website/content/museum/commodore-pc-compatible-systems.md

---
title: Commodore PC Compatible systems
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1984'
cpus:
- '8088'
params:
  name: PC Compatible systems
  image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_pccomp_pc10_1.jpg
  company: /companies/commodore
  company_name: Commodore
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: PC Compatible systems
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Commodore
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: U.S.A.
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1984'
  - label: END OF PRODUCTION
    value: '1993'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: 84 keys (8088 systems), 102 keys (286 and above)
  - label: CPU
    value: 8088, 80286, 80386-SX, 80386
  - label: SPEED
    value: 4.77 to 9.54 MHz (8088), 6 to 12 MHz (80286), 8 to 16 MHz (386SX), 25 MHz (80836)
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: Optional Math coprocessor
  - label: RAM
    value: 640 KB to 2 MB according to models
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 40 or 80 chars x 25 lines
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: From GCA (640 x 200) to SVGA (800 x 600), Hercules monochrome as well
  - label: COLORS
    value: 16 minimum in colour systems
  - label: SOUND
    value: Tone generator
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 360 KB to 1.44 MB floppy discs, 20 to 200 MB hard disc
  - label: OS
    value: All the available PC operating systems
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in power supply unit
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: all 8, 16, 32 bit PC cards
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  forum_thread: 885
  photos:
  - title: PC-1
    subtitle: ''
    text: The PC-1 could be expanded to utilize ISA cards via a "side-car" expansion box. The size of the PC was nearly identical to the Commodore D128. Only a single floppy disk drive was available – no hard disk – requiring plenty of ‘disk swapping’.
    image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_pccomp_pc1_s1.jpg
  - title: PC-10
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      The PC-10 was introduced in Europe in 1986, and one year later in North America. The PC10-1 and PC10-2 models were shipped with standard equipment that included an RS-232C serial port, a parallel printer port, and an "ATI-WONDER" multifunction color/monochrome graphics card (compatible with IBM monochrome/CGA, Hercules, and Plantronics modes).

      Both units used a 4.77 MHz 8088 microprocessor. Each machine had five full-length expansion slots, space for two half-height floppy disk drives, and space for a hard disk drive. Also included was a power supply large enough to handle a completely componentized system.

      The PC10-1 included a single 5.25" floppy disk drive and 512KB of RAM (which could be expanded to 640 KB using a motherboard switch). The price was $999.

      The PC10-2 included two 5.25" floppy disk drives and 640KB bytes of RAM. Both units shipped with MSDOS 3.2 and GW-BASIC 3.2. The price was $1199.
    image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_pccomp_pc10_s2.jpg
  - title: PC-10 INSIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Note the dual 5.25 floppy drive and the 20 MB 3.5" Western Digital hard disk drive.

      Thanks to **Vlask**
    image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_pc10_inside_s1.jpg
  - title: PC-10 MOTHERBOARD
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      The CPU is a Siemens 8088-1-P, near an empty socket for the math coprocessor. There is 640 KB RAM on-board and a Paradise PVC4 graphics chipset. The board also provides 3 ISA expansion slots, serial and mouse ports and a parallel connector. The BIOS is dated 1988.

      Thanks to **Vlask**
    image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_pc10_mainboard_s1.jpg
  - title: COLT VERSION
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      The Colt was simply a PC-10 model with a different case and new name. It was sold as a "home system" and included MSDOS along with some productivity programs (a scaled-down version of WordStar). It was intended to compete with systems such as the Tandy 1000.

      The Colt ran at 4.77 MHz (or 10 MHz if the ‘Ctrl’ and ‘Alt’ buttons were pressed simultaneously). It shipped with MSDOS 2.2 and a 10MB IDE hard disk. Additionally, it included a TV-out port.

      The price was $1,100 and included a color monitor and Epson 9-pin dot-matrix printer.

      Thanks to **Sam Dwire** for this information
    image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_pccomp_colt_1.jpg
  - title: PC-20 III
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Strangely, this model was labelled PC-20 III on the front panel and PC-10 on back panel. The inside was the one of a PC-10...

      Thanks to **Vlask**
    image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_pc20_system_s1.jpg
  - title: PC-20 / 40 / 60
    subtitle: ''
    text: The Commodore PC-20 (top), PC-40 (left) and PC-60 (right) models shown in desktop versions. Commodore monochrome and colour monitors were manufactured by Philips.
    image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_pccomp_pc20-40-60_1.jpg
  - title: PC-60
    subtitle: ''
    text: The Commodore PC-60 model shown in tower-case version.
    image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_pccomp_pc60_1.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: FRENCH BROCHURE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Cover of a French Commodore-PC brochure.

      'Hats off to Commodore!'
    image: /media/museum/pubs/commodore_pccomp_pubchapeau_1.jpg
  - title: PC-60
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Photo taken from a Commodore brochure.\
      Notice that the girl seems not to be interested at all in the computer...
    image: /media/museum/pubs/commodore_pccomp_pubpc60_1.jpg
  oc_id: 905
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230603115219/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=905
    date: '2023-06-03'
---

Commodore launched its range of PC-compatible systems at the height of the company’s popularity, with home and business systems being sold in over 50 countries. Commodore was the largest seller of computer systems in the world with sales in excess of $1 billion. Regardless, Commodore eventually suffered from permanent financial and structural problems.

The range of Commodore PC-compatible computers offered several different models:\
\- **PC-1** A very small PC-compatible with a 4.77MHz 8088 processor (without turbo clock), a single 5.25” FDD, 512KB of RAM, and Hercules/GCA video board. The PC-1 lacked any internal expansion slots or cooling fans.\
\- **PC-10** A basic 8088-based PC-compatible system with 1 or 2 floppy drives (page photo).\
\- **Colt** A re-branded version of the PC-10 system.\
\- **PC-20** Identical to the PC-10 system, but included a 20MB hard disk.\
\- **PC-30** PC-AT 12 MHz 80286-based system including a 20MB hard disk. Probably the same machine as the PC-35 but only sold in Europe.\
\- **PC-35** Same features as the PC-30.\
\- **PC-40** PC-AT 10 MHz system with 1 MB RAM, Hercules/CGA video card, and a 20MB to 80MB hard disk. A jumper setting allowed the memory to be configured between 640KB or 512KB + 512KB of extended memory.\
\- **PC-50** 80386SX 16 MHz system with a 40MB to 100MB hard disk.\
\- **PC-60** 80386 25 MHz system with a tower case and a 60MB to 200MB hard disk.

The first Commodore PC-compatible was launched in early 1984, and the final systems left the German factory in 1993 – one year before the company ceased operations

---

**Maarten Jongkind** comments:\
As an engineer back in the late 80s I installed, maintained and repaired commodore PC's. It was not a specific exciting or revolutionary computer but merely a good working IBM clone which evolved likewise. The PC10 however did gave me some strange problems due to the position of the double floppy drives, see the gap between them in the picture.

Once I recieved a strange complaint from a user, the computer was eating floppy's. they went in but never came out again. After a two hours drive I found that the user had inserted about 20 floppy's or more in the gap between the drives ;-))

<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>