How many c64s?

[Gryzor]

After reading an article saying that the RPi is (after 10m units sold) on its way to surpass the c64 and thinking "oh no, not that stuff again", I looked into it. Up to now I had a figure of something like 18 million in mind, but this article gives a different perspective:


How many Commodore 64 computers were really sold? | pagetable.com


Huh.

[VincentGR]

Can we say that RPi is a complete computer?
It kinda reminds me of the ZX-80 days 

[CraigsBar]

Yes of course it is a complete computer, you only 'need' to add a power lead, screen, keyboard and mouse. A bit like a Mac mini.

OK the Mac mini comes with a case and power supply which the pi lacks. But the pi is just a little bit cheaper.

[Gryzor]

Yes it is a complete computer; even with the RPi one you could run a desktop system and do actual work with it, although it was quite underpowered.


But of course, as @chinnyhill10 had mentioned back when they claimed they had surpassed Amstrad, it's not really comparable as a feat - the number means nothing other than a good PR opportunity. You can't really compare a product whose cost was a serious investment and in a society where not many people had computers, with a pocket-change device in a world where each one of us owns several.

[VincentGR]

It doesn't feel as a complete computer to me though a you need to buy a bunch of stuff.
We need a poll to decide if it is or not 

[1024MAK]

Erm, you need to define what you think "a computer" is before you take this any further...

After all, a smartphone is a computer....

It has a CPU, memory, input and output devices etc.

Mark

[VincentGR]

As it is mentioned above, it's just a mobo and you need a kit to make it complete.

[villain]

How many? Too many, I think. For a computer having now proper F- and cursor-keys, too many brownish and pale colors, an awful design and the slowest disk-drives ever... :-) 

But personally I like the C64. For having a lot of cool demos, great games and a very active and productive scene.

[Gryzor]

It doesn't feel as a complete computer to me though a you need to buy a bunch of stuff.
We need a poll to decide if it is or not 

That's the difference between a computer and a workstation, I think. 

[CraigsBar]

As it is mentioned above, it's just a mobo and you need a kit to make it complete.

Well not really. A mobo needs extra things that the pi has already...

CPU, RAM, Storage, Graphics card, Sound card, WiFi......

Since you only need to add the human interface devices, that you need to add to the mobo as well as everything above too the pi is definitely a computer.

Edit: yes I know most mobos now come with gfx, sound and network hardware built in. But you still need to add CPU, ram and storage.

[ivarf]

So the total sales of PCWs and CPCs equals the C64 sales...😃

[chinnyhill10]

Yes it is a complete computer; even with the RPi one you could run a desktop system and do actual work with it, although it was quite underpowered.


But of course, as @chinnyhill10 had mentioned back when they claimed they had surpassed Amstrad, it's not really comparable as a feat - the number means nothing other than a good PR opportunity. You can't really compare a product whose cost was a serious investment and in a society where not many people had computers, with a pocket-change device in a world where each one of us owns several.

A Pi is what, 30 quid? A base model PCW at launch would today cost £1,158.50. In fact even more as VAT has increased by 5% since then!


The Pi claims are just PR spin.

[SRS]

I'd say the PI is not a computer (as in "workstation or personal computing device")

but a  "tuning kit".

Buit those numbers are pure propagana only ...

[Gryzor]

So the total sales of PCWs and CPCs equals the C64 sales...😃

Indeed, if those numbers are correct then the difference was not that huge... 

[Ygdrazil]

Heh...

Well around 12m to many! 


Just kidding.. I have learned to appreciate the C64 for its own qualities! (Lack of superior CPU, 16 shades of brown, esoteric floppy drive, etc.. etc. but dedicated user community)


Nice article though.. does there exist something similar for the CPC.. an analysis of serial numbers!?!?


Regards,
Ygdrazil

After reading an article saying that the RPi is (after 10m units sold) on its way to surpass the c64 and thinking "oh no, not that stuff again", I looked into it. Up to now I had a figure of something like 18 million in mind, but this article gives a different perspective:


How many Commodore 64 computers were really sold? | pagetable.com


Huh.

[Prodatron]

Indeed, if those numbers are correct then the difference was not that huge...

Michael Steil is one of these top C64 guys, maybe you know his talk about the 6502 ( ) or the reverse engineered GEOS source codes, which he published a few weeks ago ( Reverse-Engineered GEOS 2.0 for C64 Source Code | pagetable.com ). So I guess his numbers are quite serious.