The C64 (and other 8-bit Commodore machines) thread.

Well it must be time for the ultimate C64 / 128 thread.

So here it is the C64 / 128 thread.

Discuss what ever you like and feel free to share your collection and rare items.

Stay a while. Stay forever.

 

I loved it. So much memories in the 80s at families and friends house when playing the Commodore 64.

-Always thought the music was the best on it. IK+ and The Last Ninja Tunes
-Loved Ghouls and ghost from Capcom
-Loved the DEMO load screens "Cracked by xxxxx" Really show cased the talents
-I played Wonderboy on it when it was still popular in the arcades. My eyes were tired and sore lol
-Use to copy the tape based games using a standard double deck tape player. Sometime it worked. Sometime it didnt.

 

Atari 800XL > C64

 

Supidly for me at some stage in my early 20's I sold everything I had for my C64. 20 years later its taken me awhile to get it all back again.



It does run Jiffy DOS now and I use a SD2IEC instead of the floppy and tapes, but I still get on it at least once a week for a bit of action.

I have a few C64C's as spare parts as you never know when something will fail.

 

The C64 didn't have stereo did it?

If so you should run the Amiga on the 1084S and the C64 on the 1084.

The things we remember.

 

Can someone give me a rundown of the cases that were available for these?

From what I gather:
- the standard C64 that I know of with mainboard and keyboard integrated into the chassis is the "breadbin" case, and shared some or all of its design with the earlier Commodore VIC-20
- what other cases did the C64 come in? Wikipedia says there were some different models in the family, but was there a desktop or tower case? Going purely by WP, I think the other case for the "C64" was the C64C
- the two images of the C128 on WP are an updated integrated-keyboard model and the "C128D", a desktop model - was that it for the C128?

Commodore apparently was known for shoving whatever boards they had into whatever cases they had and reusing physical designs between computer generations, so I'm sure there's some weird variants.

Really it depends who and where you ask, like the Sega vs. Nintendo wars. As a kid I didn't even know Atari made PCs, and thought the brand exclusively meant consoles.

 

What no love for the Plus/4??

It was the only Commodore we owned back then. Pain in the ass to find games for but what games I did have were a blast to play. Even dabbled in a little bit of BASIC programming and started writing a text based adventure game.

May not have been that powerful but you got to admit that jet black case is 80's cool.

 

Both plugged into a receiver in the cupboard.

 

Had a feeling you might have been doing that, I ran my A500 through a stereo system back in the day for big stereo sound - ah the memories.

 

I remember sticking bits of wire with match sticks to hold them in the din plug of the C64 to get an output to my stereo. It was the shit.

 

There were quite a few and I'm by no means an expert but as I understand it the list as far as what came first is as follows.

Commodore 64 (breadbin model looks like the vic20)
Commodore 128 (retains compatibility with C64 software)
Commodore 64C (looks similar to C128 but improvements of heat dissipation and reliability of drives with 1541-II etc, not the best SID chip?)
Commodore 128D (had either a plastic or metal case with an external keyboard, thinner but similar in style to early desktop cases but never saw a commodore tower)

Other models that I'm aware of but haven't played with and not sure when they were released in the greater timeline

Commodore SX64 ("portable")
Commodore 16
Commodore Plus/4
Commodore Amiga (many, many models )

 

forgot the C64GS, anyone have one?

 

Nice Impossible Mission quote

Anyone know what's the best emulator?

So many good memories. Wouldn't mind revisiting them.

Bruce Lee, The Last Ninja, Summer Games, Stake or Die, Commando, Leaderboard Golf, Gunship, Pitstop, Racing Destruction Set, and the list goes on and on.........

 

I like the look of this. There are a few things on tape that I play via emulation.

http://www.indieretronews.com/2014/11/c64sd-v30-princess-first-sd2iec-with.html

 

New C64 PSU thingy. Takes a 9V AC and a 5V DC plugpack and brings it all together.

The C64 side cord and the logo on the top were salvaged from one of those resin filled Commodore 64 Power Supplies.


Click to view full size!


Click to view full size!

I added some hot glue in there after taking the photos The capacitor is a low ESR variety 470uf 16V plus a ceramic 100nf. Together these should provide some useful extra power filtering. The low ESR cap should also present a short circuit if someone connects the 5v up with the polarity reversed and blow the fuse.

I put this in the 'what retro activity' thread before I noticed the C64 thread. Good idea Lupin. EDIT: Other post deleted.

Further EDIT: Lupin the 1541 Ultimate II has tape emulation and actually mounts a full floppy in an emulated floppy drive of your choice! It also mounts .crt cartridge files. Absolutely excellent product. I have the tape cable but have not used it yet.

 

Feeling like a bit of a vandal taking out the shiny cardboard and putting on the heatsinks (a common recommendation)


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But the overall result is good


Click to view full size!

Edit, I should add I am powering the C64 with a straight 5v at the PSU instead of the usual 5.2ish. Should also help it to keep its cool.

 

Well, at least I am interested in this thread

Have ordered up one of these from a local plastic supplier in 6mm clear. Going to use it as a C64 cover (old style case). Should keep off the dust but still leave the computer on display. I love the thing.


Click to view full size!

 

OK so here is the resulting dust cover. Cut and bent to order by 'ACT Plastics' in Canberra There is a cartridge in the cartridge port too, you can just see the edge of it in the photo, it all fits nicely.


Click to view full size!

 

Nice cover Mickatroid!

I was cleaning out the study the other day and found this:



All I need to do now is restore my breadbin C64 and start machine language programming again....

 

Hehe - mine is pretty ragged and "loved". These days you're lucky if you get a "quick setup guide" with your new PC - back then you got ROM routines and a full schematic!.

Nice cover, Mickatroid, and a very nicely done PSU thinggy

I got one of those Princesses a week or so ago. It's a fantastic bit of kit, and very well thought out. Now I just need to get a new tape drive (mine carked it ) The guy was very quick sending it out, I have no complaints there. It's a bit pricey though - but still nice.

Callan