Does anyone feel the 64 was actually a kind of contemporary?

[Commie_User]

We grew up together! And, if my crush lasts out, we'll probably die together too.

Although I briefly owned other 8-bits and programmed the BBCs at school, the Commodore computers were the first machines I truly saw the point of for home use. I enjoyed making a few rudimentary programs on the PET, then I got a C64 with disk drive, games and then an Action Replay. A whole world of enjoyment and play opened up for me, whilst the school computers were very good for office-type things which I found mundane. (Though I did own a copy of Easy Script for the C64 and I used the Action Replay to hack into games and re-write the snazzy-looking title text, something which gave me the big headers I needed on my word processing printouts. Aah, great days.)

Much later on I got into the C64 for music recording too. And now, thanks to PC downloading and serial networking, I can run GEOS and other things I never had and I feel once again that the 64 is continuing a long run of personal development. So it's fair to say that the C64 has become ingrained as my formative machine.

Even today I still see the Commodore 64 as my 'primary' machine, though I have 8 working PCs waiting to do my everyday bidding. I can think 'Isn't it a pity I can't do things like sample proper video on my computer? That's why I have a more modern PC to do that'.

[Analog-X64]

For me the nostalgia factor of a c64 is huge, and I doubt I will say the same 20+ years from now on any type of modern machine.

I wouldn't be surprised to hear that there maybe C64's still being used in Commercial Buisness somewhere around the world.. you know.. maybe some small little shop in the middle of nowhere, using it for accounting, or others like us who love the machine use it to catalogue their DVD / MP3 collection.

I recently purchased an SD2IEC device which allows me to use SD cards instead of a Floppy drive, which gives new life to the C64. I've also seen C64 to PC interfaces on ebay, that will allow you to use your PC as an HD for the C64.

So as long as the C64 hardware itself is in good shape, I'm sure it can be used many more years.

[Commie_User]

One company still uses a Commodore 64 for business: http://analogik.com/gallery_64_myer.asp

(I'm glad I can finally have a reason to use that link.)

As you say, the nostalgia factor is huge. Plus the Commodore is still of great unique use in its own right as a computer-controlled synthesizer which can be integrated, via MIDI, into a modern recording studio. I like the idea of a PC-networkable classic computer being able to play any other MIDI-controlled classic synths like the Roland JX-3. If that don't beat all I don't know what does!
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Plus it's nice to know that when the final floppy disk crumbles to dust and the very last 1541 disk drive gives up the ghost, a great mass of contemporary storage devices can carry the baton. Nevertheless, I still want to keep a huge stockpile of various disk drives to keep me going through the future. I've got eleven working ones and still I'm not happy.