This week does not mark the 40th anniversary of the Commodore 64, but I’ve seen some headlines to that effect, and what the heck, it’s close enough. 40 years ago this year, Commodore changed the world, and while this PC is most certainly not the “highest-selling single computer model of all time,” as alleged by the Guinness Book of World Records, it is more probably “the most popular home computer of all time,” as claimed by ex-Commodorian Bil Herd. It is also the first “real” computer I ever owned, and it left a lasting mark on me.

If you’re interested in the history of Commodore or the Commodore 64 specifically, this isn’t it. But I have some good sources to turn to. My favorite, because it was written at the time, is called The Home Computer Wars: An Insider’s True Account of Commodore and Jack Tramiel. Written by another ex-Commodorian, Michael S. Tomczyk, this book is incredible, but out of print. But Tomczyk, who is a sweetheart of a man, sent me (and many others) a signed copy in recent years.