Keeping Up With The Commodore and the SX-64
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- čas přidán 3. 06. 2024
- Brief overview of the lovable "luggable" Commodore SX-64 - the very first full-color portable computer. I then quickly build a 100% brand new Commodore 64 computer where EVERY single component is modern and new in an homage to the SX-64's unique case design. ARTICLE VERSION: www.amigalove.com/viewtopic.p...
Build materials:
- Ultimate64 Elite motherboard: ultimate64.com/
- Brand new plastic case (very slow site): icomp.de/shop-icomp/en/shop/p...
- "MechBoard" echanical keyboard I acquired in 2020: www.amigalove.com/viewtopic.p...
- Brand new keycaps from the Jim Drew keycap campaign: www.amigalove.com/viewtopic.p...
- Super cool duo-tone LED light (pwr + disk activity): corei64.com/shop/index.php?ro...
Table of Contents
00:00 - 00:25 Intro Titles
00:26 - 01:25 SX-64 TV Commercial
01:26 - 03:19 Appearance/Overview
03:20 - 04:38 Plexilaser Ultimate64 teardown
04:39 - 06:51 SX-64 Inspired Build incl. Mechboard
06:52 - 07:10 Outro
● Many thanks to our awesome monthly Site Supporters and Channel Members for their support!!!
Michael Wallen (walldog)
Travis Carter (joethezombie)
Graham Shaw (grshaw)
Acknowledgements
● Intro/Outro music (and more) by the ULTRA bad ass: Axion, with permission [Canada].
axionsynthwave.bandcamp.com/
● Additional Soundtrack music permission by the RIGHTEOUSLY awesome Droid Bishop, with permission [Los Angeles, CA]
droidbishop.bandcamp.com/
● Amiga 3D case render during the intro by the INSANELY talented Thomas (Tommes) Koch - Věda a technologie
I do have one BIG request. Do more videos about Amiga. Quality of Your materials are just superb.
"Are you keeping. up with Eric's collection, 'cause Eric's collection has far surpassed you ...".
Lovely video as usual Eric. In the ever evolving situation of us having very similar tastes, I've finally gotten my hands on that C128D I've been after, YAY. Arrived pretty banged up by the courier, BOO!. It's salvageable so I'm getting there. Have the same. C64c case for a spares board I was given by someone in work that I managed to restore. It's my mod64, will be loaded up with all sorts of mods. One I'd dearly love it to have is a Mechboard64. I guess that's the next item to chase :)
I will never sing that song with those lyrics. Nor have I ever - I swear! >:)
Congrats on the D!! Such great machines. I hope the case/keyboard wasn't damaged badly. Of course, my policy is to always have 2 of everything just in case I need a "donor" machine. But D's aren't easy to come by, I know. Where was yours made?
I hope to see your mod64 some day when you're happy with it. Good times!
@AmigaLove The old 2 is 1, 1 is none mantra, I like it. I've been after a 128D for many years. Was kicking myself for not picking up a local one (incredibly rare to find) several years ago. Managed to find a good deal on eBay. Unfortunately the courier dropped it and the front panel got shunted sideways. Bent the floppy eject bar, snapped the floppy eject handle, smashed all the front panel support struts. Thankfully the machine shell and electronics all seem to be fine. Waiting on a local 3d print shop to print up some reinforcement/replacement struts for the front panel so I can put it all back together again.
Nice video! But you should make a video about the color to black & white converter used to get colors on your Sears Solid State tv! 😆
I've been going through episodes of the Computer Chronicles in order recently, and was quite disappointed when they got to a dedicated "portables" episode in 1985, and of course this was nowhere to be seen. I"m pretty sure I've seen it on that show at some point, maybe just because it made it easier to show off something without setting up a whole system, but yeah... I mean it's said at the end of every episode, this is made possible by the funding of people who are completely in the pocket of IBM, and therefore we really should not have been expecting them to truly give a fair shake to others. I'm surprised they covered the Amiga as much as they did, which wasn't much but certainly more than they covered any other inexpensive machine. They must have been getting screamed at in letters. Anyway, looks slick in black, reminds me of when I was given a VIC-20 rescued from the trash by someone who knew I was into the old stuff. Was not a fan of the white case so the first thing I did was put it in a modified 64 case, swapping over the badges, lol.
I love that show sometimes. It kind of gives me Bob Ross feels except with retro Tech instead of oil paints. They got quite a few heavy hitter future legends on that show too, which is pretty cool.
That's a beautiful C64c! What happened to the underside?
Oh and I spotted what you did to the SX-64 at 3:14. 😉
The bottom of the underside of the 64C is just the nature of the current process with the original molds. I'm not 100% sure, but it I were to guess the plastics they use today are a different chemical composition. And for some reason some colors really show a lot of streaking from the pour and drying process. At least it isn't the top! (Although the tops do have their own issues, too, but they aren't nearly as noticeable.)
As for the kernal, that OG owner actually did that for me. And... I approve!
I have the exact same case. Other then the minor flaws that I guess goes with using old molds or inexperience, (?) it is pretty cool. Nice vid. I always wanted an SX-64 until I actually used it and like you said the screen is not great for text. They used a regular CRT sized shadow mask so the holes are too big for the size CRT it is. The result is a pretty obvious dot pattern. This could have been oh so much better with a better quality CRT.
You are absolutely correct. In fact, when I got my SX-64 a few years ago I actually didn't know about that inherent problem and actually contacted Ray Carlsen to see if he should repair it. He soon set me straight. Everything about the machine I got is museum-quality, however the keyboard membrane is definitely on its last legs and something I need to replace. I got the new membrane but haven't installed it yet. I need to get beyond my fear!
As for the imperfections in the plastic, I assume it is due to using more modern plastics (different chemical composition) that are fire retardant, don't yellow over time, etc. It can also have to do with how they are cooled. I know that with the Mega65 cases the 1st batch were quite flimsy and it was because they were being pulled off the molds too early. In any CASE ;) I really don't know. But regardless I do very much like the SX-inspired color scheme. It's a lot sturdier than my Plexilaser. =)
@@AmigaLove LOL. You know when I first saw the SX in a store I was in awe at the screen and the whole portable deal. Of course I was a freshman in high school so my eyes were a little better then they are today. haha
Wow, I’m impressed you actually saw one in a store! I never saw one in the stores I went to back then.
Nice. I like that motherboard.
Do you have one as well? It's been great for years, but ever since the latest firmware enabling the Wifi I absolutely love it. Being able to search, mount and run literally any C= software ever made (and stored online) over WiFi (and copy it locally if I want to) is next-level.
Carrying around the SX-64 helped to condition and tone my muscles for carrying an M-60 which also weighs 23 pounds.
👍👍👍👍👍👍🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Hah! I obviously have more SX-64 lifting to do.