The VIC-1010 or VC-1010 is an optional expansion to the VIC-20 manufactured by Commodore. It plugs into the VIC-20′s game/expansion/bus port, providing 6 more such ports along the top.

The rest of the unit sits behind and a bit off to the right of the machine, preventing any obstruction of the VIC’s other ports. Built into the 1010 is a 220v/110v power supply to supplement the computer’s supply.

Gallery:

This VIC 20 was one of the first model shipped in a rush from Japan to North America in early 1981 before production started in the US. Even the box art was just a quick rework of the Japanese VIC 1001 one.

Gallery:

source: oldcomputr.com

The Commodore VIC-1001 is the first computer in that series, being released only in Japan October 1980.

The computers that followed it, including the famous VIC-20, arrived in the American and European markets on the heels of its success. Aside from being first, the VIC-1001 also has the unique virtue of a modification from the standard Commodore PETSCII graphics set.

Being Japanese designed and born, this computer includes the Japanese “character” set, called “Katakana”.

The VIC-1001, like all other Commodore 8-bit computers, greets the user with a flashing READY prompt.

The operating system is built into the hardware of the computer, and the user interface is BASIC 2.0, a programming language Commodore purchased from Microsoft in the late 1970s.

The VIC featured 5 kilobytes of memory, and color graphics at a time when that was very uncommon, though it’s display is only capable of 22 characters per line.

The joystick port and game cartridge port are prominent features, as Commodore meant to market the VIC as a game console/computer hybrid. The cartridge port could also be used to expand the VIC-1001 memory.

Software on Cartridge:

• Programmers; Aid PacK (VIC-1212) [BOXED]
• Machine Language Monitor (VIC-1213)
• Rally-X (VIC-1903) Red Label [BOXED]
• Night Drive (VIC 1909) Red Label [BOXED]
• Omega Race (VIC-1924) [BOXED]

Memory Expansion Cartridges:

• 3K Ram Pack (VIC-1210) [BOXED]
• Super Expander + 3k RAM (VIC-1211M) [BOXED]
• 8k Ram Pack (VIC-1110) [BOXED]
• 16k Ram Pack (VIC-1111) [BOXED]

Gallery:

Download: Japanese Kernal and Characters (610)

source: zimmer.net

This is an old Commodore VIC-20 Home Computer (PAL) with a “Microgramma Extended Fonts” keyboard. The same keyboard is also used in the Commodore PET computer.

The “PET” style keyboard used on the VIC-1001 and early VIC-20s

The keyboards used in VIC-20 computers were manufactured for Commodore by Matsushita Corporation of Japan. Those used on the very first VIC-20s were almost completely flat-topped and identical in shape to that of Commodore’s PET computer (however, on the VIC-20 the PET’s number pad was replaced by four wide function keys).

The keyboards on later VIC-20s were manufactured with slightly concave tops. The concavity of the “F” and “J” keys was slightly more prominent to provide tactile feedback for touch-typists seeking the “home” position.

Commodore VIC-20 8-bit Home Computer

The VIC-20 (Germany: VC-20; Japan: VIC-1001) is an 8-bit home computer which was sold by Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980, roughly three years after Commodore’s first personal computer, the PET. The VIC-20 was the first computer of any description to sell one million units.

The VIC-20 was intended to be more economical than the PET computer. It was equipped with only 5 kB of RAM (of this, only 3.5 KB were available to the BASIC programmer) and used the same MOS 6502 CPU as the PET. The VIC-20′s video chip, the MOS Technology VIC, was a general-purpose color video chip designed by Al Charpentier in 1977 and intended for use in inexpensive display terminals and game consoles, but Commodore could not find a market for the chip. As the Apple II gained momentum with the advent of VisiCalc in 1979, Jack Tramiel wanted a product that would compete in the same segment, to be presented at the January 1980 CES. For this reason Chuck Peddle and Bill Seiler started to design a computer named TOI (The Other Intellect).

Gallery:

source: sleepingelephant.com/denial/wiki wikipedia

Gallery:

Commodore VIC-20 ASSY 251040-01 Empty PCB.

I have to thank my friend Andrea S. for having warned me that he had seen a Commodore VIC-20 near the trash loot.

Short gallery:

Autopsy:

12►

The VIC-20 (Germany: VC-20; Japan: VIC-1001) is an 8-bit home computer which was sold by Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980, roughly three years after Commodore’s first personal computer, the PET. The VIC-20 was the first computer of any description to sell one million units.

The VIC-20 was intended to be more economical than the PET computer. It was equipped with only 5 kB of RAM (of this, only 3.5 KB were available to the BASIC programmer) and used the same MOS 6502 CPU as the PET. The VIC-20′s video chip, the MOS Technology VIC, was a general-purpose color video chip designed by Al Charpentier in 1977 and intended for use in inexpensive display terminals and game consoles, but Commodore could not find a market for the chip. As the Apple II gained momentum with the advent of VisiCalc in 1979, Jack Tramiel wanted a product that would compete in the same segment, to be presented at the January 1980 CES. For this reason Chuck Peddle and Bill Seiler started to design a computer named TOI (The Other Intellect).

The TOI computer failed to materialize, mostly due to the fact that it required an 80-column character display which in turn required the MOS Technology 6564 chip. However, the chip could not be used in the TOI since it required very expensive static RAM to operate fast enough. In the meantime, freshman engineer Robert Yannes at MOS Technology (then a part of Commodore) had designed a computer in his home dubbed the MicroPET and finished a prototype with some help from Al Charpentier and Charles Winterble. With the TOI unfinished, when Jack Tramiel was confronted with the MicroPET prototype, he immediately said he wanted it to be finished and ordered it to be mass-produced following a limited demonstration at the CES.

source: wikipedia

Autopsy:

12►

from Wikipedia:

The VIC-20 (Germany: VC-20; Japan: VIC-1001) is an 8-bit home computer which was sold by Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980, roughly three years after Commodore’s first personal computer, the PET. The VIC-20 was the first computer of any description to sell one million units.

The VIC-20 was intended to be more economical than the PET computer. It was equipped with only 5 kB of RAM (of this, only 3583 bytes were available to the BASIC programmer) and used the same MOS 6502 CPU as the PET. The VIC-20′s video chip, the MOS Technology VIC, was a general-purpose color video chip designed by Al Charpentier in 1977 and intended for use in inexpensive display terminals and game consoles, but Commodore could not find a market for the chip.

As the Apple II gained momentum with the advent of VisiCalc in 1979, Jack Tramiel wanted a product that would compete in the same segment, to be presented at the January 1980 CES. For this reason Chuck Peddle and Bill Seiler started to design a computer named TOI (The Other Intellect).

source: wikipedia

Autopsy:

12►

from Wikipedia:

The VIC-20 (Germany: VC-20; Japan: VIC-1001) is an 8-bit home computer which was sold by Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980, roughly three years after Commodore’s first personal computer, the PET. The VIC-20 was the first computer of any description to sell one million units.

The VIC-20 was intended to be more economical than the PET computer. It was equipped with only 5 KB of RAM (of this, only 3583 Bytes were available to the user) and used the same MOS 6502 CPU as the PET. The VIC-20′s video chip, the MOS Technology VIC, was a general-purpose color video chip designed by Al Charpentier in 1977 and intended for use in inexpensive display terminals and game consoles, but Commodore couldn’t find a market for the chip. As the Apple II gained momentum with the advent of VisiCalc in 1979, Jack Tramiel wanted a product that would compete in the same segment, to be presented at the January 1980 CES. For this reason Chuck Peddle and Bill Seiler started to design a computer named TOI (The Other Intellect).

The TOI computer failed to materialize, mostly due to the fact that it required an 80-column character display which in turn required the MOS Technology 6564 chip. However, the chip could not be used in the TOI since it required very expensive static RAM to operate fast enough. In the meantime, freshman engineer Robert Yannes at MOS Technology (then a part of Commodore) had designed a computer in his home dubbed the MicroPET and finished a prototype with some help from Al Charpentier and Charles Winterble.

With the TOI unfinished, when Jack Tramiel was confronted with the MicroPET prototype, he immediately said he wanted it to be finished and ordered it to be mass-produced following a limited demonstration at the CES.

source: wikipedia

Description:

• Commodore VIC-20 Generation Two
• Commodore VIC-20 Generation One (Pet Function key style)
• Commodore VC-20 (Pet Function key style)
• Commodore 64 Generation One (Pet Function key style)
• Commodore 64 Generation Two (The classic one)
• Commodore 64 G
• Commodore 64 Aldi
• Commodore 16

All Commodore’s are in perfect state and working like new.

Autopsy:

Description:

• Country: USA
• Most Common: Germany
• Rarity: Rare
• Year: 1981

from Wikipedia:

The VIC-20 (Germany: VC-20; Japan: VIC-1001) is an 8-bit home computer which was sold by Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980,^[1] roughly three years after Commodore’s first personal computer, the PET. The VIC-20 was the first microcomputer to sell one million units.

The VIC-20 was intended to be more economical than the PET computer. It was equipped with only 5 KB of RAM (of this, only 3583 Bytes was available to the user) and used the same MOS 6502 CPU as the PET. The VIC-20′s video chip, the MOS Technology VIC, was a general-purpose color video chip designed by Al Charpentier in 1977 and intended for use in inexpensive display terminals and game consoles, but Commodore couldn’t find a market for the chip. As the Apple II gained momentum with the advent of VisiCalc in 1979, Jack Tramiel wanted a product that would compete in the same segment, to be presented at the January 1980 CES. For this reason Chuck Peddle and Bill Seiler started to design a computer named TOI (The Other Intellect).

source: wikipedia

Art of Commodore Part1

Description from Left to Right:

• Commodore 64 II Generation Two (New Keyboard style/Mainboard with 8580)
• Commodore 64 II Generation One (Old Keyboard style/Mainboard with 6581)
• Commodore Plus 4
• Commodore 116
• Commodore 128
• ZX Spectrum 48k
• ZX 81 + 16k

* there are two lame computers in this photo! ;-D

Art of Commodore Part1

Description from Left to Right:

• Commodore 64 II Generation Two (New Keyboard style/Mainboard with 8580)
• Commodore 64 II Generation One (Old Keyboard style/Mainboard with 6581)
• Commodore Plus 4
• Commodore 128

I have hung some commodore on the wall like paintings, i have others to hang…but my room is very small.

Description from top:

• Commodore VIC-20 Generation One (Pet Function key style)
• Commodore VIC-20 Generation Two
• Commodore 64 Generation One (Pet Function key style)
• Commodore 64 Generation Two (The classic one)
• Commodore 64 G
• Commodore 64 Aldi
• Commodore 16

Description:

• Country: USA
• Most Common: Europe
• Rarity: Unrare
• Year: 1980

The VIC-20 was intended to be more economical than the PET computer. It was equipped with only 5 KB of RAM and used the same MOS 6502 CPU as the PET. The VIC-20′s video chip, the MOS Technology VIC, was a general-purpose color video chip designed by Al Charpentier in 1977 and intended for use in inexpensive display terminals and game consoles, but Commodore couldn’t find a market for the chip.
As the Apple II gained momentum with the advent of VisiCalc in 1979, Jack Tramiel wanted a product that would compete in the same segment, to be presented at the January 1980 CES. For this reason Chuck Peddle and Bill Seiler started to design a computer named TOI (The Other Intellect).

wiki: VIC20-Wiki