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Creating the Commodore 64: The Engineers’ Story

spectrum.ieee.org

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Re: Creating the Commodore 64: The Engineers’ Story

#41

Post by nurettin »

Sharlin wrote: post #40
jahnu wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My first computer was a c64. As a teenager in rural Ireland when my power supply failed it was going to take months to get a new one. I opened up the case and saw the whole insides encased in resin. So with a hammer and screwdriver I started to chip away at the resin until I exposed low voltage dc pins and tested which delivered which voltage etc. I next stole the ac transformer for our doorbell which I remembered ha…

Woah. I've never before heard of a case of the magic smoke leaving a device and it still working afterwards.

Striking similarities between 80's trucks and 80's PCs.

Re: Creating the Commodore 64: The Engineers’ Story

#44

Post by b112 »

jahnu wrote: post #36
UncleSlacky wrote: post #10

> And outside suppliers were not always reliable. “One provided a power supply for engineering approval,” Ziembicki recalled. “It got approved, and then the supplier changed the design and didn’t tell anybody.” I wonder if this is why C64 power supplies have a tendency to fail, taking the computer with them? https://retrogamestart.com/answers/replace-c64-power-supply-...

My first computer was a c64. As a teenager in rural Ireland when my power supply failed it was going to take months to get a new one. I opened up the case and saw the whole insides encased in resin. So with a hammer and screwdriver I started to chip away at the resin until I exposed low voltage dc pins and tested which delivered which voltage etc. I next stole the ac transformer for our doorbell which I remembered ha…

Heh. Rural Canada here, growing up. Tried to fix one myself, same reason, hard to get.

Ran into the resin, gave up, but your story made me laugh, and brought back a picture, in my mind, of that resin.

Thanks

Re: Creating the Commodore 64: The Engineers’ Story

#46

Post by smcnally »

> Of the original Commodore 64 design team … Albert Charpentier, Robert Yannes, and Charles Winterble, along with David Ziembicki and Bruce Crocket … left Commodore in the spring of 1983 and formed

what became Ensoniq which became part of Creative Technology and E-mu Systems.

Ensoniq made v cool sampler synths. E-mu made advanced audio peripherals. Creative made “SoundBlaster” audio cards for PCs.

Amazing productivity from the same group.

Re: Creating the Commodore 64: The Engineers’ Story

#47

Post by simne »

rusk wrote: post #34
simne wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Definitely, NO! Boeing exists on concurrent market. And its large size not because it could just have some moderate benefits from size, but because it is impossible to build so large objects within small business. Just imagine, 747 estimated to 500-700 man-years, nobody will wait even 1/10 of so long. C64 totally different case.

You and I must have different thoughts about how well Boeing is doing in that space vs let’s say, airbus.

I just compare with different base - really seriously ill Russian enterprises - VAZ, KAMAZ.

And in Russia things are so bad, that few years ago there literally stole jail. - One entity won tender, than few months imitate works and sure, received money, and finally declare themselves bankrupts.

Re: Creating the Commodore 64: The Engineers’ Story

#48

Post by rusk »

simne wrote: post #47
rusk wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You and I must have different thoughts about how well Boeing is doing in that space vs let’s say, airbus.

I just compare with different base - really seriously ill Russian enterprises - VAZ, KAMAZ. And in Russia things are so bad, that few years ago there literally stole jail. - One entity won tender, than few months imitate works and sure, received money, and finally declare themselves bankrupts.

LOL Russia

Re: Creating the Commodore 64: The Engineers’ Story

#49

Post by jahnu »

Sharlin wrote: post #40
jahnu wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My first computer was a c64. As a teenager in rural Ireland when my power supply failed it was going to take months to get a new one. I opened up the case and saw the whole insides encased in resin. So with a hammer and screwdriver I started to chip away at the resin until I exposed low voltage dc pins and tested which delivered which voltage etc. I next stole the ac transformer for our doorbell which I remembered ha…

Woah. I've never before heard of a case of the magic smoke leaving a device and it still working afterwards.

I couldn't believe it!

Re: Creating the Commodore 64: The Engineers’ Story

#50

Post by rusk »

smcnally wrote: post #46

> Of the original Commodore 64 design team … Albert Charpentier, Robert Yannes, and Charles Winterble, along with David Ziembicki and Bruce Crocket … left Commodore in the spring of 1983 and formed what became Ensoniq which became part of Creative Technology and E-mu Systems. Ensoniq made v cool sampler synths. E-mu made advanced audio peripherals. Creative made “SoundBlaster” audio cards for PCs. Amazing productivit…

> spring of 1983

Explains a lot!

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