The Story of 5 Unreleased Commodore Computers

This video tells the stories behind five different prototype computers that were created by legendary computer company Commodore.
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#RetroGaming #History #Documentary

[@deathybrs]

For what it's worth, the CPU in the C65 was in fact the 4502, not the 65CE02 - it is virtually identical, except that they were able to re-engineer it in such a way as to reduce the production cost.

[@DS-pk4eh]

Not supporting the original Amiga team (by adding additional human resources) and being aggressive with new models was probably their biggest mistake. By 1990, they could've had a chipset that would be already better than AGA, and by 1992 they could've had 3D accelerated graphics. They were simply "too cheap" and very short-sighted without a true vision. I can only imagine what Steve jobs would've done with all the technology Commodore had (both hardware and software as AmigaOS was also ahead of its time). So, as an answer to you, the Ranger line of Amiga's are the ones I am the most sad that they didn't saw the day.

[@CommodoreComputerMuseum]

Good Commodore history lesson. I had never heard of the Amiga Ranger before. Thanks.

[@TheLairdsLair]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@davel101]

I developed some unreleased games on the CD32, not a bad machine but we could tell then that Commodore wasn't in great shape. For instance, the first pre-release version of the CD32 came without a case, with the motherboard and CD attached to an offcut of wood. To run anything on the CD you had to place the CD on a turntable, then place a securing weight on top which had to be manually spun to make sure it didn't wobble. The CDs at this time were single-sided, I can't remember if the final version used double-sided.

[@TheLairdsLair]

Wow, I'd like to say I'm shocked but I'm really not!

[@Hessi]

In my opinion, the C65 would have been the ideal computer to change over to. You could have continued to use all the software and hardware of the C64. Also, the price was exactly on the level of a Commodore 64 with 1541. So it was not expensive. Commodore's nail in the coffin was not the C65, as so often claimed, but the Amiga 500, which made good hardware available to a destructive group of buyers. We have to thank the Amiga 500 for the first big virus floods. It wholly ruined the reputation of the Amiga series in the professional environment, which had severe financial consequences. The C65 would have been the ideal solution to this problem, but the A500 had simply already been thrown on the market far too cheaply. When I still set up my C65 at some exhibitions and let everyone play around with it, I could also hear from some visitors that I should not do that, but just display the unit in a showcase. But it was built to be used! And if it gets broken in the process, so be it. Whether it stands in a showcase and is not used, or whether it is not used because it is defective, it comes down to the same thing for me. When we were loading my van after a show, the C65 fell out of the box right onto the asphalt for a buddy of mine. You should have seen the look on his face. I thought he was going to pee his pants. I was not angry with him at all! Yes, now it has a tiny quirk on one corner. So what? That's patina, evidence that it's been used and loved. Unfortunately, the buddy died of cancer this year. Rest in peace, Mugg! 😒 And let's be honest with ourselves: Only Generation X is still interested in such old hardware and is willing to pay absurd sums for it. BTW: I had paid only 375 DM for my C65 in the original packaging in 1999.

[@ShamrockParticle]

Good points! I woulf opine that, for GenX, there are still bound to be some younger people who have a robust interest in these earlier systems too. Not as many, no question, but I don't think it's a truism that only GenX has an interest.

[@lucius1976]

Well, i never bought any software for the C64 or Amiga. I only copied from friends in school. The first software i actually bought was when i got a PC and bought Monkey Island 1

[@1337Shockwav3]

Non sense ... there's no single nail in the coffin just like the C65 wouldn't have saved Commodore, especially since backwards compatibility always comes at a huge price beforehand. But props for putting your C65 to good use instead of seeing it as a token or investment. I was asked to repair one a few years back and declined for reasons I don't want to publically disclose (quite frankly I don't care too much about the financial value).

[@terryraymond7984]

the old commercials are cool

[@sandcat-maurice]

Great video, thank you! Luckily we can at least enjoy the C65 in the form of the MEGA65!

[@paulharrison3192]

Regardless of whether its competing A1000 successor might have been better, the A2000 wasn't "poorly received". It got very good reviews at the time and was a staple of the "serious" Amiga scene for a long time. The main problem with it was Commodore sat on it and the A500 for far too long and didn't upgrade either, the A3000 being designed by Haynie et al as the A2000 replacement but instead being marketed and priced as a cheap workstation. The CDTV was based on the A500, not the A1000 (which would have been horrible!) Otherwise good video! I would have added a few like the A3000+, the AGA machine Amiga users actually wanted to be the successor to the A2000. Instead we got the A4000, which is what happens when the development arm of your company is run by the only person who could make IBM's attempted entry into the home computing market a disaster.

[@giuseppelavecchia775]

Video eccezzionale,bellissimo ,si sente proprio il sapore della storia,una storia leggendaria,firmata COMMODORE !!

[@terryraymond7984]

The C=65 I think could have done just as well as Amiga

[@robwebnoid5763]

Commodore's worse mistake was losing Jack Tramiel. By losing their founder, they also lost their focus. They had so many projects going on, it was sucking up capital & time, with only a few of those projects ever getting greenlit. One project that did get some early hype but also did not make it was their 900 Unix system. I have to wonder if that unit could have helped them for a little while as an affordable workstation for home & business, especially for small engineering/science companies. Hindsight is 20/20 & I wished they should have also tossed aside that whole line of 264/364 computers & just focused on the C-64, their biggest money maker for years. It would have been nice if Commodore were the first to have started making upgradable computers, in where a new CPU (for higher speed) or more memory or changing sound & video would have been possible, but that concept still wasn't viable in the mid 1980's, other than Intel moving over from 8088 to 80186 & 286. Of course Commodore was able to do that somewhat by moving over to the C128. But again, no focus (except maybe Amiga) & too many projects.

[@TheLairdsLair]

Completely agree, I think they'd still be around if Jack stayed in charge.

[@8BitNaptime]

What focus? They were a '70s hacker company trying all kinds of things exactly because they had no focus under Tramiel. The TED series is the prime example of Tramiel's basically nonsensical approach. "Hey let's alienate the huge userbase with a totally different architecture! People will love it!"

[@mudi2000a]

@@8BitNaptime I don’t think the TED series came from engineers. I think it is business driven: how can we build an even cheaper computer.

[@TheLemminkainen]

Pittstop2 on that C64 commercial

[@brostenen]

Big book of amiga hardware, have pictures of CDTV-II

[@fuckutube65]

There is way more than 50 c65s in existance. at least 5 friends of mine have an original c65 (okay, I am part of the C= scene, but still! ;-) I'd guess about 200-300...

[@bozimmerman]

Great topic, and well made video with a good script, and well delivered narration. So, thanks! However, I don't think the Raspberry PI is any more a "home computer" than the Apple I, KIM-1, ESP 8266, ESP32, Arduino, or other similar products. Also, "Raspberry PI" is a family of boards, not a *single model*, whereas "Commodore 64" is a single model, with identical specs that didn't change from 1982. (Check wikipedia for the list of PI models). Either of those two facts is sufficient to disqualify the comparison IMHO.

[@bozimmerman]

More pedantic observations: *. There are actually three V364 motherboards, which all work. As this video says, only two "complete"-ish computers exist, with only one of them being relatively pristine. *. At least three CDTV-IIs have been seen in the wild that I know of, and they weren't really the basis for the CD32, which is an AGA machine. The original CDTV was based on the A500, and the CDTV-II is a cost reduced CDTV with a built-in floppy drive and slide-out tray CD drive. *. The video might be correct that 50 C65's exist in the wild, but I think it's generally believed that around 200 were originally made, so there's that tidbit.

[@valenrn8657]

68010 was a nearly pointless upgrade since it's still 16-bit bus like 68000.

[@ugencz8364]

Didn't know that my country helped to build one of the best computer companies, now I'm proud!

[@paulscottrobson]

Haynie !

[@valenrn8657]

C65's 256 colors display with a 4096 color palette chipset was a waste of resources. The focus should have been on releasing the Amiga with an updated chipset beyond ECS in 1990. Amiga 3000's 32-bit Chip RAM was wasted on 16-bit ECS.

[@8BitNaptime]

Hm. I think I agree, it was just a question of timing, the 65 should have been started way earlier, like instead of wasting time with the truly stupid TED series. The 65 was exactly what would have replaced the 64. Commodore was unable to update the Amiga chipset because at its core, Commodore lucked their way into the 64, they didn't think their way there.

[@pfc.thomas348]

I remember this one video game, they would sing this weird song "are you there space station amigos oh" (Can anyone help me with finding it.)

[@8BitNaptime]

So Commodore didn't want to make the Ranger because it would have been too expensive, but then turn around and repackage the same garbage 1985 chipset in a 1000$ box. I see.

[@bryansillman3240]

It wasn't garbage. The world still did miracles with it. But yes... Ranger should have came first. AGA should have been with the 3K 2 years earlier. If Commodore released these miracles in a timely manor, they would have the funding to finish AAA and make it scream. To much repackaging then advancing the chipset sooner 😖

[@8BitNaptime]

@@bryansillman3240 It wasn't garbage in 1985. But as everyone else moved along, Commodore was heavy into recycling I guess.