History of Commodore Business Machines
Commodore Business Machines was a company that played a vital role in the development of the home computer industry in the 1970s and 1980s. The company was founded in 1954 by Jack Tramiel, an Auschwitz survivor, and initially produced typewriters and calculators. In the late 1970s, Commodore entered the personal computer market with the PET (Personal Electronic Transactor) computer. The company went on to produce several popular home computers, including the VIC-20, the Commodore 64, and the Amiga. However, the company struggled in the 1990s and eventually filed for bankruptcy in 1994.
Here are five of Commodore's top computers:
Commodore PET
The Commodore PET (Personal Electronic Transactor) was a personal computer introduced by Commodore Business Machines in 1977 and cost $ 795 which was the equivalent of $3,400 in 2021. It was one of the first personal computers to be produced by the company and played a significant role in the development of the home computer industry.
Commodore VIC-20
The Commodore VIC-20 was an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore Business Machines in 1980. At it’s release, the Vick-20 cost $299.95, that is $970 in 2021 prices. It was the first computer to sell one million units and was very popular due to its low price and ease of use. The VIC-20 had a MOS 6502 CPU, 5KB of RAM, and a built-in BASIC interpreter. It was capable of displaying 22 characters per line on a television screen and could produce simple graphics and sound. The VIC-20 was eventually succeeded by the more powerful Commodore 64.
Commodore 64
Commodore 64, also known as the C64, was an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore Business Machines in 1982 and cost $595, that is $1620 in 2021 prices . It was one of the most popular home computers of its time, with millions of units sold worldwide. The C64 had a MOS 6510 CPU, 64KB of RAM, and a built-in BASIC interpreter. It was capable of displaying 40 characters per line on a television screen and could produce advanced graphics and sound. The C64 was widely used for gaming, education, and home productivity applications.
Commodore 128
The Commodore 128, also known as the C128, was an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore Business Machines in 1985 at a price of $299. Adjusted for inflation, this would be equivalent to approximately $725 in today's currency. It was the last 8-bit computer produced by the company and was designed to be compatible with the Commodore 64 while also offering more advanced features. The C128 had a MOS 8502 CPU, 128KB of RAM, and a built-in BASIC interpreter. It was capable of displaying 80 characters per line on a monitor and could produce advanced graphics and sound. The C128 was widely used for gaming, education, and home productivity applications.
Commodore Amiga
Commodore acquired Amiga Corporation in 1984, which had been working on a next-generation computer system featuring advanced graphics and sound capabilities. Commodore used the technology developed by Amiga Corporation to create the Amiga line of computers, which were introduced in 1985.
The first Amiga model, the Amiga 1000, was released in 1985 at a price of $1,295. Adjusted for inflation, this would be equivalent to approximately $3,160 in today's currency.
The Amiga was a significant advancement over previous 8-bit home computers, featuring a custom chipset with advanced graphics and sound capabilities, and a pre-emptive multitasking operating system. The Amiga was popular for gaming, video production, and creative applications. The Amiga line of computers included several models, such as the Amiga 500, Amiga 1000, and Amiga 2000.
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