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Retro Games is making a mini version of the Amiga 500
In Europe, where the Amiga 500 was one of the biggest-selling computers of its day, it'll be a very big deal.
The C64 Mini brings its nostalgia to the US on October 9th
You no longer have to toy with importing The C64 Mini if you just have to relive a childhood spent mashing on a Commodore 64's keys. Retro Games has announced that its '80s revival will reach North American retail stores on October 9th. This version still includes 64 pre-loaded titles, including era favorites like Epyx's sports games (such as California Games and Winter Games), Boulder Dash and Speedball II: Brutal Deluxe. You can still add more, and even run C64 BASIC if you plug in a USB keyboard.
The C64 Mini review: Nostalgia’s not enough
Memory's a weird thing, isn't it? Your brain records every moment in your life and locks it away forever. And then suddenly, a sound, a smell, a piece of beige plastic can send you tumbling back to a different time. Sitting on the floor of my office, unboxing the C64 Mini, I wasn't 33 anymore but eight, sitting at the blue formica table in the corner of my bedroom. In front of me was a hand-me-down Commodore from my neighbor, an engineer who taught himself BASIC in his semi-retirement. He chain-smoked cigars and was never without a tin of stout in his hand, smells that permeated the skin of this computer, never to be washed away. It's these pangs of nostalgia that British company Retro Games Ltd. is looking to take advantage of to sell a "mini" version of the Commodore 64. For the uninitiated, the microcomputer was the computer of the '80s and the first machine that many folks ever got their hands on. Even in Great Britain, which had been the crucible of the Sinclair vs. Acorn battle, Commodore holds a special place in millions of hearts. My own Commodore 64 was hooked up to a 10-inch, black-and-white portable TV with a bent aerial. White-out was painted on to mark the tuning locations for BBC 1, BBC 2 and ITV, and I vividly remember playing (Pac-Man knock-off) Radar Rat Race purely because I had the cartridge, which loaded faster than games on cassette. I used that battered, beige machine for so long on that TV that, when I finished unboxing and turned the C64 Mini on, I was actually surprised to see it output video in color.
A mini version of the Commodore 64 is coming in 2018
It's hard to deny the popularity of Nintendo's retro mini systems. After all, demand far outstripped supply for the mini version of the original console, and the same is expected to happen for today's SNES release. It's not a surprise, then, that other companies are getting in on the action. Retro Games is launching a mini version of the 1982 computer Commodore 64 called the C64 Mini. It will be available in early 2018, with a price point of $70.
Commodore returns as a 5.5-inch, nostalgia-powered smartphone
It hasn't been a legitimate name in computing for over 20 years, but somehow the Commodore brand always manages to find a way back into our lives. In 2004, it came back as a simple TV-Game joystick. In 2011, Commodore USA sold gaming PCs stuffed into retro-styled keyboard chassis. Today, the brand is back again--as a nostalgia-stamped 5.5-inch Android smartphone.
An '80s-era Amiga controls the heating for an entire school district
Think the Windows XP workstation you use at the office is ancient? It doesn't hold a candle next to what the Grand Rapids Public School district is using to control its climate systems. All 19 schools covered by the authority depend on a nearly 30-year-old Commodore Amiga 2000 to automate their air conditioning and heating. It communicates to the other schools using a pokey 1,200 baud modem and a wireless radio so behind the times that it occasionally interferes with maintenance workers' walkie talkies. Oh, and a high school student wrote the necessary code -- if something goes wrong, the district has to contact the now middle-aged programmer and hope that he can fix it. It's a testament to the dependability of the Amiga in question, but you probably wouldn't want to trust the well-being of thousands of students to a computer that's probably older than some of the teachers.
This is the Modem World: The Great Computer Cold War of 1982
Each week Joshua Fruhlinger contributes This is the Modem World, a column dedicated to exploring the culture of consumer technology. I've known my friend Jeff since I was 2 years old. He was one year ahead of me in school, but in everything else -- little league, school, girls -- we were extremely competitive. We both had two sisters and looked to one another as brothers and yardsticks for prepubescent success. He was better at baseball and I usually had better luck with the ladies. Being better at baseball helped him with the ladies and having a way with the girls made the baseball thing kind of irrelevant. In short, I was better. I saw Jeff last week, and as we reminisced about the good old days of baseball and babes, he reminded me of what he called The Great Computer Cold War of 1982. "The great what?" I asked him.
Project Unity stuffs 20 classic consoles into one: if you can't play it, it's probably too new (video)
Most gamer who want to play with more than one or two vintage console platforms often turn to software-based emulators that may or may not be above-board. How about stuffing all of the authentic hardware into one controller and one base unit? Modders at Bacteria's forums have developed Project Unity, an attempt to natively address 20 consoles across 17 actual platforms folded into a single device. The gamepad, arguably the centerpiece, includes two each of analog sticks and directional pads, along with multiple shoulder buttons and a central button grid that can either be used to steer an Intellivision or fill in for otherwise missing controls. Stuffing the unique controller hardware into one gamepad obviously presents problems with board sizes and the laws of physics, so much of the relevant circuitry sits in modified NES cartridges. Our only dismays are the lack of original Xbox support and the slightly imposing challenge of aggregating and modifying that much classic gaming componentry in one place -- if you're more concerned about convenience in your retro gaming than preserving the original feel of that Sega Master System or SNK NeoGeo, though, you've just found Utopia.
Rare Commodore KIM-1 hits eBay, shows you the PET's barebones roots
Most of us think of Commodore's pre-C64 computing history in terms of the still-legendary PET-2001, but an eBay auction run by Lawrence Bezuska shows just how far back the tradition really goes. He's selling a KIM-1, the stripped-down hobbyist computer from Chuck Peddle that was the foundation for what the PET became. It's so old that it was originally made by MOS Technologies in 1976 -- Commodore bought the company and kept making the KIM-1 until 1981. Inside, you're still looking at a 6502 chip, although you get just 1.12Kb of RAM and lose more than a few things that even DIY enthusiasts take for granted today, such as a power supply. There's no way you'll play Doom on it, then, but the winning bidder does get the luxury of a keypad just inches away from bare circuitry. If you're quick enough to make the May 17th auction deadline and miss the days of very, very low-level programming, be sure to check the source link.
Commodore founder and former Atari owner Jack Tramiel passes away
Computer and video game industry pioneer Jack Tramiel died today at the age of 83, his family reported. Tramiel, a Holocaust survivor, is best known for two achievements in the industry: the founding of Commodore International and the 1984 purchase of Atari Inc.'s post-crash consumer division from Warner.Tramiel helped (re)revive Atari by starting a computer business there, launching the Atari ST and other desktop computers alongside new video game hardware like the Atari 7800 and Lynx.
Commodore founder Jack Tramiel passes away at age 83
Terribly sad news from the family of Jack Tramiel today. The Polish-born businessman is perhaps best known in the technology universe for his founding of Commodore International, the company responsible for the Commodore 64, 128, Amiga, etc. Tramiel's story is an inspiring one; he was born into a Jewish family, and during World War II, was sent to Auschwitz. He was rescued in April of 1945, and some 39 years later he purchased Atari Inc.'s Consumer division and formed the Atari Corporation that is so well recognized in gaming lore. As first reported by Forbes, Martin Goldberg -- a writer working on a book about the Atari brand and the early days of video games and computing with Atari Museum founder Curt Vendel -- had this to say: "Jack Tramiel was an immense influence in the consumer electronics and computing industries. A name once uttered in the same vein as Steve Jobs is today, his journey from concentration camp survivor to captain of industry is the stuff of legends." Tramiel leaves behind his wife, three sons and their extended families.
Commodore Amiga Mini PC revealed: Core i7, 16GB of RAM and a Blu-ray drive
Yeah, an optical drive. You know, for folks who still appreciate the passing fads of life. Bitterness aside, Commodore is following up its retro-fabulous C64x with a new small-form-factor PC, the Amiga Mini. While not much of a looker, this box houses a potent 3.5GHz Core i7-2700k CPU, 16GB of DDR3 memory, NVIDIA's GeForce GT 430 (1GB), a WiFi radio and a 1TB HDD that can be swapped out for a 300GB or 600GB solid state drive. There's a slot-loading Blu-ray drive by default, internal space for a pair of 2.5-inch drives and a predictable Amiga logo burned right onto the front panel. Unfortunately, the well-specced base model tips the pricing scales at $2,495, but that does include a copy of its Commodore OS Vision. The company's also revealing the C64x Supreme, the new VIC mini and a more powerful VIC-Slim keyboard computer (which now includes an HDMI output), all detailed in the presser past the break.Update: Citing "consumer outcry," Commodore has lowered the entry price of the machine you see above to $1,995. For those of you who paid $500 more yesterday -- well, as least you've got a refund headed your way.
Commodore USA goes Extreme, stuffs a 2.2GHz quad-core i7 into its C64x
We've loved Commodore USA's C64 computer recreations ever since it began producing them back in 2010. Much to our delight, the company recently outed its third variant, the C64x Extreme. This unit features the '80s flair we've come to appreciate, but supercharged to 2011 spec. Crammed inside its case is a 2.2GHz Intel core i7 quad-core CPU (capable of turbo boosting to 3.3GHz), 8GB of DDR3 RAM, Intel HD integrated graphics and a spacious 2TB HDD. Externally, you'll find a duo of USB 3.0 ports, a triplet of USB 2.0 ports and an eSATA connection, along with HDMI, 3.5mm S/PDIF, VGA and DVI ports for A/V hookups. Best of all, it's loaded with Bluetooth, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, an Ethernet port and even a DVD-RW drive on its side. The C64X-Ex will initially come loaded with Linux Mint 11, and it'll fully support Windows once the company's "retro inspired" Commodore OS Vision becomes available. Of course, the C64x-Ex's blend of vintage looks and modern-day power will cost ya -- to a tune of $1,500. If that's cool by your books, Commodore USA plans to ship orders placed by November 25th before December 15th. Full press release after the break.
New Commodore C64 gets stacked against the original, deemed a worthy successor (video)
We know a few of you have been waiting with bated breath for the retooled Commodore C64 to arrive, so we're not at all surprised that the first people to claim one are wasting no time putting its tactile keys through its paces. In that clip you see below, YouTube user "EternalPtah" places the three decades-old original next to its Atom-powered successor, comparing everything from the beige color to the height of the function keys. All told, he reassures us, the twenty-first century iteration is a worthy follow-up to the vintage model, even if it does replace the power light with a button. If you've got four minutes to spare, hit play for what will probably be the most nostalgic hands-on you see this week. [Thanks, Ian]
Commodore USA begins shipping replica C64s next week, fulfilling your beige breadbox dreams (video)
If you're like us, you've probably been holding your breath in anticipation since Commodore USA announced its replica of the famous C64. It promised a keyboard PC that duplicated the original's retro-beige finish, with an Atom CPU and an NVIDIA Ion graphics card under the hood. But despite numerous announcements, and even after a cross-promotion with Tron: Legacy, they've yet to ship any products. The latest word from the company has pre-orders shipping next week, in five different varieties, from a barebones chassis and card reader to the C64x Ultimate – an $895 machine that includes 1TB hard drive and a Blu-ray player. If you haven't been teased enough over the past year of delays, hit the video after the break for more preview images.
Commodore USA puts the new C64 up for pre-sales, unveils far-less-retrotastic VIC-Slim
Now that Commodore USA has sufficiently piqued your curiosity with a revamped Commodore 64 prototype, it's ready to capitalize on the idea. Quite literally, we might add. $595 buys you the basic basic model with an 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Atom D525 chip, NVIDIA ION 2 graphics, 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive -- which it promises to deliver by "early June" -- with hundred-dollar increments adding premium features like an additional 2GB of memory, a Blu-Ray drive, up to 1TB of storage, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth. However, if you're simply looking for a compact keyboard computer (rather than reliving 80's nostalgia) there's another option on tap -- a likely rebadged thin wedge of a machine that Commodore's calling the VIC-Slim. Even at just $395, though, something tells us it won't be the "wonder computer" of 2011.
Commodore USA's all new C64 finds a friend in Tron on the road to availability
Been a bit skeptical of Commodore USA's promise to bring back the venerable Commodore 64 with some up-to-date PC specs? We can't blame you, but the company is now working to change some minds, and is finally proving that it is in fact the real deal. In addition to revealing some pictures of an early prototype a little while back (pictured after the break), the company has also somehow managed to team up with Disney, and it will be promoting the new C64s with an ad included with every copy of Tron: Legacy (pictured above). Still no word of an actual release date, unfortunately, but Commodore USA will apparently be launching a new website tomorrow to coincide with the DVD and Blu-ray release, so hopefully it will have a few more details to share then. In the meantime, you can check out more prototype shots at the link below.
The Commodore 64 returns as a modern PC
If you want a working Commodore 64 in your home, but would also like something that you could actually use as a computer, somehow there's now a product to fit your needs. The new Commodore 64x looks as much like the beige wedge of old as you could ever expect, but has an Intel Dual Core 525 Atom processor, 2GB of RAM, and an Nvidia Ion 2 graphics chipset. Though it's now a PC in C64 clothing, it's also designed to run the original software, using either an emulator or a custom Workbench 5 operating system, both of which are included. No release date or price information has been announced yet, but you can stare at pictures of the prototype in our gallery while you wait for information on your new Impossible Mission machine.%Gallery-111797%
Commodore USA to relaunch Amiga brand with series of AROS desktops
Barry's back, kids! The CEO of Commodore USA just informed us that, in addition to slapping Commodore stickers on various all-in-one PCs, he has acquired the rights to the Amiga name (we only hope that the process went a little smoother this time around). The plan is to sell machines that fully support AROS -- an open source variant of AmigaOS 3.1 that y'all seem to go crazy for. We can't wait to get a look at these bad boys, but for now we'll have to settle with the picture of an old Amiga 3000 he inexplicably included with the PR. The PR, that is, that can be seen in its entirety after the break.
Commodore USA announces the PC64, an Atom-powered PC in a replica Commodore case
We have a fondness for Commodore computers (as you've probably noticed by now) and we are psyched that Commodore USA is still flying the flag for the once-ubiquitous brand, but as they always are in this biz, things are a little... complicated. We were first contacted way back in March when the company shared the news that it had acquired the rights to sell PCs under the name. Then what happened? Turns out this was not exactly the case... although CEO Barry Altman assured us that they were on their way towards hammering out a deal. And here we are, in possession of a press release saying that indeed, Commodore USA, LLC, and Commodore Licensing B.V. have finally come to an agreement, meaning that your subsequent purchases will at least come with a Commodore decal. But that ain't all! This also paves the way for the company's newest offering, the Commodore PC64, an Intel Atom-powered PC featuring 4GB DDR3 memory, SATA 1TB HDD, HDMI output, optical drive (either DVD/CD or optional Blu-ray), and more -- all in "an exact replica" of the original beige C64 chassis. Of course, doing any significant amount of work with the original Commodore keyboard will probably be a challenge, but we like to think we're up to it. As always, we'll believe it when we see it, but in the meantime we'd like to be the first to formally request a review unit. If everything goes according to plan, this bad boy should be out in time for the holidays. PR after the break.
