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For many people, their first computer was a "Commie." It was a real computer with lots of available software, and it was cheap.

Most importantly, it encouraged users to experiment with writing programs, building databases and reaching out across the phone lines to bulletin boards. This early success in computing encouraged them to move on to more serious machines with big price tags, dazzling processor speeds and an ever-expanding inventory of peripherals.

Some Commodore users, however, refused to grow up, and others like me went into a second computing childhood. As a result, the Commodore 64 and 128 live on in thousands of homes across the US and the world.

Silicon Visions and Freedom
"The whole purpose for computing is the expansion of human potential." If you can agree with this statement, then you will understand what I'm going to say next: Processor power has nothing--absolutely nothing--to do with your satisfaction.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that a 200MHz Pentium Pro MMX is anything other than a dream machine, or that bigger computers aren't worthwhile. Along with my Commies, I have two 486 PCs (a desktop and a laptop) and three Macintosh systems, each one more powerful than the last.

What I'm saying is that computers are intended to fulfill a need. If they can do that, then you are satisfied. If they cannot, you will not be satisfied--no matter how big the hard drive or how fast the processor.

With that in mind, allow me to reintroduce the Commodore and a few of the loyal users who keep these machines operating today.

Lost Kingdom
Commodore Business Machines, Inc. operated from the mid-1970s until the early-1990s. The company started with a pocket calculator and ended with the dazzling Amiga.

In the late 1970s, in response to the birth of the personal computer, Commodore introduced the Pet. It was an 8K home computer that changed the industry with the novel concept that people wanted a computer to come fully assembled, with all the necessary parts already attached.

Next came the VIC20, a 16K home computer that could run off of a home television or a monitor, with programs stored on cassette tapes or disks. It came in a single-unit plastic case and could easily tuck under your arm.

Then a revolution started in 1982 with the introduction of the Commodore 64. It was dirt cheap--selling for as little as $300--widely available in department stores and capable of doing nearly anything you might want a computer to do. More C64s were sold than IBM PCs and Apple IIs combined.

A huge library of software was written for the Commodore 64--games, business applications and educational programs--and they were sold everywhere, from discount stores to mail order houses. So much software was produced, as a matter of fact, that it is still easy to find C64 programs for just about any purpose.

The C64 was joined in 1985 by a more powerful stable mate, the Commodore 128, and a host of niche market products, such as the Plus 4 (with four programs in ROM) and Commodore 16 (designed primarily to play computer games). Eventually, the Commodore 64 was redesigned and revamped into the C64C and the Commodore 128 became the desktop-designed C128D.

With hundreds of thousands of C64s and C128s in use, it was inevitable that this computer would not quickly fade away. The continuing vitality of the Commodore, 15 years after its introduction, is the result of something else: its continued utility for thousands of owners.

What Doesn't Kill You
"I am still a Commodore user because it will do anything that I need it to do and it just keeps getting better." Frank McKee, a 64-year-old retired numerical control programmer engineer for Lockheed Missiles & Space Co., is one of as many as 40,000 Commodore computer users in the US.

A self-described power user, McKee's collection of C64s and C128s are equipped with up to 16 megabytes of RAM, high resolution monitors, high density 3.5 inch floppy drives, 28,800 bps modems, 40 megabyte hard drives and accelerated 20MHz processors--all purchased in the last few years from a variety of companies that still support the Commodore.

Yet, despite his enthusiasm today, McKee's first Commodore collected dust for a decade. "I bought my first computer in 1985 and it was a Commodore 64," he said. "I didn't use it very much until I retired and I found a copy of GEOS 2.0 at my local Target store for $20."

GEOS, an acronym for Graphic Environment Operating System, was a turning point for McKee and a lot of Commodore users. It gave the C64 and C128 an easy graphical interface and a suite of applications which permitted advanced computer use, such as WYSIWYG word processing and graphics, as well as point-and-click spreadsheets.

For J.E. Sears of Harlington, Texas, the graphic interface was tailor-made for a private elementary school's computer needs. "I showed a C64 to a devout IBM fan and he was shocked that it would boot a point-and-click interface in seven seconds."

Sears has been helping the school maintain nine Commodore 64s and one Commodore 128. All of the computers are equipped with GEOS, along with 5.25 and 3.5 inch floppy drives, expanded RAM and 20MB hard drives. They are all linked to the Internet using 14,400 bps modems.

"Math drills and typing programs are what they are using most right now," Sears commented. "The students stay after school to play educational games, and they have GeoPublish (a desktop publishing program) with hopes of making a school paper. The teachers are thrilled with what these machines can do--and that we did it all for around $2,000, the price of a single IBM clone system."

While she uses a Macintosh system at work, Sears says that she prefers to "surf the Net and generally have a blast" with her personal C64. "I've written educational programs for the elementary level and I use the C64 for making video titles. I can fax and receive faxes which is great for scanning artwork."

The youngest user I know about is a 14-year-old in Raleigh Hills who acquired his C64 from a junk pile and planned to use it for a pop art lamp until he discovered what it could do. Now, according to his father, he ignores the family's 486 PC in favor of the Commie.

Getting Started
For those who are now trying to remember where, exactly, in their garage they left their Commodore and how they can get it working again, the best advice is ask for help. Try the Internet, online services or the local user groups.

Online, you can reach Commodore special interest groups at Delphi Internet or Genie, or you can contact a variety of sites on the World Wide Web, including Jim Brain's site and Creative Micro Designs, the leading manufacturer of Commodore-compatible peripherals and software.

In the Portland area, the closest outlet for personal assistance is the Vancouver Commodore Users Group. The group meets at 10 a.m., the third Monday of each month, at the Veterans Administration Hospital Conference Room. You can reach Jack Thompson, the group's contact person, at 360-883-2627 or vcug@orionsys.com.

Last Thoughts
As I said before, computing is about expanding human potential.

So is the Commodore obsolete? Only if you believe it is.

Otherwise, the C64 and C128 can continue to fulfil the needs of the computer user because human potential doesn't come with a megahertz rating. It rests in the intelligence and imagination of the individual--which the old Commodore is ready to help you explore.

Published in Computer Bits magazine May 1997