What's so interesting about the #F256K? I've read the spec sheet. In practice what makes it more or less compelling than a #commanderx16?

How hard is it to port existing #C64 #BASIC or ASM code to the F256K? Has anyone upgraded the CPU to a #wdc65c816 yet? #retrocomputing

@breadbin @SinclairSpeccy

There are some minor future iterations of the #MOS6502. Of course there are the #WDC65c02 and #WDC65c816 but #CSG also did the #CSG65CE02 which has a Z register and can move zero page using a Base register and can use all of RAM as a stack. It also adds a word address mode and can run at up to 10 MHz.

There is also the #CSG4510 which was intended to be used in the #C65. It's essentially the CSG65CE02 with some extra stuff.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSG_65CE02

@breadbin @SinclairSpeccy Jack didn't use computers but he knew how to reduce manufacturing costs and to let his engineers build the future. He would have been just as successful selling bicycles.

After Jack left, Irving Gould knew less about computers than Jack and seemed more interested in extracting as much money as possible from Commodore. Thomas Rattigan did well during his time there but his goals didn't line up with Gould's. Bil Herd did well to get the C128 out the door with little to no resources.

I agree a C64-II could have had a fast 65c816 as well, since CMD was able to do it, and that could go in the upgrade cartridge as well as more RAM. Could even add a second SID for stereo sound.

Commodore wasn't much into backward compatibility, except BASIC, unlike everyone else, until the Amiga. While I love C128 mode, without backward compatibility with the C64, I don't think very many C128s would have been sold. #C64 #C128 #wdc65c816