website/content/museum/commodore-c64c.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Commodore C64C	Computers	Home Computer	U.S.A.	1987	6510A	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos hardware emulators links videos related oc_id source C64C /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_1_s.jpg /companies/commodore Commodore label value NAME C64C label value MANUFACTURER Commodore label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR March 1987 label value END OF PRODUCTION Unknown label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Commodore Basic V.2.0 label value KEYBOARD Full-stroke 65 keys with 4 function keys label value CPU 6510A label value SPEED 0.985 MHz (PAL) / 1.023 MHz (NTSC) label value CO-PROCESSOR VIC II (Video), SID (Sound) label value RAM 64 KB label value ROM 20 KB label value TEXT MODES 40 columns x 25 lines label value GRAPHIC MODES several, most used : 320 x 200 label value COLORS 16 + 16 border colours label value SOUND 3 voices / 9 octaves, 4 waveforms (sound output through TV) label value SIZE / WEIGHT 41.4 (W) x 24.3 (D) x 5.9 (H) cm / 1710 g label value I/O PORTS RGB (composite, chroma/luma and sound in/out), 2 x Joystick plugs, Cardridge slot, Tape interfarce (300 bps), Serial, User Port, TV RF output label value BUILT IN MEDIA Cassette unit. Provision for 170 KB 5.25'' floppy disc unit (1541C) label value OS GEOS label value POWER SUPPLY External power supply unit label value PRICE $229 photos hardware emulators links videos 972 title subtitle text image COMMODORE 64C /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_1.jpg title subtitle text image LEFT SIDE /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_2.jpg title subtitle text image FRONT /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_front.jpg title subtitle text image DETAIL /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_detail.jpg title subtitle text image REAR /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_rear.jpg title subtitle text image REAR #2 /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_rear_2.jpg title subtitle text image GREY CASE /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_system_s2.jpg title subtitle text image KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_keyboard_s1.jpg title subtitle text image RIGHT SIDE From left to right:\ Dual joystick connector, power switch and socket. /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_rightside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image REAR SIDE From left to right:\ • Cartridge slot\ • TV chanel selector\ • TV modulator output\ • Audio, video DIN socket\ • Serial DIN socket\ • Tape recorder connector\ • User I/O connector /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_rearside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image COMMODORE LABEL Commodore label and warranty seal (intact!) /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_labels_s1.jpg title subtitle text image MAINBOARD Can you help us in describing the function of each chip? /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_mainboard_s1.jpg title subtitle text image BOX #1 /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_box_1.jpg title subtitle text image BOX #2 /media/museum/photos/commodore_c64c_box_2.jpg title subtitle text image BOX #3 /media/museum/photos/commodore_c64-2_box_3.jpg 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 Commodore 64c commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pST-xHh7pGc Length: 29 s title url text C64 assembly line pictures! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vzfJLVS2YI Length: 6 min 56 s /museum/commodore-c128-c128d /museum/commodore-c64 /museum/commodore-c64-aldi /museum/commodore-c64-golden-jubilee /museum/commodore-c64g /museum/commodore-educator-64 /museum/commodore-lcd /museum/commodore-sx-dx-64-executive-computer /museum/commodore-vic-1001 /museum/eds-c64-edc 998 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230530055621/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=998 2023-05-30

The Commodore 64C was simply the original C-64 repackaged in in a beige C-128 style case. Internally, Commodore integrated most of the hardware onto a single VLSI chip.

The new model did not differ much from its predecessor, the only innovation was the flatter case, which made the keyboard (which had off-white keys) more ergonomic (it looked like the C128 case), not as high as than the old one. But the new case did not only have advantages: due to its low profile and additional metal screening, some of the numerous hardware expansions did not fit anymore. This was changed with the C64G.

The official name for this model was "C=64 C", but nevertheless the German 64'er magazine decided to call it "C64-II" (because the first units didn't have the new name on the label at the bottom), the badges on most of the 64 C's just says "Commodore 64". They pointed out that this name was only valid for the 64'er magazine, but since the 64'er was the magazine for the C64 for a long time, the name was widely accepted and so this model is mostly known as "C64-II" in Germany.

Commodore took advantage of the launch of the 64C to improve its range of peripherals. The machine could be delivered with:
• the 1541C disk drive, internally the same as the previous 1541, but with a beige case,
• the 1541-II disk drive, a smaller 1541 with external power supply and a beige case
• The 1351 two-button mouse which could operate in either proportional or joystick mode,
• The 1802 color monitor which accepted both composite and RGB video signals,
• The 1764 RAM expander which plugged into the expansion port and boosted the system RAM to 256 KB.

First 64C were bundled with GEOS, developed by Berkeley Software, a good window and icon opating system, considering that it ran on a 8-bit processors and 64 KB of RAM.

Sadly, the 64C was launched at the wrong time, at a wrong price (about $80 more than the C64). At that time the competition was hard with the new Atari and Amiga 32-bit computers. The 64C thus didn't meet a large success, except in some European countries.