Commodore 64 - 2025

[Reverend Benny]

Very cool, but if you are at all inclined to delve into retro computing, just buy a MiSTer.

No stake, but I can highly recommend the Mister Multisystem (1 or 2!)

MiSTer Multisystem² | All-in-one FPGA console

A next-generation, all-in-one consolised retro gaming machine which uses FPGA hardware emulation for the most accurate gaming experience.

multisystem.uk

That said it is cool to be able to still support the original creators. Especially if you must have this terrible keyboard

I can't belive i've missed this system, looks flippin cool.

I'm more of a software emulator guy so the desk wont look to messy, but it would be nice to have some retro systems. The old C64 design brings back memories, have been thinking of getting one and just have on display in my bookstand.

 

[erihp]

I can't belive i've missed this system, looks flippin cool.

I'm more of a software emulator guy so the desk wont look to messy, but it would be nice to have some retro systems. The old C64 design brings back memories, have been thinking of getting one and just have on display in my bookstand.

The Multisystem hardware is neat because it ‘console-izes’ the traditional MiSTer ‘stack’ into something you can easily set down in front of a modern TV and enjoy without a mess of cables everywhere.

Check out the documentation, particularly the Cores sections, for all of the retro consoles, computers and arcade machines it supports!

MiSTer FPGA Documentation

MiSTer FPGA is an open source project that aims to recreate various classic computers, game consoles, and arcade machines, using modern hardware.

mister-devel.github.io

 

[Larsvonhier]

very familiar!

love the demoscene, wish it was more prevalent in the USA, on the bucket list is make it to a proper compo.

Yeah, try to head to
- Sommarhack
- SilliVenture
- Revision
those are the sweet spots in Europe!

 

[nathansz]

I stumbled upon that the original designers of the commodore 64 bought back the rights and are looking to produce a nostalgic version of the C64. I never owned own, I debated between this and the Color Computer, and in many ways I had regretted the move. It wasn't too long until I actually saved up the money to buy a IBM PC/XT, but that's a story for another thread

Modernized Commodore 64 remake with 99% compatibility coming soon

Home | Commodore

Honouring the past. Innovating the future. This is the first real Commodore computer in over 30 years, and it's picked up a few new tricks.

www.commodore.net

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my first computer

remember learning to type by typing in game code from magazines

I still spend a decent amount of times playing c64 games in vice

 

[maflynn]

I just got my C64

 

[smirking]

remember learning to type by typing in game code from magazines

And then to save our work, we saved it to a cassette tape. Only one problem. The programs rarely worked. Anything longer than 200 lines was certain to have a typo in it, either yours or the book’s… usually both.

This is our generation’s version of “when I was your age, I asked uphill through the snow both ways to get to school.”

 

[maflynn]

we saved it to a cassette tape

I remember the pain of trying to load (and save) on a cassette, it was painful and fraught with problems. Once I got a floppy disk I felt like the world opened up for me, lol

 

[edubfromktown]

I stumbled upon that the original designers of the commodore 64 bought back the rights and are looking to produce a nostalgic version of the C64. I never owned own, I debated between this and the Color Computer, and in many ways I had regretted the move. It wasn't too long until I actually saved up the money to buy a IBM PC/XT, but that's a story for another thread

Modernized Commodore 64 remake with 99% compatibility coming soon

Home | Commodore

Honouring the past. Innovating the future. This is the first real Commodore computer in over 30 years, and it's picked up a few new tricks.

www.commodore.net

View attachment 2534150

That is cool!

My 1st computer purchase was the original C=64.

(I waited until the external 5.25" floppy drive became available and plunked down for both!).

 

[TechRunner]

I remember the pain of trying to load (and save) on a cassette, it was painful and fraught with problems. Once I got a floppy disk I felt like the world opened up for me, lol

Yep. The tape backup on my Ti99/4A was an adventure, for sure.

 

[Apple fanboy]

And then to save our work, we saved it to a cassette tape. Only one problem. The programs rarely worked. Anything longer than 200 lines was certain to have a typo in it, either yours or the book’s… usually both.

This is our generation’s version of “when I was your age, I asked uphill through the snow both ways to get to school.”

So true! I remember typing for what seemed like hours to try and get some code to work. Usually without success! I was a terrible typer then. Not much better these days!

 

[smirking]

So true! I remember typing for what seemed like hours to try and get some code to work. Usually without success! I was a terrible typer then. Not much better these days!

I remember there was this one program that was the last straw for me. It was something like 1000 lines and my friend and I wanted to play it really badly. It took us all day trading off to get it typed up on his Atari 800.

Aaaand it didn’t work. We thought we messed up so we painstaking checked the whole program letter by letter together, but we typed it in perfectly. It would be the last time I ever tried to type in a program longer than 100 lines. I had no faith any of the programs longer than that were printed correctly.

 

[erihp]

I remember there was this one program that was the last straw for me. It was something like 1000 lines and my friend and I wanted to play it really badly. It took us all day trading off to get it typed in on his Atari 800.

Aaaand it didn’t work. We thought we messed up so we painstaking checked the whole program letter by letter together, but we typed it in perfectly. It would be the last time I ever tried to type in a program longer than 100 lines. I had no faith any of the programs longer than that were printed correctly.

'bad vibes' coding

 

[Reverend Benny]

I remember the pain of trying to load (and save) on a cassette, it was painful and fraught with problems. Once I got a floppy disk I felt like the world opened up for me, lol

Yea, that tied with "the final cartridge 3" or "action replay".
I love all of the massive "speed jumps" that I have experienced in the computer era, cassette to floppy, HD to SSD (and before that all different HD types)

 

[edubfromktown]

I still remember being at the Boston Computer Society during the unveiling and demonstration of the Amiga. I was blown away at how much ahead of its time that computer was.

Amiga was definitely cool.

Silicon Graphics stuff was even more of that!!

 

[drrich2]

My high school graduation gift from my parents and grandmother was a Commodore 128 system, which mostly ran in C64 mode. In a nutshell, it was like this:

1.) Put the 5.25" floppy disk with the operating system in the floppy drive and turn the computer on. Wait for it to boot up.

2.) Take that OS disk out and put in a disk with a program I wanted to run.

3.) Programs I wanted to run tended to be games the code for which I typed in from the back of computer magazines (because I was too cheap to buy the ones with disks included), in Basic or Machine Language, and when one didn't work, proof-reading the code (especially in Machine Language) was miserable, but some of those old games were surprisingly good.

4.) There was no Internet.

5.) Not much was put out for the 128, is mainly serviced as a C64, and when Commodore decided to switch to the Amiga, a different platform, they didn't look like a reliably good bunch to invest in...I don't like expensive equipment being obsoleted rather than evolved with backward compatibility.

Good times, but I'm not going back.

 

[maflynn]

in Basic or Machine Language, and when one didn't work, proof-reading the code (especially in Machine Language) was miserable

See that's where I guess we can say different strokes for different folks. I loved, absolutely loved getting the latest computer magazines, typing in the code and then debugging and trying to figure out why it didn't work.

 

[Reverend Benny]

Same here, it's funny looking back at it now. I spent a lot of time saving money to get the C64 (newer white model) and it was around €200 at the time, and when getting the 1541-II it was the same price as the C64. But that time my parents helped out with half of it.

Just reminded me that getting hold of cheap floppies was a challenge, always got the single sided ones and used a scissor to make them double sided. The pros got themselves a "cutter"

Edit: Can't remember if the floppy disks came preformated or if that had to be done before I could use them, anyone else remember?