My Computers

Commodore 64

The Commodore 64 was first announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, NV on January 7 of 1982. It used an 8-bit MOS 6502 microprocessor. It could be connected to a television or a RGB monitor connected via a proprietary cable. It also featured th ability to plug in cartridges in the back of the console or access and stored programs from a 5 1/4" external floppy disk drive.

By Evan-Amos - Own work, Public Domain, Link
MOS 6502 microprocessor.

It was on the Commodore 64 that I was introduced to databases. I stumbled across the Pro-line Profile 64 software at a computer store in San Bernardino. When I read what it could do for me, I was sold. A bit pricey nearing $100 in cost, but I had a strong feeling that it was what I was looking for, a way to organize lists of information and generate reports from the data.

Videos

Commodore History Part 1- The PET
Commodore History Part 2 - The VIC 20
Commodore History Part 3 - The Commodore 64 (complete)
Commodore History Part 4 - The Plus4, C16, and C116
Commodore History Part 5 - The C128
Commodore History Part 6 - The PC Compatibles
Commodore History Part 7 - Disk Drives
Commodore History Part 8-The Amiga 1000
A Look at the Commodore 64 : The Ultimate C64 Documentary You've Been Waiting For!!!
How It Was Made: THE COMMODORE 64 factory tour
FOUND: A Super-Rare Commodore D9090!
Commodore 64 Chip Designer Interview: Albert Charpentier
Commodore 64 Restoration and new retrobrite technique.
Using a Commodore 64 on the modern internet!
This Century's First 100% New Commodore 64!
Commodore MEGA 65 Unboxing, History & Teardown!
Commodore 64 Getting Started & Buying Guide 2023!
Building a new C64 in 2020
My First Time with the Commodore 64

Hardware

My first Commodore 64 computer (purchased in 1984) had the same form factor as shown in the image up above (tan color). That system had heating problems and had to be replaced. The replacement was a newer version of the Commodore 64 form factor shown here with the matching 5 1/4" floppy drive sitting on the shelf above it.
The original Commodore 64 power supply.
The C64 block diagram. Click to view larger image
The Total Communications Modem Box Front.
The Total Communications Modem Box Back. Click image to view larger image.
The Total Communications Modem Page. Click image for larger view.
The Commodore 64 Equipment Interconnection Diagram.

Books

The Commodore 64 User's Manual. Click image to view online user's manual.
Commodore 64 Programmer's Reference Guide. Click image to view programmer's reference.
The Commodore 64 Disk Drive Book.
Your Commodore 64 Book. A guide to the commodore 64.
The Commodore 64 Systems Guide.

Business Software

My first database software. The first Video Place movie list was compiled using this software. Later, the movie database created using this software was exported for use in the VBase application I wrote which ran on our clone PC system and was written in dBase.
Fleet System 2 word processing software.
Timeworks Data Manager software.
Timeworks Checkbook software.
Timeworks Money Manager.
SAM's Graphics and Sound software front. Click image for larger view.
SAM's Graphics and Sound software back. Click image for larger view.

Games

Wheel of Fortune was a favorite game to play. Like most games released in this era, the first screen was always a copyright screen.
The title screen for the Wheel of Fortune game. The only real font available you saw in the last image. In order to make larger text a digital artist had to define the characters pixel by pixel.
The setup screen for the Wheel of Fortune game.
The Congratulations screen shown after successfully solving the champion's puzzle at the end of a game.
The scoreboard screen showing player rankings.
Risk was one of my favorite games, although it relied somewhat on the luck of the dice, there was a lot of strategy required to play it well.
The Lords of Conquest is somewhat like Risk, conquering the world one continent at a time. It's a game I spent a lot of time playing.
The Lords of Conquest title screen.
The Kennedy Approach was a very addicting game. The object was to successfully guide planes taking off and arriving at a particular airport. You start your first job at a failry sleepy airport, but as you are promoted the challenges increase tremendously, until you are pulling out your hair like a real air traffic controller.
The setup screen for Kennedy Approach.
Pac Man Game Play
Bill Bennett Enterpirses arc logo.
©1972 - Bill Bennett Enterprises. All Rights reserved.