Commodore 64 returns as retro Windows 7 PC

The Commodore 64 is back, after a US company announced plans to release a PC resembling the classic computer but this time including Intel dual- or quad-core processors and support for Windows 7.

The PC Commodore USA plans to launch in June retains much of the original Commodore 64's styling, but the updated specs include hardware that computing enthusiasts in the 1980s could only dream about.

According to Commodore USA's website, the computer can be configured with a choice of Intel chips, including a Core 2 Duo, a Core 2 Quad, a Pentium D or a Celeron D.

It has two DDR2 SDRAM sockets, populated with up to 4GB RAM, while the graphics are powered by an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3100.

Other features include four USB ports, an optional 2.5in hard disk drive, a slimline Blu-ray or optical drive and a built-in Synaptic two-button touchpad.

With the keyboard and internal components built into one unit, much like the original Commodore 64, all that's missing is a monitor, which is supported via a DVI port. The system ships with the latest version of Ubuntu Linux, but there's an option on Commodore's site to include Windows 7 Home Premium, Ultimate or Professional.

Commodore USA said almost one million viewers visited its website within 72 hours of its launch on March 17, 2010.

The Commodore 64 is the machine that spawned many a computer geek's obsession with all things PC. It's even listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling computer model of all time, with sales estimated at between 17 million and 30 million units worldwide since its introduction in 1982 and its reluctant end in 1994.

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