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The Commodore 64C returns, complete with original 1980s molds and modern hardware

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The Commodore 64C returns, complete with original 1980s molds and modern hardware

In context: The Commodore 64 that most people picture is the chunky beige "breadbin" from 1982, but that wasn't the only shape it came in. In 1986, Commodore moved the same internals into a flatter, wedge-shaped case that matched its newer Commodore 128. That version, the 64C, stayed on sale until the company folded in 1994. So, for a lot of people who got their first computer in the late '80s, the 64C is the C64 they actually remember.

Now, the 64C is back as a brand-new computer. The revived Commodore started shipping its 64C Ultimate to pre-order customers this week. Anyone who skipped the campaign can order one as well, starting at $299.99.

Inside, very little has changed from the breadbin-style 64 Ultimate that Commodore launched last year. An AMD Artix-7 FPGA still recreates the original hardware cycle for cycle. The company claims up to 99% compatibility with original software and peripherals, so old cartridges, joysticks, and disk drives should still plug in and work.

The new model does ship with the latest firmware, though. It also works with a regular USB mouse now. That's handy for the bundled GEOS suite, a point-and-click desktop with a word processor, spreadsheet, and paint program. GEOS shipped with the original 64C back in 1986, too, so the pairing doubles as a neat nod to the machine's past.

The case, on the other hand, comes straight out of the same injection molds Commodore used for 64C housings in the '80s. Those molds were used in Japan and later at Commodore's US operations.


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