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This is a fully functional Commodore 64 laptop using actual hardware, specifically the C64C motherboard which was one of the last and smallest revisions. It uses a Gamecube power supply in place of the original power brick.
It's much greener than using the original configuration because you:
a) don't need a CRT
b) don't need a slow, power-wasting disk drive
c) everything is powered by a single power supply.
Also this is one less Commodore 64 that will end up in a landfill, wasting away to nothingness after once being the greatest 8-bit computer of all time, 2nd only to possibly the Atari 800!
Plus all of the ribbon cabling was recycled from old computers - it's cheap, if not free, and doesn't goto waste.
It's much greener than using the original configuration because you:
a) don't need a CRT
b) don't need a slow, power-wasting disk drive
c) everything is powered by a single power supply.
Also this is one less Commodore 64 that will end up in a landfill, wasting away to nothingness after once being the greatest 8-bit computer of all time, 2nd only to possibly the Atari 800!
Plus all of the ribbon cabling was recycled from old computers - it's cheap, if not free, and doesn't goto waste.
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Signing UpStep 1Initial Hacking
As mentioned before this started with a C64C motherboard. Its smaller than most, but I needed it to be even smaller. I chopped off the power input/joystick end and also shaved off the cassette port tabs. I ditched everything about the original case design except the size - I wanted to keep the whole thing at 153 x 10.53, which is about the smallest it can get with the 153 LCD
screen involved.
screen involved.
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Ahh.. c64.. I miss those days...
Wow! I love the way it looks!
Somehow it looks more futuristic than today's high-tech gadget.
i loved my C64
Lets not forget the ELF, which was in electronic magazines way before the VIC-20. It programmed in Hex. Not to friendly but one of the forerunners as well. It was a hobby toy and I do not remember any thing else.
Does any one else?
Otherwise, Good on ya, msholden! You got it right. Mind if I add a few thought of my own?
Point #1 "Radar Rat Race" for the VIC-20 was about the only game I ever got hooked on. When it moved to the C-64, I thought it lost a lot of charm and lost interest. I still miss it.
Point #2 Tight is right! GEOS and GEM operating systems were incredible. They essentially duplicated the features and capabilities of Windows 2.0 several years earlier. They ran faster on slower processors and did much more with less memory. Either would fit on a 170K floppy disk (complete with your application) and crashing had to wait until Windows before it became understood in our language. Crashes just did not happen on Commodores.
Point #3 The VIC-20, C-64, TRS-80, Atari 400 and TI-99 paved the way for home desktop computers. If today's computers and software were relatively as fast and efficient as these old timers you would never need to turn one on. Your task would be complete before the BIOS splash made it to the screen.
I ran a clone of Ventura Publisher (an early GEM based competitor to Pagemaker) on a C-64 to produce a 24 page newspaper for several years. Speed was not really a problem.
Laughing at these gray haired computer seems a lot like a gangsta with a 9mm Glock poking fun at Bill Cody's Single Action Army Colt.... not too smart.
I LOVE it!
looks like it came from a 3d printer but illustrator can not give a 3d output.
then how?
congrats anyway, beeing an ancient zx spectrum owner ( i still own 3 ZX48k and a ZX 81)
and a c64 admirer I see and understand the value of these projects. Well done.
What is it made of? how did you produce it?
I remember the commodore and the atari. I didn't like the atari that much. They keyboard was the bubble key version. The commodore had its issues. It would overheat sometimes and would need to be re-soldered (never turned it) I still have my modem for the commodore 64 think its 75 baud. blazing fast! :)
This is a ridiculously awesome build.