Commodore 128D computer (original) (raw)

The 128 is a one-piece model, with a built-in keyboard and optional external floppy drive.
Both 128D models have an internal 5-1/4" floppy drive, and a separate keyboard - a more professional design.

There was originally only one version of the 128D, with a plasic case and a carrying handle, but it failed the FCC regulations for RF emissions, so it was only sold outside of the U.S. This was in 1985.

Two years later, Commodore finally had a version for sale in the U.S. This model is known as the 128DCR, for Cost Reduced. It has a metal case, and a new, cheaper motherboard and floppy drive.

The Commodore 128 family of computers are very unique - having more than one main CPU gives them the ability to run three different operating system:

By 1985, IBM PCs and MS-DOS were taking over the world, and few new and successful computers were entering the market. CP/M, the world's most common operating system before MS-DOS arrived, was fast becoming irrelevant.

The 128D was Commodore's last and best 8-bit computer, possibly the best 8-bit computer ever?

Easter Egg: Type "SYS 32800,123,45,6" for development credits.

History of Commodore Computers
1953: Jack Tramiel opens a typewriter repair shop in the Bronx, New York.1954: Tramiel founds Commodore.1955: Tramiel relocates to Toronto and becames the biggest manufacturer of low cost office furniture in Canada197? Commodore manufactures calculators and digital watches, but gets killed by Texas Instruments.1976: Commodore purchases MOS Technologies, an American maker of IC chips. MOS' senior engineer, Chuck Peddle was working on the 6502 micro processor. A popular 8 bit processor that soon would be used in machines like the Apple II, the Atari 800, the Commodore PET and 64.1977: January - Commodore first shows a prototype PET computer at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show.1977: January - Commodore's Chuck Peddle shows the first PET to Radio Shack, hoping to have Radio Shack sell it.1977: April - Commodore Business Machines Inc. shows its PET 2001 computer for US$600. The computer shown is a one-of prototype.1977: June - Commodore shows its first production PET computers at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show.1980: May - Commodore Business Machines introduces the CBM 8032microcomputer, with 32KB RAM and an 80-column monochrome display.1980: May - Commodore Business Machines introduces the CBM 8050 dual 5 1/4-inch floppy disk drive unit.1980: Commodore Japan introduces the VIC-1001 (later called the VIC-20 in the USA).1981: January - Commodore announces the VIC-20, for US$299. During its life, production peaks at 9,000 units per day.1982: Hi-Toro Incorporated is formed by a group of midwest investors trying to cash in on the video game craze. The name was later changed to Amiga, Incorporated after being confused with the lawn-mower manufacturer, Toro. Within one year, there are rumours of an incredible computer codenamed Lorraine featuring unheard of graphics and sound capabilities, multitasking, 80 column display, 5+ megs of Ram and MORE!1982: January - Commodore announces the Commodore 64 microcomputer, showing a prototype at the Winter CES, for US$600) for US$595.1982: January - Commodore introduces the 16K SuperVIC.1982: April - Commodore announces the B (700) and P (500) series of microcomputers, for US$1700-3000.1982: June - Commodore Business Machines introduces the BX256 16-bit multiprocessor professional microcomputer, for US$3000.1982: June - Commodore Business Machines introduces the B128 microcomputer, for US$1700.1982: June - Commodore Business Machines announces the P128 microcomputer. It is to be an enhanced Commodore 64 with 128KB RAM expandable to 896KB. Price US$995.1982: September - Commodore Business Machines begins shipping the Commodore 64. Suggested retail price is US$595.1982: Commodore releases the 1540 Single-Drive Floppy for the VIC-20.1983: January - Commodore Business Machines begins selling the Commodore 64 through mass merchants, which drops the retail price to US$400.1983: January - At the Winter CES, Commodore debuts the Commodore SX-100, a portable version of the Commodore 64, with bundled B/W screen, for US$995. Price with color screen and two drives is US$1295.1983: January - At the Winter CES, Commodore demonstrates the HHC-4 (Hand-Held Computer). It features 24-character LCD screen with 4 KB RAM expandable to 16 KB. This was one of Commodore's pre-PET business products. Price is US$199.1983: January - Commodore's sales of VIC-20s reaches 1,000,000.1983: January - Commodore introduces the SX-64, the first color portable computer. Weight is 10.5 kg. It incorporates a 5-inch color monitor and one or two 5.25 inch floppy drive. Price is US$1600.1983: April - Commodore drops dealer prices on the VIC-20, which allows it to drop below US$100 retail, the first color computer to hit that mark.1983: April - Commodore offers a US$100 rebate on the purchase of a Commodore 64 on receipt of any computer or videogame unit.1983: May - Commodore ships the Commodore Executive 64. It features 64KB RAM, detachable keyboard, 5-inch color monitor, 170KB floppy drive, for US$1000.1983: June - Commodore drops the dealer price of the Commodore 64 to US$200, allowing the retail price to drop to US$200-230.1983: June - At the Summer CES, Commodore shows the B128/256-80, formerly called P128. It has a monochrome monitor with 80-column display. They also show the Executive 64, formerly the Commodore SX-100. It has a 6-inch color monitor and is priced at US$995.1983: Commodore debuts the Exactron Stringy Floppy, a high-speed cassette-based data storage device.1984: January - Jack Tramiel,President of Commodore International, has a disagreement with the major share holder, Irvin Gould. Tramiel leaves the company and a few months later buys Atari.1984: January - At the Winter CES, Commodore shows the SX-64, formerly called Executive 64. It now includes a 5-inch monitor, and one 170KB 5 1/4 disk drive, for US$995.1984: January - Commodore announces that during 1983, Commodore sold US$1 billion worth of computers, the first personal computer company to do so.1984: June - Commodore announces the Commodore 16. Former name was TED-16 and is expected to sell for around US$100, and marketed as "The Learning Machine".1984: June - Commodore announces the Commodore Plus/4, formerly called the Commodore 264. It will now feature four built-in programs, not just one. Price should be around US$300.1984: August - Commodore purchases Amiga Corporation.1984: Commodore stops manufacturing the VIC-20.1985: January - Commodore unveils the Commodore 128 Personal Computer. It functions as three computers in one: a complete Commodore 64, a CP/M mode, and a new 128KB mode. 1985: January - Commodore announces the 1571 Disk Drive, for the Commodore 128.1985: July - Commodore unveils the new Amiga 1000 in New York, for US$1300.1985: Commodore stops production of the Commodore 64 several times during the year, restarting each time based on public demand.1986: Commodore releases Transformer software for the Amiga, which, along with the Commodore 1020 5 1/4-inch disk drive, provides limited MS-DOS compatibility.1987: January - Commodore announces the Amiga 500 and the Amiga 2000.1987: January - Commodore debuts the Commodore 128D in the North American market. 1988: December - Commodore announces the A2286D Bridgeboard for the Amiga 2000. The A2286D contains an 8-MHz Intel 80286 and a 1.2MB 5 1/4-inch disk drive.1988: Commodore introduces the Amiga 2000HD and the Amiga 2500.1989: January - Commodore announces that 1 million Amiga computers have been sold.1989: November - Commodore announces the Amiga 2500/30. It is essentially an Amiga 2000 with a 2630 Accelerator Board (25-MHz 68030 and 68882 math coprocessor).1990: April - Commodore offers Amiga 1000 owners US$1000 to trade in their Amiga on a new Amiga 2000.1990: June - Commodore ships the Amiga A3000 computer.1990: September - NewTek ships the Video Toaster, a hardware/software video effects tool for the Commodore Amiga 2000, for US$1600.1990: Commodore announces the Amiga 3000. Prices start at US$4100 with a monitor.1991: January - Commodore releases the CDTV package. It features a CD-ROM player integrated with a 7.16-MHz 68000-based Amiga 500. List price is US$1000.1992: Commodore introduces the Amiga 600 for a base price of $500.1992: September - Commodore introduces the Amiga 4000.1992: December - Commodore introduces the Amiga 1200.1994: Commodore International and Commodore Electronics (two of the many international components of Commodore Business Machines) file for voluntary liquidation.1995: April - At an auction in New York, ESCOM buys all rights, properties, and technologies of Commodore.1997: Gateway buys bankrupt Amiga. Source: Chronology of Events in the History of Microcomputers

History of Commodore Computers

1953: Jack Tramiel opens a typewriter repair shop in the Bronx, New York.1954: Tramiel founds Commodore.1955: Tramiel relocates to Toronto and becames the biggest manufacturer of low cost office furniture in Canada197? Commodore manufactures calculators and digital watches, but gets killed by Texas Instruments.1976: Commodore purchases MOS Technologies, an American maker of IC chips. MOS' senior engineer, Chuck Peddle was working on the 6502 micro processor. A popular 8 bit processor that soon would be used in machines like the Apple II, the Atari 800, the Commodore PET and 64.1977: January - Commodore first shows a prototype PET computer at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show.1977: January - Commodore's Chuck Peddle shows the first PET to Radio Shack, hoping to have Radio Shack sell it.1977: April - Commodore Business Machines Inc. shows its PET 2001 computer for US$600. The computer shown is a one-of prototype.1977: June - Commodore shows its first production PET computers at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show.1980: May - Commodore Business Machines introduces the CBM 8032microcomputer, with 32KB RAM and an 80-column monochrome display.1980: May - Commodore Business Machines introduces the CBM 8050 dual 5 1/4-inch floppy disk drive unit.1980: Commodore Japan introduces the VIC-1001 (later called the VIC-20 in the USA).1981: January - Commodore announces the VIC-20, for US$299. During its life, production peaks at 9,000 units per day.1982: Hi-Toro Incorporated is formed by a group of midwest investors trying to cash in on the video game craze. The name was later changed to Amiga, Incorporated after being confused with the lawn-mower manufacturer, Toro. Within one year, there are rumours of an incredible computer codenamed Lorraine featuring unheard of graphics and sound capabilities, multitasking, 80 column display, 5+ megs of Ram and MORE!1982: January - Commodore announces the Commodore 64 microcomputer, showing a prototype at the Winter CES, for US$600) for US$595.1982: January - Commodore introduces the 16K SuperVIC.1982: April - Commodore announces the B (700) and P (500) series of microcomputers, for US$1700-3000.1982: June - Commodore Business Machines introduces the BX256 16-bit multiprocessor professional microcomputer, for US$3000.1982: June - Commodore Business Machines introduces the B128 microcomputer, for US$1700.1982: June - Commodore Business Machines announces the P128 microcomputer. It is to be an enhanced Commodore 64 with 128KB RAM expandable to 896KB. Price US$995.1982: September - Commodore Business Machines begins shipping the Commodore 64. Suggested retail price is US$595.1982: Commodore releases the 1540 Single-Drive Floppy for the VIC-20.1983: January - Commodore Business Machines begins selling the Commodore 64 through mass merchants, which drops the retail price to US$400.1983: January - At the Winter CES, Commodore debuts the Commodore SX-100, a portable version of the Commodore 64, with bundled B/W screen, for US$995. Price with color screen and two drives is US$1295.1983: January - At the Winter CES, Commodore demonstrates the HHC-4 (Hand-Held Computer). It features 24-character LCD screen with 4 KB RAM expandable to 16 KB. This was one of Commodore's pre-PET business products. Price is US$199.1983: January - Commodore's sales of VIC-20s reaches 1,000,000.1983: January - Commodore introduces the SX-64, the first color portable computer. Weight is 10.5 kg. It incorporates a 5-inch color monitor and one or two 5.25 inch floppy drive. Price is US$1600.1983: April - Commodore drops dealer prices on the VIC-20, which allows it to drop below US$100 retail, the first color computer to hit that mark.1983: April - Commodore offers a US$100 rebate on the purchase of a Commodore 64 on receipt of any computer or videogame unit.1983: May - Commodore ships the Commodore Executive 64. It features 64KB RAM, detachable keyboard, 5-inch color monitor, 170KB floppy drive, for US$1000.1983: June - Commodore drops the dealer price of the Commodore 64 to US$200, allowing the retail price to drop to US$200-230.1983: June - At the Summer CES, Commodore shows the B128/256-80, formerly called P128. It has a monochrome monitor with 80-column display. They also show the Executive 64, formerly the Commodore SX-100. It has a 6-inch color monitor and is priced at US$995.1983: Commodore debuts the Exactron Stringy Floppy, a high-speed cassette-based data storage device.1984: January - Jack Tramiel,President of Commodore International, has a disagreement with the major share holder, Irvin Gould. Tramiel leaves the company and a few months later buys Atari.1984: January - At the Winter CES, Commodore shows the SX-64, formerly called Executive 64. It now includes a 5-inch monitor, and one 170KB 5 1/4 disk drive, for US$995.1984: January - Commodore announces that during 1983, Commodore sold US$1 billion worth of computers, the first personal computer company to do so.1984: June - Commodore announces the Commodore 16. Former name was TED-16 and is expected to sell for around US$100, and marketed as "The Learning Machine".1984: June - Commodore announces the Commodore Plus/4, formerly called the Commodore 264. It will now feature four built-in programs, not just one. Price should be around US$300.1984: August - Commodore purchases Amiga Corporation.1984: Commodore stops manufacturing the VIC-20.1985: January - Commodore unveils the Commodore 128 Personal Computer. It functions as three computers in one: a complete Commodore 64, a CP/M mode, and a new 128KB mode. 1985: January - Commodore announces the 1571 Disk Drive, for the Commodore 128.1985: July - Commodore unveils the new Amiga 1000 in New York, for US$1300.1985: Commodore stops production of the Commodore 64 several times during the year, restarting each time based on public demand.1986: Commodore releases Transformer software for the Amiga, which, along with the Commodore 1020 5 1/4-inch disk drive, provides limited MS-DOS compatibility.1987: January - Commodore announces the Amiga 500 and the Amiga 2000.1987: January - Commodore debuts the Commodore 128D in the North American market. 1988: December - Commodore announces the A2286D Bridgeboard for the Amiga 2000. The A2286D contains an 8-MHz Intel 80286 and a 1.2MB 5 1/4-inch disk drive.1988: Commodore introduces the Amiga 2000HD and the Amiga 2500.1989: January - Commodore announces that 1 million Amiga computers have been sold.1989: November - Commodore announces the Amiga 2500/30. It is essentially an Amiga 2000 with a 2630 Accelerator Board (25-MHz 68030 and 68882 math coprocessor).1990: April - Commodore offers Amiga 1000 owners US$1000 to trade in their Amiga on a new Amiga 2000.1990: June - Commodore ships the Amiga A3000 computer.1990: September - NewTek ships the Video Toaster, a hardware/software video effects tool for the Commodore Amiga 2000, for US$1600.1990: Commodore announces the Amiga 3000. Prices start at US$4100 with a monitor.1991: January - Commodore releases the CDTV package. It features a CD-ROM player integrated with a 7.16-MHz 68000-based Amiga 500. List price is US$1000.1992: Commodore introduces the Amiga 600 for a base price of $500.1992: September - Commodore introduces the Amiga 4000.1992: December - Commodore introduces the Amiga 1200.1994: Commodore International and Commodore Electronics (two of the many international components of Commodore Business Machines) file for voluntary liquidation.1995: April - At an auction in New York, ESCOM buys all rights, properties, and technologies of Commodore.1997: Gateway buys bankrupt Amiga. Source: Chronology of Events in the History of Microcomputers