Vital Statistics

The Plus/4
The Plus/4 came after the VIC-20 and the Commodore 64 (about 1984), and is not software-compatible with either of those computers, although it does share some hardware compatibility. Previously called the "264" and later renamed to "Plus/4", this new family of computers (also including the C16, C116, C232 and C364) were supposed to strike at the extremely successful Sinclair computers.

The Commodore 232 was to be a 264 (Plus/4) with half the RAM, and the Commodore 364 was to be a 264 (Plus/4) with built-in speech capability (over 250 words), a 64K ROM and a 19-key numeric keypad. Both of these machines were never released - Commodore instead decided to keep just the C116 (later called the 16) and C264 (Plus/4).

Unfortunately, Commodore failed to notice that they would also be competing against their own very successful computer, the Commodore 64. Eventually, only two of this family made it into production - the C16 and the Plus/4. The Plus/4 had some advantages over the C64: BASIC 3.5 has real graphics commands in it, and it used a dynamic ROM banking scheme, so you got nearly 64K in BASIC (this was later used on the Commodore 128).

The C16
The Commodore 16 was released after the Plus/4, as a cut-down version with just 16K of RAM and lacked the modem port and built-in office software of the Plus/4. It shared its keyboard and "bread bin" case style with the C64, but was intended as the replacement for the venerable VIC-20 as Commodore's entry-level home computer, which would put it up against other circa-$100 home computers including the Texas TI-99/4A, Timex-Sinclair TS1000 and Mattel's Aquarius. As it happens, Timex-Sinclair, Mattel, and TI all pulled out of the home computer market before the C16 was released. This computer turned out to be a huge failure, even more so than the Plus/4. Although their BASIC (version 3.5) was far more advanced than that of the Commodore 64 (version 2.0), these machines turned to be big business failures, primarily because they weren't 64- compatible, had less attractive sound/graphic capabilities, and lacked compatibility with the VIC-20/C64 Datassette and game ports. While these machines had 121 colours, the lack of the great SID sound chip and hardware sprites made them a wrong choice for gamers. And the 3+1 built-in "business" software simply was not serious enough for work. The C16's memory could be expanded relatively easily up to 64K to bring it up to game-compatible spec with the Plus/4.

A slightly modified version of the Commodore 16, the Commodore 116, was released only in Europe. This computer was essentially the same as a Commodore 16 inside, but in a smaller case similar to that of the Plus/4 with chicklet-style rubber keys.