Years go by, and an inescapable truth about vintage computers hits us: they are increasingly hard to find, the available units cost a fortune, and most restoration efforts fall to enthusiasts with limited budgets. However, there is another alternative: creating an unofficial successor. That is the case of the Commodore 256, under the so-called Phoenix Project. Its spec list is preliminary, and all we have in terms of appearance is a basic render, but if it manages to reproduce the functions of the C64 and the C128, it will already be on the right track.
A Legendary Predecessor
The Commodore 128 turned 33 last January. Its idea was to improve on the original C64's specs and enable new execution modes for the user (among other things), but its strongest point ended up being almost complete backward compatibility with the Commodore 64, something critical given the enormous number of games, programs, and accessories dedicated to that system. In fact, the C64's popularity was so great that it was manufactured until 1994, while the C128 didn't go beyond 1989. Some radical market changes combined with the impressive advance of IBM PC clones made an official successor to the Commodore 128 unviable, leaving only isolated prototypes under the Commodore 65 project, which can be worth tens of thousands of euros on the open market. Now, anyone could take the source code of an emulator like VICE and create an expanded environment that symbolizes that failed successor, but fans have other plans, much more ambitious and complex.
The Phoenix Project C256
One of them is the «Phoenix Project C256», or simply Commodore 256, led by engineer Stefany Allaire. It all started when she watched the videos of David Murray, The 8-Bit Guy on YouTube, who described what he considers the 'dream computer', and for Allaire, that computer fits perfectly as a direct successor to the Commodore 128. The spec list (which, of course, is still subject to change) speaks of a Western Digital 65C816 processor at 14 MHz, 4 megabytes of total memory (3 MB of system and 1 MB of video), a graphics chip running at 640 x 480 in 256 colors and 60 FPS with DVI output (digital and analog), an audio system combining two 6581 chips and two YM3812, MIDI inputs and outputs, floppy disk drive compatible with CBM and FAT, two DB9 ports for joysticks, two PS/2 ports (keyboard and mouse), an SD card connector, and as expected, C64 mode.
Early Stage and Open Questions
How, when, and how much? The answer to those three questions is 'we don't know yet'. The project is in a very early stage of development, which is evident from the state of the official site. In the forum, we find renders, a schematic sample, and other technical explanations (for example, the decision to set aside original cases and create a new design compatible with 3D printers), but we'll have to wait to know more. The good news is that the Commodore 256 isn't alone in such an adventure. Perhaps our readers remember MEGA65, and those willing to invest a good amount of euros can buy replicas of motherboards (without chips) and cases for the Commodore 64.
Official site: https://www.c256foenix.com/
