C64x, A Commodore 64 with Blu-ray, USB, HDMI
A Commodore 64 with a dual-core Atom processor, 2GB memory, NVIDIA Ion2 graphics and a Blu-ray drive? Have I woken up in some fevered (but still awesome) alternative reality? Or is it nearly Christmas (wait…)?
In fact, this is the C64x, an updated version of the venerable 8-bit 1980s favorite. An array of USB and memory-card slots, along with HDMI, VGA and DVI-D ports round-out the specs. The body has been faithfully reproduced, and Commodore has even put proper Cherry-brand switches inside the keys for that old-style clackety-clack sound and super-positive key-clicks.
The C64x can be treated just like a regular (albeit retro-styled) PC, but there’s a hidden trick for nostalgia-freaks: in the boot menu, you can choose to boot the thing in C64 emulation mode, letting you play all the old games of your youth.
Commodore is just teasing us right now: the price and launch date have yet to be announced. Lets hope the answers to “when?” and “how much?” are “soon” and “cheap.”
Update sulla riesumazione del C64 da parte della altrettando zombie Commodore: un articolo di Wired con tanto di gallery.
Per il resto, tutto quello che volete sapere (ma lo volete veramente sapere?) sul nuovo C64x lo trovate sul sito della Commodore.
L’unica attrattiva, oltre al look of course, è la possibilità di giocare a tutti i vecchi gloriosi giochi:
Play all your favorite 8-bit era games within seconds of turning the Commodore 64 on, by either selecting the C64 icon from the boot menu to run a C64 emulator directly, or from a media center program within our own Commodore Operating System, Workbench 5, which includes screenshots, descriptions and ratings.
