C64 reloaded by Jens

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Jeri Ellsworth managed to showhorn a C64 into a joystick for a lot less than the projected price of this item and the DTV can easily be hacked to support an SD card and a keyboard. Something like the DTV would have been a better basis for a C64 replacement board in a similar way that the Minimig was for the A500.

This replacement of Jens' is an exercise in re-inventing the wheel in my view.

I think DTV is an FPGA, the C64 Reloaded is the real deal, I guess.
 
@everblue

The DTV64 probably started life as an FPGA project, but the sticks we have in our homes are an ASIC product (think of this a hard copy of the FPGA) - I love my two DTV64's and I am looking forward to getting one of these to replace the dead +4 motherboard I have =)
 
@Zetro

I'm fine with fair review, an example of which was your own response to some bullet points I made.

I'm certainly no fanboy, and I'm certainly in no flap!

*pretends to peck*
 
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And going by the development speed and failure to finalise the core on the Turbo Chameleon, I wouldn't hold out much hope either.

For ffs why doesn't he finish the Chameleon first doh.
But then that would be a first wouldn't it lol.
 
i think at the end of the day,it will get dark.

jokes aside,no matter how cheap or expensive something is someone will or not want it for one reason or another.

but in my opinion,as an everyday user ~£123 is too much for a machine that's exactly the same as the original and wont work when that money spent and comes with nothing extra in terms of usable content.

if it was a super cpu addon or reu,then that would useful,just a thought.
 
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I'm surprised to hear 'reinvention of the wheel' used as a negative when you consider the popularity of the Z80, which was itself a reinvention of the 8080.

All power to Jeri for her incredible achievements, and they are incredible.

However, I disagree with her achievements being held against Jens. They needn't stop him from pursuing his own projects.

What would be wrong with him selling a lamp he made - or a wheel for that matter?

Jens crafted the Grafitti and the Indivision for me. Everything else he make is a bonus as far as I'm concerned.

I'll sum it up in one word, Nick; reliability. Using the original components is laudable, but it also brings with it the liabilities and issues with using old components and their susceptibility to failure. C64 PLAs and CIAs were well-known components for failing and eliminating these for more modern technology would be preferable.

I'd settle for a small replacement C64 board based on modern tech that passes the 'Turing Test', meaning that I can't tell the difference in old vs. new by using the machine. If there's no difference to the end user, then the product is adequate. Any other bells whistles and addons such as SD card support are a bonus.
 
@Merlin

I'm not so sure why you quoted me on your last point, but I'll reply anyway.

On the flip-side of the coin, this provides a board that functions like the old board giving an opportunity to play with a C64 board without breaking an old board. It also allows old components that work that don't have a board, but do have a case the chance to work again.

Question is, if someone was to fit one of these into a C64 case, and also have a standard C64, and put them both up for sale at the same price - a price that you personally would find reasonable to pay for a working C64, which would you choose?

Would you buy both? Either? Neither? Why?
 
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I'll sum it up in one word, Nick; reliability. Using the original components is laudable, but it also brings with it the liabilities and issues with using old components and their susceptibility to failure. C64 PLAs and CIAs were well-known components for failing and eliminating these for more modern technology would be preferable.

I'd settle for a small replacement C64 board based on modern tech that passes the 'Turing Test', meaning that I can't tell the difference in old vs. new by using the machine. If there's no difference to the end user, then the product is adequate. Any other bells whistles and addons such as SD card support are a bonus.

Did the CIA chips have any other fault than ESD tolerance? New board with good ESD protection could use old CIA chips.
 
Question is, if someone was to fit one of these into a C64 case, and also have a standard C64, and put them both up for sale at the same price - a price that you personally would find reasonable to pay for a working C64, which would you choose?

Would you buy both?

What's the point in a hypothetical question like that, when they are absolutely not the same price?
 
@sputnik

It is impossible to buy a C64 new, and if you could, they wouldn't be second-hand prices.

I'm talking about in the future. Imagine the following:


  • Someone buys the board
  • Sources the chips
  • Fits them
  • Assembles the lot into a case
  • They get knocked over by a bus (destroyed)
  • Upon hearing the news, their widow/widower immediately logs into Amibay and creates a sales thread for a price that's yours to imagine for both their C64 and C64 Reloaded - would prefer if bought as a pair, but will consider splits.


 
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the cia's were wired directly to the joystick,and other devices,esd wasn't the only thing that could kill them.

@nick
in reality,if someone bought one of these boards,fitted the missing components put it all in a case,it wont be sold for £123 it would be more than that.

at a guess it would be around the same price as when the original was sold new 30 years ago,a bit of look will show that figure.
that would be around five to ten times what they are now second hand today.in working condition
 
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@sputnik

because you can't buy a C64 new, and if you could, they wouldn't be second-hand prices. I'm talking about in the future:

Someone bought the board, sourced the chips and fitted them, assembled it all into the case, they get knocked over by a bus, his/her widow/widower immediately logs into Amibay and creates a sales thread for £Yours-to-imagine.


What does this hypothetical question tries to prove?

If the price is the same as the other "old" C64 then one can get the reloaded just out of curiosity or for laughs and giggles since it will be a fraction of the original price, but this hardly proves anything or makes a point.
 
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Given that Commodore only made a paltry few million C64s of Breadbin and 64C types, I can understand why Jens wants to make a replacement for such a rare and hard to find machine. He should have made a Commodore Pet version, you can't turn around without tripping over a Pet.*

*May contain more than the recommended daily amount of sarcasm and irony.
 
@sputnik

because you can't buy a C64 new, and if you could, they wouldn't be second-hand prices. I'm talking about in the future:

Someone bought the board, sourced the chips and fitted them, assembled it all into the case, they get knocked over by a bus, his/her widow/widower immediately logs into Amibay and creates a sales thread for £Yours-to-imagine.

It would presumably still sell for more than a normal board for curiosity value and low production run. But I'm not sure that an unlucky bus accident / impulsive widow situation is a valid method of establishing the worth of a new item :cool:
 
the cia's were wired directly to the joystick,and other devices,esd wasn't the only thing that could kill them.
Still, lot of things can be added to the MB to protect these old sensitive chips, not just from ESD, making it more reliable than an old used MB.
 
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Given that Commodore only made a paltry few million C64s of Breadbin and 64C types, I can understand why Jens wants to make a replacement for such a rare and hard to find machine. He should have made a Commodore Pet version, you can't turn around without tripping over a Pet.*

*May contain more than the recommended daily amount of sarcasm and irony.

Yes! A PET-2001 or A P-500, one of those odd hybrids that contained a SID!
 
Perhaps an interesting way to look at this would be from the inverse -

Say we have a target price of €150 euros... our product is a fully compatible C64 motherboard - what other features would we include ?

Starting with a 1:1 direct replacement and go from there - what features would you include ?
 
Hi Keith - SD Card port with full 1541 drive support (asking alot I know :-) ), Dual SID configuration (again asking alot :-) ) oh and a Super CPU / 6502 switch ;-)
 
Hi Keith - SD Card port with full 1541 drive support (asking alot I know :-) ), Dual SID configuration (again asking alot :-) ) oh and a Super CPU / 6502 switch ;-)

You mean the Turbo Chameleon....lol
It aint finished yet mate after 3 years of Beta Stage.

;)
 
lol :p ...... ere ok you win that one TC but to have it installed in a C64c case would be sooooo much better......plus it isnt bright yellow :-)
 
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