/save worksheet, load/save DIF file, list directory, import/export data, erase files, format disk, enter worksheet, print to printer/file, print worksheet listing, set global format, set column widths, recalculate, turn calculation off, set up printer type, storage type, screen color, save setup, move to beginning of next row, move up/down/left/right one screen, jump to any cell, move to "home" cell, cut to memory/file, copy to memory/file, past from memory/file, blank cells, insert/delete rows/columns, reformat cells, cell formats: (US) Dollar, percent, bar graph (asterisks), integer, 1-4 decimal places, enter formulas by pressing =, formulas can be addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*), division (/), combinations math functions, parenthesis are permitted for complex formulas and are evaluated in standard mathmatical hierarchy, fixed and non-fixed cell addresses and ranges can be included in formulas, exponentiation is represented using the up arrow, other formulas include integer value of an expression, absolute value of an expression, percentage value of an expression, sign (+/-) of an expression, sum of a range, average of a range, minimum/maximum value of a range, number of entries in a range (count), on-line help and more. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

COPY- PROTECTED Software SwiftSheet Copyright © 1987 COSMI Corporation One of COSMI Corporation's "Celery Software" titles, this program is actually microSWIFT v1.3US Copyright © 1985 Metamorphosis Developments Limited and licensed to COSMI Corporation. COSMI also called this program "SwiftCalc." It features multi-colored cascading drop-down menus, 21 mathmatic, statistical, financial and conditional functions, force recalculation, 6 cell formats, named ranges, range format, copy, sort, print, erase, decimal rounding, split-screen, clear sheet, plot value as asterisks (graphing), insert/delete row/column, file recall, replace, save, delete, validate/format disk, go to cell, "program" macros, set column width, calculation automatically, "programmed," by row or column, set colors and more. The original media is copy-protected. Three years later, COSMI included this same version of SwiftSheet in their integrated suite Top 20 Software Tools. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

Training -- Programming     What is the proper syntax to perform a function in that programming language? Why does my computer keep telling me "?REDO FROM START" when I try to run my custom program?     These and other questions can be answered by using training software. From the basics of BASIC to the most cryptic programming concepts, training software can broaden your knowledge and improve your computer skills. So fire up the computer, insert that floppy disk properly, type in the correct command to start the program, then sit back and prepare to be enlightened.

Advanced BASIC Lessons Copyright © 1986 Pacific TriMicro, Inc. This training program teaches six advanced lessons in Commodore BASIC. The lesson topics include Disk Accessing Techniques, More Disk Accessing, Graphics Programming, Sound Programming, and Using Machine Language Routines From BASIC. The lessons are presented mainly as text screens which are advanced by pressing RETURN. There are intermittent programming examples in which you are prompted to type programming examples. Items covered include file handling, drive access, sprite and user-defined graphics, plotting, character animation, sound modulation, filtering, emulaing musical instruments, three-part harmony, wave forms, voices, interrupts and how to incorporate machine language routines into BASIC programs to make programs perform faster. Assignments are built into the lessons with the ability to "shell" to Commodore BASIC to practice them and later return to the lessons. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

Utility -- Computer Hardware     Many computer hardware components contain mechanical devices designed to specific tolerances. Sometimes, these devices can fall out of tolerance and require recalibrating to function properly. In some cases, special software programs can adjust some of these components and return them to their tolerence specs.

1541/1571 Drive Alignment Copyright © 1986 Free Spirit Software, Inc. Early versions of the Commodore 1541 5¼" floppy drive were prone to the read/ write head falling out of alignment if using programs that "bumped" the drive head over extended periods of time. If a drive's head falls out of alignment it will not read a disk's data properly or may not read disks at all. Drive alignment software, such as Free Spirit Software, Inc.'s 1541/1571 Drive Alignment, can diagnose the condition of a Commodore 1541 and 1571 5¼" floppy drive's head alignment and realign the drive back to its nominal tolerance. 1541/1571 Drive Alignment can also check a Commodore 1541 and 1571's head stop and determine the drive's speed and benchmark it against the optimal performance rating. Alignment software such as this is vital to have if you use Commodore 5¼" drives on a regular basis. This version was released on one 165K floppies (2 disk sides total).

Utility -- Disk Copy-Protection Removal     From the early 1980's to the mid-1990's many software companies copy-protected their floppy disks in an attempt to prevent software piracy. It prevented users from duplicating disks using conventional disk copying utilities. This also made it nearly impossible for the legal purchaser to make backup copies. If the original disks became corrupted vendors would often charge customers to replace defective disks.     So copy-protection removal software was born. Its original intent was to let legal software owners make legal backup copies of their software. In a day when some software cost US$495.00 or more it was much too costly to just go and buy another copy if one or more disks went bad. And many refused to pay software companies up to US$25.00 per disk for replacements. They would simply buy an alternative product.     Copy-protection removal software is a disk duplicating program that can detect these "schemes" and circumvent them to duplicate disks. While some remove the copy protection others will duplicate it along with the rest of the contents to produce a duplicated copy-protected disk.     As late as the early 1990's, nearly a decade after the Commodore 64 computer was introduced, some of the last software vendors writing software for Commodore 64 and 128 systems were still copy-protecting their media.

COPY II 64/128 3.1 Copyright © 1985 Central Point Software, Inc. Central Point Software was one of the leading commercial software companies to aid legal owners of copy-protected software in making backup copies of sometimes very expensive computer software. CPS released versions of COPY II for IBM/100% compatible personal computers, Apple, and Commodore computer systems. COPY II 64/128 3.1 features a "bit copy" disk duplicating program which supports single and dual-drive duplication, configuration of start and end tracks, and track incrementation (1 by default). Not listed on the menu, but on the disk, is also a "Parameters Selection" menu with 56 "parameters" to defeat and remove copy protection from specific programs. From 1986 to 1988, a software company called "Kracker Jax Protection Busters" would duplicate COPY II's parameter menu to display their own parameters for defeating copy protection. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

COPY- PROTECTED Software Maverick v5.04 Copyright © 1990 KJPB (Kracker Jax Protection Busters) Originally known as "Nibletsoft" and later by their more notorious name "Kracker Jax," Maverick is a file and disk duplicator capable of copying non-copy-protected software as well as hundreds of copy-protected disks. It can "softwire" two 1541 or 1571 5¼" floppy drives as devices 8 and 9, 10, or 11 for dual-drive disk copying, supports 1581 drives and single-drive disk duplication. Features include Fast Data Copier for non-protected disk duplication, GCR Nybble Copier which defeats many copy protections, over 400 copy protection "parameters" which defeat and remove specific protections, "G*E*O*S™ Tool Kit" for removing the copy protection from GEOS 1.2, 1.3, and 2.0, many GEOS applications, and creating GEOS boot disks, Quick File Copy, Directory Editor, Sector Map Editor, GCR Format Editor, 6502 M/L Monitor, and an "Upgrades & Goodies" disk which has a track/sector editor, directory recovery, disk compare, REL file copier, REU quick test, video RAM test, file tracer, file viewer, configure, and BASIC configure utilities. Disk 1 of Maverick v5.04 is copy-protected, but its own software can create backup copies. This version was released on five 165K floppies (8 disk sides total).

Utility -- Disk Utility     In the 1980's and early 1990's, several software companies created utilities to perform "low-level" disk functions on Commodore format 5¼" floppy disks such as sector editing, sector testing, disk initialization, low-level formatting, etc.

N.U.R.S.E 1.0 Copyright © 1988 Free Spirit Software, Inc. A sector editor for Commodore format 5¼" disks, N.U.R.S.E. 1.0 displays an entire sector of data in the center of the screen and also displays information about the drive type, drive internal DOS version, current track and sector, drive device number, drive and head number, sector link information, track and byte positions, disk ID, print device, address and hex data, allows direct editing of sector data, search, replace and more. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

Utility -- Suite     Computers can perform countless tasks. Occassionally, you need utilities to accomplish some of those tasks. Some software companies offer single programs aimed at a specific task. Others combined several programs in utility "suites" to perform several tasks without having to load a program from one disk and other programs from other disks.     From data recovery to backing up data to duplicating files and whole disks to viewing disk directories, to editing disks at the sector level. It's like the old saying, "The right tool for the right job." Utility suites can be your electronic "toolboxes."

Utility Pak Copyright © 1985 Keypunch Software A suite of four Commodore 64/128 utility programs, Utility Pak can help you make backup copies of your non-copy-protected disks, print directory listings to aid in seeing disk contents without having to view the directory on-screen, perform disk functions such as scratch, copy and rename files, validate disks, view a disk's directory, format disks and spool print jobs for printing disk directories. The name of the disk duplicator program is Single Disk Copy+64. The name for the directory spooler program is C-64 Directory Spooler v1525/1.0. The other programs have no obvious names other than their file names on disk. Like other titles released by Keypunch Software, the border surrounding the main menu scrolls white dots around the red border in a marquee fashion. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

Word Processor     In the early 1980's, computer-based word processor software made typewriters obsolete almost overnight. With word processor software you can delete and retype mistakes, save documents electronically, store hundreds of pages of data on a single floppy disk, print multiple copies of documents without photocopying and correct spelling errors if the word processor program has a spell checker. No more "painting" over mistakes with correctional fluid, retyping, or photocopying.     The typewriter industry, of which even IBM was a part of, tried to keep typewriters from the technology graveyard by making them electric and then giving them computer-like features such as memory and even disk drives. Although typewriters still exist they are far outpaced by their computer rivals.     So throw away those drying bottles of "white-out," get rid of those ink erasers and accessories, hang that old spool ribbon from you next Christmas tree, and donate your typewriter to your nearest museum. The "electronic revolution" is here!

Personal Word Processor Copyright © 1984 Main Street Publishing, Inc. An advanced word processor for its day, Personal Word Processor is written in 100% machine language (assembler), features true word wrap, printed page, line and character numbers, macros, database merge, search and replace, paragraph indent, insert text, file load, edit, save, delete, print, text justification, embed print commands, subscript, superscript, destructive cursor movement character left/ right, line up/down, screen up/down, text all/beginning/end, word left/right, global search, reformat paragraph or entire file, view disk directory, format disk, on-line manual (second side of disk) and more. This version was released on one 165K floppy (2 disk sides total).

Professional Word Processor Copyright © 1986 COSMI Corporation While COSMI claims the main copyright, this program is actually Copyright © 1984 A&C Software then Copyright © 1986 Celery Software. Who owns this program? If that isn't confusing enough, the program's splash screen name is COSMI TEXTPRO. Features include a menu-driven interface, audible warning when nearing the end of a line (so words are not split between two lines), "full use of DELETE key (for corrections)," automatic centering of text, infinitely variable tab, delete line, change any line of text with "copy cursor," insert line, move line, reenter deletion, display showing number of lines used and number of lines free, display free memory bytes, word count, right text justification, page break, concantenate files, selective printing, read disk directory, insert/change/move/delete text, clear all text from memory and more. COSMI Corporation would release a completely different word processor program in 1987 titled "SwiftWord" and also call that program "TextPro." This version was released on one 165K floppy.

Easy Working Writer 1.01 Copyright © 1987 Spinnaker Software Corporation With an interface very similar to the PC DOS-based version of this software product, Easy Working Writer is a word processor program for Commodore 64/128 systems. Features include pull-down menus, spell check, search & replace, preview text, new text, load text, save text, view directory, erase files, format disk, configure options for storage (up to two Commodore floppy drives), printer and screen colors, status bar with line and column position numbers, available memory, page feed, cut, paste, delete word, screen down, screen up, end/beginning of line, forward/ backword one word, top/bottom of screen/document, block functions, input box, on-line help and more. This version was released on one 165K floppy (2 disk sides total).

SwiftWord Copyright © 1987 COSMI Corporation Another of COSMI Corporation's "Celery Software" programs, COSMI also calls this word processor "TextPro." It is a completely different program from Professional Word Processor. Will the first TextPro please log off? Features include a functions menu, search, replace, copy/insert/delete block, insert/ delete line, pack edited text, forced paragraph, print-time "dot commands," set tabs, set format mode, set left/right margins, clear page, print enhancement A&B modes, print cache memory, print on next page, disk format, initialize, validate, list directory, file save, load, erase, document status and more. Three years later, this same version of SwiftWord was given a slightly different splash screen and an on-line version of the print manual, not present in this release, then included in COSMI's integrated suite Top 20 Software Tools. This version was released on one 165K floppy.

Word Writer 4 V9-1.2 Copyright © 1989 Timeworks, Inc. With a cleaner interface than other Commodore-based word processors, Word Writer 4 features an outliner, status line, spell check, personal dictionary, thesaurus, block functions, macros, search/replace, calculator, bookmark, set tabs, set margins, set line spacing, text layout, continuous formatting and word wrap, chain pages, clear headers, delete line, delete to end of line, footers, document, double-spacing, set page length, style codes and tokens, insert/delete line, font and text modes, text alignment (left, right, center), hard/soft return, merge files, move text, reformat a paragraph, fast cursor, delimiter, delete word, clear tabs, change screen colors, copy block, disk commands, import text from Word Writer 3, convert text to ASCII, PetASCII, Paperclip, Fleet System, Better Working WordPro, GEOS Text Scrap, mark text, "mini-graphics" from "Doodad font," go to end/next mark/next page/previous page/top, blank screen, draft print, paper alignment, 80-column print preview, 2-way printout, 8 fonts claiming to be 33% sharper than GEOS fonts, on-line help and more. Timeworks, Inc. also released DOS PC versions of Word Writer. This version was released on two 165K floppies (4 disk sides total).

FOREVER!



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