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Monitor for a Commodore VIC-20

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing February 22, 2021December 19, 2025

Someone asked in a vintage computer forum recently what the correct monitor would be to use with a VIC-20. Commodore never sold a white monitor the same color as the VIC. Its first color monitor was the 1701, which matched the C-64. If you want a period correct Commodore VIC-20 monitor, you have a couple of options. If you want a holy grail story, the matching monitor for the VIC-20 is a good one.

Commodore cancelled the VIC-1510 monitor for the VIC-20. But there were some third party monitors from the 1980s that look the part.

Make a Word hyperlink UNC path

Dave Farquhar Office, Software, Windows February 20, 2021command prompt, Once Windows, UNC

I had an issue in a document with a hyperlink to an existing file. The file existed on a network drive, so the link worked fine… until someone with different drive mappings than me had to look at the document. Then the link didn’t resolve and the person got an error message. A confusing error message. It turns out it’s tricky to make a Word hyperlink UNC path.

Fixing it wasn’t as easy as it should have been. Read more

Late majority in marketing

Dave Farquhar Investing February 18, 2021May 9, 2025

The late majority is an important concept in marketing and business. This is the phase when an idea goes completely mainstream. If it’s your idea, this is the phase when you’ve made it. If you’re competing against this idea, you’d better be ready to be counter culture. I’ll provide you the definition, and some examples from somewhat recent history.

Gzip vs Zip

Dave Farquhar Software February 17, 2021December 25, 2024

Zip and gzip are two similarly named utilities, and they perform similar functions, but they are unrelated. They also have slightly different use cases. Let’s take a look at gzip vs Zip.

Simply speaking, Zip and gzip are implementations of the same compression algorithm for different operating systems, so they are similar but the file formats aren’t compatible. Zip originated with MS-DOS, while gzip originated with Unix-like operating systems, notably Linux.

Which side of an outlet is hot?

Dave Farquhar DIY February 16, 2021September 7, 2023

While an outlet or electrical appliance will work if you wire it in reverse, it’s a safety issue if you get it wrong. So which side of an outlet is hot? In this blog post, I’ll tell you which side is hot, then tell you a silly story to help you remember it.

Crystal Palace, St Louis

Dave Farquhar St. Louis February 15, 2021February 6, 2021

The Crystal Palace in St Louis was a short-lived but legendary night club. It predated Gaslight Square, but moved west on Olive to join the up-and-coming district as it grew in popularity. The move benefited both. During its heyday on Gaslight Square, it was a combination saloon and 300-seat theater.

The Crystal Palace only operated for about 16 years, but it put St. Louis on the map, attracting national acts. Its mix of Victorian architecture, a cobblestone sidewalk, traditional lights, and antique decor inside is still widely imitated.

Are password generators safe?

Dave Farquhar security February 11, 2021February 10, 2025

You probably only have to ask the question twice to get two opposite answers. Are password generators safe? As a security professional, I’ll explain the problems with password generators. Then I’ll tell you why I use them anyway. Most importantly, I’ll tell you how I use them safely.

Three prong plug wiring diagram

Dave Farquhar DIY February 10, 2021September 14, 2023

If your plug breaks and you need to replace it, you can get replacement three prong plugs at a hardware store. But it usually comes bare, without any instructions. So, I’ll write some for you. Here’s a three prong plug wiring diagram if you need it.

The killer POKE for the Commodore PET

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing February 9, 2021June 5, 2026

When I was a kid, computer science textbooks taught a language called Basic. They explained various commands, including POKE, which changed values in memory, or on a chip register. The books went out of their way to explain that you can’t harm a computer with a command, even a POKE. But it turned out there was an exception–the infamous POKE 59458,62 on the Commodore PET. The infamous killer POKE.

The killer POKE, POKE 59458,62, sped up the Commodore PET 2001’s video output at the expense of degrading the video quality. The tradeoff seemed worth it, except it could damage the machine over time.

Keep pipes from freezing

Dave Farquhar DIY February 8, 2021February 13, 2021

During the winter months, frozen pipes can be a problem. Fortunately they are preventable. There are several things you can do, both temporary and semi-permanent, to keep pipes from freezing. They’re all pretty cheap and easy and worth doing.

Frozen pipes are most likely to happen when the temperature drops to well below freezing and stays there for a sustained length of time. But a bit of heat and/or water movement is enough to keep indoor pipes from freezing.