People

Chuck Peddle

Father of the 6502

Chuck Peddle designed the 6502 processor that powered the Apple II, Commodore 64, NES, and countless other systems that defined personal computing.

C64NES chip-designerspioneers 1937–2019

Overview

Chuck Peddle’s 6502 microprocessor cost $25 when competitors charged $300. That price difference made personal computers possible. The Apple II, Commodore PET, Atari 2600, BBC Micro, NES—all ran variants of Peddle’s design. He didn’t just design a chip; he enabled an industry.

Fast facts

  • Born: November 1937 in Bangor, Maine.
  • Education: University of Maine.
  • Motorola years: Worked on 6800 processor.
  • MOS Technology: Joined 1974, designed 6502.
  • Commodore: Convinced Jack Tramiel to buy MOS, designed the PET.
  • Died: December 2019, age 82.

The 6502 revolution

At Motorola, Peddle saw the 6800’s problem: too expensive for mass adoption. He left with a team to MOS Technology and designed the 6502:

  • Simple architecture: Fewer transistors meant lower costs.
  • $25 price: Versus $300+ for competitors.
  • Good enough performance: Adequate for games and applications.

The economics changed everything. Hobbyists could afford microprocessors. Companies could build cheap computers.

Commodore and the PET

Peddle pitched Jack Tramiel:

  • MOS Technology was struggling financially.
  • Commodore bought MOS, gaining chip production.
  • Peddle designed the Commodore PET (1977)—an all-in-one personal computer.

This acquisition gave Commodore vertical integration that competitors lacked.

Legacy in silicon

The 6502 family powered:

  • Apple II: Steve Wozniak chose it for the price.
  • Atari 2600: Gaming’s first mass success.
  • Commodore VIC-20 and C64: Home computer champions.
  • BBC Micro: British education standard.
  • NES: Modified 6502 in the Ricoh 2A03.

Billions of these chips were manufactured.

Legacy

Peddle democratised computing. His insistence on low-cost chips over high-performance chips proved prescient—good enough and affordable beat powerful and expensive. Every retro platform we celebrate exists because Peddle made the economics work.

See also