Commander X16

20 minutes ago, Perifractic said:

We appreciate the excitement to know more. As per those boring ol' rules, please don't ask for updates as it puts unfair pressure on David and the team. Bear in mind you likely aren't the only one, including emails, Facebook posts that get removed, comments under videos, private messages, etc.

Okay, point taken. I apologize.

That looks amazing!

Ring bound manuals, never thought I would see one of those packaged with a computer ever again.

Also, I love seeing it as a horizontal "desktop" case, not a tower. Towers have been the standard for so long now, and while I like them for my modern hardware, there are many times I miss the classic desktop designs.

It's the simple things that often catch, and hold, my interest about a project. Things you don't even realize you miss or want until you see them.

Thanks for sharing! ?

On 10/5/2020 at 6:57 PM, Strider said:

Also, I love seeing it as a horizontal "desktop" case, not a tower. Towers have been the standard for so long now, and while I like them for my modern hardware, there are many times I miss the classic desktop designs.

Won't stop me from forcing the thing on edge.  But, yes, it might serve as a nice platform for a monitor?

Won't stop me from forcing the thing on edge.  But, yes, it might serve as a nice platform for a monitor?

Correct, it's solid steel and intended to support a CRT.  The feet will be loose in the box so you can choose the orientation though.    

Remember that wartime caution against stowing your 386sx during the Nazi occupation of Europe: loose feet sink ships.

Or something like that...

 

On 10/4/2020 at 2:46 PM, SlithyMatt said:

I notice there's a NumLock indicator LED on the keyboard, but no indication on the keycaps of any NumPad doubling (nor would I expect it, based on the behavior of the emulator). Is this just an extra LED that can't be hidden or reassigned?

Don't forget that this is actually a PC keyboard with custom printed keycaps. If the original version of this keyboard had an embedded numpad, it's still there - even if it's not not obvious now with the Commander keycaps.

 

On 10/4/2020 at 9:37 PM, Perifractic said:

On 10/4/2020 at 2:46 PM, SlithyMatt said:

I notice there's a NumLock indicator LED on the keyboard, but no indication on the keycaps of any NumPad doubling (nor would I expect it, based on the behavior of the emulator). Is this just an extra LED that can't be hidden or reassigned?

Currently we don't have a use for that and the icon in the keyboard will either be removed or be a hollow square. Reassignment is unlikely logistically.

On a PS/2 system, the host controls the LEDs, and I can think of various uses for those LEDs: Drive activity, Upper/Lower case mode, or online status indicators when using communication programs. It's just a matter of exposing the API via a KERNAL call (which hopefully already exists to set the Caps Lock light...)

 

 

 

I can’t wait for the PDF version of the manual to be released. I want to get started learning how to program the computer. Had a look at older manuals for the C64 but given many of the changes and that I never had a Commodore C64 (I was a BBC boy!) I am starting from scratch anyway. Means I can start without any preconceptions :)

Just a thought, but if you need a "noob" as a beta tester for the manual I am more than happy to oblige!

On 11/20/2020 at 3:44 PM, TomXP411 said:

Don't forget that this is actually a PC keyboard with custom printed keycaps. If the original version of this keyboard had an embedded numpad, it's still there - even if it's not not obvious now with the Commander keycaps.



 

If this is handled internally by the keyboard's own logic, then activating NumLock for the embedded numpad will result in numpad keycodes being sent to the X16 — keycodes that are unsupported by the X16's PS/2 keyboard driver. Meaning that those keys (789UIOJKLM,.) would appear to the user to have become non-functional.

The standard for the AT and PS/2 keyboard protocol is that the keyboard just sends the keycode to the host, though. Then the host is responsible for what to do with that keycode. Since NumLock on a full-size keyboard is on the numpad, and as previously stated, the X16 doesn't support the numpad keys, then I'm fairly confident that the key won't do anything.