Two 1982 milestones
The Smithsonian records the C64's January Consumer Electronics Show introduction, while the Computer History Museum gives an August 1982 release date. These are distinct announcement and market-release milestones. The system's name reflects its 64 KiB of installed RAM, and the documented processor is a 6510-family device operating near 1 MHz. [1] [2]
Memory is mapped, not simply counted
Service documentation pairs 64 KiB RAM with 20 KiB ROM containing the operating system and BASIC interpreter. Installed RAM is therefore not identical to the memory visible to every program under every ROM and input/output mapping. This distinction is essential when reading memory maps or comparing machine-language techniques. [2]
VIC-II graphics and SID sound
Manufacturer documentation specifies a 40-by-25 text display, 320-by-200 graphics, 16 display colors, and eight independently controlled 24-by-21-pixel sprites with scaling and collision functions. The 6581 SID provides three tone generators, programmable envelopes, waveform choices, filtering, and external-audio input. [2] [3]
Ports, programming, and revisions
The user guide documents cartridge, serial, cassette, user, audio/video, and two game-control interfaces. It connects the serial interface to printers and disk drives and presents built-in BASIC 2.0 as part of a keyboard-first home-computing setup. Service material spans several C64 and C64C board assemblies, so board-level claims need revision labels. [4] [5]
Running C64 software: evidence before execution
C64 Vault's workbench admits only exact C64-targeted artifacts with documented source, redistribution basis, integrity, runtime evidence, and a withdrawal path. It does not infer rights from availability and does not claim that a successful browser launch certifies every function or configuration. The emulator root uses a sanitized VICE core and open replacement firmware, remains advertising-free, and processes device files locally in the browser.