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Commodore 64 released in 1982
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Commodore 64 launched September 1, 1982, first 64K computer under $600.
It became the best-selling computer, with 12.3 million units sold.
Background
The Commodore 64 was introduced at a time when home computers were emerging, and its combination of 64KB memory and a price under $600 made it accessible. It succeeded due to its advanced graphics and sound for the era, and its longevity was aided by a large software library and continued demand into the 1990s.
How it unfolded
- Jan 1982Commodore showed prototypes at the Consumer Electronics Show, but they were not production-ready.
- Aug 1982Initial units were shipped in August, according to some engineers, to meet a September launch.
- Sep 1, 1982The Commodore 64 was officially launched, as documented in Michael Tomczyk's book.
- Jan 1983Kentron was mass-producing C-64s after quality control issues at the Santa Clara plant.
- 1984Commodore had sold about 5 million units by the end of its fiscal 1984.
- recentlyCommodore and CD Projekt Red unveiled the Commodore 77, a Cyberpunk 2077-inspired version with an exclusive 8-bit demo.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Commodore's official launch date was September 1, 1982, as stated in Michael Tomczyk's book.
- Analysts
- The C-64's success was due to its low price and high memory, but its staying power came from a well-balanced mix of compromises.
Still unverified
The exact release date is disputed; some engineers say units shipped in August, while Tomczyk's book says September 1.