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Commodore Announces New Quad-core C64x Extreme

by - source: Commodore

Haven't you heard that the 80's are back?

Earlier this year, Commodore released a modernized version of its Commodore 64 keyboard PC with Intel's dual-core Atom 525 CPU, Nvidia Ion 2 graphics, 2GB of DDR3 memory (expandable to 4 GB), an optical drive, and more. This week, the company revealed that it is now shipping production orders for the new Commodore 64 Extreme model, otherwise known as the C64x-EX.

The C64x-EX is perfect for Commodore fans that love the iconic Commodore design but want the extra oomph that the Atom-based model doesn't provide. Packing a 2nd generation Sandy Bridge 2.2Ghz 64-bit Intel core i7 (Quad Core/Eight Threads CPU [i7-2720QM]), the C64x-EX boasts a 2TB HDD, 8GB of RAM, 2 x USB 3.0 ports, 5 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 e-SATA port, SPDIF, HDMI, DVI and VGA display connections, a slot loaded R/W DVD drive, built in Ethernet and Wireless N Wi-Fi. As far as OS is concerned, the C64x-EXTREME comes with Linux Mint 11 and will dual boot with the "retro inspired" Commodore OS Vision when released.

Priced at $1499, this puppy isn't cheap, but you can't really put a price on nostalgia, can you? It's guaranteed to ship by Dec 15th if ordered before the 25th of this month, but Commodore says it has some recently produced C64x-EX units in stock that are guaranteed to ship within one business day.


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brothermist 11/06/2011 10:12 PM
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cool as oldschool hell... but $1500
pass

brothermist 11/06/2011 10:13 PM
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oh, and the optical drive should be in a 1541 case.

Clonazepam 11/06/2011 10:14 PM
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JOSHSKORN 11/06/2011 10:28 PM
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clonazepam :
some good photos at http://hothardware.com/News/Commod [...] e-On-Sale/


Nice share.

I guess I'll have to say it...don't want to but really, I'm curious. CAN it run Crysis? I don't see a dedicated video card. Actually it's not Crysis I care about, it's the newer games...like BF3, MW3, Black Ops. I saw a guy play CoD4 online with an integrated graphics card from a laptop, it was a little choppy...not for me.

dogman_1234 11/06/2011 10:28 PM
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Win!

tuch92 11/06/2011 10:40 PM
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JOSHSKORN :
Nice share.I guess I'll have to say it...don't want to but really, I'm curious. CAN it run Crysis? I don't see a dedicated video card. Actually it's not Crysis I care about, it's the newer games...like BF3, MW3, Black Ops. I saw a guy play CoD4 online with an integrated graphics card from a laptop, it was a little choppy...not for me.



Well, it has Linux on it.. so unless you dual boot or run through WINE, no.

On a related note, It makes me happy to see it's shipping with Linux:)

southernshark 11/06/2011 10:50 PM
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tuch92 :
Well, it has Linux on it.. so unless you dual boot or run through WINE, no. On a related note, It makes me happy to see it's shipping with Linux




Linux is dead. We know it because some idiot who writes a blog told us so, and Tom's reposted it so that we could all know about it.

jiyung 11/06/2011 11:53 PM
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Trying to compete with Alienware and the Razer Blade??
Hahaha

Clonazepam 11/06/2011 11:58 PM
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Just need to find a really ancient crt monitor, hopefully without any cigarette stains, and you're good to go...

runswindows95 11/06/2011 11:59 PM
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Personally, I like the concept of it. It's a truly portable workstation you can take anywhere as long as you have a screen waiting for you.

greeneman510 11/07/2011 12:31 PM
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Old news, TH.

NuclearShadow 11/07/2011 12:42 PM
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But can it play Uridium? (Thumbs up if you remember that game)

I realize it is likely due to the size limit but the lack of a dedicated GPU makes it simply undesirable for that price nostalgia or not.

Clonazepam 11/07/2011 12:55 PM
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The next nostalgic release will include the older case designs of the Tandy 1000 and Packard Bell systems, though nowadays, they include rubberized chain-mail gauntlets for the squeamish system builders.

ikyung 11/07/2011 1:26 AM
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I actually still have my old Commodore 64 in my closet. Working condition with the box. Hopefully, it will be worth something in 30-40 years when I retire haha.

blppt 11/07/2011 2:01 AM
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"The next nostalgic release will include the older case designs of the Tandy 1000 and Packard Bell systems"

Unlike PB, my C64-C was very reliable. I dont think too many people will be nostalgic for the malfunctioning messes that PB put out in the US.

stm1185 11/07/2011 2:07 AM
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I'd rather they did an Arm version for $500 with a Tegra 3 quad core SOC and a custom version of Linux. $

xx_pemdas_xx 11/07/2011 2:25 AM
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NuclearShadow :
But can it play Uridium? (Thumbs up if you remember that game)I realize it is likely due to the size limit but the lack of a dedicated GPU makes it simply undesirable for that price nostalgia or not.

Maby with a PCI x16 felxable extender you could mod your own GPU into it... but why not start with an origanal and build it ground up??

nebun 11/07/2011 2:39 AM
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they should have instilled an nvidia 480 mobile sli setup for that price

dalauder 11/07/2011 4:44 AM
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Why don't they attempt to market quality portable computers at a reasonable cost like the product that made the Commodore64 a classic? They actually could find a place in the world today for a device that wireless hooked up to your TV and did everything you need a computer to do for $200 (Atom CPU & Linux). Or $600 and put an i5-2310M and GT 540M in it (Windows Optional)?

Instead, they want to market an overpriced novelty item on nostalgia...I'm just saying that if I went through the trouble to produce it at all, I'd produce a product with a target market wider than "nerds who got rich in the 80's".

rjandric 11/07/2011 5:01 AM
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The price is understandable since it's entirely R&Dd and made in USA. Back in the day, average machine was this expensive ('80s). I still have 2 C64s one that works and second one for parts and 1541 with bunch of retail games. Emulator on my Mac Pro is OK, but nothing beats the sound of SID coming from the TV.

russwood1488 11/07/2011 5:17 AM
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http://westernmass.craigslist.org/sys/2636384615.html

...better than paying $1,500 which is, for lack of a better word, ludicrous.

Anonymous 11/07/2011 5:27 AM
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It can't play Crysis. It is not worthy.....

http://www.notebookcheck.com/NVIDIA-ION-2.24290.0.html

ta152h 11/07/2011 5:43 AM
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'Tis but thy name that is my enemy.
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name, which is no part of thee
Take all myself.

I'm pretty sure Juliet would agree that regardless of what they call this "thing", it's no Commodore 64. Commodore chose NOT to use the 8086 line when the created the 64. If it doesn't use something based on the 6502 (like the 6510), support sprites, and run 64 software natively, cost $600 or less, and make people wonder how something with so much memory costs so little, it's not a Commodore 64. Heck, if they had any sense of history, they'd at least have used ARM processors, which were at least partially based on the 6502.

A PC in drag is not a Commodore 64.

jn77 11/07/2011 5:45 AM
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If the apps that came on the original C64 where updated to their current OS, and performance tests to show that it is faster than what I can build for $1499, then it might be a fit. Otherwise it fits into the same category as Appleware $$$$$$$$$$ for nothing.

kikireeki 11/07/2011 5:55 AM
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That's a lot of money for an over-sized keyboard!

buzznut 11/07/2011 6:35 AM
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I agree, just who is gonna buy these things?
"Lets see, I want an extremely fast processor, 8 gigs of ram and no video card please."

Anonymous 11/07/2011 6:41 AM
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I agree that C= was a hit in the 80s due to it's cheap computers.
When I think about it, they were games consoles packaged as a computer.
More parents agreed to buy their kids a computer in the hope that it's educational than a games console.
There would definitely be a market for an all-in-one to connect to your TV via HDMI, just to play movies, browse the web, play music, and ssshhh don't tell the parents ... play games on. Price would need to be under $500 in my opinion., no need to go for the breadbox design, make it more upto date in appearance.

teodoreh 11/07/2011 6:48 AM
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Why don't they atop using the Commodore64's name - this is ridiculous. C64 was a unique kind of machine, with it's own personality and history. "Current" C64 is just another PC. It's like Amstrad, when they launched PCs with the Spectrum stab over it or like Apple nowadays. No personality, no something special, just a freaking PC.

alyoshka 11/07/2011 7:03 AM
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Hmmmmmm are they trying to revive a Mummy?

legacy7955 11/07/2011 7:14 AM
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teodoreh :
Why don't they atop using the Commodore64's name - this is ridiculous. C64 was a unique kind of machine, with it's own personality and history. "Current" C64 is just another PC. It's like Amstrad, when they launched PCs with the Spectrum stab over it or like Apple nowadays. No personality, no something special, just a freaking PC.



Why are the owners of the Commodore name allowing this?

Exploiting icons is all the rage today, no pride in anything, the greed factor today is really sickening.

leon2006 11/07/2011 7:17 AM
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I dont' need to spend that amount of money for that type of machine


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