Commodore 64

"C64" redirects here. For other uses, see C64 (disambiguation).
For the hip-hop band, see Commodore 64 (band).

Commodore 64
C64 hardware
ManufacturerCommodore Business Machines (CBM)
TypeHome computer
Release dateAugust 1982; 42 years ago (1982-08)[1]
Introductory priceUS$595 (equivalent to $1,880 in 2023)
DiscontinuedApril 1994; 30 years ago (1994-04)
Units sold12.5[2] – 17[3] million
Operating system
CPUMOS Technology 6510/8500
  • @ 1.023 MHz (NTSC version)
  • @ 0.985 MHz (PAL version)
Memory64 KB RAM + 20 KB ROM
GraphicsVIC-II (320×200, 16 colors, sprites, raster interrupt)
SoundSID 6581/8580 (3× osc, 4× wave, filter, ADSR, ring)
Connectivity
Predecessor
Successor

The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, 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).[4] It has been listed in the Guinness World Records as the highest-selling single computer model of all time,[5] with independent estimates placing the number sold between 12.5 and 17 million units.[2] Volume production started in early 1982, marketing in August for US$595 (equivalent to $1,880 in 2023).[6] Preceded by the 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, France and Japan, lasting only about six months in Japan[7]) for most of the later years of the 1980s.[8] 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,[9] outselling IBM PC compatibles, the Apple II, and Atari 8-bit 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 400,000 C64s a month for a couple of years."[10] In the UK market, the C64 faced competition from the BBC Micro, the ZX Spectrum, and later the Amstrad CPC 464,[11] but the C64 was still the second-most-popular computer in the UK after the ZX Spectrum.[12] The Commodore 64 failed to make any impact in Japan, as their market was dominated by Japanese computers, such as the NEC PC-8801, Sharp X1, Fujitsu FM-7 and MSX,[13] and in France, where the ZX Spectrum, Thomson MO5 and TO7, and Amstrad CPC 464 dominated the market.[14]

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.[15] Approximately 10,000 commercial software titles have been made for the Commodore 64, including development tools, office productivity applications, and video games.[16] 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.[17] In 2011, 17 years after it was taken off the market, research showed that brand recognition for the model was still at 87%.[5]

  1. ^ "World of Commodore Brochure" (PDF). Pcmuseum.ca. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 14, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Steil, Michael (February 1, 2011). "How many Commodore 64 computers were really sold?". Pagetable.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  3. ^ Reimer, Jeremy. "Personal Computer Market Share: 1975–2004". Archived from the original on June 6, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
  4. ^ InfoWorld, February 1, 1982,[1].
  5. ^ a b "The Commodore 64, that '80s computer icon, lives again". Archived from the original on December 24, 2014. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference ieee85 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "The Japanese Remixes: VIC-1001 64".
  8. ^ "Inside the Commodore 64". PCWorld. November 4, 2008. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  9. ^ Reimer, Jeremy (December 15, 2005). "Total share: 30 years of personal computer market share figures". Ars Technica. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  10. ^ Naman, Mard (September 1989). "From Atari's Oval Office An Exclusive Interview With Atari President Sam Tramiel". STart. Vol. 4, no. 2. San Francisco: Antic Publishing. p. 16.
  11. ^ "Commodore 64 turns 30: What do today's kids make of it?". BBC News. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  12. ^ Zuckerman, Faye (November 17, 1984). "Now Playing". Billboard. Vol. 96, no. 46. p. 23. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  13. ^ ""Giant Bomb NEC PC-8801"".
  14. ^ "A Discussion on the European Gaming Market in the 80s".
  15. ^ Kahney, Leander (September 9, 2003). "Grandiose Price for a Modest PC". CondéNet, Inc. Archived from the original on September 14, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  16. ^ "Impact of the Commodore 64: A 25th Anniversary Celebration". Computer History Museum. Archived from the original on October 3, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  17. ^ Swenson, Reid C. (2007). "What is a Commodore Computer? A Look at the Incredible History and Legacy of the Commodore Home Computers". OldSoftware.Com. Retrieved November 19, 2007.