VIC-20CR (Cost Reduced)
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VIC-20CR (Cost Reduced)
“The VIC-20CR was our response to intense price competition in the home computer market. We managed to reduce manufacturing costs while keeping the same great functionality that made the VIC-20 so popular.” - Al Charpentier, VIC Chip Designer
🚧 Coming Soon!
We’re currently developing comprehensive coverage of the VIC-20CR (Cost Reduced) - the streamlined version of Commodore’s groundbreaking home computer.
What’s Coming:
📋 Complete Product Coverage:
- Design changes from original VIC-20
- Cost reduction engineering techniques
- Manufacturing improvements
- Regional variations and availability
🔧 Technical Analysis:
- Simplified motherboard design
- Component consolidation
- Manufacturing process improvements
- Performance comparisons with original VIC-20
📸 Rich Visual Content:
- Side-by-side comparisons with original VIC-20
- Internal component differences
- Packaging and marketing materials
- Regional variant documentation
💰 Market Context:
- Price war dynamics of early 1980s
- Competition with Atari and Texas Instruments
- Impact on home computer adoption
- Success in budget-conscious markets
Why the VIC-20CR Matters
The VIC-20CR demonstrated Commodore’s engineering prowess in cost reduction:
- Same functionality at lower manufacturing cost
- Improved reliability through simplified design
- Market accessibility for price-sensitive consumers
- Engineering innovation in cost optimization
Cost Reduction Techniques
The VIC-20CR employed several innovative approaches:
- Component integration - Fewer discrete components
- Simplified PCB design - Reduced manufacturing complexity
- Optimized assembly - Streamlined production process
- Material substitution - Lower-cost equivalent components
Market Impact
The VIC-20CR helped maintain the VIC-20’s market position during intense price competition, extending the product’s lifecycle and keeping Commodore competitive in the budget home computer segment.
Collector Information
Today, the VIC-20CR is of particular interest to collectors for:
- Engineering differences from original VIC-20
- Regional variations in different markets
- Historical significance in cost reduction techniques
- Relative rarity compared to original models
📅 Expected Publication: Coming in the next major site update
🔍 Research Status: In progress - gathering technical documentation and variant information
📧 Have Information? Contact us if you have VIC-20CR documentation, photos, or memories to share!
This page is part of our ongoing effort to document every Commodore computer ever made. Check back soon for the complete VIC-20CR coverage!