Anybody have the new Commodore 64x?

[codehead]

Howdy! I'm interested in buying the new Commodore 64x but I can't find any detailed pictures of the keyboard (esp. keycaps) Anybody?

[trax]

cherry mx blue

Dont let the layout fool you, its bigger than an model M.
But its a pc.

[codehead]

Yeah, that's pretty much all I've managed to figure out.. But I wonder the size of the keycaps, the thickness,... Like pictures from inside

[Brian8bit]

I think the more important question is why would anyone buy a Commodore 64x?

[Charlie_Brown_MX]

I think the more important question is why would anyone buy a Commodore 64x?

Too much money combined with an overly nostalgic personality?

[nfc]

I sent a mail to CommodoreUsa, asking for keycaps.
Guess what? No answer.
Somebody else tried it?

[Trent]

I sent a mail to CommodoreUsa, asking for keycaps.
Guess what? No answer.
Somebody else tried it?

I'll give it a shot!

I'll call em tomorrow. Email is too easily ignorable.

[off]

Their pic shows that they did spare some expenses in recreating the original look, namely there's none of those weird yet o so 'Commodore' squares etc on the keys, of which I still haven't got a clue as to what they meant to represent.

[Trent]

Alas, they just have a corporate voicemail. But I left a message this morning. If I hear back I'll update everyone.

[Charlie_Brown_MX]

There’s at least one original Commodore keyboard on eBay UK right now — it appeared in one of my feeds. It’s just the bare board, with caps, and is currently at something like £3. (I would supply a link, but I can’t access eBay from my work PC.) That might be a better option than buying these new caps.

[Ascaii]

Wrong, old commodore caps do not have cherry stems.

[off]

nothing a knife (or glue/knife/sparecaps) can't fix!

[TexasFlood]

Their pic shows that they did spare some expenses in recreating the original look, namely there's none of those weird yet o so 'Commodore' squares etc on the keys, of which I still haven't got a clue as to what they meant to represent.

They were for character graphics, kinda like ascii art but providing some additional block graphics to use. You have to remember this dates back to the PET computer in 1977 before pixel level graphics were feasible on commodity computers. Pixar didn't even start until 1979 (as the Graphics Group, part of the computer division of Lucasfilm) and they created their own computer platform, the Pixar Image Computer for this. Pixar also wanted to sell them, especially to the government. It wasn't commercially successful though and that division was sold off in 1990 and later went bankrupt having sold less than 300 of them total.

[ripster]

Damn TF, how OLD are you?

[off]

Funny part is, way back when I was young I 'understood' (read: heard) that those signs had something to do with drawing/graphics, but I never got to grips with what or how exactly, even though I do remember drawing images character by character by hand in the 'console'.

[Findecanor]

The character layout of the C64X is actually completely different from the original. For instance, there were no other keys than the space bar on the bottom row.

[nfc]

Alas, they just have a corporate voicemail. But I left a message this morning. If I hear back I'll update everyone.

Great! Keep trying, man.

[TexasFlood]

Damn TF, how OLD are you?

You were recently quoting Shakespeare, how old are you? I also know that Napoleon Bonaparte at was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Doesn't mean I was alive to see it,

[TexasFlood]

The character layout of the C64X is actually completely different from the original. For instance, there were no other keys than the space bar on the bottom row.

I hadn't really looked at it but you're right.

C64X

C64

[ripster]

Back in the day ALL KEY LEGENDS HAD CAPSLOCK ON!

Why does the Commodore logo look like a duck?


Eurostyle Bold font btw.

[TexasFlood]

Why does the Commodore logo look like a duck?

Early webwit work?

[Trent]

Alas, they just have a corporate voicemail. But I left a message this morning. If I hear back I'll update everyone.

Great! Keep trying, man.

Thanks, I will. Maybe we should all coordinate a massive call in, where everyone leave a voicemail with the same message. That'd get their attention, for better or for worse.

[codehead]

I appreciate your efforts fellas! Thanks for trying.

[Trent]

I appreciate your efforts fellas! Thanks for trying.

Update!

Finally got through to them and spoke to one of their engineers. Most of the keys are cylindrical. All are done custom with double injection molding.

The Bad (expensive) News

If you want to purchase just the keyboard from the main unit (excluding the case and the card reader) you can contact Barry at: bsa@commodoreusa.net -- the cost will be $195 (eeeeeek!)

He said that all of the units come shipped to them from China, and they are unable to sell just sets of keycaps for cheaper. He said that he wouldn't have a problem doing it, however due to their current business abilities they are unable to.

The (semi) Good News

He hinted that they will be rolling out a new product within the next month or so. A commodore 64 usb keyboard. He said it will retail for about $295 (yikes). It will look like the commodore 64 case except a bit slimmer, and a sheet metal bottom.

Overall not that bad of news. $195 is cheaper than buying the barebones, but it is certainty too much for me to warrant a purchase. However, if you assume that each of the cherry switches alone is about $0.80 -- and the keyboard has about 88 keys that totals to $70.40 -- leaving the keycaps left worth about $124. If the price isn't that bad for you, go for it!

Cheers,

Trent

[ripster]

Lots of pics in the Maximum PC magazine.

Just the BOTTOM of the keyboard though.

[phetto]

I need this.

[TexasFlood]

Hadn't read this...

Father of Commodore 64 Passes Away at Age 83

One time a taxi driver and Auschwitz concentration camp survivor, Jack Tramiel founded the company that built the Commodore 64, thr best selling PC of all time and an iconic piece of computing history. Sadly, Tramiel died on Sunday, April 8 at age 83.

New York Times - Jack Tramiel, a Pioneer in Computers, Dies at 83
Wikipedia Jack Tramiel page

[TexasFlood]

Things I didn't know about Commodore

From 12 Things You Didn't Know About the Commodore Vic 20

For many geeks, a Commorore was their first computer.  On this esteemed list include the likes of Linus Torvalds, and MPC’ers Gordon Mah Ung and EIC George Jones.  Mr. Torvalds had this to say about his Vic 20:
   
“The VIC-20 was indeed my first computer. It's a long time ago, so I won't say I
remember what my first program I wrote was, but I assume it was the same old

10 PRINT "HELLO LINUS"
20 GOTO 10

that everybody wrote in BASIC ”

He goes on to say that playing the game Money Money, which displayed machine-code ‘flakes’ on the side, made him realize that there was something behind BASIC and that realization, amongst other factors, led him to begin programming in machine language on the Vic20.

[Icarium]

Hmm...does anybody know where to find that game? I want to see these "flakes".

[TexasFlood]

Don't know where to get the game. Maybe try hitting yourself in the head with a 2x4?
I've seen flakes, stars, birdies, lucky charms, like that,