THIS MONTH, WE COVER a Commodore titan that was a huge success in the 1980s, though it was eventually overshadowed by the more successful Commodore 64. Launched in 1980, three years after Commodore’s first personal computer, the PET, the VIC-20 was a sales phenomenon, becoming the first computer to sell over a million units. Aimed at the general consumer, rather than enthusiasts, the VIC-20 (also known as the VC-20 in Germany and the VIC-1001 in Japan) was labeled the ‘computer of the future’ and served as a personal computer for tech giants such as Elon Musk, Linus Torvalds, and id Software’s John Carmack.

–JOHN KNIGHT

1 DEVELOPMENT

The VIC-20 was the culmination of multiple projects within the Commodore Business Machines organization. CEO Jack Tramiel wanted to create a quality, low-cost, mass-market computer to compete with the Japanese machines soon to reach the West. The Commodore PET, launched in 1977, had been selling reasonably well but was considered too expensive to be a mainstream household computer.

>> Meanwhile, as the new owners of MOS Technology, Commodore had developed the MOS Technology VIC, or Video Interface Chip. Commodore had intended the VIC to be a generalpurpose video and sound processor, powering everything from game consoles to hospital equipment. However, they were struggling to find buyers.