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Commodore 64 Dead

Commodore 64
KindMachine
Introduced1982
Discontinued1994
StatusDead
ManufacturerCommodore
ClassHome computer
PlatformMOS 6510 + SID/VIC-II
Sourcebitsavers.org ↗

The best-selling single computer model ever — somewhere between 12 and 17 million. $595 of sprite graphics and the SID chip that still has a music scene.

Created by Commodore International
Hosted GEOS

Commodore's 1982 masterpiece — 6510 CPU, 64K RAM, VIC-II sprites, and Bob Yannes's SID chip, the first synthesizer-on-a-chip in a consumer machine. At $595 then $199, it sold somewhere between 12 and 17 million — the best-selling single computer model ever.

The demo scene, the cracking scene, and modern chiptune culture all trace to it; SID musicians still play live. In 2024 the 40-year-old C64 still outsells most boutique retro machines.

Sources

  1. bitsavers.org/pdf/commodore/
  2. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64