Commodore 64 released September 1, 1982
The Commodore 64, launched on September 1, 1982, became the best-selling computer of all time by offering 64KB of memory for under $600. Its success was driven by competitive pricing and the relative scarcity of alternatives at the time.
Why it matters
The C-64 is a landmark device in the history of personal computing, representing the democratization of home technology.
On September 1, 1982, the Commodore 64 launched. Its name referred to the amount of memory it had on board: 64 kilobytes. And it was the first computer with 64K of memory to sell for under $600.
When the C-64 first shipped is a bit of a mystery. Commodore showed prototypes at the January 1982 Consumer Electronics Show, but these weren’t production-ready models yet. Some engineers quoted in Brian Bagnall’s books say they shipped some units in August. Michael Tomczyk’s book, The Home Computer Wars , says it launched September 1. Given that Tomczyk was writing in 1984, not long after the actual launch, I’m inclined to think Tomczyk’s date is correct. Why the discrepancy? Commodore wasn’t selling direct. So if they intended to sell any machines on September 1, they had to ship the first units in August.
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