#It's Official (CBM)
34 messages in this thread
AP 04/29 20:18 EDT V0623
Copyright 1994. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
WEST CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — Commodore International Ltd., a pioneer in the
personal computer industry, said late Friday it is going out of business.
The company plans to transfer its assets to unidentified trustees "for the
benefit of its creditors" and has placed its major subsidiary, Commodore
Electronics Ltd., into voluntary liquidation.
"This is the initial phase of an orderly voluntary liquidation of both
companies," Commodore said in a brief statement.
Company executives could not immediately be reached Friday evening.
The company last month reported an $8.2 million loss for the quarter ending
Dec. 31 on sales of $70.1 million. A year earlier, Commodore lost $77.2 million
on sales of $237.7 million in the same period.
In the latest report, Commodore said financial limits had thwarted its
ability to supply products, leading to weakened sales. One of its new products,
the Amiga CD32 video game, had sold poorly in Europe, where the company did
most of its business.
The company's net worth turned negative in the fiscal year ended last June
30.
Its stock, which had traded at around $3 per share before the quarterly
results were announced last month, closed unchanged at 87 1/2 cents per share
on the New York Stock Exchange Friday.
"This is a company that briefly captured the attention of the American
market and didn't go where the market was going," said David Coursey, editor of
the newsletter P.C. Letter in San Mateo, Calif. "They just never managed to
change with the marketplace."
While grabbing some market share and attention in the late 1970s,
Commodore's products were something between PCs and game machines "and never
quite became either," Coursey said.
Commodore started 40 years ago as a typewriter repair company in the Bronx.
Its extension to the adding machine business paved the way for it to make
calculators and then personal computers by the mid-1970s.
Commodore competed with Radio Shack for the first computers sold to homes
and co-founder Jack Tramiel became a highly-regarded figure in the fledgling PC
industry.
By the early 1980s, it was overshadowed in the PC business by Apple Computer
Inc. and IBM. Software manufacturers didn't create as much software for
Commodore's Amiga line as it did for Apple and IBM-compatible machines.
In recent years, most of Commodore's business was in Europe.
NewTek Inc. of Topeka, Kan., created a product called Video Toaster that
converted Commodore's Amiga to a video-editing system. The $2,500 product was
popular with small advertising agencies and home hobbyists. The company's
phones were busy Friday night.
"NewTek Inc. of Topeka, Kan., created a product called Video Toaster that
converted Commodore's Amiga to a video-editing system. The $2,500 product was
popular with small advertising agencies and home hobbyists. The company's
phones were busy Friday night."
Betcha they were trying the 800 number. For some reason NewTek seems to busy
out its 800 tech support numbers rathen than pick them up with a message or
simply let them ring. I've never been able to understand why, although
originally I spent many hours trying to get through only to learn, despite the
busy signals, that NewTek had closed for the day.
Jerry
Gee they didn't mention major prime time hit TV shows like Sea Quest, Babylon
5, RoboCop, and small TV stations all over the country! Harry M. ?exit
"Gee they didn't mention major prime time hit TV shows like Sea Quest, Babylon
5, RoboCop, and small TV stations all over the country!"
Obviously not. Maybe Commodore never got around to spreading the word about
how their machines were being used.
Jerry
>> Obviously not. Maybe Commodore never got around to spreading the word about
how their
>> machines were being used.
They barely got around to spreading the word that they were making computers,
let alone how they were being used. <sad grin>
By busying the line, they don't pay for the 800 call.
"By busying the line, they don't pay for the 800 call."
True enough – but it makes you feel like an idiot to keep trying for a couple
of hours. <G>
Jerry
Ever hear of an autodialer? ;^}
wmc – via Autopilot!
"Ever hear of an autodialer?"
Sure. Still have to listen though even with a speakerphone.
Jerry
Just turn on the modem and send the speaker on command…. Or use the
modem and tcom program…. ;^}
wmc – via Autopilot!
Do autodialers hang up the phone on the other end if it's off the hook?
<g>
Chris – Fast and Low on my '020!
Clap On! <clap clap> Clap Off! <clap cla{%& NO CARRIER
This is indeed a sad day for all Amiga owners, a "Black Friday" in my
book. The sad part is that it seems like innovation has taken a back seat
to mass marketed fast food clones, controlled by monopoly's such as Intel
and Microsoft. I guess an Amiga owner's best hope is that the Power PC
will someday take over where the Amiga left off.
// John (Speeding on the Information Superhighway)
\X/ Mercury@ins.infonet.net
The sad part is that it seems like innovation has taken a back seat to
mass marketed fast food clones, controlled by monopoly's such as Intel
and microsoft….
Couldn't agree with you more. The funny thing is with all the advances
of the computer are we really at a place that we could be, what if the
people who first thought of and made the amiga were in the place of
Intel and Microsoft. Would there be better ideas and ways to use the
computer, we'll never know. why? because of the statement that you made.
If in the 1960s only one car company remained would we be satisfied
with 15mpg today thinking that is the best there could be. If IBM
kills off all its competition how is it the best compared to what?
"The recent reports of my death are much exaggerated" as Mark Twain aptly
put it. I feel depressed to see the news finally of Commodore's death, but
let us not forget that it will be some years before the machines already
out here working will be discarded. A market of 3-4 million is still a
market worth talking to while it lasts. A sad day for those who dare to
dream and ask "why not" even so.
Surely the saddest words of tongue of pen are these: What might have been.
Tom
Oklahoma City, OK
Tom,
ahh – 3-4 million?!?! In the U.S. the figures I've seen are about 250K.
And of the 3-4 million, world wide, many were 1000's, 500's, (probably 80%
of which have been decommisioned) and orphaned 600s. I'll bet that as of
Monday, any products not already at least at the point of being in th
package and already contracted for by distributers will never see the
light of day. Production runs of any hwardware items like 24 bit cards
will be cancelled unless they were pre-sold, and all major software
devleopers will go into bug fix upgrade mode to keep some minimal cash
flow for a year until they can convert to another platform or go out of
business themselves with the principles going to work for othe companies.
The biggest ripple effect is going to hit NewTek and Scala, but I think
both probably have seen it comming and are prepared to switch platforms
within a year to 18 months. I think that within a year, the world wide
user base will be under 750K and the US base will be under 100K as just
parts and support will have completely stopped by then.
wmc – via Autopilot!
Where do you get the 80% decommisioned figure?
I have and use 1-A500, 1-A2000, 1-A4000, 1-CD32. I will continue to use
them untill the software I have will no longer do the job for me. That
end, I can not forsee for a long time to come. Many local schools have
Amiga 500s and 2000s in their video and art classes. These machines are
still being used and will be for the forseeable future. It seems you are
just trying to bring doom to the machine before its' time.
Jim R. Ollick
Using AP from Bergenfield, NJ
100% of the people I know who had 500s either sold them or tossed them in
th grabage long ago. Some got better Amiga's, most got Macs, some got
clones. So, I was guessing there may be 20% who still have and use them.
I don't know of any, however.
wmc – via Autopilot!
BS
That's BS, I know several people with 500's some professionals with an
030 accelorator, a big hard drive and genlock that make a good living with
their amigas alone.
…Steve
====>>> Motorola 68030 Inside <<<====
My first computer was a Atari ST I purchased used, the whole package,
Monitor, CPU and 2nd disk drive for $400.
After using the ST for over a year I purchased a A500 within one month of
it's release. Now I've been using a A3000 for about 18 months.
I've had a blast using my Amigas and still am!
Tommy
Funny you should mention Atari (the incredible shrinking company). They seem to
have outlasted C=
-Vree in VA.
o
All the people that I knew that had 500's still do…
Bob Comer — Cruising the nets on Autopilot!
Cheyenne, Wyoming U.S.A.
I know of -no one- that has thrown away there 500. Many of them are using
them for games only, but a good portion of them have continued to upgrade
via other machines or 3rd party enhancements. I must personally
influenced over 30 people in my years with the Amiga to buy one. Not one
has yet stopped using it.
-Jonathan
// Amiga online via Autopilot. MAC Quadra 900 and
\\// 486 emulation. E-Mail: jonathanb@delrina.com
I still have my 1000 and yeah, use it for games mostly. I do use it with my
Digiview when I need to scan something. My 3000 is acting up however 🙁 HarryM
>100% of the people I know who had 500s either sold them or tossed them in
>the grabage long ago. Some got better Amiga's, most got Macs, some got
>clones. So, I was guessing there may be 20% who still have and use them.
>I don't know of any, however.
Mine still runs fine. Just put dos 2.1 on it. Lots of accessories.
-Vree in VA
Utter rot. I know two people personally that have 500s, and both are
still using them today. Does that mean that 100% of the owners are still
using them? Obviously not, mine for instance is on loan to a THIRD
person. Don't generalize from a small sample.
-Karl Speaking from the Rubble.
Wayne,
you know me, and I have two, both in use. So, methinks you protest too
much.
The Four Seasons of Southern California:
Fire, Flood, Earthquake, and Riot.
I disagree. I think the third party market will remain more vibrant than you
think. The reason is that many of these companies are not able to switch to
anything else that quickly, plus THERE IS STILL OPPORTUNITY out there to sell
stuff. Granted, it will slow down, but it will not just stop. For example, if
I was working on an '060 accelerator, I'd definitely finish it. A lot of 3D
users would jump at one regardless of the fact that Commodore may not be
around.
I hope you are right. But I certainly can't bank a business on it. I
don't have the clout that Amblin, etc have. In the past they have been
able to get NewTek, ASDG, et al to make special revs/capabilities, even
hardware available to them to meet their needs. I suspect that will
continue, (in fact I suspect that by the time that parts/repair in Burbank
become a problem, Mr. Hastings will have a complete lightwave running in a
Network server/terminal mode for NT workstation/Screamer/Raptor owners.
Then you use your Amiga on EtherNet until it is too slow to take or it
breaks. Then you toss it and get machine X to act ast teh "lightstation"
terminal. For smaller operations that require the entire spectrum of
Toaster capabilities, and cannot justify a Raptor, but would like to cut
rendering times, accelerators at the right price offer a stop-gap until
the Toaster equiv comes along on a PPC or such or NewTek comes up with a
Toaster growth path that includes upgradable and advancing "power
supplies" as they've been called on occasion.
wmc – via Autopilot!
"One of its new products, the Amiga CD32 video game, had sold poorly in
Europe, where the company did most of its business."
Say what? I thought they were going out the door as fast as they made
them. Were the reports of sales inaccurate?
"While grabbing some market share and attention in the late 1970s,
Commodore's products were something between PCs and game machines "and
never quite became either," Coursey said.
Has anyone looked into the innards of a PC lately as it leaves the
store? Which is the game machine? The Amiga or the PC?
Too damned sad that they are blaming the machine rather than the firm.
The Four Seasons of Southern California:
Fire, Flood, Earthquake, and Riot.
> "One of its new products, the Amiga CD32 video game, had sold > poorly in
Europe, where the company did most of its business." > > Say what? I thought
they were going out the door as fast as > they made them. Were the reports of
sales inaccurate?
No, they probably just couldn't make them very fast.
>I thought [CD32s] were going out the door as fast as they made them.
>Were the reports of sales inaccurate?
No – Commodore just wasn't making them very fast.
> …popular with small advertising agencies and home hobbyists.
Spielberg, Warner Brothers,….
. . . . JimDoc, on AutoPilot