Once upon a time there was a little 8-bit computer called a Commodore64. It was the biggest selling computer of 1982. It played very cool games. It didn’t live happily ever after so, it’s baaaack!
This spring, Commodore USA will be launching the latest computer to come out under the venerable brand. As if the last thirty years were just a dream, a sleek new version of the Commodore computer promises to underwhelm us technologically, while reminding many geezers of better times. Of times of yore when plastics were duller and computers were so much nerdier.
If you don’t know anything about the original C64, as it was affectionately known, then check out the Wikipedia entry. It’s like history without the sex and violence. You may also like to sit next to a game developer geezer some time and have them wax lyrical about the awesomeness of the 80s.
In the meantime, I give major props to the new Commodore for sticking to the principles of old Commodore. The new machine looks equally as tacky, but more metallic – it’s the future, see. Unfortunately, the specs for the new machine mean that it will have too much processing power and memory to make it anything but a curse on the joys of the original.
Yup, there was a time when the challenge was to squeeze your code onto the head of a pin using a soup ladle and then finding out that a twelve year old beat you to it because he was on his way to becoming a millionaire game developer.
Not anymore. Now, you just stick it on the web and update the site every week or throw a million dollars of graphics at the problem. Old people are always mad at the present for making the past seem so much harder. Check out the specs for yourself you easy going young ‘uns:
Underwhelming, right? Nostalgia is not what it used to be. Nevermind, look for the New Commodore here this spring.
