My first computer was a VIC-20, and I used to dream "If I only had that 8K ram expander, I'd be set - FOR LIFE!", a year later - I get the C=128 for Christmas, as I didn't want the breadbox old C64. But I did have to use my cassette TAPE drive for months. Since I was a kid, and worked at $3.75 an hour it took many many months to save enough to buy the $280 360k 5.25" Floppy Disc Drive!
So when people COMPLAIN about the high prices of technology (which we are used to nowadays) - they don't know squat! I still have my 1571 drive, its bigger and much heavier than my ThinkPad.
$400 iPad is expensive... blah!
14Mhz 6502 CPU?! geez! Talk about serious upgrade for a C=64!
But yeah, when Apple was buying 6502s for their APPLE IIs, they are buying them from C=
This also allowed C= to sell their computers a bit cheaper since their made their own CPUs. The C=64 put the AppleII to shame. It was a lot cheaper ($600 vs $1200~$2500 depending on memory), it included upper and lower characters, sound and color graphics without requiring add-on cards. Ugh, Apple II was SOOO horrible compared to a C=. But Apple made the profits while the C= sold millions of more units (even at Toys R Us).
And yes Hoofhearted, I remember the days of LOAD "*",8,1 - I don't miss them.
But it was a neat time to learn a whole new era of inventions.
I of course upgraded to the Amiga 1000 (7Mhz / 512K of RAM / 880k 3.5 floppy drive) which very quickly meant my C=128 was soon put in the closet. Back in 1986~87, the 2MB ram expander for my A1000 had a retail price of about $1600! I got mine used for $300, still have it and its HEAVIER than my ThinkPad, it can be used as a murder weapon. I still use my 1986 era C= 1802C RGB monitor for my video equipment... its the only CRT I still have left. This 12~13" monitor does 640x200 folks, 640x400 in flickering interlace, the picture was far better than a TV, but crap compared to a 60hz VGA screen... but back then, a VGA monitor was $600~1200.