---
title: Commodore C116
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1984'
cpus:
- '7501'
params:
  name: C116
  image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_c116_3.jpg
  company: /companies/commodore
  company_name: Commodore
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: C116
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Commodore
  - label: TYPE
    value: Home Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: U.S.A.
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1984'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: Commodore BASIC 3.5 - Built-in machine code monitor (12 commands)
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Chicklet keyboard, 65 keys with 4 function keys and 4 cursor keys
  - label: CPU
    value: '7501'
  - label: SPEED
    value: 0.89 MHz or 1.76 MHz
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: VIC-II (video & sound)
  - label: RAM
    value: 16 KB (12 KB free for user)
  - label: ROM
    value: 32 KB
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 40 chars. x 25 lines
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 320 x 200 / 320 x 160 (with 5 lines of text) / 160 x 200 / 160 x 160 (with 5 lines of text)
  - label: COLORS
    value: 121 (15 colours x 8 luminances + black)
  - label: SOUND
    value: two channels; 4 octaves + white noise
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: Unknown
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Tape, Cardridge, Joystick (2), serial, Composite Video, TV
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: Cassette unit. Provision for 5.25
  - label: OS
    value: ROM Based
  - label: PRICE
    value: Unknown
  tabs:
  - photos
  - hardware
  - emulators
  - links
  photos:
  - title: C116 AND PERIPHERALS
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      The C116, the 1531 cassette player and the Commodore joystick.

      [Thomas Conté](http://www.pas.net)
    image: /media/museum/photos/c116_accessories.jpg
  - title: FIRST KEYBOARD PROTOTYPE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_c116_2.jpg
  hardware:
  - title: TAPE-RECORDER
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore_c16_taperecorder_1.jpg
  emulators:
  - title: Minus4 - Plus4 Emulator for DOS & Windows
    url: http://minus4.plus4.net/
    platform: MS DOS
    text: ''
  - title: WinEMU
    url: http://winemu.emuunlim.com/
    platform: Windows
    text: C16 / Plus4 emulator for Windows & DOS, developed by Zsolt Prievara
  - title: YAPE
    url: http://YAPE.PLUS4.NET
    platform: Windows
    text: PLUS/4 Emulator for Windows
  - title: VICE
    url: http://www.viceteam.org/
    platform: Multiplatform
    text: VICE emulates a bunch of 8-bit Commodore computers including the Plus 4
  links:
  - title: Commodore Plus/4 World
    url: http://plus4.emucamp.com/
    text: Massive sites with games to download!
  - title: The C16 - Plus 4 Retro Page
    url: http://YAPE.PLUS4.NET
    text: Excellent dedicated site, full of info
  - title: www.commodore16.com
    url: http://www.commodore16.com/
    text: Excellent dedicated site with software database, forum, and much more
  - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA
    url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com
    text: Discussion about Commodore micros
  comments:
  - author: Richard (Australia)
    date: Monday 23rd December 2013
    text: Hi guys, I have a Commodore 116. I purchased it from the US but bought it without a power adaptor. Seems like a rare machine, as you don''t see many on line at all.
  - author: Thomas Cherryhomes (USA)
    date: Sunday 5th December 2010
    text: |-
      Guys,

      The comment about the C116 being a cut down C16 is \_VERY\_ wrong.

      Bil Herd, the machine''s designer has said, on many occasions, that the original host for the TED \_WAS\_ the C116, a $49 machine intended to compete with the Sinclair line of machines.

      The resulting design was then twisted by management, to become the 1xx, 2xx, and 3xx machines... 116, 232, 264, 364 etc respectively (the difference between the 264 and 364 being that the 364 had a numeric keypad AND the Magic Voice cartridge built onto the motherboard) ...

      The 264 was then taken by management, had productivity software bolted onto it, and it became the Plus-4, a machine with little Commodore 64 compatibility, costing in the same price range as the Commodore 64. A total fail.

      The Commodore 16, came LATE in the TED''s development lifecycle, when management decided that they needed to have a replacement for the VIC-20, so they took the VIC-20 cases and keyboards, repainted them, and refactored the TED design to fit in them.
  - author: lizardb0y (New Zealand)
    date: Saturday 28th August 2010
    text: 'Some years ago I bought one of these in New Zealand. I was told by the seller that it has been imported by the New Zealand distributer (or maybe Commodore NZ) to evaluate, but it was such rubbish they decided not to sell it here. Only the single unit was ever officially imported. I have subsequently lost the email correspondence about it, so if you have any further info about this particular machine, please get in touch with me: http://www.evil.geek.nz/contact'
  - author: Chris (Great Britain)
    date: Thursday 22nd July 2010
    text: Hey guys, great site. Just thought I''d point out that you got the C116''s co-processor wrong, it''s the TED, not the VIC-II.
  related:
  - /museum/commodore-c16
  - /museum/commodore-plus-4-c232-264-364
  oc_id: 1125
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230201145309/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1125
    date: '2023-02-01'
---

The C116 was revealed at the 1984 Summer CES. It was the cheapest Commodore computer ever made.

Bil Herd, the machine''s designer has said, on many occasions, that the original host for the TED was the C116, a $49 machine intended to compete with the Sinclair line of machines.

The resulting design was then twisted by management, to become the 1xx, 2xx, and 3xx machines... 116, [232, 264, 364](/museum/commodore-plus-4-c232-264-364/) etc respectively (the difference between the 264 and 364 being that the 364 had a numeric keypad AND the Magic Voice cartridge built onto the motherboard) ...

The 264 was then taken by management, had productivity software bolted onto it, and it became the [Plus-4](/museum/commodore-plus-4-c232-264-364/), a machine with little Commodore 64 compatibility, costing in the same price range as the Commodore 64. A total fail.

The [Commodore 16](/museum/commodore-c16/), came LATE in the TED''s development lifecycle, when management decided that they needed to have a replacement for the [VIC-20](/museum/commodore-vic-20/), so they took the VIC-20 cases and keyboards, repainted them, and refactored the TED design to fit in them.

It was sold only in Germany and a few East European countries.

It came comes with 32 KB of ROM, only 16 KB of RAM and without any built-in software. Like the C16, it didn't have a user port.

Commodore's hatred for shift keys finds expression in the very early C116's keyboard layout. This time, they made it even worse and removed the LEFT shift key and placed an Esc key there! Not to mention the Inst/Del key which resided at the SHIFT LOCK key's place. The versions sold later had the Inst/Del key next to the Home/Clear key in the top row next to the function keys, the Esc key where you would want it, and thank God, a left shift key again.

---

**Contributors:** Thomas Cherryhomes