| The Commodore 128, released in January 1985 at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, was the last 8-bit home computer developed by Commodore. It was designed as the successor to the popular Commodore 64, and featured significant hardware and software enhancements while maintaining backward compatibility with the C64. The system used a dual-CPU architecture: a MOS 8502 processor running at 2 MHz and a Zilog Z80 processor at 4 MHz, the latter enabling compatibility with CP/M software. The computer came with 128 KB of RAM, expandable internally, and included a 16 KB ROM-based BASIC 7.0, which introduced advanced commands for graphics, sound, and disk operations. The C128 offered three operating modes: C128 Mode – full 128 KB access, enhanced BASIC 7.0. C64 Mode – full compatibility with C64 software and hardware. CP/M Mode – using the Z80 CPU to run CP/M 3.0 software. The system supported both 40-column and 80-column text modes. The 40-column display used the VIC-II chip (as in the C64), while the 80-column mode used the MOS 8563 VDC chip, which had its own dedicated video RAM and supported RGBI output for high-resolution monitors. The C128 came with a standard full-travel keyboard, a numeric keypad, and function keys. It supported dual disk drives (such as the 1571 and later the 1581) and could connect to printers, modems, and monitors via built-in ports. While the C128 had limited commercial success compared to the C64, it was praised for its versatility and improved productivity features. However, its potential was somewhat hindered by limited software that fully utilized the enhanced hardware, as most developers continued targeting the massive C64 user base. |
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