Commodore Plus/4

Commodore Plus/4

Commodore Plus/4. Note the four arrow-shaped keys forming the cursor key "diamond" to the right.
Manufacturer	Commodore Business Machines
Type	Home computer
Release date	1984; 41 years ago (1984)
Introductory price	US$299 (equivalent to $880 in 2023)[1]
Discontinued	1985
Operating system	Commodore BASIC 3.5
CPU	MOS Technology 7501 or 8501 @ 1.76 MHz
Memory	64 KB RAM + 64 KB ROM
Graphics	TED (320 × 200, 121 colors)[2]
Sound	TED (2-channel with 4-octave + white noise)

The Commodore Plus/4 is a home computer released by Commodore International in 1984. It was part of the Commodore 264 series, which also included the Commodore 16 and Commodore 116 models. The Plus/4 was marketed as "the productivity computer with software built in," featuring a four-application ROM-resident office suite that included a word processor, spreadsheet, database, and graphing software.

Internally, the Plus/4 shared the same basic architecture as the Commodore 16 and 116, allowing it to use software and peripherals designed for these models. However, it was incompatible with the Commodore 64's extensive software library and some of its hardware. The Plus/4 was intended to expand the home computer market by targeting users interested in serious applications rather than gaming.

The Plus/4 featured a compact plastic casing with a fully-fledged keyboard, although the cursor and function keys were made of rubber. It had an advanced BASIC version 3.5, which made its software incompatible with the Commodore 64. Despite its potential, the Plus/4 was criticized for its lack of compatibility with the C64 and its deficiencies in sound and graphics compared to its predecessor.

Commodore produced approximately 827,000 units worldwide, with a significant number sold in Germany. The Plus/4 was discontinued in 1985, but systems remained available from liquidators for several years afterward.