Commodore 64 Launched on September 1, 1982, Becoming Best-Selling Computer

Launch and Initial Sales

The Commodore 64, featuring 64 kilobytes of memory, was released on September 1, 1982. This made it the first computer with 64K of memory available for under $600. While prototypes were shown in January 1982, the September 1 date is widely accepted for its market launch.

Within six months of its release, the Commodore 64 sold half a million units. By the end of its fiscal year 1984, sales reached approximately 5 million units. It eventually became the best-selling computer of all time, with sales figures ranging from 10.6 million to 12.3 million units depending on whether the C-128 is counted separately.

Production Challenges and Market Position

Early production of the Commodore 64 in Santa Clara, California, encountered quality control issues. This led to outsourcing production to Kentron, a Japanese company, which began mass producing C-64s by January 1983.

Despite not being inexpensive by modern standards, the Commodore 64 offered a competitive price and capability for its time. Its predecessor, the VIC-20, had already achieved success as the first color computer under $300, setting a precedent for affordable computing from Commodore.