The Commodore 64 is back!

7 Apr 2011

People who remember the Commodore 64 and even its predecessor the VIC-20 are in for a treat. Commodore is bringing out a modern PC that sits inside the shell of the iconic 1980s personal computer.

While the machine itself is in reality a modern Ubuntu 10.04-powered computer, nostalgic computer users who want to go back in time will be delighted to know that Commodore has started taking orders for the Commodore 64, which will be priced at US$595.

They will start shipping in May and June and will appear in shops around the world later this year.

The 2011 Commodore 64

The latest incarnation of the Commodore 64 will pack significantly more firepower than the 1982 model, which had just 64k of RAM and 20k of ROM.

The new Commodore 64 will come with a dual-core Intel Atom D525 1.8GHz microprocessor that comes standard in the latest netbooks.

It will also boast an integrated Nvidia graphics chip and there is an option of equipping a model with a Blu-ray DVD player.

However, for retro computer fans who want to revel in the past, the Commodore OS 1.0 and a classic game package will be sent to buyers during the year.

Commodore 64 startup screen

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com