The Commodore 64x is a replica PC based on the original

Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...

, powered by

x86 x86 (also known as 80x86 or the 8086 family) is a family of complex instruction set computer (CISC) instruction set architectures initially developed by Intel based on the Intel 8086 microprocessor and its 8088 variant. The 8086 was introd ...

Intel Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. It is the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturer by revenue, and is one of the developers of the x86 seri ...

processors ranging from the

Intel Atom Intel Atom is the brand name for a line of IA-32 and x86-64 instruction set ultra-low-voltage processors by Intel Corporation designed to reduce electric consumption and power dissipation in comparison with ordinary processors of the Intel Cor ...

to the

Intel Core i7 The following is a list of Intel Core i7 brand microprocessors. Introduced in 2008, the Core i7 line of microprocessors are intended to be used by high-end users. Desktop processors Nehalem microarchitecture (1st generation) "Bloomfield" ...

. It was sold by

Commodore USA Commodore USA, LLC was a computer company based in Pompano Beach, Florida, with additional facilities in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Commodore USA, LLC was founded in April 2010. The company's goal was to sell a new line of PCs using the classic ...

starting in April 2011. Because

went out of business after the death of its founder,

Barry Altman Barry S. Altman was the founder and CEO of Commodore USA from 2010 until his death in late 2012. Prior to founding Commodore USA, Barry worked for over 20 years in the satellite and communications industry. During his time at Commodore USA, the ...

, this machine as originally intended to be configured with Extreme and Ultimate models was not readily available with Commodore branding for a period of several years until it was publicly relaunched in June 2022. 9] The Kickstarter was hit with a cease and desist letter from Italian Commodore Engineering who have since apologized with the result being the crowdfunding campaign going back online and achieving Kickstarter's Project We Love status. 011]

History

The case of the C64x was designed to resemble the popular

in response to "overwhelming demand" from

's customer base. Volume production started in May 2011, with machines being released on to the market in June 2011 at a starting price of United States dollar, US $595 for the ''Basic'' model and up to United States dollar, US $895 for an Ultimate model, and as of August 13, an Extreme version fitted with an

chip with 8 GB

DDR3 Double Data Rate 3 Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DDR3 SDRAM) is a type of synchronous dynamic random-access memory (SDRAM) with a high bandwidth ("double data rate") interface, and has been in use since 2007. It is the higher-speed ...

RAM and 3 TB hard drive for US $1499. There was a case-only version of the C64x called the Barebones available for US $295. The Barebones is currently available for £129 from UK-based My Retro Computer which purchased the injection molds from the Altman estate. A VIC20 colorway C64x, never previously available, is now an option using those molds. In the intervening years in which it was largely out of public view, original hardware accessories were developed for the C64x case such as a fan grill, internal exhaust pipe, Raspberry Pi 4 mounting kit, and vent plate. 12] PC Gamer which reported on how to build in the Barebones case after Commodore USA had already folded announced the official return of the Commodore 64x from My Retro Computer in 2022. 314] It shipped initially with Ubuntu 10.10 Desktop Edition, and in November 2011, Commodore USA released their own Linux derivative called Commodore OS.

Software

The C64x is said to come bundled with

Ubuntu Ubuntu ( ) is a Linux distribution based on Debian and composed mostly of free and open-source software. Ubuntu is officially released in three editions: ''Desktop'', ''Server'', and ''Core'' for Internet of things devices and robots. All the ...

10.10. There is no hardware compatibility with the original C64, with software compatibility provided through the use of an emulator. Ubuntu is able to run VICE, an open source program which emulates 8-bit computers, such as the Commodore 64. VICE is available for free for almost all operating systems currently in use. As of 18 August 2011,

announced it would be providing international keyboards and keys for its customers worldwide for the C64x, with new keyboards made with additional keys for countries/languages if it is needed. For customers outside of its main US support area, keys and keycap pullers will be provided for easy self-installation.

References

8
"c64x: Case Barebone C64x"
Archived fro
the original
on 2020-08-08. Retrieved 2022-07-16. 9
"My Retro Computer"
Retrieved 16 July 2022. 10
"Commodore 64 Returns As A PC Gaming Powerhouse With An Intel CPU And GeForce GPU"
17 June 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022. 11
"Copy of letter from the Director of Commodore"
15 June 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022. 12

Retrieved 16 July 2022. 13. Dexter, Alan (Maximum PC) (31 March 2015)
"How to Build a Modern Commodore 64 PC , PC Gamer"
''PC Gamer''. Retrieved 16 July 2022. 14. Corrigan, Hope (22 June 2022)
"These Commodore 64 PC prebuilds are pricy, but the case looks great for DIY , PC Gamer"
''PC Gamer''. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
Future models, planned for 2011

History

Software

References

See also