2026-10-03 –, STAGE 1 (Section 9) Language: English
This presentation explores the history, technology, and legacy of the Commodore 65, one of the most fascinating unreleased machines in Commodore’s history. Conceived at the end of the 1980s as the possible successor to the legendary Commodore 64, the C65 represented an ambitious attempt to extend the life of the 8-bit platform while integrating features inspired by the emerging 16-bit generation. Through historical context, technical analysis, and direct experience with original prototypes, the talk examines the C65’s architecture, including the 4510 CPU, VIC-III graphics chip, enhanced BASIC 10, integrated 3.5-inch disk drive, and advanced graphic and sound capabilities. Particular attention is given to the machine’s difficult development, its uncertain position between the C64 and the Amiga, and the reasons why it never reached the commercial market. The Commodore 65 is presented not only as a rare collector’s item, but as a symbol of Commodore’s creativity, contradictions, and missed opportunities. Its story reveals a crucial transitional moment in home computing: the end of the classic 8-bit age and the beginning of a new technological era
Carlo Pastore is an Italian medical oncologist and a long-standing enthusiast, collector, and researcher in the field of retrocomputing, with a particular focus on Commodore and Amiga history.
Alongside his professional activity in medicine, he has cultivated for many years a deep passion for the machines, people, prototypes, stories, and technological culture that shaped the home computer revolution of the 1980s and 1990s. His work as a collector is not limited to preserving hardware: it is strongly connected to historical research, documentation, outreach, and the desire to keep alive the memory of a generation of computers that changed the relationship between people and technology.
He is especially known in the Italian Commodore and Amiga community for his interest in rare and prototype machines, including the Commodore 65, unreleased Amiga hardware, development boards, expansion cards, and historically significant items linked to Commodore’s final years. Over time, he has built contacts with former Commodore and Amiga engineers, developers, managers, and collaborators, collecting testimonies, documents, technical information, and personal memories that help reconstruct a complex and often fragmented history. Carlo is also active in the promotion of retrocomputing culture through talks, articles, books, social media, and public events. He has contributed to spreading knowledge about Commodore history in Italy, with particular attention to the educational, emotional, and cultural value of vintage computers. His approach combines technical curiosity, historical passion, and the belief that these machines are not merely obsolete objects, but witnesses of creativity, innovation, and personal discovery. As Scientific Director of the Museo del Videogioco di Roma – GAMM, he works to support the preservation and public presentation of the history of video games and home computing, with the aim of making this heritage accessible to new generations.