Was there a pile of custom chips made for the c65 ? Or just small runs for the developers ? On Nov 3, 2017 5:46 AM, "Anthony Becker via vcf-midatlantic" < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
C65 would have (in theory) been cheaper than the 128 that included three computers in one. The 64 emulation was done in software instead of hardware and you dont have to include a Z80 processor anymore to get everything booting properly. Since most people bought floppy drives anyway, with the 65 you no longer needed two power supply bricks since both power by one, it likely would have ended up cheaper than buying a 128 and floppy.
It also included upgraded video and sound over the 128/64 with 80 column color displaying more colors on screen than the non HAM modes on the Amiga and stereo sound through two SID chips.It would have made a great machine if developed around the 128 timeframe instead of after the 1000 was out and during development of the 500 which was a machine with a lot more future in it than the 65 which was an 8-bit end of the line.
C65 was not mass produced. It was about as close to consumer production as it could get, though. It was being sent out to developers to start making hardware and software for it in preparation for mass release.That is why the casework and everything is close to finished though non have any badging yet and generally are missing finishing touches like a RAM door on the underside. Also why there are a number of them in the hands of people both from sales off of Commodore assets and from developers who had them and were getting rid of things afterit was clear Commodore was not coming out of Chapter 11 (I got mine from CMD)
On Fri, Nov 3, 2017 at 1:53 AM, John Heritage via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
Was the c65 really a prototype though ? I thought it was basically mass production ready but canned when they realized how .. poorly timed this was for the market
On Nov 2, 2017 2:06 PM, "Bill Loguidice via vcf-midatlantic" < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
Not surprised it sold that high, since it's both working and expanded, two states you rarely find with these prototypes. The FPGA-based MEGA65 can't come soon enough: http://mega65.org/
-Bill
======================================================== Bill Loguidice, Managing Director; Armchair Arcade, Inc. <http://www.armchairarcade.com> ======================================================== Authored Books <http://www.amazon.com/Bill-Loguidice/e/B001U7W3YS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_1> and Film <http://www.armchairarcade.com/film>; About me and other ways to get in touch <http://about.me/billloguidice> ========================================================
On Thu, Nov 2, 2017 at 1:15 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
I almost never post eBay auctions, but check this out: https://www.ebay.es/itm/Ultra-rare-Commodore-65-RAM-Expansio n-C65-DX64-C90-prototype-working/322853882595
________________________________ Evan Koblentz, director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit
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