Their primary goal with the Commander X16 is to make a PC for programmers who want the much simpler and less complex sound and video manipulation of the 8-bit classic machines via built-in BASIC and assembler.
Neat, but I really don't get the need for an 8-bit PC in
hardware that won't be cheap and which could be emulated by a $20 SoC board. They should design the retro characteristics they want in software and use one of those cheap SoC boards or design theoretical hardware into an FPGA.
Commander X16 - modern retro computer
www.commanderx16.com
Here's an example of a system that uses one of those cheap SoC boards. I've told this company I'm not at all interested in a VIC20/C64 clone, but would love an Amiga 600 clone [to save them money on the case and keyboard] which could emulate a 500/600/1000/1200/2000/4000, all at greater than native speeds
using exactly the same cheap SoC board used in their VIC20/C64 clone. I sure hope they have one in the works. They'd sell a bunch of them.:
The C64
The C64 is back, this time full-sized with a working keyboard for the dedicated retro home-computer fan.
retrogames.biz