Commodure USA PC64

[mongo]

They are a furniture company operating under the names Hooker Fine Furniture and Homecraft.  They do appear to have a nice collection of "bathroom vanities."  Maybe they'll cut you a deal on a rebranded ZPC and a vanity as a package!

Hooker/Homecraft

Homecraft is not Hooker Furniture, despite how it may appear on their website.

I'm also pretty sure Homecraft doesn't actually manufacture anything or have warehouse facilities in Los Angeles, Dallas, Nashville and Miami.

[MickJT]

Who's CommodUre?

[Belial6]

I can understand the skepticism, but the outright hate that is being thrown at this is silly.  For example, Piru.  Yes, they violated copyright.  It happens all the time.  Big companies do it, small companies do it, and virtually every individual in the developed world does it.  You did it when you made the post complaining about it.

Also, VingtTrois.  You might not believe that they are on the up and up, but claiming that a company who is advertising a C64 replica case has nothing to do with Commodore is disingenuous.

To everyone complaining that they are a furniture company... That isn't a bad thing.  None of the electronics companies are going to touch this kind of a project.  The fact that an existing business would pick it up is a positive sign.  Yes, it may be a small business, but it indicates that it isn't someone sitting in their basement thinking they can collect a few checks and then disappear.  Obviously, this is someone that wants to see Commodore computers back out on the market.

Yes, CommodoreUSA started out in a questionable fashion, but so do a lot of businesses.  Sure, from the sounds of it, they were taking stock machines, slapping on a different label and then reselling it.  That is the way the x86 industry (as well as many others) has worked since day one.  Ok, not day one, but it started before the 286 was even released.

If a CommodoreUSA releases a PC in a replica C64 case, and it is not totally botched, they will have added something very useful to the retro computing industry.  I know that I would buy one if the price was even close to reasonable.  I bought a MiniMig, I bought a C-One, and I will buy a FPGA Arcade.  If a replica case was available for the MiniMig and/or the FPGA, I would buy those as well.  If a replica Amiga case was available with an x86 inside, I would seriously consider it.

Emulation on a lot of these systems is good enough at this point that with the right start up setup, many people wouldn't be able to identify that they were not the original machines.  I would like that.  Just as I like WinUAE and Vice.  If the PC64 does make it to market, and it fits the case right, and all the keys work, the last piece that I would really hope they do is include a tiny bootable USB thumbdrive with a stripped down Linux.  Just enough to run Vice, and they set it up to to autoload Vice.

It would be a beautiful thing to be able to buy a brand new C64, where it boots up and runs just like the original, but if you pull the tiny thumb drive out of the back and reboot, it is a full x84 computer.

[mongo]

If a CommodoreUSA releases a PC in a replica C64 case, and it is not totally botched, they will have added something very useful to the retro computing industry.

Yes. A PC with a useless keyboard.

[ferrellsl]

@Piru

I think he should feel flattered that they've used his work, but you are correct.  There should have been an agreement.

[ferrellsl]

@mongo

What's useless about it?  My trusty old C64 keyboard served me well for years.  It wasn't useless then and it isn't useless now.  This one should be no different and since you can re-map the keys under Windows, you can reconfigure them however you'd like.

And it's perfect for those who want to emulate a C64.  If it really bothers you, just plug a regular USB keyboard into one of the USB ports.

[mongo]

@mongo

What's useless about it?  My trusty old C64 keyboard served me well for years.  It wasn't useless then and it isn't useless now.  This one should be no different and since you can re-map the keys under Windows, you can reconfigure them however you'd like.

And it's perfect for those who want to emulate a C64.  If it really bothers you, just plug a regular USB keyboard into one of the USB ports.

Yeah. The keyboard is great if all you want to use it for is to emulate a C64, but if you're going to do that, you might as well just use a C64. It's not like they are in short supply, and I bet they're a hell of a lot cheaper.

If you're going to use it as a PC, it's missing about 35 keys.

Adding a USB keyboard kind of defeats the whole point of a computer in a keyboard, doesn't it?

[ferrellsl]

@mongo

Nobody missed any keys back in the C64's heydays.  I don't think anyone who wants one of these will miss them now.  Most of the missing keys are unused by most people anyway.

And no, it doesn't defeat the purpose.  People buy net top/set top boxes all the time and they don't have ANY keyboard.  This is really no different.  Add a USB keyboard or get a touch screen LCD or use a soft keyboard if the missing keys really bother you so much.  Or just re-map the C64 keys the way you want them.

[mongo]

@mongo

Nobody missed any keys back in the C64's heydays.  I don't think anyone who wants one of these will miss them now.  Most of the missing keys are unused by most people anyway.

And no, it doesn't defeat the purpose.  People buy net top/set top boxes all the time and they don't have ANY keyboard.  This is really no different.  Add a USB keyboard or get a touch screen LCD or use a soft keyboard if the missing keys really bother you so much.  Or just re-map the C64 keys the way you want them.

You're kidding, right?

[ferrellsl]

@mongo

You're trolling, right?

[mongo]

@mongo

You're trolling, right?

Nope.

[Belial6]

Yes, Mongo is trolling.  Either that, or he cannot see past his own nose.

The fact that it wouldn't be for everyone, doesnt mean that it wouldn't be for anyone.  The debate on whether emulation is worthwhile or not has been long hashed out and decided.  This would be the most realistic emulation anyone could hope for.  Using it as a standard PC would be buying as a functional piece of art.

[mongo]

Yes, Mongo is trolling.  Either that, or he cannot see past his own nose.

The fact that it wouldn't be for everyone, doesnt mean that it wouldn't be for anyone.  The debate on whether emulation is worthwhile or not has been long hashed out and decided.  This would be the most realistic emulation anyone could hope for.  Using it as a standard PC would be buying as a functional piece of art.

What sane person buys an expensive custom made PC to emulate a $10 C64?

Is that worthwhile? Who decided that?

Is the PC emulating the $10 C64 more realistic than the $10 C64?

The lack of a proper keyboard makes this anything but functional as a PC.

The reason "Nobody missed any keys back in the C64's heydays" is because they were running software that was designed to run on a computer with the C64's keyboard, and the claim that "Most of the missing keys are unused by most people anyway" is completely absurd.

Tab key? Alt key? Esc key? More than 4 function keys? Separate cursor keys? Don't need those. Who uses those anyway?

Doesn't really matter though, because all Commodore USA has the ability to manufacture is bullshit.

[Belial6]

What sane person buys an expensive custom made PC to emulate a $10 C64?

The kind that wants a new machine that can use USB joysticks, has networking, will use .d64 files, and wants to know that when they are not using the machine to emulate the C64, they could use it for other, more standard things.

Is that worthwhile? Who decided that?

Every single person that uses it.  Something being worthwhile does not require EVERYONE to find worth in it, only SOMEONE.[/QUOTE]

Is the PC emulating the $10 C64 more realistic than the $10 C64?

No, but it would be more realistic than any other machine emulating the C64, including a real C64.

The lack of a proper keyboard makes this anything but functional as a PC.

Wrong.  It would be totally function for running C64 emulation software, AND it would be fully function for running general PC software with a standard keyboard plugged in.  The fact that you don't find value in an attractive case, or don't find this particular case attractive doesn't mean that the computer isn't functional.  The thousands of PC cases that are sold based on their aesthetics shows that many people DO consider the look of their PCs to be important.

The reason "Nobody missed any keys back in the C64's heydays" is because they were running software that was designed to run on a computer with the C64's keyboard, and the claim that "Most of the missing keys are unused by most people anyway" is completely absurd.

That is true, but that doesn't mean that there are not uses for this machine that would make the missing keys irrelevant.  For example, emulation of a C64, as a Media PC that is controlled by a remote control, or as a small server where no one is going to sit in front of it anyway.  My guess is that the majority of people that would buy this either would use it as a C64 emulation platform or would hook a wireless keyboard and mouse up to it, so the functioning keys on the case would be primarily for aesthetics.

Doesn't really matter though, because all Commodore USA has the ability to manufacture is bullshit.

Well, that may be true, so and all of this amount to nothing, but it doesn't change the fact that there are plenty of people who would love to buy something like this if it were to actually make it to market.

[Piru]

You did it when you made the post complaining about it.

"Fair use is a doctrine in United States copyright law that allows limited use of copyrighted material without requiring permission from the rights holders, such as for commentary, criticism, news reporting, research, teaching or scholarship."

[Piru]

@Piru

I think he should feel flattered that they've used his work

If it was my work I'd be horrified it was connected to such an operation.

BTW Marko Hirv works as an Art Director in advertising. I doubt he'd be very happy to see his work being used uncredited.