The keycaps are slightly novel, in that they have a C= logo on the Commodore key.
The guy from CBMSTUFF ran a multi-year project to produce new keycaps. For licensing reasons, his didn't have the C= logo on the Commodore key, but it's reasonable to think that they have taken advantage of his considerable work refining and producing the keys and provided a path to legally using the C= logo. Having one new key printed shouldn't take so much work as he put into getting all the legends correct on the others.
https://www.cbmstuff.com/index.php?route=product/category...
The novelty is in putting this all together into a whole complete system that I can take home and have it work with the TV I own now. Just like in the 1980s when so many C64s were carted home and plugged into tube tvs of all shapes and sizes. Not everyone wants to build a computer from a kit sourced from multiple vendors. I can bolt, screw, snap, plug but am listed as a fire hazard with a soldering iron.
Nothing I linked to is a kit requiring soldering. It's a fully assembled motherboard (of very high quality - I can personally attest to that), a case, a keyboard, and keycaps.
CPU emulation is FPGA-based, seems like it can accept original SID chips if you have them (?) or use an FPGA version, and the keyboard uses Gateron mechanical switches. Seems pretty good for the price, if tariffs don’t fuck you over. I wonder if they’re overestimating the number they’ll sell, though.
I'm skeptical about this venture for several reasons, but this is a good first product launch. The bundle seems like a great deal, at least for people who know what they're really buying.
I'm also curious about how many of these kinds of machines the market can absorb. It's more of a replacement/backup unit for serious C64 enthusiasts than a casual "nostalgia" gaming platform, which is to their credit IMHO, but maybe a harder sell. RG's THEC64 Maxi reportedly sold in the tens of thousands but it was roughly half the price.
I estimate that there are only about 32,000 working C64 left in the wild. Anything, even FPGA, to keep the ability for the machine to be alive is awesome. The SID, VIC II are becoming more and more rare by the day. The supply has all but dried up in Canada where I live. Tarrif anxiety is having a chilling effect of sourcing parts from USA
The Commodore 64, as well as the Amiga 500, when they first came out offered vastly superior multimedia hardware yet were cheaper than the competition. This new device seems more comparable to MiSTer FPGA hardware than anything else. To bring back the value proposition of the original Commodore today would mean going up against Mac, Windows, and Linux machines but at a cheaper price and with new breakthrough technology.
To add to the discussion, there is also the takeaway (as in flully assembled and functional) version of the C65. One gets the C65 prototype and the C64 compatibility along with a floppy drive. That’s also an FPGA, albeit twice the price.
https://mega65.org/
Nice share. Costs a lot but does a lot. This was something I was mulling in my head - with the new "Commodore" how will these other projects with Commodore IP or Commodore adjacent IP be treated ?
The motherboard is a rebadged Ultimate 64 in white: https://ultimate64.com/Ultimate-64-Elite-MK2
Transparent breadbin cases have been out for a WHILE: https://www.retrofuzion.com/products/breadbin-case-set
It's got a mechanical keyboard, which could be a MechBoard64: https://www.retrofuzion.com/products/mechboard-64-fully-back...
The keycaps are slightly novel, in that they have a C= logo on the Commodore key. The guy from CBMSTUFF ran a multi-year project to produce new keycaps. For licensing reasons, his didn't have the C= logo on the Commodore key, but it's reasonable to think that they have taken advantage of his considerable work refining and producing the keys and provided a path to legally using the C= logo. Having one new key printed shouldn't take so much work as he put into getting all the legends correct on the others. https://www.cbmstuff.com/index.php?route=product/category...
Shrug
https://www.commodore.net/product-page/commodore-64-ultimate...
CPU emulation is FPGA-based, seems like it can accept original SID chips if you have them (?) or use an FPGA version, and the keyboard uses Gateron mechanical switches. Seems pretty good for the price, if tariffs don’t fuck you over. I wonder if they’re overestimating the number they’ll sell, though.
I'm also curious about how many of these kinds of machines the market can absorb. It's more of a replacement/backup unit for serious C64 enthusiasts than a casual "nostalgia" gaming platform, which is to their credit IMHO, but maybe a harder sell. RG's THEC64 Maxi reportedly sold in the tens of thousands but it was roughly half the price.