i bought a commodore 128 when i was a kid, my first computer. great machine but not much native 128 software, mostly for c64 mode, and the cp/m mode was virtually useless.
@HRHShawnPendragone I avoided wikipedia and got this from old computers instead: "The Commodore 128 was launched at the Las-Vegas Consumer Electronic Show 1985."
And I've never seen of any mention of the Amiga being launched in 84, in fact the Atari ST was launched before the Amiga 1000, and that was in 85.
As far as capitalism goes the 128 didn't really earn Commodore much money, that was the whole point.
@BricktownBubba I guess maybe the 128 was intended as a competitor for Apple's business machines. They just never got it to take off in the business market. Actually being pre-occupied with getting Commodores into offices was the downfall of Commodore. Their strength lied in being a great consumer machine. +4 and 128 were simply silly attempts that inevitably killed their progress in the computer market.
@adric22 Spoken by someone that was a baby at the time it came out.
I had one from its inception. It was anything but a failure. There were not only many, many productivity packages out, but also a few games and quite a few BBS packages. I know, I ran a BBS and used a 128 from 1986 through 1990. I still have two of them, along with a collection of 1571s, 1581s and two hard drives designed for the Commodore.
If you don't know, research before you type. If you have no experience, don't comment.
@tomperanteau - I was 13 years old when I got a C128, not a baby. And I know pretty much everything about the machine, I even write code for it, along with the C64, VIC-20, and Plus/4. I think I have experience.
@adric22 Not true, but you would have to have been around at the time of launch to understand it. A lot of programmers loved the 128 because of its banking of memory and expansion capabilities, not to mention the dedicated 64k of video memory that could be used for many things in the hands of a good programmer.
they could have saved a lot of money by leaving out the Z-80 cpu and CP/M OS ..I don't think many people used it with CP/M..they could have had a 3 1/2" floppy inside, included GEOS and a mouse they woulda sold zillions more
I think they wanted to break into the business PC market. There were a whole lot of business apps for CP/M.
As people loved to make games for the C64, business people just didn't take it seriously, they thought that it was just a toy, compared to the IBM PC. Same went for Amiga, as I have heard business people did not believe they can use it for any serious task.
@feamatar well Commodore had many business machines ( 8032 4032 Super Pet etc ) since their name is Commodore Business Machines ( CBM )..they didn't have color displays
unfortunately the C128 was a completely fail. No one used it in the C128-mode and the Z80 was (in use with the memory) only about as half fast as other Z80 computers. So most of the users used him only in C64mode. And it was not as much compatible as the native C64.
Commodore sold four million C128s between 1985-9. There were over 250 commercial C128-specific software/hardware offerings available, and another 500 or so if you count the programs from the Loadstar disk magazine. The system was not as successful as intended, but it was hardly a :completely failure".
i bought a commodore 128 when i was a kid, my first computer. great machine but not much native 128 software, mostly for c64 mode, and the cp/m mode was virtually useless.
justaguythinking 4 weeks ago
Jack would never have approved this machine. Too expensive! Not for the masses.
Thunderblade64 3 months ago
@HRHShawnPendragone I avoided wikipedia and got this from old computers instead: "The Commodore 128 was launched at the Las-Vegas Consumer Electronic Show 1985."
And I've never seen of any mention of the Amiga being launched in 84, in fact the Atari ST was launched before the Amiga 1000, and that was in 85.
As far as capitalism goes the 128 didn't really earn Commodore much money, that was the whole point.
Are you trolling, or just very stupid?
TheCarambah 3 months ago
@HRHShawnPendragone Your dad must have worked at Commodore and brought home prototypes.
TheCarambah 3 months ago
I miss my c64 days.. My supervisor at work has one with 100's of games still working he offered it to be for £10.. i'm going to take that puppy
Pappy55 3 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
"shaky pc market" market research - FAIL
SortedGeeza 4 months ago
"shaky pc market" market research - FAIL
SortedGeeza 4 months ago
I wish I still had my C128.
jkalin196511 4 months ago
Kind of silly making this machine when they were about to release the AMIGA.
TheCarambah 7 months ago
@TheCarambah They should have released this in 1984 and took more advantage of the 128 mode.
BricktownBubba 6 months ago
@BricktownBubba I guess maybe the 128 was intended as a competitor for Apple's business machines. They just never got it to take off in the business market. Actually being pre-occupied with getting Commodores into offices was the downfall of Commodore. Their strength lied in being a great consumer machine. +4 and 128 were simply silly attempts that inevitably killed their progress in the computer market.
TheCarambah 6 months ago
@TheCarambah Did you own one?
tomperanteau 3 months ago
@tomperanteau Went from the 64 straight to the Amiga.
TheCarambah 3 months ago
Comment removed
TheDustpile 8 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Computer chronicles.... Will have to check it out!
midbluemac 8 months ago
Computer chronicles
midbluemac 8 months ago
sys 64738
bionic36 9 months ago
@bionic36 only a true commodore ubergeek would know what that command did ;)
BricktownBubba 6 months ago
You just have to love a time when you could crack a game by recording it from taperecorder to taperecorder and leave out the initial "protection"...
And yeah.. Go64 was the standard line... Still got mine, and a Vic20 :D
Hopefulfilment 9 months ago
Yep- the 128 was a failure in so many ways.. Everybody who owned one just used it as a C64, paying all that extra money for nothing.
adric22 9 months ago
@adric22 Spoken by someone that was a baby at the time it came out.
I had one from its inception. It was anything but a failure. There were not only many, many productivity packages out, but also a few games and quite a few BBS packages. I know, I ran a BBS and used a 128 from 1986 through 1990. I still have two of them, along with a collection of 1571s, 1581s and two hard drives designed for the Commodore.
If you don't know, research before you type. If you have no experience, don't comment.
tomperanteau 7 months ago
@tomperanteau - I was 13 years old when I got a C128, not a baby. And I know pretty much everything about the machine, I even write code for it, along with the C64, VIC-20, and Plus/4. I think I have experience.
adric22 7 months ago
@adric22 It had great potential, especially with word processor software and their 128 mode terminal programs blew away anything the 64 had.
BricktownBubba 6 months ago
@adric22 Not true, but you would have to have been around at the time of launch to understand it. A lot of programmers loved the 128 because of its banking of memory and expansion capabilities, not to mention the dedicated 64k of video memory that could be used for many things in the hands of a good programmer.
tomperanteau 3 months ago
@tomperanteau "A lot of programmers loved the 128 because of its banking of memory and expansion capabilities,"
Well, that's at least 300 satisfied customers then.
TheCarambah 3 months ago
@TheCarambah Where did you get your numbers?
tomperanteau 3 months ago
@tomperanteau It was more intended as a joke. As in
- Why did they stop making Crystal Pepsi! I used to buy it all the time!
- Well, that's at least 15 bottles they would have sold!
Or
- Why did that bar close?
-Seems they were making too much money!
TheCarambah 3 months ago
@TheCarambah The 128 sold over 4 million units.
tomperanteau 3 months ago
@tomperanteau All right, I will you grant you that was a little more than I expected.
TheCarambah 3 months ago
1:30 working for free
dogcatmouse23 1 year ago
And then came the AMIGA!!! :D
amigapoika 1 year ago
10 Print "Gateway to Apshai"
20 GOTO 10
RUN
cauffin 1 year ago 5
they could have saved a lot of money by leaving out the Z-80 cpu and CP/M OS ..I don't think many people used it with CP/M..they could have had a 3 1/2" floppy inside, included GEOS and a mouse they woulda sold zillions more
xadam2dudex 1 year ago
@xadam2dudex
I think they wanted to break into the business PC market. There were a whole lot of business apps for CP/M.
As people loved to make games for the C64, business people just didn't take it seriously, they thought that it was just a toy, compared to the IBM PC. Same went for Amiga, as I have heard business people did not believe they can use it for any serious task.
feamatar 1 year ago
@feamatar well Commodore had many business machines ( 8032 4032 Super Pet etc ) since their name is Commodore Business Machines ( CBM )..they didn't have color displays
xadam2dudex 1 year ago
They both (c128 and c64) both support GEOS with small mods, AMIGA-MEN!!!!
traceyrmj2 1 year ago
some immigrant built my 64! "gross"
560287144602817 1 year ago
128 K
theman7431 1 year ago
oh... so commodore 128 has 128 kb of memory
pufixas 1 year ago
so thats why I used to have to type go64!! Its all becoming clear now!!
gorbindar 1 year ago
Too bad it failed, the C64 compatibility is a real plus
Doom2Guy 1 year ago
@Doom2Guy
It failed because it offered too little and too late. Soon Amiga was announced which was a huuuge step forward!
Greetings from a C64, C128 and Amiga 500 owner.
mac9876ab 1 year ago
Bare hands touching electronic components,how times have changed !
1dosucol1 2 years ago 3
what happened to the Commodore company? It was so successful w/ C64
kakamatyi2 2 years ago
ah the glorious 80's - POKE 808,234
jahovahut 2 years ago
i'd love to know how many people used it as a CP/M machine and if so what for?
I only used it for file management
khisanth75 2 years ago
unfortunately the C128 was a completely fail. No one used it in the C128-mode and the Z80 was (in use with the memory) only about as half fast as other Z80 computers. So most of the users used him only in C64mode. And it was not as much compatible as the native C64.
Pommes1983 2 years ago
"used him only in C64mode" ... wat o_O
Fiilis1 2 years ago
what do you mean with wat?
The C128 has an "integrated native C64".
Pommes1983 2 years ago
Commodore sold four million C128s between 1985-9. There were over 250 commercial C128-specific software/hardware offerings available, and another 500 or so if you count the programs from the Loadstar disk magazine. The system was not as successful as intended, but it was hardly a :completely failure".
saehn 2 years ago
that is a really low amount compared to the C64 and if you look at the size of Commodore..
Pommes1983 2 years ago
I must have missed this episode of Computer Chronicles, because this would have BLOWN MY MIND.
nutherefurlong 2 years ago
Commodores are cool!
5150evhpug 2 years ago
are you talking about the computers or the navy rank? ;)
orcsheaddriller 2 years ago
lol the computer. +_+
5150evhpug 2 years ago