Commodore 128

Commodore 128

Manufacturer	Commodore Business Machines (CBM)
Type	Home computer
Release date	1985; 39 years ago (1985)
Introductory price	US$299 (equivalent to $850 in 2023)[1]
Discontinued	1989; 35 years ago (1989)
Units sold	2.5 million worldwide
Operating system	Commodore BASIC 7.0 Digital Research CP/M 3.0 GEOS
CPU	MOS 8502 @ 1–2 MHz Zilog Z80A, or Zilog Z80B @ 4 MHz
Memory	128 KB (standard), 640 KB (with 512 KB REU expansion RAM)
Graphics	VIC-II E (320×200, 16 colors, sprites, raster interrupt), MOS 8563 (RGBI 640×200 16 colors, blitter)
Sound	SID 6581/8580 (3× Osc, 4× Wave, Filter, ADSR, Ring)
Predecessor	Commodore 64

The Commodore 128, also known as the C128, C-128, or C= 128 (the "C=" representing the graphical part of the logo), is the last 8-bit home computer that was commercially released by Commodore Business Machines (CBM). Introduced in January 1985 at the CES in Las Vegas, it appeared three years after its predecessor, the Commodore 64, the bestselling computer of the 1980s. Approximately 2.5 million C128s were sold during its four year production run.

The C128 is a significantly expanded successor to the C64, with nearly full compatibility. It is housed in a redesigned case with an improved keyboard including a numeric keypad and function keys. Memory was enlarged to 128 KB of RAM in two 64 KB banks. A separate graphics chip provided 80-column color video output in addition to the original C64 modes. It also included a Zilog Z80 CPU which allows the C128 to run CP/M, as an alternative to the usual Commodore BASIC environment. The huge CP/M software library, coupled with the C64's software library, gave the C128 one of the broadest ranges of available software among its competitors.

The primary hardware designer of the C128 was Bil Herd, who had worked on the Plus/4. Other hardware engineers were Dave Haynie and Frank Palaia, while the IC design work was done by Dave DiOrio. The main Commodore system software was developed by Fred Bowen and Terry Ryan, while the CP/M subsystem was developed by Von Ertwine.