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| Images in the |
| Computer Museum |
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| Commodore SX-64
Executive serial number GA6002447 made in Japan. |
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| It must have
seemed like a great idea. Take a Commodore 64, combine
it with two 5.25 inch disk drives and a 5 inch colour
monitor and give it a handle. A full function portable
computer. Brilliant! |
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| Except of course
it wasn't. The second disk drive was dropped, some
say because it used too much power, others because
it made the unit too heavy. Even so it still weighed
about 10.5 kilo or 23 pounds. Critics at the time
called it luggable. It wasn't truly portable anyway,
since it needed a mains power supply. Commodore
renamed the hole as storage space. |
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| The keyboard
is connected by a detachable lead and clips over
the screen when not in use. The carrying handle
doubles as a stand when folded under the computer.
The SX-64 can be connected to a larger monitor and
to other disk drives and printers just like a regular
64. A door on the right edge of the front panel
reveals volume and video controls. However, there
is no connection for a datassette and the cartridge
port positioned on top of the unit can be difficult
to use. Still, the idea was good and I quite like
it. |
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| Released in 1984
the SX-64, or Executive 64 as it was sometimes known,
was discontinued in 1986. |
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| The keyboard
clips over the screen. |
Screenshot |
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The use of VIC 20 colours for the start-up
screen instead of those of the 64 could cause
problems with some software which assumed
the latter. |
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| Rear view:
Two control ports for joysticks, light pens
etc., video out to connect to a larger monitor,
the serial port for additional disk drives
and printers, an RS-232 user port for other
peripherals, the power connector, a fuse carrier
and the on/off switch. No cassette port. |
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