Commodore 64 modernized as fully-functional PC

Commodore 64 ain't dead yet

It may be nearly 30 years since the release of the Commodore 64, but the company that brought us the 1980′s tape-loading classic all those years ago is bringing the old dog back.

It’s almost exactly the same keyboard sporting the beige/taupe colour combination you remember (if you’re as old as I am). But under the hood it’s housing a modern mini-ITX PC motherboard featuring a Dual Core 525 Atom processor and the latest Nvidia Ion2 graphics chipset.

On the left-side of the keyboard you’ll find a tray-load dvd-r/w drive (Blu Ray optional). It comes with 2 GB of DDR3 memory, upgradable to 4 GB.

On the right-side you have all the features you’d expect from a modern notebook, like a multi format card reader/writer and a USB slot. If you have a few USB peripherals don’t sweat it, there are 4 USB ports at the rear.

It supports 1080p video playback with 6-channel high-definition audio. You can also connect to your network with ease thanks to an onboard wireless n card.

The revamped retro C64 comes pre-loaded with Linux (Ubuntu to be precise) but as it’s a fully functional PC you can throw on Windows 7, XP or whichever version of Windows you like. The unit also ships with a built-in Commodore 64 emulator and a few 8-bit classics pre-installed.

The 21st century C64 costs anywhere between $250 to $895 depending on which hardware configuration you require. For full specs and shipping details head on over to Commodore’s website.