Hmmm to call it a C64 reborn, then they should make a C64DTV/C64 Direct-to-TV into the mix, and bundle the box with two Competition Pro USB joysticks. Then we could call it C64 fucking reborn. But right now it is just a high priced pc in a C64 breadbox shell.
The C64 is an icon of an era, of a gaming style and a life style. It has a visual and auditive identity that reflects us as geeks and gamers of an era. In its crude, coarse breadbox design, it reminds us of what gaming was, what the early 80s felt like for a nerd. The brown, the little rainbow, it all is a piece of retro chic. It is, however, not functional to keep an actual working C64 connected to today's HDTVs, with all the cables and whatnot. But something that, at the same time, acts and feels like the old one, yet is 2010's multimedia capable, is really sexy, in the way obscene polaroids are. That being said, $895 is really too much for this replica. If I were a good modder, I'd just get a dead one from the sunday flea market, gut it, and put an HD Capable HTPC in the carcass.
I do understand the sentiment, but I think essentially I was trying to say that this is an insult to the original machine, which does hold a very special place in my heart.
For all of your who still have an Amiga 600/1200 (or a 500 shell with a 1200 keyboard, fits perfectly) around, or a C64/128/C16/plus4 that no longer works - try one of these: http://www.jschoenfeld.com/products/keyrah_e.htm I use one of these with an A1200 keyboard inside an A500 shell, complete with an Intel Atom ITX board, 2,5" hdd, Laptop DVD-drive and a PicoPSU. The 12V power supply for the PicoPSU sits inside the old Amiga PSU case Works great and is a real conversation piece. "whait, I thought Amigas didn't have a VGA output?" ofcourse I use the competition pro USB variant together with it. I even wired up the HDD/Power LEDs from the original case to the ITX board.
They're also making an Amiga version. If it comes with Amiga OS adapted to make use of the modern hardware in a dual boot configuration I'm buying it.
You could take a look at AROS (which runs on x86-based PCs), MorphOS (which is PPC only) or AmigaOS (again, PPC only). Unfortunately, there wouldn't be direct compatibility with older Amiga software without implementing some extra hardware or do it through emulation - maybe they could chuck a Natami, a Minimig or a Clone-A in it?
list load run (as the last thing you had to type in) but you can always look them up on google or youtube
Its a half assed attempt at bringing some nostalgia dollars, they didnt even try to reinvent it with a retro-modern case, just the same old keyboard with nettop innards on it. Why make it that fat? Asus got a EEE keyboard that its the same but with a touchscreen and its slim. This could've been a great option for a cheap&simple HTPC...
Meh, would have preferred a real C64 on a chip, supporting original accessories, but w/ a shiny new case and less bulky power supply.
Isn't a 'real' C64 on a chip this... http://www.syntiac.com/fpga64.html The only way to get the VIC, SID, CIA, 6502, etc down to one processor is surely an FPGA, via emulation of the original hardware?
They could use a FPGA, or better yet just make an old fashioned "epoxy blob" ASIC cloned from the original masks which would be far cheaper, more accurate, and run on a single 5V supply which is far more convenient. FPGA can do synchronous logic well but they can't do "dynamic" logic well, they can't synthesize analog components so a lot of support circuitry is needed, and most importantly they require people reverse engineer and implement things which are ambiguous = designs full of error, usually really inefficient and with bad timing compared to the real thing breaking compatibility with hardware accessories and games using software trickery.
C64-in-a-joystick contains cloned hardware (very accurate apparently), and you can hack it back into being a workable C64. If anyone's interested, do a search for C64 DTV.
