VIC-1001 (Japanese Model)
Gallery
VIC-1001 (Japanese Model)
“The VIC-1001 was our entry into the Japanese market, and we had to adapt everything - the keyboard, the character set, even the marketing approach. It was a fascinating challenge to make the VIC work for Japanese users.” - Michael Tomczyk, Former Commodore Marketing Executive
🚧 Coming Soon!
We’re currently developing comprehensive coverage of the VIC-1001 - the specialized Japanese market version of the VIC-20.
What’s Coming:
📋 Complete Product Coverage:
- Japanese market adaptations
- Katakana character support
- Regional hardware differences
- Marketing and distribution in Japan
🔧 Technical Specifications:
- Japanese character ROM
- Keyboard layout differences
- Regional TV standard compatibility
- Power supply adaptations
📸 Rich Visual Content:
- Japanese VIC-1001 product photography
- Katakana character display examples
- Japanese packaging and documentation
- Comparison with international VIC-20
🇯🇵 Japanese Market Context:
- Home computer market in early 1980s Japan
- Competition with Sharp, NEC, and other Japanese manufacturers
- Cultural adaptation challenges
- Success and market reception
Why the VIC-1001 Matters
The VIC-1001 represented Commodore’s first serious attempt to enter the Japanese home computer market:
- Cultural adaptation - Japanese character support
- Technical localization - Regional standards compliance
- Market strategy - Competing with domestic manufacturers
- International expansion - Global market development
Japanese Market Challenges
Entering Japan required significant adaptations:
- Language support - Katakana character set integration
- Cultural preferences - Different design and marketing approaches
- Technical standards - Japanese TV and power standards
- Distribution networks - Establishing retail presence
Technical Innovations
The VIC-1001 featured several Japan-specific innovations:
- Katakana ROM - Native Japanese character support
- Modified keyboard - Japanese character input
- Regional compliance - Japanese electrical and broadcast standards
- Localized software - Japanese-language applications
Historical Significance
The VIC-1001 experience informed Commodore’s later international expansion efforts and demonstrated the challenges of adapting Western computer designs for Asian markets.
Collector Value
Today, the VIC-1001 is highly sought after by collectors for:
- Regional rarity - Limited to Japanese market
- Technical uniqueness - Japanese character support
- Historical importance - Early international computer variant
- Cultural significance - East-meets-West computing history
📅 Expected Publication: Coming in the next major site update
🔍 Research Status: In progress - gathering Japanese documentation and technical specifications
📧 Have Information? Contact us if you have VIC-1001 documentation, photos, or Japanese market 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-1001 coverage!