Commodore 64 will ship again next week

UPDATED AND REVAMPED, the Commodore 64 (C64) is nearly upon us once more and will start shipping again next week.

A classic from computer history is nearly back from the dead with a more powerful and modern twist. A Youtube video of the Commodore USA facility in Fort Lauderdale shows the latest version being built.

The video's blurb has the statement, "We have almost completed our initial pre-order production run of the new C64 which begins shipping next week. We thank you for your patience."

This reincarnation of the C64 comes with a modern set of hardware including a 1.8GHz Intel Atom D525 processor, space for up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM and Nvidia Ion graphics.

All this is packed into a spitting image of the original C64 from the 1980s, including the traditional beige coloured plastic and chunky black keys.

There are an Ethernet port, multiple USB ports, a card reader, WiFi, optional Blu-ray drive and the ability to output full HD 1080p video to a TV or monitor. You can relive 8-bit games and install Windows or an alternative operating system and keep the C64 operating system as well.

The C64 is priced between $250 and $895 ranging between the barebones and an ultimate system that includes Blu-ray, a 1TB hard drive and the full 4GB of RAM. µ