A couple of thoughts on the SX-64

[English Invader]

The recent Metal Jesus video on YT got me thinking about this system again. It's a system I once had the opportunity to own for free but I declined because I found it too impractical and cumbersome to use.

I don't regret that choice but I have thought of a couple of things that Commodore could have done to make the system more successful. It's as though they saw Osborne go under and thought "Hey, we could do that with our C64!". I think it would have worked better if they had put a C128 in there and a faster bus standard for the disk drive - that way it would have been more appealing to the business market Osborne left behind without being hampered by the C64's "toy computer" stigma.

Anyone else here have any experience or thoughts about the SX-64 (or the Osborne computers, for that matter)?

[joshuadenmark]

For free I would have grabbed it without even thinking

One of my friends owned one in the days, I was very impressed but the screen was small and hard to see. The price was way out of reach for myself, but did I have the money I would gladly pay. Now... no, takes up too much space.

[eslapion]

Back when it was in production, the SX-64 was simply totally out of reach for me. I had my C64 in the summer of 1985 because my parents couldn't afford it before.

Today, the SX-64 is a nice looking eccentricity with serious technical shortcomings. The fact that it is in a relatively compact space with dense positioning of heat dissipating circuits makes it failure prone while being quite difficult to maintain and repair. Especially the display.

I guess it's now more of a collector's item than anything practical.

[RobertBe]

FWIW, I brought the SX-64 every day to classes at the middle school in the mid-1980's, and it performed reliably with the students.

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group - http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm
August 10-11 Commodore Vegas Expo v15 - http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex

P.S. We have a fully-functional SX for the CommVEx raffle this year.

[Gyro Gearloose]

it's now more of a collector's item than anything practical.

This collector agrees.

[English Invader]

it's now more of a collector's item than anything practical.

This collector agrees.

That's true of any piece of retro hardware. If we were only concerned with practicality, we'd all stick with our laptops, tablets and mobile phones (the last two of which I don't even own).

My main computer desk is currently occupied by an Atari ST with a small laptop beside it for online activity. The VIC is currently on my coffee table hooked up to a 14" CRT portable I keep underneath my main television for systems that are less LCD friendly (the C64 can replace it at the drop of a hat as can any number of computers or consoles). The SX fails to make the cut because there's no way for me to place it at a comfortable eye level for sustained use and it occupies too much storage space when it's not being used - which would be 99.9% of the time as there are little or no features to make it stand out from the stock C64. The SX-64 was designed to be portable but I honestly can't think of a less portable device.

[orion70]

Isn't all our hobby about the love for clunkiness? The clunkier, the better . My VIC setup in all its glory occupies 1.5 linear meters of desk, weights almost 2x my daughter's weight, and holds a fraction of the power of a smartwatch. Wonderful!

[eslapion]

it's now more of a collector's item than anything practical.

This collector agrees.

That's true of any piece of retro hardware. If we were only concerned with practicality, we'd all stick with our laptops, tablets and mobile phones (the last two of which I don't even own).

I have to differ.

IMHO, considering the VIC-20's main IO circuits (the 6522 is still available in the form of WDC's W65C22N) are still available, it remains the very best and easiest electronics tinkering tool to create new stuff. If you damage one of your VIAs, a replacement is less than 10$ and easy to find.

Most mainstream electronics is just too complicated for the average person nowadays while in the 1980s, a lot of people could tinker around and create nifty stuff.