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Old 04-08-2011, 12:07 PM
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Darwin Darwin is offline
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Commodore is back

http://www.commodoreusa.net/CUSA_TronVideo.aspx

Commodore is back....well, kinda.....maybe. Having a personal museum of Commodore products from the C4-plus to the Amiga 4000, I was overjoyed to see that Commodore USA is reviving the Commodore and Amiga computer line. However, as someone else said, putting PC innards into a retro Commodore case with a Commodore logo on it does not a Commodore make. They are touting that the new systems will be able to run all the old Commodore software (via emulation), but after a chat with their home office, they have no interest in producing a machine that will be able to read the original Commodore floppys. Since my primary interest has never been gaming and (legitimate) virtual disks of Amiga productivity software aren't available, I don't see where I'd be any better off plunging $1500 for a new "Amiga 2000" than using my tower PC to run Colanto Amiga Forever with a Catweasel card to read my original Amiga disks....despite the assurance from the tech rep that Colanto is tinkertoys compared to thier proprietary emulation software. That said, the tech specs on the new Commodore 64 are fairly impressive, and the cost is in line with comparable PC systems. Since the Commodore OS is going to be a Linux variant, it might be worth picking one up just for the inherent internet safe-hex virus protection. Commodore USA claims the new A-2000 can be factory configured so you can start up in either their proprietary OS or in Windoze. If that's the case, I may give some serious thought to adding one to my collection....maybe even as the replacement for my primary productivity machine.

For those who get upset about any postings not directly related to paper modeling....my very first "computer-generated" paper models were printed out on an 8-pin impact printer using a Commodore-64. So there......
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Old 04-08-2011, 12:51 PM
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I loved my Commodore 128 with Basic 7, 1571 disk drive and 1902A color monitor! It was loads of fun and I learned a lot on it and from it. Best feeling keyboard I've ever used. Loved writing programs and troubleshooting them.

Had my first taste of a GUI interface running something called GEOS from Berkely Software, short for Graphical Environment Operating System. It ran and looked VERY much like Apples Mac System 6 operating system - mouse driven, windows, folders, acted and looked like OS 6.

Still pine away for it.
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Old 04-08-2011, 12:52 PM
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SCEtoAUX SCEtoAUX is offline
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Yep, I remember using GEOS on a C-64.
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Old 04-08-2011, 01:14 PM
Mr. Hawley Mr. Hawley is offline
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I had an Amiga 2000HD (with the Video Toaster) back in College. It was so absolutely amazing at the time!

A little more info on the "new line" here.

The actual webpage is: http://www.commodoreusa.net/CUSA_Home.aspx

The thing is, I think that it's just a PC with a retro case. Of course if you then installed "Amiga Forever" it might be pretty cool.
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Old 04-08-2011, 01:21 PM
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Darwin Darwin is offline
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GEOS was the first inkling of what a personal computer would be. It's amazing how Commodore Amiga, as advanced as it was (32-bit architecture, true multi-tasking, GUI interface, 64 color display, sterio sound) when PCs were still line-command, monochrome display, etc...and NO sound other than a beep, somehow managed to go bankrupt. It all stems back to the Commodore's decision to compete with Nintendo instead of Apple. At least the new corporation has it's head on straight with respect to where it's best market lies. However, I still caught a lot of flavor from the rep I talked with that the old mindset persists....he had the automatic assumption that, if you were an Amiga hobbiest, you had to be first and foremost a gamer. Also of interest...the top end new A-2000 will be selling for upwards of 20K$. I was assured that, for that price, the machine would have graphics capabilities just short of a Cray....not viewing myself as being the second coming of Dreamworks, the household budget is well safe from that kind of an outlay, but one can dream of New Tec boards in the Christmas stocking.
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Old 04-08-2011, 01:35 PM
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I think the problem Commodore will face is the the name will invoke images of the old company, wether they've changed or not.
The most exposure it got was as a gaming platform or young peoples (kids?), despite the power of some of its models. This will be tough to overcome, especially with prices as you've suggested. Be interesting to see it happen, though!
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Old 04-08-2011, 01:42 PM
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Proprietary OS though they say it can be dual boot, sound somewhat like the Intel Macs - emulation or boot up as a Windows machine.
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Old 04-08-2011, 03:45 PM
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I actually started with a Vic 20. Remember them? Then I upgraded to a C-64 with a dataset (tape recorder) instead of a disc drive. I learned to program basic (Commodore basic, but it gave me a leg up when I learned Basic A), and even did some machine language programming. I used to say that if speed is not an object, I could get my C-64 to do anything that an 8088 (later 286) machine could do. Ah, those were the days! I just love programming sprites.

Garland
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Old 04-08-2011, 04:11 PM
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SJPONeill SJPONeill is offline
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I kicked off with an old Apple in 1989 but by Feb 90 had a 1mb Amiga 500...that was my computer learning machine for games and productivity...I still use an emulator to fire up some of the old sims on a rainy day...
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Old 04-08-2011, 04:32 PM
Zathros Zathros is offline
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Unfortunately, it is a colossal waste of money, you could buy 2 computers from Tigerdirect that would do the same and more. If you make your own machine, well let me just say what I built for $699 a few months ago will blow the socks off this machine, and that same $699 would build a machine that would outclass my new one.

As far as Windows goes, if you want to actually produce anything, Windows is what you need to use. Most really good production programs do not run on Apple products and Rhino does not run on Linux (doubt it ever will). I am no fanboy of any company or OS but Windows is it, if you actually produce anything. I have never met anyone or seen any business that uses Apple products (at least for any length of time). Linux is used on many servers, but when you can hook a $2 million dollars CNC right up to a Windows machine, and rather easily, and hook up tracing arms and the other myriad of off the shelf components, then there really is no other choice.

Having to run Windows on an Apple computer is demonstrative of what the problem with Apple is. Windows 7 is excellent (especially W7 64 bit), and my machine with XP runs rather flawlessly. If I had stuck to Apple, I could have never upgraded and customized my computers as I have done and will do in the future. Paying a premium for a "retro-look" is a marketing scam and if you have money to burn, P.M. me and I'll send you my address, I could use some.

The first language I learned was APL, remember that? Monitor, why have a monitor when you had a printer!
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