Photos: Dissecting a dinosaur, the Commodore 64

The Commodore 64 had a simple yet memorable logo.

Cara Reynolds found our Commodore 64 on eBay. Because it included the original box we couldn't pass it up.

The C64 was a true computer -- it ran not only entertainment but productivity applications too. There wasn't really an operating system -- the C64 loaded up a flavor of basic and waited for you to load a program.

Here are the C64's specs, not impressive by today's standards, but surprisingly engaging in its day.

Note the emphasis on sound -- sound consisting of more than beeps was revolutionary at the time.

Now that's a keyboard.

Keyboard layout has changed much in over 20 years, but there is one thing different about the C64 version. Note the ASCII and color labels on the keys when in the function mode. Sometimes the best graphics when programming in Basic were created with clever use of ASCII characters.

The label says control port, but they are really just the holes you plug your joystick into.

The large connection is where you would hook your external modem. Yes, even in the early 1980s there was an online world to tap into. Back then we referred to them as electronic bulletin boards.

The C64 power brick is a monstrosity when compared to the power bricks you see for electronics today.

I had a modem like this.

What could you download at 300 baud? Text mostly. At this speed, you received text at about the same speed you could read it.

To see what a C64 displayed you had to hook it up to a television. We put our Commodore 64 into action before we took it apart.

The Commodore 64 was extremely powerful in its day and we can still marvel at the beauty of its simple design.

One of the first things you notice when you separate the case is that there is a huge piece of cardboard with tin foil on one side lying over the circuit board. Presumably this is for shield the electronic components.

The keyboard and other electronic circuitry separate into halves.

The keyboard connection is a familiar pins and plug setup.

The C64 was a real chip farm inside, as indicated by this photo.

RAM chips are the most numerous chips to be found on the mother board. They are located on the bottom right of this image.

The two large chips on the bottom left are the Input/Output control chips. If your joysticks stop working, these chips are the likely culprit.

Above those we have the ROM Kernel chips which controlled the BASIC functions that acted as an operating system for the C64.

The chips in his image are where the processing gets done. The 6510 CBM 1784 chip is where machine language is generated, the 906114 is a Programmable Logic Array, and the 6581 1484 is the SID sound chip.

The other chips in this photo are various logic chips from various manufacturers. HD is Hitachi for example.

On this part of the motherboard you can see areas for video and power control.

Those are some big capacitors. Electronics in the early 1980s was huge when you compare it to 2008.

I'm guessing this is an inexpensive way to avoid static discharge to the various chips when you insert a modem or cartridge.

Here is a closer look at the chips that handle joystick and keyboard input.

The BASIC ROM Kernel for the C64 is contained on these chips.

These two chips essentially make up the CPU of the system.

The big chip is the SID sound processor and the smaller chips are various logic chips.

Even in the early 1980s, Asia was the place where silicon chips were made. The Commodore 64 has chips from Malaysia and Japan.

There are various chips under this first metal cover. The MC4044P chip is a Phase Frequency Detector for example. There was too much thermal paste on the big chip for me to get the numbers, but it was connected to the cover via a piece of copper which suggests it generated heat.

The SN74LS629N is a Voltage-Controlled Oscillator. The chips under this first cover must control the flow of power into the C64.

The chips located under the second cover control the video out to a monitor or television.

A closer look at the components responsible for video output.

Confirmation - we are looking at the insides of a Commodore 64.

We got a modem with our Commodore 64 -- might as well find out what is inside.

Not much to a modem back then -- simple and elegant.

In all its glory. They truly don't make them like they used to.

Via silicon.com