This mini forum is intended to provide a simple means of discussion about the Commodore  C16 computer. If you want to share your own experience or memories, or add relevant information about this system: post a message!

The C16 was my very first computer. My dad bought it in 1985 with the tape recorder. I learned the BASIC from the original manual and then I started learning assembly.

The only thing that made me hangry was the absence of sprites. It was rather impossible to do a decent game without them.

Basic was very powerful is compared to the version of C64 and let to do some primitive structured programming using do/loop/while/until.

Colour were brighter than the C64 ones. Sound, instead, was poor: the TED wasn''t the SID (sic...).

I experienced 2 problems: the power supply decided to die and the TED started to go crazy...
For the first, I replaced with a unit from a ZX Spectrum... for the second, I started to experience problems with games because TED faulted in reading the joy ports. So I had to change the chip.

I kept that machine 2 years then I bought a PC XT.

The C16 was my first computer which I bought in NZ for $500. This could potentially be upgraded to have more RAM than the C64 was capable of, but the world was already in love with the C64. and the C16 didn't have sprites. There were other joysticks available apart from the commodore one. I should know - I bought one. This was the right computer for me because of the very good BASIC programming language which I learned quite thoroughly and went on from there to assembly language programming on this machine. The C64 limited BASIC probably would have put me off programming. The PLus4 was a C16 in a different shape, with more RAM and 4 built in applications on ROM.

Hi everyone,

great site. I've just got a shoddy C-16 from Ebay ... pure rubbish. The 'commodore' emblem was cracked in two, and the thing is filthy. Apart from other problems, when I eventually managed to cure the gibberish that was coming up on the t.v. screen ( chips loose on the motherboard ) straight away I noticed that the power supply was buzzing when plugged in.

Before this again I had noticed that there was movement in the innards of the power unit: turning it sideways I could feel the heavy metal block thing moving inside the plastic casing. I took it apart and everything looked normal, although I did notice what looked like a legit. line of solder down each side of the metal block thing. Put it back together and plugged it in and left it for about 20 minutes.

It remained silent for about 17 of those minutes, then the steady buzzing, getting louder and louder. Plugged it out to find that it was quite warm. Has anyone any ideas / suggestions? I have no experience of these machines at all, though I've heard a lot of people say that C-64 PSU's tended to melt. Do C-16 PSU's normally make this noise, and indeed to they vibrate very slightly as mine does? I should mention that it didn't get any warmer than I would deem normal.

I did notice, on taking apart the PSU, that there's a large capacitor type thing behind the big metal block. This had a foam spacer stuck to the top of it, which I think makes contact with the cover, but the metal block didn't have one. Should it? Could this explain the buzzing?

Phew! Thanks for reading.

Regards,

Anthony.

I am from Hungary, where there is a big scene for this piece of HW. This was my second computer after a ZX Spectrum, (before that I tried ZX81 also Laser200 with 4 KB of RAM, and after that I owner a C=64 and Amiga, then switched to PC). This is my most favourite computer I ever had (certainly with 64KB internal expansion).
After RAM expansion it was equal to a PLUS/4 (except the built in programs, which were anyhow crap), and it was really addictive. I learned the built-in assembly, created some great graphics (as the 128 colors were REALLY great at that time), even converted some small programs from C=64 (raster tricks, etc).
Although some people states it is VERY different from C=64, after some extensive learning it is possible to CONVERT 1-1 programs from C=64, I mean just changing some parts and using background converter routines some really wise guys could emulate the sprites and more or less the SID sound --> Same games available on C=16/Plus4 as on C=64, same graphics, similar music, same gameplay. Like Head over Heels, Barbarian, Tass Times, DOC, Revs, Bards Tale3, Battle Chess, Loopz, Ace, Castle Master. Dizzys. Grand Prix Circuit, Knigh Orc, etc. You can find hunders of converted, best ever games of C=64 on C=16/Plus4, without the drawback of worse graphics killed the Spectrum versions. These are the same games... Please check:
http://plus4.emucamp.com/games.php?l=%&cols=&icons=

About the HW: the tape-recorder, the Joysticks and other HW had their converter cables, I used expensive C=64 joys with Atari-->C-16 adapters, and some guys used the original C=64 tape-recorder with and adapter. So it was no "digital signal instead of analog signal", just the interface look different, but you could hardwire it, so some home-work for people like to understand the worls around themselves...
Later on I upgraded to 1541-II drive, which worked perfectly, and the same MPS-801 printer was used as for C=64. Later on I owned a Star computer, but I could use it only for C=64, as only for this model I had a Centronics converter.

I lived this machine very much, as I understood what is happening why, and while the C=64 was more a game-computer (at least you needed extra basic interpreters or assemblers to program it), this piece of HW was able to provide programming experince at your fingertips just unpacking and switching it on. In fact my C=16 had a much better keyboard C=64 had, and PLUS/4 has even had a better one, had REAL cursors (C=16 also has 4 cursor keys (not 2 for the 4 directions), I hope you know, what I mean :-)) )

Bye: MMS

The TED machines were an amazing piece of engineering for their time. The entire computer - CPU, video, sound and I/O - were fit onto a _single_ chip. No other machine had this level of integration, even those useless Tandy/Sharp pocket PCs were packed full of chips. Only the memory chips were external. The C16 was _really_ cheap - it cost $200 for the computer, a cassette drive, a joystick, 4 games on cartridge and 8 on cassette and a BASIC tutorial in Australia - a C64 was $500. The only competitor was a Chinese TRS-80 copy (Vtech VZ200) which cost $300... The TED machines sold about 1 million in 2 years - the Apple IIc by contrast managed about 200,000 in six years.

The C16 was assembled in Corby, UK, in the same factory as the C64 with the circuit board and keyboard manufactured by Commodore in Hong Kong. When Corby closed producion ended. I assume the Mexican units were assembled from unfinished components from HK ? You could of course program using block animation like all non-sprite systems did (Spectrum, Amstrad, PC etc) used, but here wasn''t quite enough memory for full sprite emulation.

The C16 isn''t just the plus/4 with less memory! The plus/4 offers 4 built-in programs, a user port (which isn''t compatible with the one of the C64) and a different, probably more ergonomic case and keyboard with different function- and cursour-keys! It also has a different power supply. And the case is NOT the same as the one of the C116, as some people think. The C16 was my first computer (bought by my father at Aldi for himself) and I still like it a lot!

I had one of these in my early childhood. My Granddad bought one as a gift to me and my brother who was barely out of nappies. All I could was put a tape in the attached tape deck. Run a command to load it and wait sometimes an hour for it to load which in some cases crashed during gameplay. Games were bad. I remember one where you had to jump over pits which was insanely hard.

I just wanted to mention that a real prototype of the Commodore 16 has been sold on eBay in May 2017. It was then examined by members of the german Commodore forum "Forum64". Every part of it is special: The case is a painted C64 case, he keyboard is handmade with engraved keys, and the mainboard is a single layer PCB (!). Bil Herd, former engineer on the 264 series has confirmed its authenticity$ he said that its construction was a (failed) attempt based on cost saving madness by Commodore. So this is probably one of the greates commodore finds in recent years, luckily it has survived and will be preserved for the future. It is located at the Heinz Nixdorf Museum Paderborn, germany.

Dont miss the fantastic story about the Commdoroe 16 prototype (check link, german only, use translator)!

The C16 wasn''t a commercial failure although it wasn''t a worldwide success. It sold well in the UK and Europe with lots of games being released for it for around 4-5 years which isn''t bad for what''s wrongly seen as a failure. There''s been many more games since in the fan-scene.

The US alone isn''t sole representative of the whole market. It''s a classic under-rated little machine despite some of it''s faults, there''s some limitations which only just pushed programmers that little bit further to get more out of it, and write games considered now even better than the C64 version. Check out the comparisions of Tom Thumb by Kingsoft for instance.

P.S. Traiilblazer and A.C.E were first conceived on the C16 $)

I had a C64 $ loved it. The User Port could be used to control instrumentation on the IEEE488 bus, just like its big brother, the Commodore PET. When the C16 came out in a Gift Pack with 4 games - I thought the kids would love it - Fire Ant was their favourite, as I recall. I then bought a Plus4 for myself $ discovered they were identical electrically - except for missing RAM. For a little while I had a business running upgrading the C16 to full 64k RAM, by replacing the RAM chips $ re-connecting the two missing address lines. Easy. Shame it did not run C64 software, though - a wasted opportunity.

I actually had a good amount of C-16 parts, because they used to sell the pieces at Radio Shack. Which was awesome. It was always cool to impress the neighbors with my gray C64, and of course I replaced my 64C control keys (enter, C$, shift, shift-lock etc) with the gray c16 keys it looked VERY professional.

Hi...

Does anyone know where I can get a User Manual and any other sort of documentation for the C16....

Hi all. Some GOOD C16 News!
I just purchased a Used but MINT Commodore C16 off ebay, for about AU$50!!!
I had 1 in my youth, back in the 80''s, so when I saw this, I could not resist!
It was complete with Datassette and Games, just no Manual, which I have just aquired.
But on Arrival the Power Supply was DEAD!!! (no worries)
Unlike other Commodore Computers, VIC-20, C64, Plus4, the C16 has a Standard Power Supply, with a universal Type Plug $ is 9V 1A, readily available from China / Hong Kong for under $10.
In Fact, I even had a Spare Apple, Yes Apple, 9.5V 1.5A Old Printer Power Supply and it Works Great on the Commodore 16!!!
Best Games I have on the C16 so far, in order are, "Planet Search", "Gnasher", "Panic Penguin" "GALAXIONS" $ "Master Chess".
If anyone is interested, I am selling a Spare Copy of "Planet Search" $ "Gnasher" on ebay at this time, just type in "Commodore plus4 / C16 Games Manuals $ Carts TESTED !"
Oh, I also have 3 Commodore 64''s, 1 Toshiba MSX, 1 SEGA SC-3000, 2 Amiga 500, 2 Amiga 600, 2 Amiga 1200 and More, bit SAD huh???
Darren

I got one of these for my Christmas back in 1984 when I was 9. I don't know why as i could have got the C64 I thinks as it was marketed here in the UK as being sold as a complete package with the tape drive and it was cheaper than the C64 so I thought I was helping my parents out.....wrong choice. Games were thin on the ground and expensive as well as for the Joystick you could buy an adapter lead to convert it from atari to pin as I had a quickfire 2 joystick with this mod

It has a quick blow fuse inside so if u put to much voltage into the machine it wownt damage its motherboard! I think its a one amp fuse!

A cartridge was sold, at least in Benelux (Europe), that gave the C16 the ability to play C64 games. It also gave the C16 64K of full memory. This upgrade-cartridge was sold to support the sales of the C16 computer models so the C16 users could get access to the bigger C64-software library. It was in 1985-86

I have bought a used C-16 on eBay some years ago, and I have to
say that unlike the leading articles say, the C-16 boots into Commodore
BASIC V3.5 right away after switching on. It has 16K of RAM, of which
about 12K are usable for programs.

What's special about the C-16, is its CPU, the powerful BASIC interpreter with plenty of graphics commands, and the fact that it has a built-in machine monitor, which allows for the development of machine code programs right away without extra software (or hardware).

I wish I had gotten myself a C-16 when it came out! :-(
Could've been lots of fun to program! :-)

But I had an Amstrad CPC-464 at that time, and before that, I had a VIC-20.

The C-16 was in the same "bread box" as the VIC-20 and C-64. The version with rubber keyboard was called "C-116", and there was another version called "Plus 4" (with built-in software).

Commodore later on launched right into Amiga, and the 8-bit computers were taken off market (except some computers which have been manufactured up into the 90ies, like the C-64 II).

Sometimes I wish I had had the money to get my C= collection already in the 80ies, but I was a teen back then. :-(

maybe as a self-publishing ebay venture

My dad programmed over 50 very good, playable games for the C16 from 1985 to 1991, but never got them published. Seen as these games have never been played by anyone outside the family, could these be worth anything to anyone?

In The Netherlands this machine cost around Fl.200 (now EUR 80) which included a tape drive and 2 joysticks and possibly the black & red, toiletroll-sized printer too. I think it also came with a cartridge with a text-based adventure game.

I wrote many programs for this and managed to get several published in the local Commodore fanzine "Commodore Info", receiving Fl.1400 for the rights. This was a profitable business :-)

my c16 is in a black c64 box not in the plus 4 box that`s in the picture if anyone have a tape recorder and some programs please e.mail me