Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

VIC-20

Date Range From

1981

Date Range To

1983

Materials

PLASTIC, ALUMINUM, STYROFOAM, CARDBOARD

No. Pieces

20

Description

1. CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT / KEYBOARD. 7.4 X 40.4 X 20.6. 2 PIECES. BODY IS OFF WHITE PLASTIC. HAS 62 DARK BROWN KEYS AND 4 LIGHT BROWN KEYS, ALL WITH WHITE PRINT. A LABEL ABOVE KEYS READS "COMMODORE VIC 20 COMPUTER". THERE IS ALSO A RED "POWER" INDICATOR LIGHT ABOVE KEYS. THERE ARE 3 SLOTS ON BACK OF UNIT AND 2 PORTS. SIDE OF UNIT HAS ON/OFF SWITCH AND TWO PORTS. A LABEL ON UNDERSIDE OF UNIT READS "NO. CC 507535". UNIT COMES WITH AN OFF-WHITE, PLASTIC COVER WITH BLUE EDGING. PRINTED ON TOP OF COVER IS "COMMODORE COMPUTER" IN BLUE AND THE COMMODORE LOGO IN RED. COVER IS TORN ON ONE SIDE. 2. FLOPPY DISK DRIVE. 13.5 X 40.9 X 29.2. 4 PIECES. BODY OF DISK DRIVE IS BEIGE ALUMINUM. SLOT FOR FLOPPY DISK IS ON FRONT OF BODY. THERE IS A RED AND A GREEN INDICATOR LIGHT ON FRONT. ABOVE SLOT READS "COMMODORE 1541". UNDERSIDE HAS 4 RUBBER FEET. ON BACK IS ON/OFF SWITCH AND PORTS FOR CABLES AND POWER CORD. DRIVE COMES ENCASED IN TWO PIECES OF WHITE STYROFOAM, MOLDED TO FIT. STYROFOAM IS DENTED AND SOILED; THERE IS A CHUNK TORN OUT OF ONE SIDE. "1251" IS PRINTED ON ONE PIECE OF STYROFOAM. A CARDBOARD SLEEVE SLIDES OVER TOP OF STYROFOAM. SLEEVE IS GRAY AND WHITE AND READS "1541 SINGLE FLOPPY DISK COMMODORE COMPUTER". SLEEVE IS TORN AND HAS WEAR AT CORNERS AND EDGES. 3. POWER SUPPLY. 6.2 X 10.8 X 8.0. BLACK BOX WITH 2 BLACK CORDS COMING OUT OPPOSITE ENDS. ONE CORD HAS A SMALL FEMALE END ON IT, OTHER CORD HAS MALE END ON IT. PRINTED ON TOP OF BOX, IN WHITE, IS "COMMODORE POWER SUPPLY CLASS 2 OUTPUT VIC-20". 4. COAXIAL CABLE. BLACK CABLE HAS A ROUND CONNECTOR AT ONE END. OPPOSITE END HAS SMALL BOX WITH ROUND CONNECTOR ON ONE SIDE AND TWO STEEL PRONGS COMING OUT OF END. EMBOSSED ON BOX IS "75 IN 75 OUT 300 OUT". CABLE IS BUNDLED WITH A BLUE TWIST TIE. 5. CASSETTE PLAYER. 5.0 X 20.0 X 15.0 (W/O CABLE). OFF WHITE PLASTIC BODY. ON TOP OF PLAYER IS COMPARTMENT FOR CASSETTE WITH POP UP DOOR. THERE ARE ALSO 6 DARK BROWN PLAYBACK BUTTONS, A COUNTER WITH RESET BUTTON, AND A RED "SAVE" INDICATOR LIGHT ON TOP. THERE IS A BLACK CABLE COMING OUT BACK OF PLAYER. BOTTOM HAS A LABEL THAT READS "COMMODORE C2N CASSETTE SERIAL NO. 431360 MADE IN TAIWAN". 6. CONVERTER BOX AND CABLE. 4 PIECES. A SILVER SWITCH BOX (2.0 X 7.0 X 4.4) HAS 2 STEEL PRONGS OUT OF ONE SIDE. SWITCH BOX IS LABELLED "COMPUTER" AT ONE END AND "CONNECT TO ANTENNA" AT THE OTHER. SWITCH CAN BE SET AT EITHER "COMPUTER" OR "TV". THERE IS A LONG BLACK CABLE ATTACHED TO TOP OF SWITCH BOX. OTHER END OF CABLE CONNECTS TO A BLACK BOX (3.0 X 9.9 X 4.1). BLACK BOX HAS A LABEL THAT READS "P/N 321453-00 MADE IN TAIWAN REPUBLIC OF CHINA". BOTTOM OF BOX HAS A SWITCH AND ANOTHER CABLE COMING OUT OF IT WITH A ROUND END. CABLES ARE BUNDLED TOGETHER WITH A WHITE TWIST TIE. 7. JOYSTICK. 16.8 X 12.0 X 8.7. BLACK PLASTIC. RECTANGULAR BASE WITH A VERTICAL HAND GRIP RISING FROM CENTER. THERE IS A ROUND, RED PLASTIC BUTTON ON TOP OF HAND GRIP, AS WELL AS ONE IN CORNER OF BASE. EMBOSSED ON BASE IS "SPECTRAVISION". THERE IS A BLACK CORD COMING OUT OF SIDE OF BASE. BOTTOM HAS 4 BLACK SUCTION CUPS FOR FEET. EMBOSSED ON BOTTOM IS "SPECTRAVISION MADE IN HONG KONG MODEL 318-101 PAT. PENDING". 8. CONTROLLERS. 6.5 X 10.7 X 6.5 (1 CONTROLLER W/O CORD). PAIR OF CONTROLLERS EACH HAS A CORD COMING OUT OF THE BACK AND BOTH CORDS ARE ATTACHED AT THE END TO A COMMON PLUG. EACH CONTROLLER HAS A SEMI-RECTANGULAR BASE, WHICH IS WHITE ON TOP AND BLACK ON BOTTOM. ON TOP OF EACH IS A BLACK, CIRCULAR KNOB WHICH CAN BE TURNED. THERE IS ALSO A RECTANGULAR RED BUTTON ON THE SIDE OF EACH CONTROLLER. EMBOSSED ON EACH CONTROLLER IS "COMMODORE". 9. GUIDE. 1.0 X 21.5 X 14.7. BOOK IS HELD TOGETHER BY A WHITE COIL. ON FRONT COVER IS A PICTURE OF A FAMILY AROUND A COMPUTER. ABOVE PICTURE READS "PERSONAL COMPUTING ON THE VIC 20", AND BELOW PICTURE READS "A FRIENDLY COMPUTER GUIDE COMMODORE COMPUTER". IN TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER OF COVER READS "$5.95". BOOK IS 164 PAGES PLUS 2 PAGES FOR "NOTES". 10. INSTRUCTION BOOKLET. 21.0 X 14.9. OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS FOR CASSETTE PLAYER (#5 ABOVE). ON FRONT COVER IS PHOTO OF PLAYER. FRONT COVER READS "C2N CASSETTE UNIT OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS". CONTAINS 17 PAGES. 11. BROCHURE. 20.3 X 8.4. SINGLE SHEET OF GLOSSY PAPER, ACCORDION FOLDED. FRONT OF BROCHURE READS "COMMODORE VIC-20 THE ONE TO GROW ON [REPEATED 7 TIMES]" FOLLOWED BY A PHOTO OF COMPUTER. GIVES INFO. ON COMPUTER, ADDITIONAL HARDWARE, AND SOFTWARE. 12. BOOKLET. 27.9 X 21.6. FRONT COVER IS GREY AND WHITE AND HAS A PHOTO OF VIC-20 COMPUTER. ABOVE PHOTO READS "VIC-20 THE FRIENDLY COMPUTER", BELOW PHOTO READS "COMMODORE COMPUTER". CONTAINS 6 PAGES. 13. PAMPHLET. 28.0 X 21.3. SINGLE SHEET OF PAPER, FOLDED IN THIRDS. FRONT PAGE IS WHITE WITH A LINEAR DESIGN THAT IS MOSTLY GREEN IN COLOUR. ABOVE DESIGN IS "COMMODORE COMPUTER THE MOST COMPLETE MICROCOMPUTER LINE". CONTAINS PHOTOS AND INFORMATION ON HARDWARE AND BACK PAGE HAS INFO. ON SOFTWARE.

Subjects

DATA PROCESSING T&E

Historical Association

HOME ENTERTAINMENT

History

PRODUCED BY COMMODORE, THE VIC-20 COMPUTER WAS INTRODUCED IN 1981. THE PREDECESSOR TO THE COMMODORE 64, IT WAS THE FIRST COLOR COMPUTER TO SELL FOR UNDER $300 (USD), MAKING IT AFFORDABLE. ALTHOUGH IT OFTEN RAN OUT OF MEMORY BEFORE USERS FINISHED WRITING THEIR PROGRAMS, IT WAS STILL AN ENORMOUS SUCCESS. IT WAS THE FIRST COMPUTER TO SELL 1 MILLION UNITS, AND SALES IN 1982 REACHED $305 MILLION. THE VIC 20'S PRODUCTION RATES HIT PHENOMENAL PROPORTIONS FOR THAT TIME AT 9000 UNITS PER DAY. THE COMPETITION FOR THE VIC 20 WAS ATARI, RADIO SHACK T199, AND THE APPLE II. THE VIC 20'S POPULARITY WAS DUE TO COMMODORE CONSISTENTLY PUSHING THEIR PRICE DOWN; ALSO ATARI AND APPLE WERE USING THE MICROPROCESSING CHIP THAT COMMODORE HAD PRODUCED FOR THE VIC 20. JUST AS ITS POPULARITY WAS INCREASING, RUMORS STARTED CIRCULATING ABOUT THE RELEASE OF A VASTLY MORE POWERFUL VERSION OF THE VIC 20 (WHICH WOULD BE THE COMMODORE 64). AS A RESULT, VIC 20 VALUES BEGAN TO PLUMMET RAPIDLY. THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST EXPERIENCES WITH THE PHENOMENON OF UPGRADING - A NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE FOR THOSE WHO HAD PUT A LOT OF MONEY INTO THE VIC 20. DONOR PURCHASED COMPUTER AND GAMES IN THE EARLY 1980S FOR HER CHILDREN AT THE BAY IN BROOKS, ALBERTA. THE COMPUTER ITSELF WAS AROUND $500, AND THE GAMES ARE ESTIMATED AT $20 EACH. THE FAMILY WAS LIVING IN BASSANO, ALBERTA AT THE TIME. DONOR PURCHASED THE SYSTEM IN ORDER TO EXPOSE HER CHILDREN TO THE RELATIVELY NEW CONCEPT OF PERSONAL COMPUTERS. THE GAMES HELPED BUILD HAND-EYE COORDINATION AND THE SET-UP PROMOTED LEARNING BASIC COMPUTER PROGRAMMING. THE VIC-20 WAS A NICE STARTER COMPUTER AT THE TIME. THE GAMES HAD MORE ADVANCED GRAPHICS. THE FAMILY MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1989, BY WHICH TIME THEY ALREADY HAD A NEW COMPUTER. HOWEVER, THE VIC-20 WAS STILL USED FOR GAMING. ELEANOR SAYS SHE WAS NEVER VERY GOOD AT THE GAMES, PARTLY BECAUSE HER KIDS MONOPOLIZED THE COMPUTER. THE SYSTEM HASN'T BEEN USED SINCE ABOUT 1990. ELEANOR TRIED TO SELL IT AT A GARAGE SALE, BUT SOMEONE SUGGESTED THAT IT BE DONATED TO THE MUSEUM INSTEAD.

Catalogue Number

P20000050001

Acquisition Date

2004-03

Collection

Museum

Less detail