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Good morning everyone and welcome back to the ValorosoIT channel. If you like retrocomputers and vintage electronics, you are in the right place so I invite you to subscribe to the channel and activate the notification bell.
In addition to you who keep me company in this particular moment, a computer has returned to the valoroso.it laboratory
What is this computer? You've read it by now. You read it in the description of the video, in the title... In short, you read it almost everywhere. However, the Commodore SX-64 has returned, the one that, if you remember, arrived completely destroyed, damaged during transport. Well, on that occasion, I must say, I was very upset, because I had ordered a computer on eBay at a fairly honest price. Obviously, talking about a Commodore SX64, you can't expect to buy it for a few euros. It was a fair price, but quite high. The computer, from the photo in the listing description, was in excellent condition. The only thing is that it didn't have a keyboard, so if any of you have a growing keyboard from a Commodore SX-64 and want to sell it, well... I'm here! I'll buy it for you!
In any case, that computer that seemed perfect in every detail, except for the keyboard, had arrived cracked. In practice, the packaging was probably insufficient. The box was probably a little too small, it took a hit on the handle of the computer, which pushed the entire frame of the computer inwards: the plastic frame. Then, when I was recording that video, I also tried the computer. I know... many of you told me: 'you shouldn't have turned it on, in those conditions, crushed'. Maybe it's true, maybe it's true. The fact is that, all in all, I received a computer that was supposed to be working, perfect and, through no fault of my own, it broke during transport... In short, I also had the pleasure of trying it out, to see if it worked. I probably could have avoided turning it on. I could have directly opened a dispute, as many of you have suggested, and sent the material back to the sender. Then, in practice, what happened: I got to know the seller and he is a very serious person. This is a truly serious person. Furthermore, we also had the opportunity to discuss different topics, I had a very good time chatting with this person, I must admit. So, I trusted! I trusted: I didn't open any complaints. Indeed, we agreed on one specific thing: I would find suitable packaging for this Commodore SX 64 and therefore: a huge box, with another box inside and a box with the SX64 inside. I would have sent it back to him, he would have completely repaired it at his expense and I would have reorganized the return shipment, so as to have the computer in perfect working order here in my laboratory. And so I did. I sent the computer back, the seller fixed it, checked it, replaced the parts that were damaged, also because he has several other computers, so he was able to reassemble it appropriately. So, now, let's see if this computer really came back to me in good condition.
In short, like what I would expect! Well, in the other video you could see, at the beginning, that I was quite smiling and towards the end I had a face that was a little less smiling. Now, in reality, what I hope is to be able to start this video happy and end the video in an equally happy way, so as not to have any further problems with this blessed computer. At that point, if it doesn't work, if it's broken, if it's broken, in short, I wouldn't know what to do anymore! That is, it means that it's not meant to be that I have this Commodore SX64 even if, in reality, it's a computer that I really like! I like both the design and the idea of having a transportable computer. It's very nice, I like it as a computer!
Well, at this point I would say: let's open the box, let's see in what condition this blessed computer arrived, let's hope everything is fine, so that I can try it! That is, if everything is OK, we try it together. Ah, remember, if you like, to subscribe to the channel, activate the notification bell and also like this video because supporting me in this way makes me very happy and helps me to be more and more motivated in making these videos, to share the passion I have for retrocomputers and vintage electronics.
We open the box. And here is this huge giant box. It's a box that I provided to the seller when I sent him back the product (the Commodore SX64 to be fixed). It's actually quite complicated to record while I open the box, with such a large box! But come on, let's try! Cutter... and let's see how it works!
Inside the first box is a second box… this one here, which contains more packaging material. And, inside this second box, there is a third box, which contains the Commodore SX-64. This is the packaging that I studied when I sent the computer back to the seller.
Now I'm going to recover all these chips and let's see if we can take out this box, which is the one that actually contains the computer that I want so much.
These unboxings are starting to get a little complicated. I mean... it's hard to move all these chips around... I was thinking of hiring a young and attractive secretary to help me with these unboxings, what do you think? Do you think it's worth the expense?
With this super packaging I could even send uranium bars.
Now let's open the third box. We have to be more delicate with this one, because it contains the computer... or two bricks! Now let's find out! We see.
There's the computer in here. Another packing layer. More chips: let's take these away too. Let's proceed with the extraction. Here you go! It weighs!!! Let's see what it's like internally. We open this last layer of packaging, obviously being careful not to scratch the inside. We get closer and closer to the inner layer. This time too I shipped with insurance. Although, the other time, due to a technicality, the seller was unable to use the insurance. I'll explain this to you later. There he is!
We are increasingly careful not to scratch our computers. Maybe we use scissors. This time he seems whole: he doesn't seem to have taken any kind of beating. We lock the handles. Here you go. Let's see if... OK, well... So it shouldn't fall. Here it is, cute! Now I'll show you clearly! Looks in good condition!
If you remember, last time it was crushed here, so what did the seller do? He changed the mask and must have also changed the top.
Oh, thank goodness, thank goodness: it's all in one piece! So, now we can also try it. I was telling you about the insurance: the package, when the seller sent it to me, was also insured! However, due to a technicality, the insurance did not reimburse.
In practice, what happened: first of all the seller must file the insurance report, then the person who sent the package. The only thing I could have done would have been to open a dispute on eBay. However, given the good relations I had with the seller, I was also sorry to put him in difficulty, because they would have taken his money away while waiting to resolve the situation. I understood that he was very willing to fix it, so, in short, I didn't feel like opening a dispute.
In practice what happened: the courier did not set the delivery made on the site. So the package was always on delivery and not delivered and, at that point, it was not possible to access any type of setting which said that the package arrived broken. Even though, when the package arrived, I had already included the verification reserve clause. So, probably, the transporter (it is not known whether in bad faith or due to some kind of inefficiency) did not activate this option to trigger the dispute. Then to activate the insurance, which the seller had paid for. I now used DHL to get the package back. With DHL, in theory, given the shipping price, I was safe. Furthermore, I always included insurance, so if there were any damage, etc., I would be protected. In short, DHL should have slightly higher reliability than those low-cost couriers that are normally found on the internet.
So, to test the computer I inserted the power connector. My power strip is still turned off, so there is no power supply. What I would like to do now is insert the keyboard, since I don't have a Commodore SX64 keyboard, I use the Commodore 64 keyboard and this adapter cable that was sent to me last time, already by the seller. Under the computer, here, on this side, there is the keyboard connector, for which I will then insert this adapter.
Then, we take a Commodore 64 keyboard, so not SX64, but a normal Commodore 64, and connect it to this side of the adapter.
Like this here. There is, as you can see, a missing prong, which serves to indicate the direction on how to insert the keyboard connector. At this point I can power the computer... which is already turned on... it's already turned on! So behind it it was already on '1'. Yes!!! He left!!!
We lost a bit of suspense, because I thought that the back was turned off, so by turning on the power strip I would also have to turn on the computer at the back. But no. At the back it was already turned on, so the computer started! Look at that beautiful screen. If you see dancing or shaking, it's obviously a recording issue. But it looks really good.
Now let's try the floppy disk drive. Before inserting a diskette, I normally check against the light that there are no stains here, where the magnetic diskette is, because if there are stains, there could be mold that could damage the drive head.
Or, alternatively, some suggest that if the mold then settles on the drive head, it will also contaminate all the other discs that you insert into this drive.
Anyway, this is my record, which is good. So I can put it inside the drive.
Let's see the list of files.
LOAD ‘$’,8
LIST
Yes!!! Law! All right. I don't know what these games were. We can try loading the first one.
Well, without Fastload it's a little slow. You could also try inserting the fastload interface, but we'll do that another time. Come on, now we'll be happy with loading it like this. While it's charging, let's look inside this little door. Here are all the adjustments: volume, contrast, brightness, etc…
He finished loading.
RUN
And off he went! SPY HUNTER! I remember looking for it when I was little! Here is the volume…
So, I connected the joystick, so we can finally try the game I played when I was little! Come on, I'll call Leo! Here I am! HI!
Well, I'm happy that the Commodore SX64 arrived intact, healthy and working. We also tried it with a video game, Spy Hunter, that I played when I was little. Now Leo has played it too: it seems he had fun, even though nowadays they have games, with the Playstation for example, that are really very realistic. But, despite this, I see that there is always some interest in vintage, 80s style, 8-bit video games. They see them... even Leo sometimes asks me: 'but what year is this game from? Did you play with it when you were little?! In short, it's still nice to be able to pass on the games from when we were little, even today where they have a world of completely different types of games.
Then, I always say, I'm not a gamer. I like to play, yes, from time to time, but the main thing, for me, is having these computers, being able to program them, being able to use them, keeping them in a collection... this is the main thing, for me. Nothing, I saw that the keyboard also works: we managed to load the game, I also wrote www.valoroso.it, which is the name of my blog. On my blog I post all the summaries of the videos that I publish on YouTube and also on other channels. Then, recently, I also started publishing the technical data sheets of the computers I have in my collection. Not quite all of them, eh, I'm trying, little by little, to include them. So, for example, Commodore 64: I have inserted the entire technical data sheet, the history of the computer, the technical characteristics and in addition I also add some documentation, therefore, everything I find online. Repair manual, operation and maintenance manuals, etc., for all the computers I have in my collection. And they are starting to be quite a lot, so take a look at them and you will surely find some useful information for you too.
Please, if you liked the video: thumbs up! If you didn't like the video: thumbs up anyway, come on, it makes me happy, it encourages me to make more and more videos and... see you in the next video! HI!