Commodore 16
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| Type | Home computer |
|---|---|
| Release date | 1984 |
| Media | ROM Cartridge, Cassette tape |
| Operating system | Commodore BASIC 3.5 |
| CPU |
MOS Technology 7501 or 8501 @ 0.89 MHz or 1.76 MHz |
| Memory | 16 KB RAM + 32 KB ROM |
| Display | 320x200, 320x160 (with 5 lines of text), 160x200, 160x160 (with 5 lines of text) |
| Graphics | TED (320 × 200, 121 colors) |
| Sound | TED (2 channels, 4 octaves + white noise) |
| Input | Keyboard (66 keys, 4 function keys, 4 cursor keys), Joystick |
| Dimensions | 40.7 x 20.4 x 7.7cm |
The Commodore 16 is a home computer made by Commodore International with a 6502-compatible 7501 or 8501 CPU, released in 1984 and intended to be an entry-level computer to replace the VIC-20. A cost-reduced version, the Commodore 116, was sold only in Europe.
The C16 and C116 belong to the same family as the higher-end Plus/4 and are internally very similar to it (albeit with less RAM - 16 rather than 64 KB - and lacking the Plus/4's user port and integrated office suite). As a result, software is generally compatible among all three provided it can fit within the C16's smaller RAM and does not utilize the user port on the Plus/4.
While the C16 was a failure on the US market, it enjoyed some success in certain European countries and in Mexico.
The C16 was intended to compete with other sub-$100 computers from Timex Corporation, Mattel, and Texas Instruments (TI). Timex's and Mattel's computers were less expensive than the VIC-20, and although the VIC-20 offered better expandability, a full-travel keyboard, and in some cases more memory, the C16 offered a chance to improve upon those advantages. The TI-99/4A was priced in-between Commodore's VIC-20 and Commodore 64, and is somewhat between them in capability, but TI was lowering its prices. On paper, the C16 is a closer match for the TI-99/4A than the aging VIC-20.
Commodore president Jack Tramiel feared that one or more Japanese companies would introduce a consumer-oriented computer and undercut everyone's prices. Although the Japanese would soon dominate the U.S. video game console market, their feared dominance of the home computer field never materialized. Additionally, Timex, Mattel, and TI departed the computer market before the C16 was released.
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