*** I recall reading a review of the C64 in Personal Computer World where it was remarked ‘Who on earth needs 64K of RAM!?’. Acts that use the device include: Daft Punk, The Prodigy, Timberland, Depeche Mode, Linkin Park and 8 Bit Weapon. ** The SID Chip is still used today in a Synthesizer, the Elektron SidStation. * The VIC-20’s advertising campaign was fronted by none other than Captain James T Kirk himself! Unlike the Atari 800 and Apple II the Commodore 64 was also a hugely successful in the UK and Europe in addition to the US, it was finally discontinued in 1994 giving the machine an incredible 12 year lifespan. effectively acquire ring the Chips ‘At Cost’ whereas its competitors paid market rate for MOS purchased components. This permitted Commodore to use the business model of ‘Vertical Integration’ i.e. MOS Technology manufactured (amongst other IC’s) the 6502 Microprocessor, which along with its derivatives were at the heart of many Personal Computers (and Consoles) at this time including the C64 (MOS 6510), Atari 800 (MOS 6502B) and Apple II (MOS 6502). ordering huge quantities of components from suppliers, not paying for them, then buying the company when it was forced into bankruptcy, but mostly due to the astute purchase of MOS Technology in 1976. Party, this was possible due to Commodore’s legendary founder and CEO Jack Tramiel’s questionable business practices e.g. Texas Instruments (TI-99/4A) left the market completely with others cutting the price of their Hardware in a forlorn effort to compete, often selling at below production cost, which was obviously unsustainable and a contributing factor to the Video Game Crash.
Released in the US in 1982 at an unprecedented $595 (£395 UK), the Atari 800 was $300 more expensive and the Apple II double the price, with the C64 arguably more powerful than either due to its custom VIC-II GPU (MOS 6567), SID SPU (MOS 6581**) and a ‘Massive’ 64K of RAM*** (Most Personal Computers at the time shipped with only 16K).Īggressively marketed under the company mantra “Computers for the Masses, not the Classes”, within a matter of months the price was precipitously reduced to $299, confounding many of the existing, established computer manufactures. The biggest selling Personal Computer of all time (22 Million Units) and along with Atari’s Pac-Man/E.T (VCS/2600) debatably responsible for the 1983 Video Game Crash in the US.Īfter the success of the inexpensive but underpowered VIC-20* (the first Computer to sell 1 Million Units), Commodore looked to compete with market leaders, the Atari 800 and Apple II. THE COMMODORE 64 (A.K.A C64) A BRIEF HISTORY