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anchor: topcommodore
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Commodore, established in 1954 by Jack Tramiel, initially focused on office furniture and typewriters before transitioning into the electronics industry. The company gained significant traction in the 1970s with the release of the Commodore PET (Personal Electronic Transactor), one of the earliest personal computers available to the general public. Commodore continued its success with the VIC-20 and the iconic Commodore 64, which became the best-selling personal computer model of all time. However, internal struggles and market changes led to financial difficulties in the late 1980s, resulting in the company's bankruptcy in 1994. Despite its eventual downfall, Commodore left an enduring legacy in the world of personal computing, shaping the industry with its innovative products and democratizing access to technology for millions around the globe.
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anchor: vica
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To be completely honest, I must admit that I'm not yet well acquainted with the VIC 20, or its German counterpart, the VC 20. Interestingly, the German variant was given the name VC 20 to avoid any unintended connotations, as the acronym "VIC" holds a different meaning in German that isn't quite suitable for a computer.
However, I'm genuinely excited about the prospect of delving deeper into the world of the VIC/VC 20 in the near future. Rest assured, I'll make it a priority to familiarize myself with this fascinating retro computer, especially as I embark on an episode of Computer TLC dedicated to restoring the VC 20. That episode you can now find under the "Appearences" tab. What Wikipedia has to say: The VIC-20 (known as the VC-20 in Germany and the VIC-1001 in Japan) is an 8-bit home computer that was sold by Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980, roughly three years after Commodore's first personal computer, the PET. The VIC-20 was the first computer of any description to sell one million units. It was described as "one of the first anti-spectatorial, non-esoteric computers by design...no longer relegated to hobbyist/enthusiasts or those with money, the computer Commodore developed was the computer of the future." The VIC-20 was called VC-20 in Germany because the pronunciation of VIC with a German accent sounds like the German expletives "fick" or "wichsen". The term VC was marketed as though it were an abbreviation of VolksComputer ("people's computer," similar to Volkswagen and Volksempfänger). |
Commodore VC-20 before restoration
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anchor: csixteen
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What wikipedia has to say:
The Commodore 16 is a home computer made by Commodore International with a 6502-compatible 7501 or 8501 CPU, released in 1984 and intended to be an entry-level computer to replace the VIC-20. A cost-reduced version, the Commodore 116, was mostly sold in Europe. The C16 and C116 belong to the same family as the higher-end Plus/4 and are internally very similar : 24 to it (albeit with less RAM – 16 KB rather than 64 KB – and lacking the Plus/4's user port and Three plus one software). Software is generally compatible among all three provided it can fit within the C16's smaller RAM and does not utilize the user port on the Plus/4. While the C16 was a failure on the US market, it enjoyed some success in certain European countries and Mexic0. Outwardly the C16 resembles the VIC-20 and the C64, but with a dark-gray case and light-gray keys. The keyboard layout differs slightly from the earlier models, adding an escape key and four cursor keys replacing the shifted-key arrangement the C-64 and VIC inherited from the PET series. The C16 is in some respects faster than the Commodore 64 and Commodore VIC-20; the processor runs at a speed roughly 75% faster, and the BASIC interpreter contains dedicated graphics commands, making drawing images considerably faster. The system was designed around the TED chip which included NTSC and PAL video, sound and DRAM refresh functionality. Though according to the designer it "was supposed to be as close to a single-chip computer as we could get in the 1980s,": 38 the CPU, RAM, ROM and some glue logic were still on their own separate chips. (This was considerably less integrated than microcontrollers of the day, but those did not generally offer video and sound functionality.) The C16 has 16 KB of RAM with 12 KB available to its built-in BASIC interpreter. The TED chip offered a palette of 121 colors, which was considerably more than the 16 colors available on the Commodore 64's VIC-II video chip, but it lacked the VIC-II's sprites and the sound capabilities were not as advanced as the SID also used in the Commodore 64. From a practical user's point of view, three tangible features the C16 lacks are a modem port and VIC-20/C64-compatible Datasette and game ports. Commodore sold a C16-family-specific Datassette (the Commodore 1531) and joysticks, but the pins are identical to those used on the Commodore 64, so can be used with a simple adapter, in fact Commodore themselves sold Commodore 16s with C2N datasettes designed for the Commodore 64 with adapters after the initial production run. The reason for changing the joystick ports was to reduce size. The C16's serial port (Commodore's proprietary "serial CBM-488 bus", was a variation of the Commodore PET IEEE interface as used on the VIC-20 and Commodore 64, which meant that printers and disk drives were interchangeable with the older machines. As it was a serial interface, modems could be connected with a suitable interface. Partially for cost reasons, the user port, designed for modems and other devices, was omitted from the C16 (although the connections for it were still present on the system board). Despite costing less than the Plus/4, the C16's keyboard was higher quality and easier to type on. Commodore 16 main PCB, standard version Early Commodore 16 single layer PCB (prototype), not used in regular series model |
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European box, Commodore 16 prototype (bottom left) and a regular series model with black caseThe Commodore 16 is one of three computers in its family. The even-less-successful Commodore 116 is functionally and technically similar but was shipped in a smaller case with a rubber chiclet keyboard and was only available in Europe. The family's flagship, the Commodore Plus/4, was shipped in a similar case but has a 59-key full-travel keyboard (with a specifically advertised "cursor key diamond" of four keys, contrasted with the VIC-20's and C64's two + shift key scheme inherited from the PET), 64 KB of RAM, a modem port, and built-in entry-level office suite software. Although shipped with 16K from the factory, it was possible to modify the C16 for 64K, making it able to run any Plus/4 software except applications that required the user port or built-in programs.
Hardware designer Bil Herd notes that the C116 is the original member of this family of computers and is the original vision as imparted by Jack Tramiel to the engineering department. It was designed to sell for $49 to $79. The C16 and the Plus/4 came later and were mostly driven by the company trying to figure out what to do with the new computer family after Tramiel's departure from Commodore.
In an early stage of development of the C16, Commodore was planning to have single layer PCBs built in as an attempt of cost reducing, with the manufacturing cost of such a PCB being around $12. But these plans were later discarded possibly due to technical problems. It was the first and only attempt of Commodore using single layer PCBs inside their computers, and only one such PCB is known to be preserved.
Hardware designer Bil Herd notes that the C116 is the original member of this family of computers and is the original vision as imparted by Jack Tramiel to the engineering department. It was designed to sell for $49 to $79. The C16 and the Plus/4 came later and were mostly driven by the company trying to figure out what to do with the new computer family after Tramiel's departure from Commodore.
In an early stage of development of the C16, Commodore was planning to have single layer PCBs built in as an attempt of cost reducing, with the manufacturing cost of such a PCB being around $12. But these plans were later discarded possibly due to technical problems. It was the first and only attempt of Commodore using single layer PCBs inside their computers, and only one such PCB is known to be preserved.
anchor: onetwentyd
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Oops, I got a Commodore 128D. I saw this one on the Dutch version of eBay with an asking price that was high but reasonable. Most commonly, sellers want you to bid on their listing, and I have seen before that this type of computer could fetch top dollar. I really found the design and the desktop form factor of this computer very appealing. So I asked the seller if he would be willing to sell it for that price with the shipping included, which he wanted. So I transferred the money, and the seller shipped the Commodore my way. You could say this was quite an unexpected purchase. An unexpected purchase that I am very happy with. I love that I now have a Commodore 64 compatible in a bulky desktop form factor with a built-in disk drive. The 128 is a bit different from the 64, so I will definitely be talking about this computer in a future video, showing the differences and what I really like about it.
Interestingly, this Commodore 128D came from the same seller as my TRS-80 Color Computer 2. Also I own a normal Commodore 128. |
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anchor: onetwenty
anchor: pet
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This was one of those cases of a computer that I had to have in my collection. So I had to pay up a bit to add it to the collection. Every time I walk past it in the hallway I feel happy that I went ahead and bought it. The commodore PET is such an ascetically machine and a piece of computer history. Although the PET is not really a great machine for someone who wants to play a lot of games.
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anchor: sixfour
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I remember the days that I was on the look out for a C64, now I think I have 8 complete systems and about 30 motherboards. I love the C64 for it's huge library of lovely software and all the new peripherals that are designed by retro enthusiasts.
Some Wikipedia based history: The Commodore 64, also known as the C64 or the CBM 64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness World Records as the highest-selling single computer model of all time, with independent estimates placing the number sold between 12.5 and 17 million units. Volume production started in early 1982, marketing in August for US$595 (equivalent to $1,671 in 2021). Preceded by the Commodore VIC-20 and Commodore PET, the C64 took its name from its 64 kilobytes (65,536 bytes) of RAM. With support for multicolor sprites and a custom chip for waveform generation, the C64 could create superior visuals and audio compared to systems without such custom hardware. The C64 dominated the low-end computer market (except in the UK and Japan, lasting only about six months in Japan) for most of the later years of the 1980s. For a substantial period (1983–1986), the C64 had between 30% and 40% share of the US market and two million units sold per year, outselling IBM PC compatibles, Apple computers, and the Atari 8-bit family of computers. Sam Tramiel, a later Atari president and the son of Commodore's founder, said in a 1989 interview, "When I was at Commodore we were building 400,000C64s a month for a couple of years." In the UK market, the C64 faced competition from the BBC Micro and the ZX Spectrum, but the C64 was still the second most popular computer in the UK after the ZX Spectrum. The Commodore 64 failed to make any impact in Japan. The Japanese market was dominated by Japanese computers, such as the NEC PC-8801, Sharp X1, Fujitsu FM-7, and MSX. Part of the Commodore 64's success was its sale in regular retail stores instead of only electronics or computer hobbyist specialty stores. Commodore produced many of its parts in-house to control costs, including custom integrated circuit chips from MOS Technology. In the United States, it has been compared to the Ford Model T automobile for its role in bringing a new technology to middle-class households via creative and affordable mass-production. Approximately 10,000 commercial software titles have been made for the Commodore 64, including development tools, office productivity applications, and video games. C64 emulators allow anyone with a modern computer, or a compatible video game console, to run these programs today. The C64 is also credited with popularizing the computer demoscene and is still used today by some computer hobbyists. In 2011, 17 years after it was taken off the market, research showed that brand recognition for the model was still at 87%. |
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anchor: pcten
anchor: twentythree
anchor: twentyeuro
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My second VIC 20, I bought it because I wanted one with the VIC 20 badge. My first VIC was a VC 20. Of course there is no difference when it comes to the computer side of thing but still I thought it would be nice to also have an VIC in the collection. So I go this one and to my surprise this is one of the VIC 20's that came with the PET style keys which makes it more special.
the computer just like the VC needs to be restored and retrobrighted, also someone used something hot to melt some letters into the case. My main option is probably to vile those away. I really enjoyed restoring the VC since the machines are some compact and well designed. So soon I will probably try to tackle this one too. |
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anchor: amigafive
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What becomes clear on this page, I'm not very familiar with the Amiga platform. So, I decided to look for one that needed a lot of tender loving care (TLC) to serve as an entry point. As you can see in the picture, this Amiga 500 is heavily yellowed and has some minor case damage. Additionally, I'll need to 3D print a side door for the expansion port.
The computer came with an expansion, although I'm unsure about its specific type. I'll have to investigate that further in the TLC episode. Furthermore, the computer came with a plethora of 3.5-inch disks. That's what I appreciate about the Amiga platforms—there's an abundance of physical media, unlike platforms such as the Apple II or TRS-80. I'm excited to try out the Amiga and see if I enjoy it as much as the other Commodore machines in my collection |
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anchor: twoootwo
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The oldest piece of commodore equipment in my collection, it is a very bulky little machine that looks awesome. It still works!
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Soon to appear on the channel!
anchor: threeeightsix
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This is the pricier version of a Commodore laptop that was released in 1990, designed to be compatible with the IBM PC. I obtained this laptop a while back when I first started collecting vintage hardware. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get it functioning properly. Although I conducted some tests a few years ago, it led me to suspect that the monitor component is defective.
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Not yet appeared on the channel
anchor: ninenineseven
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A nice little calculator from Commodore, I'm not sure if it works. to test this I will have to source a suitable power supply for it. The interesting thing about this calculator is it's serial number 00034.
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More pictures to come!
Soon to appear on the channel!
anchor: niner
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very nice calculator that i Got from the united kingdom, also for this calculator I will have to see if I can source a power supply.
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anchor: seventeenoone
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The Commodore monitor out there, the 1701 has a lovely Commodore 64 design and a great image!
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anchor: plusfour
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It had been awhile since I expanded my Commodore collection with a new type of computer. Of course I did add some C64's and VIC 20's.
This Plus/4 I aquired via the dutch version of ebay. It appears to have some keyboard issues, although you can type on it, you need a lot of force to get a key registered. |
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