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Top Story: Pick up a brand new Commodore 64 from $250

05.04.2011
Commodore was a big hitter in the computer industry in the 1980s, but has been keeping a low profile for some years now. Now it's back, and it's brought one of its most iconic products with it. The is actually a cleverly-disguised PC in a retro-fabulous case, but its ability to run Commodore's own OS allows it to act just like the 80s classic -- albeit an 80s classic that supports 1080p HDMI output and 7.1 surround sound.

The current model of the Commodore 64, or C64x as it's known, features a dual-core Intel Atom 1.80GHz processor, 2GB RAM as standard (expandable to 4GB) and an NVIDIA ION Graphics Processor with 512MB of VRAM. It has the option of WiFi and Bluetooth as well as either a tray-loading or slot-loading DVD drive -- or even a BluRay drive. Internal storage can be anything between 160GB and 1TB.

You're probably not going to run The Witcher 2 on this thing, but it's certainly more than enough for everyday computing or media server use. It'll also be quite the conversation piece under your TV or hooked up to your monitor on your desk.

The units ship with Ubuntu 10.04 ready to install, and Commodore promises to mail out when it becomes available. Commodore OS features full C64 emulation functionality and also comes with a pack of undisclosed classic games. Since the C64x is a fully-functional PC, it's obviously also possible to install Windows on the system, too, if that's what you want.

C64x systems cost from $250 for a "bare-bones" unit (featuring just the casing, keyboard and card reader) up to $895 for the BluRay and WiFi-equipped 4GB model with 1TB of storage. A bit more expensive than picking up a genuine 80s C64 from eBay, then, but rather more flexible in what it's capable of. Get the full facts and pick up your very own anachronism at .

STAT CHECK -- 1:40PM PST, Apr. 5, 2011