×
This Is the Commodore Comeback Fans Have Waited for—but the Odds Are Still Against It

This Is the Commodore Comeback Fans Have Waited for—but the Odds Are Still Against It

In 1994, Commodore crashed and burned. Once a home computing giant across the US and Europe, the company was undone by mismanagement and misfires. The carcass was picked clean and the pieces resold so many times that it was hard to keep track, but with each new owner came the inevitable—an attempt to make a fast buck by slapping the famous C= logo on any old junk.

Fans watched in horror as the brand appeared on the mediocre Web.it all-in-one PC, the bizarrely named Gravel in Pocket media player, and the Commodore smartphone. There was even a Commodore-branded shredder. So when retro gaming YouTuber Christian “Perifractic” Simpson announced he wanted to buy what remained of Commodore and give it a new life, questions were asked. Chief among them: does the world still even need Commodore?

When I’m 64

Commodore as a brand initially focused on typewriters and calculators, but its glory days arrived with the rise of home micros, causing a swift rebirth as Commodore International Computing.

Its biggest success was the Commodore 64, which hit the sweet spot between affordability and potential. While the CPU was sluggish, powerful graphics and a surprisingly capable sound chip (which remains revered today) spurred creativity on both sides of the Atlantic. Over 5,000 commercial games were released during the machine’s heyday, and more than 15 million units were sold, making the C64 still one of the highest-selling single computer models ever.

It’s this legacy Simpson aims to revive. Initially, he sought a licensing deal with the Commodore brand owners, imagining “official” boards and replacement components as part of an inclusive, community-friendly conglomerate. These plans snowballed during discussions, and Simpson found himself securing an agreement to buy Commodore outright for a “low seven-figure” sum. He now serves as Commodore CEO and promises to revive the company in a sustainable way—one that won’t repeat the failures of the past.

Courtesy of Commodore

Image may contain Electronics Hardware and Computer Hardware

Courtesy of Commodore

But here’s where things get tricky. Simpson doesn’t actually own the original company because that company no longer exists. Commodore’s 1990s dismemberment means the current iteration owns a number of trademarks, but essential parts of the ecosystem remain scattered. C64 ROMs and Amiga (Commodore’s 16-bit micro) rights belong to Cloanto and Amiga Corporation. AmigaOS is controlled by Hyperion Entertainment. And aside from the odd mass-market flirtation from clone machines, like the C64DTV all-in-one joystick and the plug-and-play THEC64 Mini, major developments that mattered for the past 30 years have all come from the community, not the brand.

Computers for the Masses

It’s for these reasons Simpson finds himself walking multiple tightropes. He must avoid alienating enthusiasts that kept the Commodore flame alive, and not imply that only his new Commodore confers legitimacy. He must collaborate closely with owners of other key puzzle pieces and license the Commodore brand fairly to interested third parties. And to recoup that seven-figure sum, the new Commodore must sell enough new hardware, which means moving beyond a dwindling core fanbase.

For now, Simpson’s initial play banks heavily on nostalgia—not solely for the C64, but for an entire era. The new Commodore website pitches the company as a “digital detox brand [that’s] grounded in digital minimalism.” It rails against social media, glorifies the good old days of “techno optimism”—apparently, the 1980s through to the mid-1990s—and hints that Commodore can help users reclaim their childhoods. But the company also wants to be seen as an innovator with an eye on the future, and this results in a kind of branding whiplash. The new Commodore wants to be both reboot and original; past and future.

Fittingly, this iteration’s debut product, the Commodore 64 Ultimate, embodies such tensions. The $500 gold-bling Founders Edition and $350 LED-laden disco case Starlight Edition don’t exactly scream digital minimalism. But the $300 BASIC Beige is the spitting image of the original hardware. All models bridge authenticity and modernity by supporting original C64 peripherals and current connectivity, including 1080p HDMI output so you needn’t hunt down a CRT TV. Inside, it’s all FPGAS—field programmable gate arrays—which ultimately mean simulation rather than the less-accurate emulation found in Chinese retro handhelds and cheap plug-and-play TV devices.

Source link
#Commodore #Comeback #Fans #Waited #forbut #Odds

If your T-Mobile service was disrupted on Monday, you may be able to get some compensation for your troubles.

Multiple outlets, including KTLA in Los Angeles, have reported that some T-Mobile customers have been able to get at least $20 off their next bill because of the outage. One Reddit user said they were able to save as much as $80 (spread out over multiple billing cycles) by telling customer service that they missed out on a work opportunity because of the outage.

Generally, it seems that these credits are not automatic, and you may have to personally contact T-Mobile customer service to be compensated for your troubles.

After a major Verizon mobile outage in January, Verizon offered all affected customers a $20 credit.

Millions of T-Mobile users found their phones stuck in SOS mode on Monday afternoon, which led to plenty of criticism of the brand on social media. T-Mobile did acknowledge and apologize for the outage, though it has not explained what happened.

Mashable contacted T-Mobile repeatedly to ask about the outage and its causes, but so far, the company has been silent. The most recent post at the T-Mobile news page is the company’s Q2 2026 earnings report, in which the company saw growing revenue and profits, with total revenue for the quarter of $22.7 billion.

#TMobile #outage #credit #bill">T-Mobile outage: You might be able to get credit on your bill
                                                            If your T-Mobile service was disrupted on Monday, you may be able to get some compensation for your troubles.Multiple outlets, including KTLA in Los Angeles, have reported that some T-Mobile customers have been able to get at least  off their next bill because of the outage. One Reddit user said they were able to save as much as  (spread out over multiple billing cycles) by telling customer service that they missed out on a work opportunity because of the outage. 
        SEE ALSO:
        
            T-Mobile is giving away the Apple iPhone 17 for free — how to qualify
            
        
    
Generally, it seems that these credits are not automatic, and you may have to personally contact T-Mobile customer service to be compensated for your troubles.
        
            Mashable Light Speed
        
        
    

After a major Verizon mobile outage in January, Verizon offered all affected customers a  credit.Millions of T-Mobile users found their phones stuck in SOS mode on Monday afternoon, which led to plenty of criticism of the brand on social media. T-Mobile did acknowledge and apologize for the outage, though it has not explained what happened.

    
        This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
    


Mashable contacted T-Mobile repeatedly to ask about the outage and its causes, but so far, the company has been silent. The most recent post at the T-Mobile news page is the company’s Q2 2026 earnings report, in which the company saw growing revenue and profits, with total revenue for the quarter of .7 billion.

                    
                                            
                            
                        
                                    #TMobile #outage #credit #bill

T-Mobile service was disrupted on Monday, you may be able to get some compensation for your troubles.

Multiple outlets, including KTLA in Los Angeles, have reported that some T-Mobile customers have been able to get at least $20 off their next bill because of the outage. One Reddit user said they were able to save as much as $80 (spread out over multiple billing cycles) by telling customer service that they missed out on a work opportunity because of the outage.

Generally, it seems that these credits are not automatic, and you may have to personally contact T-Mobile customer service to be compensated for your troubles.

After a major Verizon mobile outage in January, Verizon offered all affected customers a $20 credit.

Millions of T-Mobile users found their phones stuck in SOS mode on Monday afternoon, which led to plenty of criticism of the brand on social media. T-Mobile did acknowledge and apologize for the outage, though it has not explained what happened.

Mashable contacted T-Mobile repeatedly to ask about the outage and its causes, but so far, the company has been silent. The most recent post at the T-Mobile news page is the company’s Q2 2026 earnings report, in which the company saw growing revenue and profits, with total revenue for the quarter of $22.7 billion.

#TMobile #outage #credit #bill">T-Mobile outage: You might be able to get credit on your bill

If your T-Mobile service was disrupted on Monday, you may be able to get some compensation for your troubles.

Multiple outlets, including KTLA in Los Angeles, have reported that some T-Mobile customers have been able to get at least $20 off their next bill because of the outage. One Reddit user said they were able to save as much as $80 (spread out over multiple billing cycles) by telling customer service that they missed out on a work opportunity because of the outage.

Generally, it seems that these credits are not automatic, and you may have to personally contact T-Mobile customer service to be compensated for your troubles.

After a major Verizon mobile outage in January, Verizon offered all affected customers a $20 credit.

Millions of T-Mobile users found their phones stuck in SOS mode on Monday afternoon, which led to plenty of criticism of the brand on social media. T-Mobile did acknowledge and apologize for the outage, though it has not explained what happened.

Mashable contacted T-Mobile repeatedly to ask about the outage and its causes, but so far, the company has been silent. The most recent post at the T-Mobile news page is the company’s Q2 2026 earnings report, in which the company saw growing revenue and profits, with total revenue for the quarter of $22.7 billion.

#TMobile #outage #credit #bill

Post Comment