Commodore finds new lease of life
 

The once-famous Commodore computer brand could be resurrected after being bought by a US-based digital music distributor.
New owner Yeahronimo Media Ventures has not ruled out the possibility of a new breed of Commodore computers.

It also plans to develop a "worldwide entertainment concept" with the brand, although details are not yet known.

The groundbreaking Commodore 64 computer elicits fond memories for those who owned one back in the 1980s.

Pioneer

In the chronology of home computing, Commodore was one of the pioneers.

The Commodore 64, launched in 1982, was one of the first affordable home PCs. It was followed a few years later by the Amiga.

The Commodore 64 sold more than any other single computer system, even to this day.

The brand languished somewhat in the 1990s. Commodore International filed for bankruptcy in 1994 and was sold to Dutch firm Tulip Computers.

In the late 1980s the firm was a great rival to Atari, which produced its own range of home computers and is now a brand of video games, formerly known as Infogrames.

Nostalgia

Tulip Computers sold several products under the Commodore name, including portable USB storage devices and digital music players.

It had planned to relaunch the brand, following an upsurge of nostalgia for 1980s-era games.

Commodore 64 enthusiasts have written emulators for Windows PC, Apple Mac and even PDAs so that the original Commodore games can be still run.

The sale of Commodore is expected to be complete in three weeks in a deal worth over £17m.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4145965.stm

Commodore was the shit back in the day

Yeah used them in school but never owned one :(

That shit was the m0tts.

I miss my Vic20...

c64 sigh :) sold scanned pornpics for it made some nice cash :)

1984 Commodore Amiga 1000

http://oldcomputers.net/pics/A1000.jpg

I was hoping for a new Amiga :(

History of the Amiga Computer
1982: Hi-Toro Incorporated is formed by a group of midwest investors trying to cash in on the video game craze. The name was later changed to Amiga, Incorporated after being confused with the lawn-mower manufacturer, Toro.

1983: Information is leaked about an incredible computer codenamed Lorraine featuring unheard of graphics and sound capabilities, multitasking, 80 column display, 5+ megs of RAM and MORE!

1984: August - Commodore purchases Amiga Corporation.
1985: July - Commodore unveils the new Amiga 1000 in New York, for US$1300.
1986: Commodore releases Transformer software for the Amiga, which, along with the Commodore 1020 5 1/4-inch disk drive, provides limited MS-DOS compatibility.
1987: January - Commodore announces the Amiga 500.
1987: January - Commodore announces the Amiga 2000.
1988: December - Commodore announces the A2286D Bridgeboard for the Amiga 2000. The A2286D contains an 8-MHz Intel 80286 and a 1.2MB 5 1/4-inch disk drive.
1988: Commodore introduces the Amiga 2000HD.
1988: Commodore introduces the Amiga 2500.
1989: January - Commodore announces that 1 million Amiga computers have been sold.
1989: November - Commodore announces the Amiga 2500/30. It is essentially an Amiga 2000 with a 2630 Accelerator Board (25-MHz 68030 and 68882 math coprocessor).
1990: April - Commodore offers Amiga 1000 owners US$1000 to trade in their Amiga on a new Amiga 2000.
1990: June - Commodore ships the Amiga A3000 computer.
1990: September - NewTek ships the Video Toaster, a hardware/software real-time video effects tool for the Amiga 2000, for US$1600.
1990: Commodore announces the Amiga 3000. Prices start at US$4100 with a monitor.
1991: January - Commodore releases the CDTV package. It features a CD-ROM player integrated with a 7.16-MHz 68000-based Amiga 500. List price is US$1000.
1991: Commodore unveils the Amiga 3000UX. Cost is US$5000, without a monitor.
1992: March - Commodore introduces the Amiga 600 for a base price of $500.
1992: September - Commodore introduces the Amiga 4000.
1992: December - Commodore introduces the Amiga 1200.
1994: Commodore International and Commodore Electronics (two of the many international components of Commodore Business Machines) file for voluntary liquidation.
1995: April - At an auction in New York, ESCOM buys all rights, properties, and technologies of Commodore.
1997: Gateway buys bankrupt Amiga.

Yeah i had one....was this shiznit....had all the atari,nintendo and coleco games...and they were fuckin hacked!!!...lol

History of the Apple Computer Corporation
1973: Stephen Wozniak joins HP.
1976: Wozniak proposes that HP create a personal computer. He is rejected.
1976: March - Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs finish work on a computer circuit board, that they call the Apple I computer.
1976: April - Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak form the Apple Computer Company, on April Fool's Day.
1976: July - The Apple I computer board is sold in kit form, and delivered to stores by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Price: US$666.66.
1976: August - Steve Wozniak begins work on the Apple II.
1976: October - Wozniak remains at HP, but is soon convinced that he should leave and join Apple Computer.
1976: December - Steve Wozniak and Randy Wigginton demonstrate the first prototype Apple II at a Homebrew Computer Club meeting.
1977: March - Apple Computer moves from Jobs' garage to an office in Cupertino.
1977: April - Apple Computer delivers its first Apple II system, for $1295.
1977: May - 10 months after its introduction, 175 Apple I kits have sold.
1978: Apple Computer begins work on an enhanced Apple II with custom chips, code-named Annie.
1978: Apple Computer begins work on a supercomputer with a bit-sliced architecture, code-named Lisa.
1979: June - Apple Computer introduces the Apple II Plus, with 48KB memory, for US$1195.
1979: September - Apple Computer sells 35,000 Apple II computers for the fiscal year.
1979: October - 2.5 years after the introduction of the Apple II, 50,000 units have been sold.
1979: Apple Computer begins work on "Sara", the code name for what will be the Apple III.
1980: May - Apple Computer introduces the Apple III. Price ranges from US$4500 to US$8000.
1980: September - Apple Computer sells over 78,000 Apple II computers during the fiscal year.
1980: Apple Computer ships the first Apple III units in limited quantity.
1980: Apple Computer begins project "Diana", which would become the Apple IIe.
1981: September - Apple Computer introduces its first hard drive, the 5MB ProFile, for US$3499.
1981: Apple Computer officially reintroduces the Apple III, with improved software and a hard disk.
1982: Sales of Apple II Plus to date: 45,000.
1982: Sales of all Apple II systems to date: 750,000.
1982: Apple Computer becomes the first personal computer company to reach US$1 billion in annual sales.
1982: Franklin Computer Corp. unveils the Franklin Ace 1000, the first legal (at the time) Apple II clone.
1983: January - Apple Computer officially unveils the Lisa computer. Its initial price is US$10,000. During its lifetime, 100,000 units are produced.
1983: January - Apple Computer introduces the Apple IIe for US$1400.
1983: June - The one millionth Apple II is made.
1983: June - Apple Computer begins shipping the Lisa.
1983: June - Video Technology introduces the Laser 3000, an Apple II workalike microcomputer.
1983: June - Unitronics shows the Sonic, an Apple II workalike microcomputer.
1983: July - Apple Computer officially begins marketing the Lisa computer.
1983: December - Apple Computer introduces the redesigned Apple III as the Apple III+, for US$3000.
1983: December - Apple unveils the new Macintosh to the press.
1983: Franklin shows an operating Franklin Ace 1200 Apple II compatible for US$2200.
1984: January - Apple releases a new version of the Lisa computer, the Lisa 2. It uses all new software, as well as the Macintosh operating system.
1984: January - Apple Computer's Steve Jobs introduces the Apple Macintosh.
1984: April - Apple Computer unveils the Apple IIc, priced at US$1300.
1984: April - Apple Computer retires the Apple III and Apple III+, with only 65,000 units sold in total (90,000 made).
1984: May - Apple Computer announces that 70,000 Macintosh computers have been shipped in the first 100 days since its announcement.
1984: September - Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh 512K for US$3200.
1984: November - The 2 millionth Apple II computer is sold.
1984: Apple sells the 250,000th Macintosh system.
1985: January - Apple Computer officially renames the Lisa the Macintosh XL.
1985: March - Apple Computer introduces the Apple Enhanced IIe.
1985: April - The Macintosh XL (formerly called Lisa) is dropped from Apple Computer's product line.
1986: January - Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh Plus. Price is US$2600.
1986: April - Apple Computer discontinues the original Macintosh and the Macintosh 512K.
1986: April - Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh 512K Enhanced, for US$2000.
1986: July - Apple Computer discontinues the Macintosh XL.
1986: September - Apple Computer introduces the Apple IIGS, with the Apple 3.5 drive, for US$1000.
1987: January - Apple Computer introduces the Apple Platinum IIe.
1987: March - Apple Computer introduces the open architecture Macintosh II, US$3900.
1987: March - Apple Computer makes its 1 millionth Macintosh personal computer.
1987: March - Apple Computer introduces the expandable Macintosh SE for US$2900.
1987: March - Apple Computer discontinues the Macintosh 512K Enhanced.
1987: Apple Computer begins shipping the Macintosh II.
1988: September - Apple Computer introduces the Apple IIc Plus for US$1100.
1988: September - Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh IIx computer, base price is US$7770.
1989: January - Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh SE/30, US$6500.
1989: September - Apple Computer announces the Macintosh Portable, for US$6500.
1989: September - Apple Computer announces the Macintosh IIci, for about US$8700.
1991: February - Apple Computer discontinues the Macintosh Portable.

Ah... I used to own Amiga 600, then A1200, then heavily expanded A4000. That was some great piece of hardware - and those were the times when programmers were into optimizing their stuff instead of telling us to buy new CPU, more memory etc. MANY games made for Amiga back in mid-90's are still better than 90% of newest PC releases when it comes to playability.

I guess true dinosaurs never die.

man it would be wild to see a new commodore.

Aah the days of computer games on tape...*wipes a tear*

I bought a boxed mint condition 64 a few months ago really for the nostalgia trip.

Still looking for Archon though.

hehe, anyone else remember the 1541 disk drive? i had 4 of those monsters daisychained for my first BBS system, think i was running "Tower BBS" on a C128 at that point... ah, fun stuff..

I've got a Commodore emulator installed on my Xbox, but I haven't tried it out yet. I've been too busy playing Defender on MameOX.

wow, a new bread of commodore's would be greatly anticipated by many I'm sure! that would be kinda cool...

I still have one, i bought i a few years ago. I just need to get some nice games for it

Lee, oberheimer, all you c64 game needs can be solved at www.c64.com
If you have 1541 / 1571 drive and minimal soldering experience, you can even build a cable to connect the drive to pc and transfer the games you download to 5 1/4 inch floppies to play on a real commodore. Otherwise, you can get your fix with ccs64, in my opinion the best C64 emulator, it's at www.computerbrains.com

I wonder what a US-based digital music distributor would be planning on doing with it.

I was thinking it could be a machine dedicated to music production (mixing and so on). There are machines dedicated to video editing, and so I could see a market for a reliable music machine.

thats sweet, I love some of those old games!

i fell in love with computers when i played with an amiga

[QUOTE=VeriSexy]Yeah used them in school but never owned one :([/QUOT} Yeah, what you said. lol

The mouse looks fantastic. Wonder why they left that design?!