Commodore MAX Machine

The Commodore MAX Machine, also known as Ultimax in the United States and VC-10 in Germany, was a predecessor to the popular Commodore 64 designed and sold by Commodore International in Japan, beginning in early 1982. The Commodore 64 manual mentions the machine by name, suggesting that Commodore intended to sell the machine internationally; however, it is unclear whether the machine was ever actually sold outside of Japan and is considered a rarity.

Software loaded from plug-in cartridges and the unit had a membrane keyboard and only had 2.5K of RAM internally. It used a television set for a display. It used the same chipset and CPU as the Commodore 64, and MAX cartridges will work in the C-64. It was possible to use a tape drive for storage, but it lacked the serial and user ports necessary to connect a disk drive, printer, or modem.

It was intended to sell for around $200 US. Although the MAX had better graphics and sound capability, Commodore's own VIC-20, which sold for around the same amount of money, was much more expandable, had a much larger software library, and had a better keyboard--all of which made it more attractive to consumers.

Unlike the C-64, the MAX never sold well and was quickly discontinued.