Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The VIC-20 permanently changed how personal computers were priced and sold. How did Commodore go from the PET, a good, but not class-leading computer to something so popular, and how did Commodore use it to achieve even greater success?
If you'd like to support what I do please consider supporting me below:
PayPal: paypal.com/paypalme/bigcartv
Big Car merch: teespring.com/stores/bigcartv
Link to my other channel - Big Car:
https://youtube.com/bigcar2
Sources:
VIC-20: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VIC-20
MOS Technology: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology
Michael Tomcyzk interview: youtube.com/watch?v=iyr2awMqrw0
Michael Tomcyzk interview: web.archive.org/web/20150214213644/http:/michaeltomczyk.com/Tech-Pioneer.php
Michael Tomcyzk interview: web.archive.org/web/20040106150906/http://www.zimmers.net/cbmpics/cbm/vic/MikeTomczyk.html
Michael Tomcyzk interview: web.archive.org/web/20110709110518/https://www.commodore.ca/history/people/michael_tomczyk.htm
VIC chip: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_VIC
Chuck Peddle interview: youtube.com/watch?v=enHF9lMseP8&t=10056s
VIC-10/30 news: archive.org/details/PersonalComputerWorld1982-06/page/90
1540 disk drive: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_1540
Commodore serial bus: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_bus
Datasette: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_Datasette
VC-20 name: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VIC-20
VIC-20 history: commodore.ca/commodore-products/commodore-vic-20-the-first-inexpensive-home-computer
1981 Apple II price: thecomputerarchive.com/archivemain/Catalogs%20and%20Price%20Lists/Retail/Apple%20Retail%20Price%20List%20March%201%201981.pdf
VIC-20 review: archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1981-05/page/n47
VIC-20 review: atarimagazines.com/compute/issue11/12_1_THE_COMMODORE_VIC-20_A_FIRST_LOOK.php
VIC-20 review: archive.org/details/your-computer-magazine-1981-08/page/n11
VIC-20 review: archive.org/details/PersonalComputerWorld1981-09/page/88
VIC-40: floodgap.com/retrobits/ckb/secret/vic40.html
VIC-40: https://www.cbm.sfks.se/tidning/vic-40.html
VIC-10, VIC-30: archive.org/details/vic-computing-vol-01-05-1982-jun/page/n7
VIC-10, VIC-30: archive.org/details/PersonalComputerWorld1982-06/page/90
Commodore 64 press release: archive.org/details/commodore-press-release-1982-09-07-commodore-64
Commodore 16: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_16
VicModem: pagetable.com/?p=1679
No evidence VIC-20 was launched at 1980 June CES: archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1980-09/page/n35, archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1980-09/page/n169
#littlecar
The VIC-20 permanently changed how personal computers were priced and sold. How did Commodore go from the PET, a good, but not class-leading computer to something so popular, and how did Commodore use it to achieve even greater success?
If you'd like to support what I do please consider supporting me below:
PayPal: paypal.com/paypalme/bigcartv
Big Car merch: teespring.com/stores/bigcartv
Link to my other channel - Big Car:
https://youtube.com/bigcar2
Sources:
VIC-20: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VIC-20
MOS Technology: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology
Michael Tomcyzk interview: youtube.com/watch?v=iyr2awMqrw0
Michael Tomcyzk interview: web.archive.org/web/20150214213644/http:/michaeltomczyk.com/Tech-Pioneer.php
Michael Tomcyzk interview: web.archive.org/web/20040106150906/http://www.zimmers.net/cbmpics/cbm/vic/MikeTomczyk.html
Michael Tomcyzk interview: web.archive.org/web/20110709110518/https://www.commodore.ca/history/people/michael_tomczyk.htm
VIC chip: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_VIC
Chuck Peddle interview: youtube.com/watch?v=enHF9lMseP8&t=10056s
VIC-10/30 news: archive.org/details/PersonalComputerWorld1982-06/page/90
1540 disk drive: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_1540
Commodore serial bus: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_bus
Datasette: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_Datasette
VC-20 name: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VIC-20
VIC-20 history: commodore.ca/commodore-products/commodore-vic-20-the-first-inexpensive-home-computer
1981 Apple II price: thecomputerarchive.com/archivemain/Catalogs%20and%20Price%20Lists/Retail/Apple%20Retail%20Price%20List%20March%201%201981.pdf
VIC-20 review: archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1981-05/page/n47
VIC-20 review: atarimagazines.com/compute/issue11/12_1_THE_COMMODORE_VIC-20_A_FIRST_LOOK.php
VIC-20 review: archive.org/details/your-computer-magazine-1981-08/page/n11
VIC-20 review: archive.org/details/PersonalComputerWorld1981-09/page/88
VIC-40: floodgap.com/retrobits/ckb/secret/vic40.html
VIC-40: https://www.cbm.sfks.se/tidning/vic-40.html
VIC-10, VIC-30: archive.org/details/vic-computing-vol-01-05-1982-jun/page/n7
VIC-10, VIC-30: archive.org/details/PersonalComputerWorld1982-06/page/90
Commodore 64 press release: archive.org/details/commodore-press-release-1982-09-07-commodore-64
Commodore 16: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_16
VicModem: pagetable.com/?p=1679
No evidence VIC-20 was launched at 1980 June CES: archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1980-09/page/n35, archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1980-09/page/n169
#littlecar
