Modern day computer users will have an opportunity to use the Commodore 64 as it is set to return this year.

The Commodore 64 etched its name as one of the most successful home computers when it came to the market in 1982. It sold over two million units annually for ten years after it was rolled out. Commodore International declared that it sold around 15 to 30 million computers. However, its success was only temporary after its mother company declared bankruptcy in 1994 due to bad business decisions and tough competition from IBM and Apple.

Now going by the name C64x, the Commodore 64 will retain its original look but the internal specifications have been upgraded. Barry Altman, President and Chief Executive of Commodore USA, revealed that he bought the Commodore name in September 2010 with the goal of re-establishing the company and offering a product that no longer exists.

The C64x, which will be rolled out by the end of April, will be powered by a 1.8 gigahertz dual-core processor, an optional Blu-ray player, built-in Ethernet, and HDMI ports. Although it will run on a Linux operating system, Commodore USA revealed that users can install Windows if they prefer the operating system.

Commodore USA inserted a Mini-ITX board within the casing so that a modern operating system like Windows or Linux to be functional. The Commodore OS was also included to give users a real experience of the old times.

Altman revealed that the response has been great as the company had been receiving an average of five registrations a second on their website. Most callers have been providing their names and e-mail address in order to receive updates regarding the C64.

In an industry dominated by tablets and laptops, one would wonder why someone would still want to have their hands on a classic computer. Altman believes that there are young computer users who want to have a retro-looking computer as well as people who have used the original Commodore 64 and want to relive those good old days.

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