Anybody know what happened to the C64 serial number registry? Last I had checked it, which was a long while ago, I had the second oldest serial numbered machine on it (excluding prototypes). But I just went to look and the registry seems to be gone.
Commodore 64 released September 1, 1982
11–20 of 186 posts
Re: Commodore 64 released September 1, 1982
#12LOAD *.*,8,1
Re: Commodore 64 released September 1, 1982
#13Grew up in that era, I always wanted a C64 (I had a Spectrum and as much as we'd argue about the relative merits on the playground, deep down us Speccy users knew the C64 was better).
I still occasionally consider buying one but then I remember it'll just sit on a shelf collecting dust, better someone who actually uses it gets one.
Re: Commodore 64 released September 1, 1982
#14When it released, it cost $595 (back then, not in today's money), considering the price dropped to just $229 the following year, that was not a good buy when it came out.
Not unusual in that era though, home computers were evolving ridiculously fast.
There was only 5 years between the C64 and the Amiga 500 which launched for $699 (adjusted for inflation, using https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/ $595 comes out to $700), it was a wild time to be into computers, I didn't start til 1987 (I was 7) and the pace of progress was crazy to grow up through.
Re: Commodore 64 released September 1, 1982
#15Blog poster's early computing history is remarkably similar to mine in terms of years/ages. Got a C64 (with a 1541 disk drive) around late 1983 (when I was 10). Hooked up to a 13 inch CRT TV at first. Got into games, computer magazines, magazine game listings (like the ones from old Compute!'s Gazette), taught myself MS BASIC and 6502/6510 assembly language, got into cracking games, got a 300 baud 1650 modem, got int…
Disk drive luxury, all I had was the tape deck. On the upside I got a lot of reading done while waiting for game to load.
The C64 disk drive would still have left you with plenty of reading time.
Re: Commodore 64 released September 1, 1982
#16LOAD *.*,8,1
?SYNTAX ERROR
Re: Commodore 64 released September 1, 1982
#17Grew up in that era, I always wanted a C64 (I had a Spectrum and as much as we'd argue about the relative merits on the playground, deep down us Speccy users knew the C64 was better). I still occasionally consider buying one but then I remember it'll just sit on a shelf collecting dust, better someone who actually uses it gets one.
My experience was the same. Loved my Spectrum 128 but friends had the Commodore and its graphics were superior. Very expensive though.
The magic in the air in those days will never be replicated.
Re: Commodore 64 released September 1, 1982
#18When it released, it cost $595 (back then, not in today's money), considering the price dropped to just $229 the following year, that was not a good buy when it came out.
Not unusual in that era though, home computers were evolving ridiculously fast. There was only 5 years between the C64 and the Amiga 500 which launched for $699 (adjusted for inflation, using https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/ $595 comes out to $700), it was a wild time to be into computers, I didn't start til 1987 (I was 7) and the pace of progress was crazy to grow up through.
It's even a bit crazier than that: the Commodore Amiga 1000 came out in 1985, a bit less than three years after the C64, in july 1985.
A friend of mine, whose father was an art teacher, had an Amiga 1000 at home. Mind blown (I'm super lucky for later on another friend had an early SGI Indy at home for his stepfather was president of SGI Benelux). So I got to see and salivate on those mythic machines early on.
Of course I was stuck on the C64 until the Amiga 500, way more affordable, came out.
Still have my C128 and it was still working last time I cleaned it/tried it (when I was locked inside during Covid) and a few floppy disks were still reading fine (so I took a NOS --new old stock-- pack of 5"1/4 floppies and made a copy of Fast Hack'em and a copy of the Commando game): pure time capsule.
Fetched two C64s too: I know the PSU is tricky on the C64 and I don't know if those work or not. I've got floppy disk readers too.
But reading that headline is bittersweet: I was nine in 1982, I'm now 53. Where have all those years gone? Don't get me wrong, I had a great life (so far) and I'd replay it just the same but... It's still bittersweet to think about my mates and I learning to code on those 8-bit machines. And the games. So many games...
Re: Commodore 64 released September 1, 1982
#19Memory. Then as now it’s memory that matters. Anyhow if you want a brand new Commodore 64 get it here: https://commodore.net/
For me a good portion of the appeal of a nostalgic device like that is the display. Any recommendations?
Estate sales. You can score a dozen CRTs a week if you for some reason want to...
Re: Commodore 64 released September 1, 1982
#20LOAD *.*,8,1
POKE 53280, 0
POKE 53281, 0
POKE 1,0