THE 64 - Computer and Handheld Console

[Ian J]

If the image is mirrored the ports line up more to what would fit the case:

 

[pmprog]

If that's a pre-production board, considerations for the case probably haven't entered consideration yet - they're just trying to get something that works at that stage.
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The red board is an off-the-sheld SBC, and in that photo we've seen it wasn't connected to either the joystick or the case we could see.

But the question I have in all of that, if you have managed to produce a working prototype board (even if it didn't consider the case shape/requirements), why would you then drop your software dev back to an off-the-shelf SBC?
Even if you couldn't fit your board in your case (because of design changes), if you can't run your software off your own board, there's little different to having a RaspPi, with VICE and shoving it in a 3D printed case?

What I find really bizarre, quite a few of the C64 veterans I'm "friends" with seem to really like it...

 

[vcoleiro1]

Supposedlly someone captured this from a facbook poost by Georege, although I dont know the source page. This below was posted on the Democracy facebook group.

Not sure, but I think George is suggesting the red board behnd the TV is TheC64. But that board matches the Lime 2 board as Ian mentioned, and which they had previously shown they used way back in August 2016.

 

[pmprog]

I love how he said "The VEGA+ has never existed beyond prototype" and "the64 exists"... failing to mention that's only a prototype... Oh and that whilst the VEGA+ missed a deadline, THE64 is also well behind it's deadline of December 2016, as shown on IndieGoGo.

Maybe George should reveal if he's had any money from THE64 team?

 

[vcoleiro1]

Maybe their prototype boards were attached to the Lime2 board. Thats the only other thing I can think of

 

[ZXDunny]

I'm afraid that George is starting to look like a shill for Andrews now. His constant bad attitude reflects badly on both of them, which is a shame as Andrews always dealt fairly and courteously with me.

 

[vcoleiro1]

I think George said he is helping them out with getting the word out

 

[Ian J]

I think George said he is helping them out with getting the word out

Wrong channel / person to choose, but that's just my opinion.

They need something more like The spectrum Show from Paul Jenkinson, his video's are excellent.


Is there anything similar for the C64?

 

[Hellfleck]

wow thats turning into quite the soap opera I would like the tiny C64 because its nice for a quick dose of nostalgia and a cute show piece ... so far very not impressed how they handle everything though

The Ultima-C64 looks way more tempting to me right now ... even tough I might have to buy a seperate case for it or cut my own

 

[vcoleiro1]

Geroge and Paul Andrews re: C64 mini

 

[levi]

Did I mishear him, or did he claim that board that seems to be a pretty good match for an off-the-shelf SBC was his prototype board?

 

[Ian J]

Pausing the video at 4:58 the back ports do appear to match up with the image from post #141, apart from what looks like an SD slot.

I'll end up buying one of these, the only downside is not being able to use original hardware on it (disc drives, cartridges etc)

But I'm going to keep and eye out for some of the other C64 hardware that's currently in development.

 

[levi]

Also, he seems to claim this was up on amazon uk. I can't find anything there searching either for 'commodore 64' and checking the first ten pages, or searching for 'commodore 64 mini' which offers me mini office 2 for C64 and something in German without an image. 'C64 mini' didn't get me anything either when I tried that.

 

[pmprog]

I'll end up buying one of these

The "Mini" version? What for? I can understand the fullsize one, as it's a fully cased keyboard/computer, but the mini provides nothing more than a rasp pi and this.

But I'm going to keep and eye out for some of the other C64 hardware that's currently in development.

I'd definately recommend this, as there's plenty on the go.
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Did I mishear him, or did he claim that board that seems to be a pretty good match for an off-the-shelf SBC was his prototype board?

The words he used was "dev board". I suppose you can look at it in the same way as that OMAP5 devboard for the Pyra. It's clearly not the same board that will appear in the Pyra, but has the same components.

 

[Ian J]

The "Mini" version? What for? I can understand the fullsize one, as it's a fully cased keyboard/computer, but the mini provides nothing more than a rasp pi and this.

Nostalgia / ease of use, original hardware can't be used on the fullsize TheC64 either so I'd rather get something compact I can leave out and use in the lounge on the large screen.

I currently use a Pi for emulation but for the C64 I have to plug in a keyboard and it can get messy with wires.

 

[ZXDunny]

Nostalgia / ease of use, original hardware can't be used on the fullsize TheC64 either so I'd rather get something compact I can leave out and use in the lounge on the large screen.

I currently use a Pi for emulation but for the C64 I have to plug in a keyboard and it can get messy with wires.

You'll have to plug in a keyboard for the Mini too - the keyboard on the unit is non-functioning iirc, and only there for cosmetic purposes. That said, it will have a joystick control UI for gaming, but again - no keyboard support.

 

[pmprog]

You'll have to plug in a keyboard for the Mini too - the keyboard on the unit is non-functioning iirc, and only there for cosmetic purposes. That said, it will have a joystick control UI for gaming, but again - no keyboard support.

This. Alternatively, I'm sure you can get joystick controlled launchers for the Pi (Does Pickle's launcher support joysticks?), but even if you can't find one, I'm going to build a new one for my pi-zero based handheld (which only has a handful of buttons), so you can always have a copy of that when it's finished (or at least functional)

 

[vcoleiro1]

I'm not sure what was in the C64 mini on the table. But it was confirmed in that last video that the games they were playing were being run from the Lime2 dev board,. That board was even shown again more closely this time in the video.

Here's an article confirming the board was a Lime2 dev board

http://www.commodorecomputerblog.com/2017/09/thec64-mini-torna-il-glorioso-c64.html

 

[Ian J]

I don't use a keyboard all the time on the Pi I use a joypad to navigate and run games, but some games require the odd keyboard button so I have to plug one in to remap them.

According to the video the extra buttons have all been mapped for the included games, I'd hope any games I add can be mapped & saved.

 

[ZXDunny]

According to the video the extra buttons have all been mapped for the included games, I'd hope any games I add can be mapped & saved.

Given that this is almost certainly using the same firmware as the Vega/Vega+ (but with a C64 emu in place of the Speccy) then yes, it will customisable I'd have thought.