What is a Super Expander?

JohnnyRockets · Post by **JohnnyRockets** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 9:03 pm

Hi,

Can someone explain to me what a Super Expander with 3K RAM cartridge gets me?

I understand the 3K RAM part.

Also, if one were to get a 3K RAM upgrade, why would they and what model/version/company would be best?

I really appreciate it!

Mayhem · Post by **Mayhem** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 5:04 am

The Super Expander part is a bunch of new commands for BASIC.

Boray · Post by **Boray** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 6:31 am

The most interesting feature is the graphics commands that let you draw lines, circles and such on the screen. Here is the manual:
http://www.zimmers.net/anonftp/pub/cbm/ ... pander.pdf

Most basic languages gets slower the more commands that's included. For example: Basic V7 on the C128 is really slow. But Super Expander is just briefly slower than a normal Vic-20. Probably unnoticeable. I don't know how they managed that. Here is my basic benchmark program I've tested this with:
http://user.tninet.se/~pug510w/datormuseum/qbench.html

JohnnyRockets · Post by **JohnnyRockets** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 7:51 am

Okay, so if you wrote a game utilzing this cart, then anyone that ran the game would need the cart, or would that not even be possible?

Boray · Post by **Boray** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 8:19 am

They would need the cart or the cart image in ram which can be downloaded here:
http://www.zimmers.net/anonftp/pub/cbm/ ... index.html

JohnnyRockets · Post by **JohnnyRockets** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 9:07 am

Okay, this is what I suspected.

Great, I appreciate it.

Pedro Lambrini · Post by **Pedro Lambrini** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 9:40 am

If you're looking for a utility to make programming easier on the Vic I'd suggest the Programmer's Aid cart. It give some useful extra commands and shortcuts on the function keys, that sort of thing but anyone can run the programs you create without needing the cart too.

It's kind of like an extremely primitive IDE for the Vic.

JohnnyRockets · Post by **JohnnyRockets** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 9:43 am

Pedro Lambrini wrote:If you're looking for a utility to make programming easier on the Vic I'd suggest the Programmer's Aid cart. It give some useful extra commands and shortcuts on the function keys, that sort of thing but anyone can run the programs you create without needing the cart too.

It's kind of like an extremely primitive IDE for the Vic.

Hi Pedro,

Yes, I saw this on EBay last night and wondered about it.

It sounds kind of cool!

I appreciate your input!

dragos · Post by **dragos** » Fri Nov 16, 2012 7:24 am

And of course you can use the Programmers aid and the super expander at the same time with a cart port expander.

My classic vic setup was super expander, programmers aid and 16k expander....