Type | Home computer |
---|---|
Release date | August 1982[1][2] |
Introductory price | US$ 595 (1982) |
Discontinued | April 1994 |
Units sold | 12.5[3] – 17[4] million |
Operating system | Commodore KERNAL/ Commodore BASIC 2.0 GEOS (optionally) |
CPU | MOS Technology 6510 @ 1.023 MHz (NTSC version) @ 0.985 MHz (PAL version) |
Memory | 64 kB RAM + 20 kB ROM |
Graphics | VIC-II (320 × 200, 16 colors, sprites, raster interrupt) |
Sound | SID 6581 (3× Osc, 4× wave, filter, ADSR, ring) |
Connectivity | 2× CIA 6526 joystick, Power, ROM cartridge, RF, A/V, IEEE-488 floppy-printer, digital tape, GPIO/RS-232 |
Predecessor | Commodore VIC-20 |
Successor | Commodore 128 |
The Commodore 64 was a bestselling, 8-bit home computer from the 1980s. It was created by Commodore International, and it entered the market in 1982. Around 17 million units are believed to have been sold.[5] The Commodore 64 is often credited with making personal computers popular amongst the masses. This quality sparked comparisons with the Ford Model T.[6][7] The Commodore 64 was offered at relatively low prices,[8] and was available in malls, department stores, and toy stores instead of solely in the shops of authorized dealers.[5][9]