Review: CBUG monitor (Rainbow 1981-08)

CBUG. available on either tape or an EPROM from THE MICROWORKS, is a full-scale monitor program which also allows you to use your Color Computer as a terminal.

For instance, you can use it to hook up with CompuServe -- and you can do it for the same price aS the VIDEO-TEX program put out by Radio Shack. Since you also get a very powerful monitor as well (in fact, you will be much more interested in the monitor than in the terminal capabilities), CBUG is a real bargain at $29.95 on tape or $39.95 on the EPROM.

All in all, there are 19 commands in CBUG. By far the most important one is the "M" command, which stands for memory examine and change. With it you just type in "M" and an email address, and the disPlay shows you a full eight bytes of memory at the location you specify. The line numbers are shown, and, if the location is within eight bytes of the line the cusor positions itself right in front of the byte you specified. And, to change that byte, all you have to do is type in the new hexadecimal number. No deleting or anything like that. CBUG then positions the cursor in front of the next byte, and you can change that, too. By simply moving the up, down, left and right arrows, you can examine the memory contents above and below the one you originally specified. It is a real nice way to manipulate memory.

CBUG also makes it easy to examine the contents of the CPU, or to go back and forth between BASIC and itself. And, you don't have to worry about those hexadecimals, either, because there are simple commands that allow you to convert hex to decimal and decimal to hex. In fact, its a pretty easy way to get used to hex notation. Of course, you can also run your programs and you can save them to tape as well. CBUG also has commands to transfer memory blocks, load hexes in a quick fashion and change the cpu registers.

You can also move a display page, upload or download and an auto mode computer as an intelligent terminal to a host system.

CBUG is a fine program. It is easy to use and gives a good look into the inner workings of the Color computer. There are a number of helpful hints in the documentation and its easy to get CBUG up and going quickly. On the other hand, it is a powerful tool that will continue to prove very useful no matter how sophisticated you may be.

Although I have the tape version, the directions supplied by THE MICRO-WORKS are very clear in getting the EPROM version installed -- either in the Extended Color Basic socket inside the case or in a ROM Pack. Using the EPROM means, or course. that you don't give up any RAM for CBUG.

CBUG is available by mail from THE MICROWORKS. P.O. Box 1110, Del Mar. CA 92014 in either tape or EPROM version.