Commodore plus/4
The Commodore plus/4 has become very difficult to find these days. They
weren't around for very long, and it's rather clear why that was. In the
early to mid-eighties, most people bought home computers based on how good they
performed as games machines (the same is still true today). Commodore had
hoped to market the plus/4 as a business-oriented home computer, including a
productivity suite built into a 32K ROM. Sure, there is a large business
market out there, and some machines are purchased for reasons pertaining to
work, but most of these people were already buying IBM PC compatibles by the
time the plus/4 was released. As a game machine, the plus/4's lack of sprites
and poor sound made it an unworthy opponent to the Commodore 64. Despite
having some very nice features, like an enhanced version of BASIC with graphic
and sound commands, and 60K of RAM available to BASIC programs, it's
incompatibility with every other machine (particularly with the C64) spelt a
quick demise.
I like the looks of this system; it's really got style.
I was lucky to find it at a flea market, still in the
original box, with original manuals (including a manual for a nowhere to be
found black 1531 datasette). I found a black MPS-803 printer as well, but
passed on that item (also still in the box). At the time, I do not recall
any commercial software being available for this machine (please correct
me if I am wrong). I suppose that's why this unit looks as though it has
hardly ever been touched.
The original box:
Links of interest:
TPUG - Toronto PET Users Group Inc.
The Virtual Internet Commodore User's Group (VICUG)
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