Commodore 128 40th Anniversary CES 2025: Eternal 8-bit 🚀

This week at CES 2025, there are a number of major hardware announcements being revealed, but in the long history of this event, there are also echoes of the golden age of Commodore announcements at CES, most notably that of the Commodore 128 in 1985.

The Commodore 128 was a direct sequel to the C64, which only managed to sell a few million units compared to the C64's impressive estimated peak of 17 million units. When the Commodore 128 was released, it was already the last 8-bit PC in an era dominated by 16-bit PCs, thanks to the arrival of the Intel 8086.

The Commodore 128 in its first version as a computer keyboard.

Fortunately, the existence of the PCs 16-bit did not override completely the purpose of the Commodore 128 when it was introduced in January 1985 at CES.

He Intel The 8086 was released in June 1978, so the 16-bit architecture had already had plenty of time to make itself felt in the market — but since the original C64 had been released in 1981, that might mean there was still room for an 8-bit Commodore 128, right? 🤔

Well, the answer to that turned out to be a resounding "No." The reason was quite simple: while other PCs and clones of the time were opening the doors to new software Both 16-bit and 32-bit, the Commodore 128 was primarily an upgraded version of the Commodore 64, with twice the RAM (128K versus 64K) and a CPU that could reach up to 2 MHz, instead of just 1 MHz.

The motherboard of the C128 and the first C128D with the most important chips

Real support for the C128 in the form of new programs or patches to take advantage of its increased speed and RAM was rather lacking compared to the burgeoning software support enjoyed by the C64.

Thus, the Commodore 128 ended up being a forgotten model, although it still exists as an improved version of the Commodore 64 for enthusiasts and collectors.

Maybe that bakery would appreciate one of these… retro gaming fans surely would, as the Games optimized for the Commodore 128 offer graphics improved and additional support, including music in the classic Origin RPG, Last V. 🎮

Commodore 128 vs 128D vs 128DCR and why you need one now – YouTube

 

Another often overlooked aspect of the Commodore 128 is its dual graphics chips, which allowed it to be used with monitors duals at a time when such a feature was extremely rare.

This is highlighted by the coverage of Heise.de on this 40th anniversary. Although the two graphics chips it used were limited in terms of resolution and color, having this feature in an affordable form in the 80s was pretty impressive. ✨

Ultimately, the Commodore 128 and its models end up being something of a footnote in the legacy of the Commodore 64, like most of its variations.

Although the machine was not considered particularly ambitious in an era where everyone was looking for 16 and 32 bits, the supposed pinnacle of 8-bit impresses with a version of the Commodore 64 (which remains one of the most popular computers ever made) that is better in every way, despite some manual compatibility mode requirements.