Files
website/content/museum/commodore-educator-64.md
T
yann64andClaude Opus 5.5 3eeabe9649 Full content from the completed page crawl (media download still running)
6,654 pages: 1,289 machines, 702 software, 460 companies, 64 history, 17 articles, 59 fun.
4,336 media files so far; references to files not downloaded yet are left out.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
2026-10-12 07:55:22 +02:00

12 KiB

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params
title categories types origins years cpus params
Commodore Educator 64
Computers
Home Computer
U.S.A.
1983
6510
name company company_name specs tabs photos hardware emulators links videos comments related oc_id source
Educator 64 /companies/commodore Commodore
label value
NAME Educator 64
label value
MANUFACTURER Commodore
label value
TYPE Home Computer
label value
ORIGIN U.S.A.
label value
YEAR 1983
label value
BUILT IN LANGUAGE Commodore Basic 2.0
label value
KEYBOARD Full-stroke keyboard, 4 function keys, 66 keys
label value
CPU 6510
label value
SPEED 1 Mhz.
label value
CO-PROCESSOR VIC II (Video), SID (Sound)
label value
RAM 64k
label value
ROM 20k
label value
TEXT MODES 40 x 25
label value
GRAPHIC MODES several, most used : 320 x 200
label value
COLORS 16
label value
SOUND 3 voices / 6 octaves (sound output through built-in loudspeaker)
label value
I/O PORTS 2 x Joystick plugs, Cardridge slot, Tape interfarce (300 bps), Serial, User Port, TV RF output, headphone jack.
label value
POWER SUPPLY Built-in Power supply unit (Same as CBM 4000)
label value
PRICE Unknown
photos
hardware
emulators
links
videos
title subtitle text image
PET-64 null
title subtitle text image
PET-64 / CLOSE-UP null
title subtitle text image
PET-64 / REAR null
title subtitle text image
1530 C2N Tape-recorder The classic Commodore tape-recorder ! /media/museum/hardware/commodore_c64_tape-recorder-1530-c2n_1.jpg
title subtitle text image
CMD SUPERCPU 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 /media/museum/hardware/c64_supercpu.jpg
title subtitle text image
CMD RAMLINK 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 /media/museum/hardware/c64_cmd_ramlink.jpg
title subtitle text image
FLOPPY DISK UNIT 1540-1541 It is connected to the C64 via a serial link.\ It is very very slow and can store 170 kb per disk. /media/museum/hardware/commodore-diskdrive_1540_1.jpg
title subtitle text image
QUICK DATA DRIVE **Cheaper and faster than diskettes.** This Quick Data Drive from Dean Electronics is dedicated to Commodore 64 and <$252$>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 <$223$>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. /media/museum/hardware/commodore_64_quick_data_1.jpg
title subtitle text image
CMD HD-20 20Mb hard-drive 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. /media/museum/hardware/commodore_c64_cmd-hd20_1.jpg
title subtitle text image
VICMODEM Advert You could already send emails !! /media/museum/hardware/commodore_vicmodem_pub_1.jpg
title subtitle text image
WERSIBOARD MUSIC 64 Thomas Conté /media/museum/hardware/c64_wersiboard.jpg
title subtitle text image
MODEL 1525 It can print all the semi graphic characters of the C64. (30 characters per second) /media/museum/hardware/commodore_printer_1525_1.jpg
title url platform text
CCS64 http://www.ccs64.com/ Windows The best C64 emulator for the PC
title url platform text
Free64 http://www.umr.edu/~bmartin/ Windows A Freeware emulator for MS DOS
title url platform text
MESS http://www.mess.org Windows This fantastic emulator can emulate the mlost of the 8-bit Commodore systems
title url platform text
Win 64 http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Park/6558/win64.htm Windows The Best C64 Emulator for Win95 / WinNT
title url platform text
Win64 http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/park/6558/win64.htm Windows Good Commodore 64 for Windows
title url platform text
Mac Frodo http://internetter.com/titan/macfrodo/ Apple The MAC OS version of Frodo, one of the best C64 Emulator
title url platform text
Power 64 http://www.infinite-loop.at/Power64/index.html Apple Emulator for PPC Macintoshes
title url platform text
SID PLay http://stud1.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426444/sidplay/ Apple A player for C64 Musics
title url platform text
ccs http://www.funet.fi/pub/cbm/crossplatform/emulators/unix/ Unix / Linux C64 emulator for Unix
title url platform text
Frodo for Amiga OS http://www.uni-mainz.de/~bauec002/FRMain.html Amiga OS The best C64 Emulator for Amiga
title url platform text
VICE for Amiga OS4 http://amidog.se/amiga/vice/ Amiga OS This AmigaOS4 version is ported by Mathias "AmiDog" Roslund
title url platform text
c64.gr http://www.c64.gr/ Other platform C64 online emulator. Play favorite games in your browser!
title url platform text
C-ONE http://c64upgra.de/c-one/ Other platform Hardware emulator (re-configurable computer)
title url platform text
Frodo for PalmOS http://frodopalm.sourceforge.net/ Other platform Frodo for PalmOS
title url platform text
VICE http://viceteam.bei.t-online.de/ Other platform 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 url platform text
Web C64 http://www.dreamfabric.com/c64/ Other platform The 64 as a Java applet in your Browser. Excellent !
title url platform text
C=64 Emulator for OS/2 Full Screen http://home.hccnet.nl/w.m.brul/emulator/index.html OS2 Freeware emulator for OS/2
title url text
C64.COM http://www.c64.com/ Excellent and beautifully designed site, full of games to download. A must
title url text
c64.gr http://www.c64.gr/ C64 online emulator. Play favorite games in your browser!
title url text
c64files.com :: the ultimate C64 portal! http://www.c64files.com/ News, Gaming, Music, Museum, Links etc.
title url text
Commodore 64 - http://folkvagn.commodore64.org Info about the C64 and successors, C64 emulators and the SID chip. Also contains C64 programs and a forum. In Swedish only.
title url text
Commodore 64 Game Endings http://www.c64endings.co.uk/ All your fave C64 game endings under one roof.
title url text
Commodore 64 Nostalgia http://www.staggs.pair.com/c64/
title url text
Commodore Scene Magazine and Importing Service http://www.commodorescene.org.uk/ New publications, hardware and software for the Commodore 128/128d and C64
title url text
Commodore Service Manuals http://www.devili.iki.fi/Computers/Commodore/ Commodore Service Manuals & other stuff
title url text
Commodore-64 Programmer's Library http://home.comcast.net/~c64proglib many of Robert Baker's early original magazine articles, programs and programming tips (not free)
title url text
Commodore-related Net Resources http://www.hut.fi/~msmakela/cbm/netresources.html
title url text
Good Old Games http://speccy.altervista.org/ Many games with screenshot comparisons, download and magazines
title url text
Greg and David's C64 Web page http://www.ozemail.com.au/~gvincent/
title url text
HV C64 CD's - The ultimate CD set full of software for the C64 http://www.talent.demon.co.uk/64/
title url text
LEMON 64 http://www.lemon64.com/ The source for all Your Commodore 64 Gaming and News needs ! Quite impressive !!!
title url text
Mayhem64 http://www.mayhem64.co.uk/main.htm For all your C64 cartridge needs... and more!
title url text
Remixes of music from C-64 games http://remix.kwed.org Hear the tunes from your fav C64 games like you've never heard them before!
title url text
Stadium 64 http://s64.emuunlim.com/ 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 url text
The Commodore 8-bit WWW server http://www.hut.fi/~msmakela/cbm/
title url text
The Secrets Weapons of Commodore http://www.floodgap.com/retrobits/ckb/secret/ Awesome website ! Presents all the weird systems imagined by Commodore.
title url text
The Star Commander homepage http://sta.c64.org/sc.html
title url text
Web Wiz CAPTCHA http://www.webwizcaptcha.com This is a bulletin board run on a Commodore 64!
title url text
C64 assembly line pictures! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vzfJLVS2YI Length: 6 min 56 s
author date text
Mike Robertson (Germany) Wednesday 10th May 2017 My PAL 4064 doesn''t have a SID built into it. It is made in West Germany and has a 1982 stamp inside the case.
author date text
TronPlayer Tuesday 1st January 2013 The Educator 64 was never produced with a color screen.
author date text
Steve Gray Saturday 26th March 2011 I am unable to find evidence of an Educator 64 with a colour screen... what is your source? Steve
/museum/commodore-c128-c128d
/museum/commodore-c64
/museum/commodore-c64-aldi
/museum/commodore-c64-golden-jubilee
/museum/commodore-c64c
/museum/commodore-c64g
/museum/commodore-lcd
/museum/commodore-sx-dx-64-executive-computer
/museum/commodore-vic-1001
/museum/eds-c64-edc
655
url date
https://web.archive.org/web/20230601020815/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=655 2023-06-01

The Educator 64, also called CBM 4064 and PET 64 was the Commodore's second attempt to sell a C64 based system to U.S. schools and so compete with the Apple II.

Like Apple, Commodore could take advantage of a large range of available public domain educational software.

The first attempt came in the form of a basic C64 case. But the system was so often stolen that the department of education suggested Commodore provide a new system including the computer and the display in the same case.

Since the resulting system was to remain inexpensive, Commodore brought back to life old PET 4000 cases with monochrome monitors and fitted them with refurbished C64 motherboards.

Some models came with a modified kernel ROM which inhibited colors and sound, and displayed a different start-up message. Others featured an internal audio amplifier and headphone jack. The Educator 64 keyboard color code was also removed from the front of the number keys.

Although the last version was sold with a color display, the Educator 64 never was sold in big quantities. It's now a piece of choice for computer collectors.