How to Get Commodore Support and Use the Text-Only Version of Commodore.ca

Commodore.ca offers two distinct ways to get help and access its material: an active user forum for support with 8-bit Commodore computers, and a text-only sub-site at Commodore.ca/text for old-school browsers or anyone who wants a stripped-down reading experience. The forum suits owners who need troubleshooting and discussion with other users; the text-only site suits visitors on legacy hardware, slow connections, or who simply prefer plain pages. Separately, the site hosts browser-based arcade games and a Commodore 64 emulator that run with no installation.

Getting Support Through the User Forum

The site describes an active user forum dedicated to support of 8-bit Commodore computers. The covered machines give a good idea of what the forum is built around:

• KIM-1 – described as the world's first single-board computer
• PET series – described as the world's first personal computer
• SuperPET – described as the world's first multiple-CPU computer
• VIC 20 – the first computer to sell more than 1 million units
• Commodore 64 – the best-selling computer
• Plus/4 (264) – Commodore's worst-selling computer
• Commodore 128 – the successor to the C64

Derivative and variant machines are also covered, including the PET 2001 3008, 4016, 4032, 8032, 8096SK, P500, B700, C710 and 8296SK; the VIC VC-20 and VIC-1001; the 64C, 64GS, VIC-30, Commodore One and C-1; the 116, C16, 232, 264, 364 and "TED" line; and the C128, 128CR and 128DCR.

How to use it: open the forum from Commodore.ca, find the board matching your machine, and post your question with the model and the symptom you're seeing. The site pairs the forum with technical user manuals, schematics and downloadable ROMs, so check those reference pages before posting — the answer may already be documented.

What to expect: the forum is described as active, but no response times or registration requirements are stated on the site. Treat it as a community resource rather than a guaranteed support channel.

Using the Text-Only Sub-Site

The text-only version lives at Commodore.ca/text. The site says it has been refreshed and is intended for users of old-school, text-only browsers — and, as a curiosity, to show what HTML 1.0 looked like in 1992.

When it makes sense to use it:

• You're browsing from a vintage machine or a text-only browser that can't render the main site.
• You want faster loading on a slow connection.
• You want to read the history and reference content without images or layout.

What you give up: the main site's visual material — TV advertising, photo galleries, print advertising and similar media — is part of the full site's appeal, so the text version is best for reading content, not browsing the archive visually.

The site notes that even its own team rediscovered buried content while refreshing the text version line by line, including a computer comparison table — a hint that the text sub-site is worth a look even on a modern browser.

No-Install Extras: Browser Arcade and C64 Emulator

Two features require nothing to install:

• Commodore Arcade – play Space Invaders, Gorf, Night Drive, Battleship and more directly in the browser. The site also references classics such as Asteroids and PacMan in the same no-install arcade.
• Commodore 64 in-browser emulator – run C64 software in the browser, alongside the site's downloadable ROMs.

These are useful for a quick hands-on look at the machines without setting up hardware or emulation software locally.

Which Option Fits Your Situation

Common Snags

• Expecting formal support: the forum is a community space; the site makes no promises about response times.
• Looking for media in the text version: galleries and advertising images belong to the main site.
• Not checking the reference pages first: manuals, schematics and ROMs are already published on the site and often answer common questions faster than a forum post.