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Jack Tramiel, founder of Commodore, dies at age 83

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Re: Jack Tramiel, founder of Commodore, dies at age 83

#61

Post by mikecane »

vidarh wrote: post #51
mikecane wrote: post #22

Apple was cool, but Commodore was affordable. Thanks, Jack, for that $199 C=64. Rest in peace.

In Europe the difference was staggering - in many countries Apple was pretty much a total unknown until the Mac. I don't remember ever seeing an Apple computer in any of my local computer stores in Norway, for example, while VIC 20 and C-64, and even some PET's were all over the place. I started with a VIC 20, then got a C-64. Pretty much all my friends had C-64's at some point or other in the '83-'88 time frame. Nob…

The C=64 began at US$595 -- which was still a bargain for that time -- and you had to go to a computer store to buy one. in NYC, those were generally snooty places that catered to Suits. So the price drop to US$199 within a short time was an even bigger shock.

Re: Jack Tramiel, founder of Commodore, dies at age 83

#62

Post by mikecane »

ssdsa wrote: post #45

Without him, the world would be a different place. The Commodore computers inspired so many people (adults now) and made all "our" business world, start-up world and hacker world what it is now. By bringing home computers to a huge number of houses, a lot of kids got the chance to experience first-hand what it is like to be in control of a "personal" computer. There is still a C64 scene alive! http://noname.c64.org/c…

See also this: http://www.commodorefree.com/issues.html

Re: Jack Tramiel, founder of Commodore, dies at age 83

#64

Post by protomyth »

I still have my Atari 400 (pre-Tramiel) and my 130XE (Tramiel era). We were pretty poor financially as a family when I got them. Without cheap, programmable machines like the Commodores and the Ataris, I doubt I would have been a programmer. I cannot imagine what I would have used these days in the sub $200 market.

Re: Jack Tramiel, founder of Commodore, dies at age 83

#65

Post by moylan »

vidarh wrote: post #51
mikecane wrote: post #22

Apple was cool, but Commodore was affordable. Thanks, Jack, for that $199 C=64. Rest in peace.

In Europe the difference was staggering - in many countries Apple was pretty much a total unknown until the Mac. I don't remember ever seeing an Apple computer in any of my local computer stores in Norway, for example, while VIC 20 and C-64, and even some PET's were all over the place. I started with a VIC 20, then got a C-64. Pretty much all my friends had C-64's at some point or other in the '83-'88 time frame. Nob…

here in ireland most schools and libraries has an apple ii. but they were expensive fragile things that nobody understood or touched. when the c64 came out our school got 6 linked to one floppy drive. we went nuts over them. but when it came to a my first computer i went with a zx spectrum as most of my friends had one as it was slightly cheaper.

in my class of 24 or so. 3-4 spectrums, 1-2 c64s and 1 amstrad (poor sod, great computer, few users so few software swaps available)

Re: Jack Tramiel, founder of Commodore, dies at age 83

#66

Post by D_Alex »

inovica wrote: post #20

My very first computer was a Commodore 64. My grandfather, the day before he died, said to me that I needed to get into computers as they are the future. He gave me some money that day and that evening he passed away peacefully in his sleep. I bought a C64 with this money and I still have it now.

My first computer was a C64 also. It cost A$699, plus $99 for the tape drive. In 1982 money. My father's salary was about $40,000 per year then. Can't think of money better spent.

Re: Jack Tramiel, founder of Commodore, dies at age 83

#69

Post by brianobush »

rbanffy wrote: post #55
ssdsa wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No matter if it is 3583 BYTES FREE or 38911 BYTES FREE or some other number - the start-up text was an important message to all users: There's this language (BASIC) available right here at the prompt, ready for you, just type away. And there are N bytes free, available for you to do whatever you want to do.

I was raised on the ]█ (later the ]▒) prompt, but I agree with you. We lost a lot when computers started greeting people with OS prompts and mouse pointers.

I agree, but people commonly argue that there is so much more available today. However, the one thing we lost is the focus to turn the machine into something more.
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