Commodore Free 4/Commodore_Free_Issue_04_2007_Commodore_Computer_Club.d64/t.commodores 3

Text File | 2007-01-01 | 12.5 KB | 402 lines

u

     CONTINUED FROM PART 2

COMMODORE 128D

Around 1986 or 1987 the Commodore 128D
was released and became quite popular.
The 128D was basically a Commodore 128
computer with a built-in 1571 disk
drive and a detachable keyboard. The
idea was to conserve desktop space and
make a nicer looking computer to
compare with the professional
appearance of the IBM compatibles. This
computer had the latest chip revisions
made for the Commodore 128 and 1571
drives and had more video memory. This
was perhaps the best 8-bit computer
made by any manufacturer. The fact that
there were not so many cables and
wires running around and that it did
not hog as much desktop space (due to
the fact that the monitor could sit on
top of it) made it very nice to use.

During the 1980's several large
Commodore and Amiga trade shows
and user conventions were held
throughout the United States and in
some foreign countries-- especially
Canada. Commodore also usually had
large displays at COMDEX and other
consumer electronics shows.
Thousands of users, retailers, and
developers usually converged on these
gatherings. This was quite a spectacle
to see. The exciting and innovative
new products which were unveiled at
these shows kept Commodore users,
dealers, and distributors coming back
for more. The fact that there was
fierce free enterprise competition--
and the fact that the computer industry
had not yet conceded (or capitulated)
to the dominance of Microsoft and IBM--
led to unprecedented creativity.
Unfortunately, however, many people
began starting to demand uniformity
and standardization at the expense of
innovation.

Commodore had been so competitive
in the marketplace that IBM, Apple,
and Atari had been forced to lower
their prices and improve their features
and quality. These other manufacturers
were successful in doing so-- to the
point where many people started being
attracted away from Commodore toward
other brands. However, if it had not
been for Commodore being such a huge
factor in putting downward price
pressure and creating such innovative
home consumer products the evolution
of affordable quality home computers
would have occurred much more slowly.

A large number of Commodore gaming
enthusiasts were also drawn away in the
mid to late 80's as Nintendo and Sega
began to market their 8-bit game
systems which were somewhat simpler and
easier to use (but in many ways less
versatile) gaming systems.

The Commodore computers had permeated
the U.S. and foreign markets very subs-
tantially by 1985.

By the late 1980's somewhere near 10
million Commodore 64 compatible
machines had been produced and
distributed when sales began to
rapidly decline. Probably 70 or 80
percent of the Commodore 64 compatible
machines manufactured were Commodore
64s and 64c models and only about 20 or
30 percent were 128 models. Less than 5
percent of them were the SX-64
machines. It is probably safe to say
that the Commodore 64 was the best
selling computer model ever made by a
single manufacturer - if judged by
number of units sold. Commodore's
demise was largely a result of poor
marketing and external market forces -
not lack of development.

COMMODORE PLUS 4

Of course, not all of Commodore's
products were big hits. Commodore made
several products which were fantastic
ideas (in their own right) but never
actually caught on because of poor
timing or other unpredictable factors.
One of these was the Commodore Plus 4
computer. The Commodore Plus 4 had been
developed on the heels of Commodore's
great initial success with the C 64.

The Plus 4 was very nice because it was
smaller & had built-in software
applications. Despite being a very
beautiful little computer with many
excellent features it never really
became popular probably because it
wasn't very compatible with the large
base of software which had already been
developed for the Commodore 64. Many
(but not all) software manufacturers
seemed hesitant to want to invest
development efforts for this computer
when there were so many who already
owned C 64 computers who were clamoring
for software. Among other Commodore 8-
bit products which never caught on well
were the Commodore 16, the B-128, the
SFD1001 disk drive, and several others.

AMIGA 500

Perhaps the biggest heartbreak of all
of Commodore's efforts centered around
the 16-bit Amiga computer which had
initially been developed by a separate
company. Commodore acquired or bought
out the Amiga technology from its
original developers and began
developing and marketing Amiga
computers during the mid 1980's. The
Amiga computers were based on the
Motorola 68000 processor and were
somewhat akin to the Macintosh. The
extreme power, user-friendliness,
multi-tasking abilities, incredible
graphics and (stereo) sound, along with
built-in speech synthesis were way
ahead of the competition. Many C 64 and
128 owners immediately realized the
potential of the Amiga and decided to
acquire one.

It appeared to many-- for a while--
that Commodore may actually retain a
dominant position in the market place
with the Amiga being such an
obviously superior computer to any of
the home computers of the time.

Unfortunately, the lack of a diverse
software base came back to haunt the
Amiga as people chose to stay with
inferior hardware and operating
systems in order to stay compatible
with the large number of IBM and
Macintosh systems and software
products which had taken over the
business world despite still not being
particularly well suited for home use.

Much of the downfall of Commodore
stemmed from poor marketing, lack of
dominance in the business sector,
competition from other gaming systems,
poor support, poor management, and
growing competition. Commodore tried to
expand into the IBM compatible market
in the late 1980's with the PC
compatible PC-10, PC-20, Colt, & even a
286 notebook computer and a few other
machines which had only meager success.
Commodore even developed an incredible
interactive stand-alone CD unit (based
on the Amiga technology) called the
CDTV which (along with Philips CDI)
were the predecessors to many of the
CD- based interactive game systems
which followed. In the final year or so
before CBM ceased operations they had
even developed the first 32 bit game
system called the CD-32 which may have
been a big hit if Commodore had endured
a little longer.

Amazingly, even after Commodore's
decline started in the late 1980's the
loyal Commodore and Amiga hobbyists &
devoted users refused to give it up. A
strong undercurrent of support arose.
Even though most of the larger chain
stores and distributors were forced to
give up on Commodore products a strong
effort to recirculate and refurbish old
Commodore products has continued - even
to this day. In fact, in some
countries, especially in Europe and
Scandinavia the Commodore 64, 128, and
Amiga computers are still immensely
popular.

Because such a massive quantity of
items had been developed and
produced for these machines a great
many liquidations and surplus
inventories of Commodore-related
products remained available for many
months from many distributors. Those
who chose to keep supporting the
Commodore machines were frequently
able to pick up brand new merchandise
at tremendous prices and pass the
savings on to their customers. Much of
this surplus new merchandise is still
available today through the surviving
resellers.

It is not uncommon for past owners of
Commodore C-64 or 128 computers to
begin to feel a nostalgic attraction
toward using the Commodore 64 again.
Many of these individuals fondly
reminisce about the intense fun they
had in past years when computers
were simpler and in many ways more fun.
Back then the programs had to rely on
content, strategy, and plot because
many of the flashy special effects of
the newer systems were not available.

These older computers often left some
things to the user's imagination - by
creating mental images - instead of
drowning the user in multimedia sensory
stimulus overload as is often common
with newer computers.

The Commodore computers and some of the
Commodore-compatible software and
accessories have become collectors'
items for many individuals. Unlike most
computers which seem to become outdated
quickly, the Commodore computers seem
to have a sense of timelessness about
them.

There is no doubt that the newer multi-
media computers have some major
advantages over the old 8-bit
Commodore computers, but a little
diversity can be a good thing. Just
like watching an old movie, using some
older computer programs can help one
appreciate different things and gain
different perspectives. Many classic
old computer games and educational
programs were never made on any
platform other than Commodore and
Amiga. In the midst of the craze and
pressure to constantly upgrade and
fight compatibility problems and
system crashes with many of the newer

Pentium systems it can be somewhat
refreshing to step back for a while
to a more relaxing time.

Many home schoolers find the C 64 to
still be the best solution for younger
children to learn with. For the price &
simplicity it is still hard to beat.

The simple programmability,
availability of software, & ability to
be integrated with existing televisions
and curriculum make it a viable
alternative for hands-on instructors &
those on a budget. The fact that the
C 64 is viewed as being a "fun"
computer often lures even the most
resistive students into participation.

Very few people are intimidated by the
C 64 because it (quite deceptively)
almost seems like a toy.

By making learning fun the C 64 has
already won half of the educational
battle the moment it is turned on.

Despite the fact that Commodore
programs won't normally run on other
computers there are some fairly recent
emulators which have been developed
which allow many of the older
Commodore programs to run on some
of the newer computers. However,
many people still want to use original
Commodore machines and software to
have the full feel and compatibility
of the original experience.

Interest in the Commodore computers
has resulted in a longevity of product
availability which has exceeded even
the greatest expectations. There is
still some development of products &
software for Commodore 8-bit systems.
Creative Micro Designs is still
manufacturing newer CPU chips and
accessories for the original Commodore
systems. They even still publish a
magazine called Commodore World. There
are also a couple of Commodore on-disk
magazines being produced such as
LoadStar & Commodore Gazette. There is
even a company which recently announced
the production of a new device called
Web.it which is an IBM Windows type
system which can automatically emulate
& run C 64 programs and even access the
Internet.

Gateway 2000 has acquired the rights
to the Amiga and is currently
developing new Amiga compatible
hardware and operating systems.
Several national dealers still sell &
support Commodore and Amiga hardware &
software through the mail and via the
Internet.

The internet has greatly helped
maintain availability, support, and
interest in old computers such as the
Commodore by creating forums and
awareness of available suppliers,
users groups and other resources. The
Internet is ideal for individuals who
share a common interest such as this.

Even though the C 64 is not the ideal
computer for surfing the Internet it
can be done. However, most of those
looking for Commodore support and
affiliation on the Internet are
probably using newer computers or
devices such as WebTV to make surfing
the Internet a little easier.

A very sizeable percentage of
individuals who are accessing the
Internet with a newer computer
undoubtedly still own older computers
which they acquired in previous years
who lost interest in them only because
support for their old computer became
difficult to acquire. A large number of
these old computers have the Commodore
or Amiga name on them.

Now that software, hardware,
accessories and support is so easy to
locate and obtain a noticeable
resurgence of interest is occurring.

The main staying power of the
Commodore and Amiga computers,
however, is that they have become a
part of the lifestyles of so many
individuals. Many Commodore and
Amiga user groups still meet regularly
and publish monthly newsletters.
People still enjoy their old games,
educational programs, applications,
and the creativity which these
machines were so well suited for.If
anything can now be said about the
Commodore and Amiga computer
systems it is this: "Rumors of the
deaths of the Commodore and Amiga
computers have been greatly
exaggerated."Good things--especially
hobbies-- have long lives. Especially
in the hearts of those who still love
them.

    http://www.oldsoftware.com/
       history2.html