Posted By
MMS
on 2009-11-22
15:39:41
 |  Re: Just to chat: what is, in your opinion, the greater lack of Plus4? (if any...)
Well, to continue the list:
- Plus/4 should have the numeric keyboard, as the planned for it's big brother. It could better sell the "business computer" image, than any text on the box.
-Original 9-pin Joy port as in C64. Not only because of paddle and analog mouse (although I know, there was some kind of copyright issue with Motorola (or Atari?)), but lot of newspapers did not get the joy converter for their Plus/4 test, so they reported at once, that usual joysticks are not compatible. --> GREAT reduction in number of potential buyers. I think it was one of the biggest mistakes (next to sprites and sound). Even C64 Wiki does not have a reference to that joy converter.
-GEOS1.0 came out in 1985, but Commodore did nothing to support it's new "business computer". As GEOS was more an OS, than a tool/utility, it shows the attention of CBM management and brain capabilities. It had to be done unofficially by a cracker group on a version 1.2 without official support of CBM. (BTW, I never understood, why the main programs of GEOS did not run from a cartride? Settings could ba saved on disc (or FLASHROM?). Surely would make it more expensive, and not possible to attach it for each C64 (like the discs; most of them landed in the trashbin). BUT it could make work more efficient (number of discswaps; extra free memory), not to mention that the discs went wrong over few hundred hours of usage.
-Mouse capable joy port. in 1986 Commodore released the 1351 mouse (1350 even before), but missed this feature out of Plus/4 released in 1984. What a shame! You know, such project, like that mouse surely started at least 1 year before.
I will tell you what else. 
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