Unique VIC-1001

[ka20]

The VIC-1001 is a unique machine to begin with, but I've come across one that surprises me. This one has a serial number much higher than I would expect for this computer (1303992). Surely Commodore didn't make 1.3 million of these machines? That doesn't seem possible. Also it this one is based on the later CR revision, with a smaller motherboard and C64 style power supply.

My guess is that Commodore continued to produce the VIC-1001, in small numbers, late into the VIC-20's lifetime, and just interspersed them in the production line with regular VIC-20's, thus the high serial number and later motherboard/power supply on this one. Anyone have any thoughts on that?

I have more pictures in my eBay listing for this computer. https://www.ebay.com/itm/254255916456

[orion70]

Maybe a chimerism between a 1001 shell and a later, CR mobo equipped with a Japanese char ROM? Or something along those lines? Just my two cents..

[srowe]

Very odd, but the ROM adaptor looks to be similar to the one I have is (what I believe to be) a CBM prototype cart.

[srowe]

ka20, could you post the part numbers off the ROMs? I can't quite make them out.

[ka20]

ka20, could you post the part numbers off the ROMs? I can't quite make them out.

Which ROMs are you interested in?

[srowe]

Which ROMs are you interested in?

All of them, but especially the character ROM and the label on the KERNAL EPROM.

[srowe]

Here's another VIC-1001 with what looks like the same EPROM, but a slightly different adapter

https://forum.system-cfg.com/viewtopic.php?t=820

[Mike]

And here, yet another VIC-1001 which uses the same 1001049 adapter for a 2764 serving as 325313-20 KERNAL ROM:

carte du VIC-1001, elle n'est pas différente de la deuxième version du VIC20 si ce n'est un support ROM

http://msx.fab.free.fr/mpc2/commodore/pvic20.htm

Perhaps CBM produced some VIC-1001s for the Japanese market with the two later revisions (2-prong with improved heat sink and CR) just on demand? Maybe the market was not big enough anymore to justify another run of 901486-02 PROMs, hence the use of an EPROM plus adapter.

The upper shell (even if in "VIC white") with the notch for the C64 RF modulator port doesn't win a beauty contest either.