Commodore 64 Gets Priced, Comes in 5 Models
Commodore USA is now taking pre-orders for the revamped Commodore 64, with prices ranging from $250 to $895.
As promised on Monday, Commodore USA has unleashed the eagerly-awaited Commodore 64 keyboard PC. For the uninitiated, this isn't a re-release of the ancient AIO that initially depended on cassette tapes to load up software. This is a modernized version packed with Intel's dual-core Atom 525 CPU, Nvidia Ion2 graphics, 2 GB of DDR3 memory (expandable to 4 GB), an optical drive, and more. It may not be ideal for running Crysis 2, but it sure beats the dinosaur 8-bit technology from the 1980s.
The company hinted to its launch yesterday in a cross-promotion announcement with Disney. "In 1982, both the original Commodore 64 and Disney's blockbuster Tron were released," the company said. "Almost 30 years later, they both simultaneously reappear on April 5, 2011. Each Tron Legacy DVD or Blu-ray packet features advertising for Commodore and the new Commodore 64."
Now the doors are open for pre-orders with an estimated ship date of mid-May to early June. The keyboard PC is offered in five flavors: the C64x Barebones for $250, the C64x Basic for $595, the C64x Standard for $695, the C64x Deluxe for $795 and the C64x Ultimate for $895. All units come packed with the Ubuntu 10.04 LTS OS on a disc ready to install. Commodore OS 1.0-- which includes an emulator and a classic game package-- will be made to purchasers when available.
Here's a breakdown on what each model offers:
C64x Barebones
- Case, chassis and keyboard
- Card Reader (multi format + USB port)
C64x Basic
- Case, chassis and keyboard
- Card Reader (multi format + USB port)
- Intel Atom D525 1.8 GHz Dual Core CPU
- Nvidia ION2 Graphics (DDR3 512 MB)
- Motherboard (mini-ITX)
- 2 GB Memory (DDR2 667/800)
- 160 GB Hard Drive
C64x Standard
- Case, chassis and keyboard
- Card Reader (multi format + USB port)
- Intel Atom D525 1.8 GHz Dual Core CPU
- Nvidia ION2 Graphics (DDR3 512 MB)
- Motherboard (mini-ITX)
- 2 GB Memory (DDR2 667/800)
- Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) and Bluetooth
- DVD Tray Drive (R/W)
- 250 GB Hard Drive
C64x Deluxe
- Case, chassis and keyboard
- Card Reader (multi format + USB port)
- Intel Atom D525 1.8 GHz Dual Core CPU
- Nvidia ION2 Graphics (DDR3 512 MB)
- Motherboard (mini-ITX)
- 4 GB Memory (DDR2 667/800)
- Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) and Bluetooth
- DVD Slot Drive (R/W)
- 500 GB Hard Drive
C64x Ultimate
- Case, chassis and keyboard
- Card Reader (multi format + USB port)
- Intel Atom D525 1.8 GHz Dual Core CPU
- Nvidia ION2 Graphics (DDR3 512 MB)
- Motherboard (mini-ITX)
- 4 GB Memory (DDR2 667/800)
- Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) and Bluetooth
- BluRay Drive
- 1TB Hard Drive
To pre-order a Commodore 64, head here. For those looking for something a bit more sleek, Commodore USA also announced the launch of its VIC-Slim, another keyboard PC. "It is so small it is hard to believe it is a computer at all," the company said.
The VIC-Slim is available now in three models with prices ranging from $295 to $495. For ordering information, head here.
- Commodore,
- Intel-Atom ,
- Nivdia-Ion2 ,
- commodore-64 ,
- keyboard-PC ,
- AIO
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Should've waited for the release of Llano, that would've been better than the ION2 and the Atom board in my opinion. That or using E-350 would've been interesting as well.
using E-350 would've been interesting as well.
That is both similar priced and much faster than ATOM and SB's IGP.
I wish companies would look into this stuff before throwing junk out the door.
case is overpriced if it came with a psu(the smaller ones are expensive) or a powerbrick than maybe it might be worth it but nah im just not into it.
Hmm...
LOAD"*",8,1[ENTER]
"Press Play On Tape"
And that noisy 1541 5.25 inch drive...
Those were the days.
Man that brings back memories...
Can you get Hard Ball to run on it?
Hmm...LOAD"*",8,1[ENTER]"Press Play On Tape"And that noisy 1541 5.25 inch drive...Those were the days.
I'm pretty sure load "*",8,1 was to load off the disk drive, to load off the cassette you just typed load "*"
Should've waited for the release of Llano, that would've been better than the ION2 and the Atom board in my opinion. That or using E-350 would've been interesting as well.
So get the Barebones version and put a Llano Mini-ITX board in it...
I'm pretty sure load "*",8,1 was to load off the disk drive, to load off the cassette you just typed load "*"
I thought the tape was ,9
or was ,9 the second diskette drive?
For those of you that are "confused"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_DOS
Several friends of mine had the C64. Although it was in the mid 1980's it seems like it was only yesterday.
To load from tapes you could simply hold shift and press runstop. Either that or load ""
"Where are my keys??" - This will be my thought if they keep the original keyboard layout.
It's too bad they're not doing a modern rendition of an 8 bit operating system. An 8 bit system that can interface with modern hardware.
buy a piece of shit or use that money to buy a real machine and run an emulator... i know what i would do.
They could have made it much faster. That case looks big enough to handle a regular notebook motherboard with a the dual and quad core mobile Intel Core i series CPU's. Maybe even performance notebook GPU's.
Overpriced. And Ubuntu is free.
Syntax error on line 47.
Ok. Even the high-end one is really quite weak.
You get better specs with laptop hardware, and they are about the same size, if not bigger.
Come on, dudes... you know it's not about the specs, it's all about design these days.
As much as I bagged the whole thing a few posts earlier, the Vic-Slim seems to be.. not too bad. I like the concept of it a bit better.
Wow! This is really expensive! It's like they don't realize the popularity of the original Commodore 64 was that it was CHEAPER than the average computer of the time.
They really should've released an attractive reworking of the C64 at a reasonable price tag to regain market share. Going for nostalgia purchases just isn't a big-thinking plan.
Seriously, if you told people they could have a computer that could hookup to their HD TV wirelessly (just include a powered dongle that hooks to the back of the TV) and do everything they need (which dual core Atoms can) with a laptop battery included for $300 to $550, they'd actually have something going.
Instead it's an ugly, expensive, nostalgia block of pointlessness.
meh, I've got the real deal (in a box in a closet somewhere), why would I want an imitation?
What's the big deal? It's not a Commodore 64, and does nothing like it. It's a just a PC clone in drag.
Human stupidity, and reliance on appearance rather than substance is nothing short of amazing. Make it look like a Commodore 64, and somehow it's a Commodore 64? Ummmm, right.
If anything, they should have put an ARM processor in there, since it borrowed heavily from the 6502. If it runs PC software, it's not a Commodore 64, it's just a clone. This is just putting lipstick on a pig.
A 15.6" i7-2630 notebook with no less than a GT540 gpu is priced at $850 and comes with an LED & battery too...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6834215004
So who in the right mind will buy this piece of junk of a Commodore C64?
Where did I leave that SnapShot cartridge?
Next thing they should revive is the ZX Spectrum... Maybe put an AMD Bulldozer / Llano top it of with a Radeon 6790 and we have something that WILL OUTCLASS a Commodore 64!! Hehehehe!! As long as they have the same prices... Then, Im buying one!
It's amazing how the Commodore brand has wallowed through failure after failure since they were revived after the 80's. It could have been so simple, they just don't seem to get it. They should have turned it into a simple game console [for tv] with online game shop where games are priced 10-99 cents and the whole system in the range of $100-$140. "The retro game machine, 80.000.000 titles in stock! Now with free SID compatible 16 GB mediaplayer!"
Next thing they should revive is the ZX Spectrum... Maybe put an AMD Bulldozer / Llano top it of with a Radeon 6790 and we have something that WILL OUTCLASS a Commodore 64!! Hehehehe!! As long as they have the same prices... Then, Im buying one!
LOL! And the C64/Spectrum flame wars will go on for another generation....
Spectrum fan: "Spectrum has a way more powerful processor!"
Commodore fan : "Smell your fingers and shut up!"
I would have
which it does already.
a) keep it cheap and make it run a C64 emulator on linux
b) make it run flash games.
c) have wireless video
d) make it look like the old c64
e) give it an sdk for kids to develop on. (that sells to the parents.)
f) have all the other linux functionality beneath, like browser.
Too little for too much.