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---
title: Commodore VIC-1001
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1980'
params:
name: VIC-1001
image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_vic1001_1s.jpg
company: /companies/commodore
company_name: Commodore
specs:
- label: NAME
value: VIC-1001
- label: MANUFACTURER
value: Commodore
- label: TYPE
value: Home Computer
- label: ORIGIN
value: Japan
- label: YEAR
value: October 1980
- label: END OF PRODUCTION
value: January 1985
- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
value: CBM Basic V2
- label: KEYBOARD
value: Full-stroke keyboard, 4 function keys, 66 keys
- label: CPU
value: Commodore Semiconductor Group 6502A 1 MHz
- label: SPEED
value: 1.0227 Mhz
- label: CO-PROCESSOR
value: VIC-I (6560) for sound and graphics.
- label: RAM
value: 5 KB (3583 bytes free), expandable up to 21 KB
- label: VRAM
value: Screen memory shared with regular RAM
- label: ROM
value: 16 KB
- label: TEXT MODES
value: 23 rows x 22 columns
- label: GRAPHIC MODES
value: 184 x 176
- label: COLORS
value: 8 character colors, 16 background/border colors
- label: SOUND
value: 3 voices / 3 octaves
- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
value: 40.3 x 20.4 x 7.2 cm / 1,8 Kg
- label: I/O PORTS
value: 1 joystick port, 1 user port, 1 serial port, 1 cartrige port, CBM DIN video output, tape interface
- label: POWER SUPPLY
value: External power supply unit, 18 Watts
- label: PRICE
value: 49,800 Yens
tabs:
- photos
- hardware
- emulators
- links
- videos
photos:
- title: COMMODORE VIC-1001
subtitle: ''
text: Overview of the system
image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_vic1001_1.jpg
- title: COMMODORE VIC-1001
subtitle: ''
text: Close-up
image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_vic1001_2.jpg
- title: COMMODORE VIC-1001
subtitle: ''
text: Serial number label
image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_vic1001_3.jpg
hardware:
- title: 1530 C2N
subtitle: Tape-recorder
text: The classic Commodore tape-recorder !
image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore_c64_tape-recorder-1530-c2n_1.jpg
- title: CMD SUPERCPU
subtitle: ''
text: |-
The SuperCPU by Creative Micro Devices is an accelerator cartridge for the Commodore 64. It contains an W65C816S processor running at 20 MHz, providing 20 times the performance of the stock 6510 processor! CMD later added a SuperRAM Card option that could include up to 16 MB of additional memory. There is also a v2 version that offers native 128 mode support (also called SuperCPU/128). It is one of the most sought-after Commodore peripherals.
Thomas Conté
image: /media/museum/hardware/c64_supercpu.jpg
- title: CMD RAMLINK
subtitle: ''
text: |-
This RAM expansion unit by Creative Micro Devices was intended to be used as a RAM drive to accelerate disk access. It is externally powered, and thus will preserve the data even when the computer is turned off.
Thomas Conté
image: /media/museum/hardware/c64_cmd_ramlink.jpg
- title: FLOPPY DISK UNIT 1540-1541
subtitle: ''
text: |-
It is connected to the C64 via a serial link.\
It is very very slow and can store 170 kb per disk.
image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore-diskdrive_1540_1.jpg
- title: QUICK DATA DRIVE
subtitle: ''
text: |-
**Cheaper and faster than diskettes.**
This Quick Data Drive from Dean Electronics is dedicated to Commodore 64 and &lt;$252$>Vic 20 systems. It uses a special tape called 'Wafer', of 16, 64 or 128 Kb capacity. This wafer was also used by a product marketed for the &lt;$223$>Sinclair Spectrum, called Wafadrive. Various tests proved that the Q.D.D. was approximately 20 times faster than a normal cassette recorder and 2 or 3 times faster than the Commodore 1541 disk drive. The reason : data transfer routines (called QOS) much more efficient than those of Commodore, and a file management operating system (FMU) much more modern and powerful.
The Q.D.D. is however not more than an advanced tape recorder using a magnetic tape, and the delay to access a specific file still remains higher than with a normal disk drive. Despite its qualities, the Q.D.D. did not meet success because most C64 software was sold on disks or tapes and users had to acquire both Commodore peripherals before investing in a third powerful storage system.
image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore_64_quick_data_1.jpg
- title: CMD HD-20
subtitle: 20Mb hard-drive
text: This is a hard drive for the C64 or 128. SWAP-Devicenumber-Buttons let the HD become drive 8 or 9. It can create sub-directories and partitions, including 1541 emulation.
image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore_c64_cmd-hd20_1.jpg
- title: VICMODEM
subtitle: Advert
text: You could already send emails !!
image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore_vicmodem_pub_1.jpg
- title: WERSIBOARD MUSIC 64
subtitle: ''
text: Thomas Conté
image: /media/museum/hardware/c64_wersiboard.jpg
- title: MODEL 1525
subtitle: ''
text: It can print all the semi graphic characters of the C64. (30 characters per second)
image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore_printer_1525_1.jpg
emulators:
- title: CCS64
url: http://www.ccs64.com/
platform: Windows
text: The best C64 emulator for the PC
- title: Free64
url: http://www.umr.edu/~bmartin/
platform: Windows
text: A Freeware emulator for MS DOS
- title: MESS
url: http://www.mess.org
platform: Windows
text: This fantastic emulator can emulate the mlost of the 8-bit Commodore systems
- title: Win 64
url: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Park/6558/win64.htm
platform: Windows
text: The Best C64 Emulator for Win95 / WinNT
- title: Win64
url: http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/park/6558/win64.htm
platform: Windows
text: Good Commodore 64 for Windows
- title: Mac Frodo
url: http://internetter.com/titan/macfrodo/
platform: Apple
text: The MAC OS version of Frodo, one of the best C64 Emulator
- title: Power 64
url: http://www.infinite-loop.at/Power64/index.html
platform: Apple
text: Emulator for PPC Macintoshes
- title: SID PLay
url: http://stud1.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426444/sidplay/
platform: Apple
text: A player for C64 Musics
- title: ccs
url: http://www.funet.fi/pub/cbm/crossplatform/emulators/unix/
platform: Unix / Linux
text: C64 emulator for Unix
- title: Frodo for Amiga OS
url: http://www.uni-mainz.de/~bauec002/FRMain.html
platform: Amiga OS
text: The best C64 Emulator for Amiga
- title: VICE for Amiga OS4
url: http://amidog.se/amiga/vice/
platform: Amiga OS
text: This AmigaOS4 version is ported by Mathias "AmiDog" Roslund
- title: c64.gr
url: http://www.c64.gr/
platform: Other platform
text: C64 online emulator. Play favorite games in your browser!
- title: C-ONE
url: http://c64upgra.de/c-one/
platform: Other platform
text: Hardware emulator (re-configurable computer)
- title: Frodo for PalmOS
url: http://frodopalm.sourceforge.net/
platform: Other platform
text: Frodo for PalmOS
- title: VICE
url: http://viceteam.bei.t-online.de/
platform: Other platform
text: Emulates the C64, C128, VIC20, all the PET models and the CBM-II under Unix, MS-DOS, Win95/NT, OS/2, Acorn RISC OS or BeOS !!
- title: Web C64
url: http://www.dreamfabric.com/c64/
platform: Other platform
text: The 64 as a Java applet in your Browser. Excellent !
- title: C=64 Emulator for OS/2 Full Screen
url: http://home.hccnet.nl/w.m.brul/emulator/index.html
platform: OS2
text: Freeware emulator for OS/2
links:
- title: C64.COM
url: http://www.c64.com/
text: Excellent and beautifully designed site, full of games to download. A must
- title: c64.gr
url: http://www.c64.gr/
text: C64 online emulator. Play favorite games in your browser!
- title: 'c64files.com :: the ultimate C64 portal!'
url: http://www.c64files.com/
text: News, Gaming, Music, Museum, Links etc.
- title: Commodore 64 -
url: http://folkvagn.commodore64.org
text: Info about the C64 and successors, C64 emulators and the SID chip. Also contains C64 programs and a forum. In Swedish only.
- title: Commodore 64 Game Endings
url: http://www.c64endings.co.uk/
text: All your fave C64 game endings under one roof.
- title: Commodore 64 Nostalgia
url: http://www.staggs.pair.com/c64/
text: ''
- title: Commodore Scene Magazine and Importing Service
url: http://www.commodorescene.org.uk/
text: New publications, hardware and software for the Commodore 128/128d and C64
- title: Commodore Service Manuals
url: http://www.devili.iki.fi/Computers/Commodore/
text: Commodore Service Manuals & other stuff
- title: Commodore-64 Programmer's Library
url: http://home.comcast.net/~c64proglib
text: many of Robert Baker's early original magazine articles, programs and programming tips (not free)
- title: Commodore-related Net Resources
url: http://www.hut.fi/~msmakela/cbm/netresources.html
text: ''
- title: Good Old Games
url: http://speccy.altervista.org/
text: Many games with screenshot comparisons, download and magazines
- title: Greg and David's C64 Web page
url: http://www.ozemail.com.au/~gvincent/
text: ''
- title: HV C64 CD's - The ultimate CD set full of software for the C64
url: http://www.talent.demon.co.uk/64/
text: ''
- title: LEMON 64
url: http://www.lemon64.com/
text: The source for all Your Commodore 64 Gaming and News needs ! Quite impressive !!!
- title: Mayhem64
url: http://www.mayhem64.co.uk/main.htm
text: For all your C64 cartridge needs... and more!
- title: Remixes of music from C-64 games
url: http://remix.kwed.org
text: Hear the tunes from your fav C64 games like you've never heard them before!
- title: Stadium 64
url: http://s64.emuunlim.com/
text: Are you a sportgaming fan? Then this site is definitely for you! Over 1000 sportgames available for download. Lots of manuals, reviews, covers, adverts, screenshots, hints&tips, world records + a lot more!
- title: The Commodore 8-bit WWW server
url: http://www.hut.fi/~msmakela/cbm/
text: ''
- title: The Secrets Weapons of Commodore
url: http://www.floodgap.com/retrobits/ckb/secret/
text: Awesome website ! Presents all the weird systems imagined by Commodore.
- title: The Star Commander homepage
url: http://sta.c64.org/sc.html
text: ''
- title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA
url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com
text: This is a bulletin board run on a Commodore 64!
videos:
- title: C64 assembly line pictures!
url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vzfJLVS2YI
text: 'Length: 6 min 56 s'
related:
- /museum/commodore-c128-c128d
- /museum/commodore-c64
- /museum/commodore-c64-aldi
- /museum/commodore-c64-golden-jubilee
- /museum/commodore-c64c
- /museum/commodore-c64g
- /museum/commodore-educator-64
- /museum/commodore-lcd
- /museum/commodore-sx-dx-64-executive-computer
- /museum/eds-c64-edc
oc_id: 1291
source:
url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230328163717/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1291
date: '2023-03-28'
---
The VIC-1001 is the first of the VIC series of computers, which includes the tremendously successful [VIC-20](/museum/commodore-vic-20/). The VIC-1001 was only sold in Japan. As such, it includes a special character ROM and keyboard that allow the user to enter Katakana characters.
As often with Commodore, the origin of the "-1001" moniker is unclear. It might be a reference to another popular Commodore system, the [PET-2001](/museum/commodore-pet-2001/).
When he introduced the VIC-1001 to the world, Jack Tramiel uttered this unforgettable sentence: "The Japanese are coming, so we must become the Japanese!" (referring to the threats of low-cost systems from Japan) He then proceeded to create one of the most popular line of micro-computers of all time.
---
Contributors: [Thomas Conté](http://www.pas.net/)