Commodore Scene - Keeping The C64 Alive

by Simon Plumbe

While the Commodore C64 may be 20 years old, in the eyes of it's still active user base, it's still a thriving machine. However, one thing that any computer needs is a strong support network of suppliers and magazines and that's where Commodore Scene, run by Allan Bairstow, comes into things...

There are two main elements to the service Allan runs in keeping the C64 alive and kicking. There is the Importing Service which I'll come onto later, but the main activity that helps keep the C64 community going is the magazine itself...

The Magazine

Commodore Scene is a printed A4 magazine with a glossy colour cover and is packed with articles, reviews, features and news on all aspects of Commodore computing whether you own a C64, C128, one of the other variant machines, or whether your use of Commodore products is limited to using an emulator such as the superb CCS64.

The features range from news of new games and utilities being released, tutorials on expanding your C64 and adding all manner of weird and wonderful hardware devices to it (if you saw Allan's primary C64 you'd be shocked to see what he has hooked up to it!), an invaluable guide to C64 dealers and repair centres, classified adverts, a healthy and vibrant letters section and much more. To be honest, I am surprised at just how much variety Allan manages to cram into each issue and I have found myself returning to each issue over and over again to read features I missed first time around.

The print quality is very good considering the price and all of the text, photos and artwork are clear and well defined. Only the cover is in colour, but the lack of colour inside doesn't detract from the quality or clarity of the features.

If all of that wasn't enough, each issue also comes complete with an optional coverdisk packed with utilities, games and demos, many of which are brand new and have been written especially for the magazine. To offer even more value, the disks supplied are double sided, giving even more software to choose from, and on top of that, you can even choose between a 5.25" or a 3.5" disk, depending on the type of disk drive you have attached to your C64. If you are only running an emulator, Allan can even provide disk image files for use if you ask him nicely enough!

This is a great magazine and should be an essential purchase for any C64 enthusiast and for anyone who is actively using one of the many emulators around. Each issue costs just £3 inclusive of postage and packing (or £3.50 including the coverdisk!) and represents remarkable value for money for anyone with a passing interest in the C64.

The Importing Service

The other side of Allan's work revolves around the Commodore Scene Importing Service. As you can imagine, it can be increasingly difficult to get hardware and software for a computing platform that hasn't been in production for well over a decade, but Allan sources products worldwide to make them available to anyone who wants them.

Primarily specialising in hardware and applications (although I'm sure he can probably get games as well!), he has a range of products including a lot of new expansion devices taking the C64 far beyond it's original specifications. For example, imagine taking a basic C64, expanding it to give you four joystick ports, a 2Gb hard drive, a stunningly fast 20Mhz processor (which has to be seen to be believed!), an extra 16Mb of RAM and much more! Allan can even supply all the software and hardware you might want to be able to use the C64 to surf the net and browse web sites!

If that isn't enough to get you interested, Allan also travels the country with a van load of old and rare Commodore machines to computer shows and fairs showing what the C64 can really do today, and that there is still an active community.

Commodore Scene provide an invaluable service to all C64 users, whether you are running a real or emulated C64. If you have even the slightest interest in the world of the C64, then you'll find the magazine a highly entertaining and informative read, and if you are more interested in getting hardware and software, then Alan's sales service will provide everything you could possibly ask for.

To get in touch with them, write to Commodore Scene, 14 Glamis Close, Garforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS25 2NQ, England. If you want to order a copy of the latest issue of Commodore Scene, make all cheques etc. payable to "A J Bairstow". Alternatively, email them at allan.bairstow@btinternet.com or visit the website (optimised for use on the C64!) at www.commodorescene.org.uk