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I don’t need a Commodore 64 to get online. That has very little to do with why I want to try it.

After spending some time with my C64 and Pi1541, I’ve been looking at another interesting possibility: C64Net.

The C64Net card adds wireless connectivity to a Commodore 64, with an AT-command interface similar to a Hayes modem. That is a particularly appealing combination: a newer connection behind an interface that belongs comfortably in the world of the older machine.

I haven’t purchased one. It is on the list of things I would like to try.

And of course, looking at the hardware led to looking at software. My bookmarks now include Commodore BBS programs, GEOS development, archives, and geoTELNET, a Wi-Fi TELNET client for GEOS.

This is how a supposedly simple evening of browsing becomes an entire project in my head.

I like the idea of using the old computer as a computer, with new possibilities to explore. A network connection gives me another reason to sit down with it, find out what works, and learn how people have put the pieces together.

The community’s work is part of the attraction. There are Commodore file archives, documentation, utilities, and people still writing software. Following those links makes the machine feel like something I can keep exploring.

I’m not going to pretend this is a setup guide. I don’t have the C64Net hardware, and a collection of bookmarks isn’t a completed installation.

For now, this is an enthusiastic note about something I want to experiment with.

The practical computer for the job is already sitting on my desk. Apparently, I would also like the less practical, considerably more entertaining option.