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![]() Hardware | |
Type | Home computer |
---|---|
Release date | April 2011 |
Introductory price | US $295–895 (April 2011) |
Operating system | Ubuntu 10.10 / Commodore OS |
CPU | Dual-core Intel Atom D525 @ 1.80 GHz (Ultimate), Intel Core i7 @ 2.2 GHz Sandy Bridge (Extreme) |
Memory | 2 GB RAM expandable to 4 GB (DDR2 667/800 single-channel) (Ultimate), 8 GB expandable to 16 GB 2 × SO-DIMM DDR3 1066/1333 dual channel(Extreme) |
Storage | 1 TB hard drive (Ultimate), 3 TB (Extreme) |
Graphics | Nvidia Ion 2 with 512 MB memory, Intel HD Graphics (Extreme) |
Sound | Realtek ALC662 6-CH HD Audio Nvidia L-PCM digital audio (HDMI 1.3); can support 7.1 output with external decoder (Ultimate) |
Connectivity | mini PCI Express x1 Slot, RS-232 serial header, 4 SATA Revision 2.0 3 Gb / s Connectors with RAID 0, 1, JBOD functions (SATA#3,#4), 8 bit GPIO header, CIR header, 9-pin Audio Connector, Front Panel Connector, Fan Headers, 4-pin power connector, 12V DC jack, 1 × PS2 KB / Mouse connectors, 1 × HDMI, 1 × DVI-D, 1 × VGA, 4 × USB 2.0, 1 × RJ45 LAN (10 / 100 / 1000), 3 × 3.5 mm Audio with S/PDIF out, WiFi N (Ultimate), mini PCI Express x1 Slot, RS-232 / RS432 / RS-485 serial header, 2 × SATA Revision 3.0 6Gb / s connectors, 3 SATA Revision 2.0 3 Gb / s with RAID 0, 1, 5, JBOD functions (SATA#3,#4), 8-bit GPIO header, 9-pin Audio Connector, 24-pin ATX power connector, 12V DC jack, Front Panel Connector, fan headers, 4-pin power connector, 1 × PS2 KB / mouse connector, 1 × HDMI, 1 × DVI-D, 1 × VGA, 4 x USB 2.0, 3 × USB 3.0, 1 × RJ45 LAN, 3 × 3.5 mm Audio with S/PDIF out, WiFi N (Extreme) |
Mass | 3.1 kg |
Website | www |
The Commodore 64x is a replica PC based on the original Commodore 64, powered by x86 Intel processors ranging from the Intel Atom to the Intel Core i7. It was sold by Commodore USA starting in April 2011. [1] [2] Because Commodore USA went out of business after the death of its founder, Barry Altman, this machine as originally intended to be configured with Extreme and Ultimate models was not readily available with Commodore branding for a period of several years until it was publicly relaunched in June 2022. [3] [4] The Kickstarter was hit with a cease and desist letter from Italian Commodore Engineering who have since apologized with the result being the crowdfunding campaign going back online and achieving Kickstarter's Project We Love status. [5] [6]
The case of the C64x was designed to resemble the popular Commodore 64 in response to "overwhelming demand" from Commodore USA's customer base. [7] [8]
Volume production started in May 2011, with machines being released on to the market in June 2011 [9] at a starting price of US $595 for the Basic model and up to US $895 for an Ultimate model, and as of August 13, an Extreme version fitted with an Intel Core i7 chip with 8 GB DDR3 RAM and 3 TB hard drive for US $1499. There was a case-only version of the C64x called the Barebones available for US $295. The Barebones is currently available for £129 from UK-based My Retro Computer which purchased the injection molds from the Altman estate. [4] A VIC20 colorway C64x, never previously available, is now an option using those molds. In the intervening years in which it was largely out of public view, original hardware accessories were developed for the C64x case such as a fan grill, internal exhaust pipe, Raspberry Pi 4 mounting kit, and vent plate. [4] [10] PC Gamer which reported on how to build in the Barebones case after Commodore USA had already folded announced the official return of the Commodore 64x from My Retro Computer in 2022. [11] [12]
It shipped initially with Ubuntu 10.10 Desktop Edition, and in November 2011, Commodore USA released their own Linux derivative called Commodore OS.
The C64x is said to come bundled with Ubuntu 10.10. There is no hardware compatibility with the original C64, with software compatibility provided through the use of an emulator. [13] Ubuntu is able to run VICE, an open source program which emulates 8-bit computers, such as the Commodore 64. VICE is available for free for almost all operating systems currently in use.
As of 18 August 2011, Commodore USA announced it would be providing international keyboards and keys for its customers worldwide for the C64x, with new keyboards made with additional keys for countries/languages if it is needed. For customers outside of its main US support area, keys and keycap pullers will be provided for easy self-installation. [14]
The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International. It has been listed in the Guinness World Records as the highest-selling single 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. 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.
PowerPC is a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) instruction set architecture (ISA) created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM. PowerPC, as an evolving instruction set, has been named Power ISA since 2006, while the old name lives on as a trademark for some implementations of Power Architecture–based processors.
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Alienware Corporation is an American computer hardware subsidiary brand of Dell. Their product range is dedicated to gaming computers and can be identified by their alien-themed designs. Alienware was founded in 1996 by Nelson Gonzalez and Alex Aguila. The development of the company is also associated with Frank Azor, Arthur Lewis, Joe Balerdi, and Michael S. Dell. The company's corporate headquarters is located in The Hammocks, Miami, Florida.
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A barebone computer is a partially assembled platform or an unassembled kit of computer parts allowing more customization and lower costs than a retail computer system. They are available for desktop computer, notebook and server purposes, and in nearly any form factor. Manufacturers are also able to produce systems of a specialized or non-standard form factor, since the system is sold as a pre-built unit, with the motherboard and power supply already installed.
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A personal computer, often referred to as a PC, is a computer designed for individual use. It is typically used for tasks such as word processing, internet browsing, email, multimedia playback, and gaming. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or technician. Unlike large, costly minicomputers and mainframes, time-sharing by many people at the same time is not used with personal computers. The term home computer has also been used, primarily in the late 1970s and 1980s. The advent of personal computers and the concurrent Digital Revolution have significantly affected the lives of people in all countries.
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