Denial

Hi, I recently sold a very early C64 computer in its original box. This was one of the original "silver label" C64s (the very first production run).

It was interesting for me to see that several of the promotional pictures on the box were obviously taken from the VIC-20 set of promotion pictures. The photos of "users" show a VIC-20 (identifiable both by colour of the computer and also the screen ratio and character size). The peripherals shown with the actual C64 (bottom photo) are all "VIC" ones and the "artists depictions" of the games are the same ones as from the back of the VIC-20 box.

Of course, this all makes sense as the C64 was so new at this time that the Commodore art department probably only had VIC-20 images to use - and the peripherals (i.e. 1541 drive) hadn't received the updated colour scheme and rainbow label yet).

An interesting but small historical footnote. Here are some photos I took of the box (click on any to enlarge):













Interesting also is that in the photo with the kid, above, the datasette looks like a black PET version. This would make that photo a very early one from the first days of the VIC-20 (before Commodore matched the datasette to the VIC-20's white case).

I belive I have a couple of C64's in their boxes with the same pictures (or similar anyway). I always put this down to a mistake on the printers behalf, not really thinking that the boxes are early boxes.

I will have to go and have a look now...

Yes, I have a box that shows close up views of the side and back, the cartridge slot is the wide VIC20 slot and only one joystick port.

buzbard wrote:Yes, I have a box that shows close up views of the side and back, the cartridge slot is the wide VIC20 slot and only one joystick port.

Oh really? You must have a VERY early C64 box then, as mine does not show this.

Can you take a photo and post it here?

Sure:


I was wrong about the joystick ports but check out the power connector!

That's neat! I almost suspect that they simply took photos of a VIC-20 and just cut and pasted or airbrushed (manually, as this was before photoshop of course) an extra joystick port and the RF modulator port onto it.

You'll also notice that the power switch is of the type used on the early 2-prong VIC-20s. The C64 and later VIC-20s used the rocker switch that moved vertically.

I'm guessing the art department had to start preparing the box layout about a year before the computer actually came to market, and probably before the C64's design had been fully finalized and actual cases made. So that's probably why they had to use a lot of VIC-20 images on the box.

Neat to see that. Your C64 must have a very low serial number. Is it the kind with the number 64 printed near the power LED?

I don't actually have the C64 that came in the box, I picked it up at a yard sale for 5 bucks and it had a VIC20 in it.

The serial no. on the box is: P01199550

Some other pictures on the box do show the 64 next to the led.

buzbard wrote:I don't actually have the C64 that came in the box, I picked it up at a yard sale for 5 bucks and it had a VIC20 in it.

The serial no. on the box is: P01199550

Some other pictures on the box do show the 64 next to the led.

All evidence above shows that the first production run of C64s were actually just VIC 20s...

Wow.. I just checked my C64 box and it's the same as the original poster's..serial Num on box is like P239****.

That's so funny.. I never realized that those pics were from VIC-20. haha.

Also all my C64s have the "64" next to "Commodore." Near the power LED light is the word "power."

I discussed that with Golan Klinger a few years ago.

It felt strange to me that the 64 on the package box would have a PET style keyboard.

It makes sense that the peripherals would be the white VIC versions, because that's what would have been available in the beginning.