Commodore 64 rises from the ashes (sort of)

One of the earliest and most popular computer models ever is about to make a comeback of sorts.

The Commodore 64, introduced in 1982, sold 30 million units over the next dozen years. Its graphics capabilities made it popular with gamers; at least 10,000 software titles, including games and business applications, were developed for the computer.

But the company folded, and the model became a nostalgia piece, its early fans resorting to running 64 games on emulators.

Now, the Commodore 64 is rising from the ashes in a much reworked version named, appropriately, Phoenix. Commodoreusa.net is now selling new versions of the "computer in a keyboard" design, though with added extras not available in 1982, such as Intel Pentium processors, a DVD drive, wireless Ethernet, and USB ports.

And whereas the classic 64 held a hefty 64KB of RAM, the Phoenix runs on more than 4GB, and can store 2TB. It measures 17.5 inches wide and 2 inches tall and runs Microsoft Windows 7 or Ubuntu (Linux).

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Commodore USA also has other models available, including the Invictus (which sports a touch pad) and Amigo. Prices start at $475 for a bare-bones model, topping out at $1,300.

The Phoenix does not, however, represent the first attempt to resurrect the Commodore brand. A few years back, a company called Commodore Gaming rolled out high-end gaming PCs based on the iconic C64.

This story originally appeared on CBSNews.com.