why is my commodore equipment failing?

[bradhig]

Power supply on c64 is failing and two 1541s won't work and now my 1571 maybe failing. Why can't I have reliable equipment like everyone else instead of equipment that doesn't work and I don't have the means to fix?

[7800fan]

Planned obsolescence isn't a new thing, it has been around for decades. CBM wanted to build Commodore cheaply to outsell Apple and IBM back in the day but that earned them a poor mark in quality control. I heard at one time there was 30% return rate on defective C64s.

 

Those that survived the 80s are still doomed to fail anyway. Getting rid of black brick power supply is the first step in making sure your C64 will last longer. 1541s (the older model with internal power supply) also suffered heating issue because of poor vent design, no fan to force air through. There were many aftermarket fan add on that went on top of the drive.

 

As for 1571, I've only had alignment issue and it's rare, 1571 usually last longer.

[bradhig]

I have a white brick power supply that is causing the problems. I ordered a black one. I know these things are not serviceable cause they are covered in epoxy inside.

Edited April 8, 2016 by bradhig

[Keatah]

Planned obsolescence isn't a new thing, it has been around for decades. CBM wanted to build Commodore cheaply to outsell Apple and IBM back in the day but that earned them a poor mark in quality control. I heard at one time there was 30% return rate on defective C64s.

 

Those that survived the 80s are still doomed to fail anyway. Getting rid of black brick power supply is the first step in making sure your C64 will last longer. 1541s (the older model with internal power supply) also suffered heating issue because of poor vent design, no fan to force air through. There were many aftermarket fan add on that went on top of the drive.

 

As for 1571, I've only had alignment issue and it's rare, 1571 usually last longer.

 

Planned obsolescence isn't "in" every product. I've got Apple paraphernalia fully functional from 1976 onward! And most all of it hardly needed maintenance at all. Coupla' bad parts here and there, but socketed for easy replacement. Screw fittings instead of snap fittings, mostly. Big, meaty parts you don't need a microscope to see. Not gloating or ranting. Just pointing it out that not all classic computers were built to stop working on X day after you open the box.

 

I don't think C64 had any built-in obsolescence either. Really. You said it yourself!

 

Planned obsolescence isn't a new thing, it has been around for decades. CBM wanted to build Commodore cheaply to outsell Apple and IBM back in the day but that earned them a poor mark in quality control. I heard at one time there was 30% return rate on defective C64s.

 

Those that survived the 80s are still doomed to fail anyway.

 

Commodore had to build cheaply in order to outsell its competitors. It is this very cheapness which causes shorter lifespans. Not anything in the design. In fact early classic computers had a lot of options for expansion either through ports or slots. And those which survived the 80's are prime specimens riding on luck and a lot of TLC.

 

Understand that the computer industry was starting to move at a breakneck pace then. And any planned obsolescence would simply come (unintentionally) from outmoded designs and discovery of new techniques and methods.

 

In fact I beg to argue that many manufacturers wanted something that would be long-lived. Long-lived enough to establish a presence and platform in the market. Something some companies did better than others, sure.

 

Apple, Atari, TRS-80 were pretty good with this. And the Apple 2 series was built around the 6502 @ 1MHz from 1976 through 1992. Outstanding!

 

Atari had the 400/800 and stopped around XEGS, the exact dates escape me at the moment. And the VCS had a long life too.

 

TRS-80 had Level I and II BASIC throughout the Model I/III/IV lifespan.

 

Commodore had the C64 and C128. And later the Amiga lineup - which was pretty good with compatibility.

 

I won't get into discussing the MAC or the ST. Getting off topic.

 

The common theme here is backward and forward compatibility. They did their best back in those days. And people bought new hardware because it sported new capabilities. Not because it broke before its time. That we have 30 and 40 year old computers is cool. Period. And like anything old, it will take knowledgeable people to keep them running.

 

However! However.. Today.. It is a different story. Today's hardware is so capable and powerful that you need some sort of planned obsolescence or nothing would get sold. We are effectively using like 2% of all the computing power available to us. If that. So yes, today, there is on-purpose, planned obsolescence. Has to be. And consumers even like it!!

 

And if a company finds the hardware is outlasting a convenient-for-them product lifespan, they deliberately break your stuff through subtle software changes. This is an industry-wide pain point for the consumer. And yet, contradictorily, consumers herd themselves like sheep into Big Box clamoring for more cheaply made crap and DRM and DLC and all that. Everybody is in love with subscription services - which is obsolescence at its finest! Every month you have to buy it again and again and again forever and ever!

 

Anyways, back to the classics. If the consumer wanted an expensive built-to-last system they probably went with Apple. If they wanted a cheap introduction to computing they went with a Vic-20 or C-64. 2 different markets, nothing hidden, no deception. No funny games or false advertising. Everyone knew what they were getting. And it's simple, good materials cost good money. Common knowledge!

 

I still have my original DIsk II drives and Apple. And, yup, on my way to WaReZ "conferences" the stuff spilled out of my RadioFlyer wagon several times! Fantastic! And it survived in my BMX backpack and rusty old Chevy! Incredible!

[danny_galaga]

Yeah, the original C64 power supplies are poison. Either make up something new (for instance an adapter for a 9VAC supply and a good 5VDC supply like I did ) or get one of those savers a few people are selling. The saver stops overvoltage to your C64 if your original supply goes haywire. The 2 supply and an adapter means there will be no overvoltage because modern supplies work differently

[Keatah]

Power supply on c64 is failing and two 1541s won't work and now my 1571 maybe failing. Why can't I have reliable equipment like everyone else instead of equipment that doesn't work and I don't have the means to fix?

 

Dude, it's just the luck of the draw. And classic computers, Apple 2 material included, will always need some sort of maintenance. Each brand will have its own flavor and requirements.

[carlsson]

I've went through a respectable amount of Commodore gear and while some was broken or broke down over time, percentually I'd say it is a rather low share compared to everything that works 100%. I've had other brands with higher failure rates (in particular Sinclair). As mentioned in another thread, where you live and the conditions of storing the goods might affect function a lot.

[Muzz73]

Yep. As much as I love the Commodore 64... I currently have seven of them, only one of which is trouble free!

[Omega-TI]

Some things that can kill an old computer faster than normal...

 

1) Cigarettes - Nothing like a yucky tar and nicotine coating to shorten an old classics lifespan.

2) Dust and pet hair - This stuff can build up over time and act like a blanket or block ventilation, if bad enough even lead to static issues.