thumb|right|MAX Machine, accessories, and retail packaging
MAX Machine (or simply MAX), also known as Ultimax in the United States and Canada and VC-10 in Germany, is a home computer designed and sold by Commodore International in Japan, beginning in November of 1982, a cousin to the popular Commodore 64, also sharing a lot of components with the C64. The Commodore 64 manual mentions the machine by name, suggesting that Commodore intended to sell the machine internationally; however, it is unclear whether the machine was ever actually sold outside Japan. When it was officially presented, in Tokyo, for the first time, it was named Commodore VICKIE.
The unit has a membrane keyboard and 2 KB of RAM internally and 0.5 KB of color RAM (1024 × 4 bits). Display is output to a television set. It uses the same chipset and 6510 CPU as the Commodore 64, the same SID sound chip, and a MOS Technology 6566 graphics chip, a version of the VIC-II that powers the C64 graphics for the MAX' static RAM. A tape drive could be connected for storage, but each cartridge had to implement its own cassette driver and protocol routines, so the tape could only be used by 2 of 24 released programs. The MAX also lacks the serial and user ports necessary to connect a disk drive, printer, or modem. The MAX compatibility mode in C64 was later frequently used for "freezer" cartridges (such as the Action Replay), as a convenient way to take control of the currently running program.
It was intended to sell for around US$200. Although the MAX had better graphics and sound capability, Commodore's own VIC-20, which sold for around the same amount, was much more expandable, had a much larger software library, and had a better keyboard—all of which made it more attractive to consumers. The MAX never sold well and was quickly discontinued.
MAX Machine software
thumb|Commodore MAX BASIC manual and cartridge for Commodore MAX Machine
MAX Machine software list was limited, with a few game ports of popular arcade games.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!Title
!Year
!Developer
|-
|Omega Race
|1982
|Commodore Japan
|-
|Wizard of Wor
|1982
|Commodore Japan
|-
|Kick Man
|1982
|Midway Games
|-
|Avenger
|1983
|Commodore Japan
|-
|Jupiter Lander
|1982
|HAL Laboratory
|-
|Super Alien (Heiankyo Alien)
|1982
|Commodore Japan
|-
|Radar Rat Race
|1982
|Commodore Japan
|-
|Road Race (Night Driver)
|1982
|HAL Laboratory
|-
|Mole Attack
|1982
|HAL Laboratory
|-
|Clowns
|1982
|Commodore Japan
|-
|Money Wars
|1982
|HAL Laboratory
|-
|Poker
|
|
|-
|Gorf
|1983
|Commodore Japan
|-
|Billiards
|1983
|HAL Laboratory
|-
|Pinball Spectacular (Bomb Bee)
|1983
|HAL Laboratory
|-
|Bowling (3511)
|1983
|HAL Laboratory
|-
|Slalom (3512)
|1983
|HAL Laboratory
|-
|Le Mans
|1982
|HAL Laboratory
|-
|Sea Wolf
|1982
|Commodore Japan
|-
|Mini Basic I (limited instructions, no tape support)
|
|
|-
|Max Basic (compliant with CBM BASIC V2.0 and can use tapes)
|
|
|-
|Music Composer
|1982
|Andy Finkel
|-
|Music Machine
|1982
|Commodore Japan
|-
|Speed Math and Bingo Math
|1982
|
|-
|Visible Solar System
|1982
|Commodore Japan
|}
See also
- Commodore 64 Games System