Note Type
General NotesNote
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 World Records as the best-selling desktop computer model of all time, with independent estimates placing the number sold between 12.5 and 17 million units. Volume production started in early 1982, marketing in August for US$595 (equivalent to $1,940 in 2024). Preceded by the VIC-20 and Commodore PET, the C64 took its name from its 64 kilobytes (65,536 bytes) of RAM. With support for multicolor sprites and a custom chip for waveform generation, the C64 could create superior visuals and audio compared to systems without such custom hardware.
Manufacturer Commodore Business Machines (CBM)
Type Home computer
Release date August 1982; 43 years ago
Introductory price US$595 (equivalent to $1,940 in 2024)
Discontinued April 1994; 31 years ago
Units sold 12.5 – 17 million
Operating system Commodore KERNAL/BASIC 2.0
GEOS (optionally)
CPU MOS Technology 6510/8500
@ 1.023 MHz (NTSC version)
@ 0.985 MHz (PAL version)
Memory 64 KB RAM + 20 KB ROM
Graphics VIC-II (320×200, 16 colors, sprites, raster interrupt)
Sound SID 6581/8580 (3× osc, 4× wave, filter, ADSR, ring)
Connectivity 2× CIA 6526 (joystick, GPIO/RS-232/keyboard)
Power (+5V DC & 9V AC)
ROM cartridge
Video/audio (RF/A/V)
Serial IEEE 488 bus (floppy disk/printer)
Digital tape
Predecessor VIC-20, MAX Machine
Successor Commodore 128, AmigaNote Type
Object Specific InformationNote
This item was received in non-working condition, but was restored with some modern replacement parts to fully functional operation.
