http://sploid.gizmodo.com/this-old-ass-commodore-64-is-still-being-used-to-run-an-1787196319

This is amazing!

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Cat; the other white meat.

That machine is actually a C-64C, which was the redesign of the original C-64 released in late 1982. They were generally reliable machines, but having DRAM, could be made to crash due to single bit errors caused by stray neutrons in background radiation. I recall back when I did professional development on the C-128D I would have to periodically restart the machine because of random memory errors.

Amusing that a 30 year old machine with a fraction of the computing power of a cheap cell phone is still on the job.

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x86?  We ain't got no x86.  We don't NEED no stinking x86!

Yeah, I'm familiar with the model. Remember...you're talking to the guy with 70 vintage computers. lol

I wonder, though, how often you would find vintage computers running businesses...especially in Eastern/Central Europe.

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Cat; the other white meat.

Two years I ran into a guy working on inventing some very cutting edge technology, who uses an original C64 to run his business. He may do more than that with it, I don't know.

He didn't appreciate me asking about it, so I stopped. I got the impression he expected I was the typical kind of person who would poo-poo anything that old.

Really, I don't know why this is surprising. No one would balk at anyone doing this sort of thing in 1985, and the things these computers can do hasn't decreased at all. In fact, they can do more than they could ever do back then. It's actually very silly that we don't see this more often.

To feel secure in this situation, I think I'd want one or preferably two spare machines lined up. It's great that the software (and hardware) can be so stable - when requirements don't change, no need for constant fixes or enhancements - but you do need a plan for when the hardware goes wrong. (It's possible that in some places it's so commonly done that spares and repairs are available when you need them.)

You're preaching to the choir. I agree 100%.

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Cat; the other white meat.

One of my favourites was Apple //e's drip-feeding CNC controls at 4800 baud in 1997 being replaced with complicated 80386 based AT clones with expensive licenced software to do the exact same job. Why? The Apples were old, I guess.

I rescued the Apples from the trash, and still have one; and it still works. The others I sold in working condition within the last couple years due to space and financial concerns.

I think cell phones are bad at this too. The market is to get thinner and thinner.

Right now, I can barely even hold on to my slippery iPhone because it's so thin, polished, etc. Sure, it's beautiful. But I have to put a big ugly case on it so I don't drop it.

If we must use cell phones, at least make them rugged and thick so clumsy oafs like me don't drop them. They can still be thick with small insides. lol.

Mostly empty air would be OK. Just make it rugged.

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Cat; the other white meat.

Empty air? I prefer larger battery.

This Kyocera Hydro is one of the less slippery ones I've had, but it too, is too needlessly aerodynamic.

Most modern "phones" are clearly designed to slip out of your hand or pocket.

I'd second that idea. The PLA in the C-64 is known to lose its configuration with age, rendering the machine completely inoperative.

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x86?  We ain't got no x86.  We don't NEED no stinking x86!

And hopefully he's not using the original power supply, which he probably is.

I still use the original power supply in several of my Commodore's. Mainly, because that's all I have.

I did, however, just recently repair an Atari ST power supply. So should get a few more years out of it.

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Cat; the other white meat.

The C-64C power supply was okay. It was the first design C-64 power supply that was weak in the knees.

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x86?  We ain't got no x86.  We don't NEED no stinking x86!

All my C64C power supplies have failed. The only ones that haven't are the "upgrade" ones that were sold with the REU. Those are built like the C128 and Amiga 500 supplies.

Not only have they failed, they failed with high DC voltage.

Possibly there was some later power supply sold with the C64C that I'm not aware of. All mine, and all the ones I've dealt with, are early models, and the only difference between them a common (not early) Vic-20 power supply is the colour.

Every C64 which I've actually seen with a bad PLA or bad VIC-II had a potted power supply with a bad regulator. Maybe the PLA can fail on its own, but in my experience, the power supply is the cause.

It's my opinion that any C64 running with a potted Commodore power supply is living on borrowed time.

When considering the technical specifications of the Apollo Guidance Computer,
a C64 most certainly _should_ be powerful enough to bring a man to the moon and back.


Yep, same thing here.
About 28 years ago, when my C64 had about twice as many chips inside as intended by the manufacturer,
the power supply suddenly had failed with overvoltage at some point.

For building your own C64 power supply, go here:
http://personalpages.tds.net/~rcarlsen/cbm/c64/C64%20PS/
http://personalpages.tds.net/~rcarlsen/cbm/universal_ps/

The problem with PLA failure seems to be known:
http://www.c64-wiki.de/index.php/realPLA
http://www.zimmers.net/anonftp/pub/cbm/firmware/computers/c64/C64_PLA_Dissected.pdf

But hey, PCs nowaday seem to be designed to be in use for three years or so before getting scrapped.
Compared to this, the C64 still does well.