Never seen a C264 Before...

[mdv2000]

Saw this on ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ160420469681QQ

Was this the rumored "after Amiga" C64 predecessor?

Just curious...

[mongo]

It's a Plus/4 without the 3+1 software.

[save2600]

Was this the rumored "after Amiga" C64 predecessor?

Just curious...

In one of my old Amiga magazines, I just read about a machine that was supposed to be kind of a hybrid between the C64 and Amiga, called the C65. The editor was funny about the machine. He pretty much said: "umm, yeah.... Commodore, you could just kind of leave the prototype and schematics on Atari's front door if you want". lol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_65

[Ilwrath]

Wow...  Yeah, I hadn't seen a C=264 before, outside of old magazine ads mentioning it as upcoming.  It does appear there are a few out there in the wild.  A quick google confirmed someone has already captured a ROM image of one, so that is cool.  I guess they're out there, I just hadn't seen one before.

(@save2600 - the C65 is fairly well known, and prototypes for it surface surface for sale once a year or so...  It's got a somewhat legendary status around here, for some reason.)

[save2600]

It's always amazed me how much time, energy, R&D, etc. was wasted on things like the C128, C128D, 1581, 1571, C264, C65 and whatever else those dummies (C=) had on their plates when they should have been putting all that effort into the Amiga all along. IMO. Okay, *maybe* not the C128, but that machine was a little too late in its arrival. Guess that happens when you're used to competing with yourself.  lol

[Nostalgiac]

indeed *not* the c128... it was a nice upgrade (expanded to 640k) and certainly more affordable then any Amiga at the time. I got one because my c64 blew up - would I have gotten one if not ?... prob not, but it served me well

Tom UK

[scuzzb494]

Saw this on ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ160420469681QQ

Was this the rumored "after Amiga" C64 predecessor?

Just curious...

The ill fated 264 range....

These competed with the C64 and really never caught on . The C264 was a prototype which became the Plus/4  Kinda like the C116... Never successful as they were incomatible with the 64 stuff... Big failure.

And so... A very collectable piece of kit. I have the C116 and Plus/4 but not one of these so very interesting.

http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com/amiga/amiga_scuzz23.htm

http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com/amiga/amiga_scuzz26.htm

You can read more here

http://www.commodore.ca/products/264/Commodore_264_family.htm

scuzz
http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com

[klx300r]

makes me laugh that people spend a crap load on this stuff and then complain about how expensive brand new hardware is to run OS4.1

[scuzzb494]

It's always amazed me how much time, energy, R&D, etc. was wasted on things like the C128, C128D, 1581, 1571, C264, C65 and whatever else those dummies (C=) had on their plates when they should have been putting all that effort into the Amiga all along. IMO. Okay, *maybe* not the C128, but that machine was a little too late in its arrival. Guess that happens when you're used to competing with yourself.  lol

The C128 was fully developed and released in January 1985 before the release of the Amiga. During the sales of the Amiga 1000 Commodore was still making more money out of the C64 and C128. Sadly by even 1985 Commodore were in financial trouble. There was no A500, A600, A1200, A3000, A2000, A4000 etc etc and Commodore had no idea of the strengths or failures of an emerging giant on the market. If you study the history of the Amiga you will realise that much of the development of the Amiga was done without Commodore really understanding what the guys were up to.

As to the Commodore range.. you need to look at this in context of the years up to 1985 and see that the C128 was a very good computer. There was nothing wrong really. The Amiga itself was a giant leap in its own right. The team worked independently of the Commodore team.

Here is an Amiga 1000 and a C128D... I am guessing the Amiga guys did trip over to the C128 development team and have a look at what they were doing with the casing.

http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com/amiga/a1000/a36_a100005.jpg

http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com/amiga/a1000/a37_a100006.jpg

http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com/amiga/a1000/a38_a100007.jpg

http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com/amiga/amiga_scuzz17.htm

scuzz

[Fester]

I've never heard of this machine 'til now. The trivia section of the Wikipedia page for the Plus/4 says: "The Plus/4 was originally named the Commodore 264 during prototype stage".

There was apparently some kind of unreleased C=V364 prototype to according to same...

[scuzzb494]

makes me laugh that people spend a crap load on this stuff and then complain about how expensive brand new hardware is to run OS4.1

Older kit can be seen as an investement and subject of real joy for those that like computing. I would certainly pay far more for an older piece of kit than a piece of hardware that was capeable of running say OS4.1.

I only support machines with badges on anyway and the Amiga was hardware and software. OS4.1 is an operating system not a computer so you cannot compare this with a true Amiga or Commodore. When a true Amiga is again released I will pay whatever is asked. It is doubtful that will ever happen so I will continue to enjoy computing through the window of retro.

And there is a growing band of folk that are doing just the same.

scuzz
http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com

[save2600]

@Scuzz: For the record, I am not ripping on the 128. While I totally skipped the concept back in the day (investing in a moderately priced 8-bit machine did not make any sense to me when I knew I could purchase a used A1000 for less than $400 by late '87 and hook it to my TV). Today, I have a boxed example with 1571 sitting here begging to be used in some capacity (thanks Damion).

The C128 seems to be a really cool machine, but lets face it. Commodore was hardly in a position to market one machine, let alone 2, 3 or 4. '85 was a really strange time for computing for sure. ST and Mac seemed to pretty much force C= to release the Amiga at a time where it might have been prudent to wait another year or two. Let the C128 mature (which it never got a chance to) and perfect what was all wrong with the A1000. Imagine if C= had actually skipped the A1000 (blasphemous I know) and went straight after the 500 and 2000 in '87? It's all conjecture and hindsight is always 20/20, but just seems to me Commodore made a lot of mistakes that could have easily been avoided. I bet their fate could have been postponed a little while longer had Tramiel stayed on board. I guess I just need to read that Rise and Fall book someday

[KThunder]

The 128 was cool, but 85 was totally the wrong time for it. In 85 cp/m was dead, msdos killed it mac buried it and amiga and atari pissed on the grave. In 82 or maybe even 83 a dual boot capable c64 with cp/m would have definitely turned heads. It probably wouldnt have saved cp/m, not by itself but it would have sold.

I thought the plus4 was an interesting design but it was poorly implemented. Better, more up to date software like the plus4 had but on a cart would have been better. The video chip had some good features with lots of colors but it didnt have sprites or a sid chip.

[save2600]

I thought the plus4 was an interesting design but it was poorly implemented. Better, more up to date software like the plus4 had but on a cart would have been better. The video chip had some good features with lots of colors but it didnt have sprites or a sid chip.

I can totally remember the Plus4 mini-Infomercials back in the early 80's. Commodore was on the tele a lot and pushing that machine big time. Dirt cheap too. Still, even at 13-14, I thought there was something "up" with that machine. I knew it wasn't a Vic and knew it wasn't a C64. And yes, I worked back then (had two jobs) and saved my money. I was a potential customers for sure. I knew back then the Plus4 was a mistake and wouldn't last. Didn't help there was no support for it either in mags or otherwise. What a debacle.

[Amiga_Nut]

It's always amazed me how much time, energy, R&D, etc. was wasted on things like the C128, C128D, 1581, 1571, C264, C65 and whatever else those dummies (C=) had on their plates when they should have been putting all that effort into the Amiga all along. IMO. Okay, *maybe* not the C128, but that machine was a little too late in its arrival. Guess that happens when you're used to competing with yourself.  lol

The initial brief of what turned into the 264 series was for a $50-70 dollar 16kb full colour machine like a spiritual successor to the old VIC-20. What was released as the Commodore 16 is what this machine was supposed to be....I think we can all agree that had the C16 been $60/£50 combined with the C64 @ $199 and the Amiga 500 style machine launching BEFORE the high price niche A1000 machine then they would have had the strongest line-up of any computer company ever.

Of course Jack left and we ended up with the Plus4 at C64 prices, the A1000 at top end price for mass market (so effectively leaving the market free for Atari ST for nearly 2 years in total) and the Commodore 128D 8bit with no improved SID/VIC-II/1mz 6510 speed for the price of an Atari ST with 8mhz 68k and a superior Mac-a-like than the original $3K monochrome Mac! What a travesty.