CompuServe Thread

#Commodore(UK)

31 messages in this thread
#103357From: Allan TreadwellJun 9, 1993 2:01 PM
I've just heard from a friend that Commodore(UK) had gone bust. Can anybody confirm this.
#103367From: Jun 9, 1993 3:43 PM
I don't know about Commodore(UK), but ComputerWorld Denmark reported last week on the front page, that Commodore Germany will no longer sell IBM PC clones, but only Amigas, and the 33 Danish Commodore Business Centres now will change their names to CBC and also carry other brands. They have done so unofficially for some time in order to be able to sell large systems e.g. a Compaq server with Commodore workstations. The future does not seem bright.
#103444From: Pete MilesJun 10, 1993 5:00 PM
Bloody well hope not. They owe me a 386sx Bboard to replace the dud one I had recently. Apart from that I was speaking to tech support 2 days ago and they seemed to be quite busy.
#103526From: Phil HillJun 11, 1993 5:13 PM
A busy service (customer support) department doesn't mean the company is not up the swaney (British expression). Talk to them again in a month and you know they survived at least part of a year. Phil London Wet and Tired.
#103747From: Pete MilesJun 14, 1993 8:20 AM
I know they are OK. All a question of who you know. Pete Pete From Dorset in Englands westcountry
#103578From: Greg MalcangiJun 12, 1993 6:53 AM
Commodore (UK) has not gone bust. Times are difficult for most companies in the UK at the moment and there have been some job cuts in Commodore (UK). As we know in the US, marketing of the Amiga seems to now be a joint venture with Newtek. The IBM PC side of Commodore has been losing money for some time now so they are closing it down (worldwide as far as I know). The major players seem to be slowly closing down the platform wars, Mac and IBM will have more common ground next year and next year's new top of the range RISC based Amigas will have built-in IBM PC's as standard as well. Greg (Also from the UK!)
#103647From: Dave Haynie/C128 LandJun 13, 1993 12:09 AM
> The major players seem to be slowly closing down the platform wars, Mac > and IBM will have more common ground next year and next year's new top of > the range RISC based Amigas will have built-in IBM PC's as standard as > well. While the rest of your message is quite correct, and appreciated, I really wonder where the heck you got that last paragraph. It's utter fiction. John W
#103685From: Greg MalcangiJun 13, 1993 2:59 PM
John; I would like to know why you think the last paragraph in my message is "utter fiction"? I doubt very much whether your source of information has more authority than mine. There is one thing that will prove who is right in this disagreement, TIME. Greg
#103687From: Dale LarsonJun 13, 1993 4:07 PM
It's pretty funny to hear people telling those employeed or recently employeed by Commodore in Engineering what new machines are or are not being worked on. Dale Larson – An Amiga Software Engineer with lots of time on his hands.
#103771From: Greg MalcangiJun 14, 1993 2:47 PM
Dale: I own an run a recording studio and I help and am helped by C=. I can only go on what I've been told by a VERY high ranking C= official, who has given me much information in the past which has ALWAYS proven to be accurate. I have no reason to disbelieve him on this occasion. Once again, TIME will tell. Greg
#103795From: Dale LarsonJun 14, 1993 8:02 PM
Say, are you a betting man? 🙂 Dale Larson – An Amiga Software Engineer with lots of time on his hands.
#103785From: Marlene Zenker/SYSOPJun 14, 1993 5:32 PM
> I would like to know why you think the last paragraph in my message is > "utter fiction"? I doubt very much whether your source of information > has more authority than mine. > >There is one thing that will prove who is right in this disagreement, >TIME. I'd believe what the people who actually worked on building the products have to say, not some "high ranking official". And considering that John and other members of the forum have recently worked at Commodore in the departments that would be building those mysterious products, I'd put my money on what they have to say, not the rumor mill. I'm sure that in the long term they'd do something, but don't look for anything soon. Steve
#103829From: Mike SchillerJun 15, 1993 2:53 AM
You say that John has recently worked at Commodore, does that imply that he no longer works there? (If so it's news to me!)
#103831From: Steve AhlstromJun 15, 1993 2:56 AM
As of last Friday there were heavy layoffs in Engineering and CATS.
#103832From: Dale LarsonJun 15, 1993 3:53 AM
Commodore layed off 80 people at West Chester last Friday. There were huge parties. First keg was drained in an hour or two 🙂
#103848From: Richard EricksonJun 15, 1993 12:35 PM
I hope the last one out turns off the lights. Richard -> via the Amiga 1000 AutoPilot
#103855From: Dave CinegeJun 15, 1993 1:53 PM
Are you familar with the bridgeboards opperations? I might beable to come up with some work for you. Dave Elite MicroComputers – Flying high on AutoPilot
#104150From: John GagerJun 18, 1993 11:09 PM
Well I hope everyone that was layed off is back on the job soon. I guess everyone is in a slump lately. Everyone knows what happened with IBM, and then Apple's stock lost a bunch last week. Haven't followed their stock this week to see if they re-bound any. But I'm willing to bet CBM will get back on their feet eventually. They have been through the tough times before. // John – (Flying via AutoPilot) \X/ "Worf: To Hell with the Prime Directive – Give the Borg Windows!"
#104187From: Paul ToalJun 19, 1993 6:30 AM
Did ya see that Scully is no longer head honcho at Apple? The big el axo. He says he did it on his own, heh heh. PS- I like the Borg bit 🙂 –Paul < Motorola Inside >
#104245From: John GagerJun 20, 1993 3:31 AM
Scully is no longer with Apple? I guess they are taking the ax to a lot of executive's in the computer industry. Maybe Medhi Ali should start looking for another job <g>. Yep, I've received a few comments on the Borg. I don't post it when I'm on the IBM boards though. I don't think they would appreciate the humor <g>. Someone just told me that the tagline is somewhat appropriate in that the new version of IBM's 2.1 OS with Window's support was code named "BORG" <g>. // John – (Flying via AutoPilot) \X/ "Worf: To Hell with the Prime Directive – Give the Borg Windows!"
#104250From: Clint Woeltjen@VRLIJun 20, 1993 6:47 AM
John: Scully is still with Apple, he just stepped aside from the CEO position. It's a move he's been talking about for 2 years. He will be working behind the scenes with strategic planning from what I heard. Clint <Chaocity>
#104254From: Jim McKenzieJun 20, 1993 7:53 AM
That's true…in fact IBM is playing up the "humor" in their brochures. The latest issue of OS/2 Magazine has a picture of Capt. Picard in his 1/2 Borg regalia with the tag "The Borg is back". I guess they don't mind a little humor at their expense….
#104300From: Richard EricksonJun 20, 1993 3:11 PM
Having Medhi Ali canned would be the biggest boast to the Amiga since hard drives. Richard -> via the Amiga 1000 AutoPilot
#104367From: Don Curtis/SYSOPJun 21, 1993 1:21 AM
John, I forget his exact titles…but Scully was both President (CEO) and Chairman of the Board (or some such). He only gave up one of those titles (CEO). He's still very much a part of Apple. Don
#103854From: Greg MalcangiJun 15, 1993 1:40 PM
Steve: I can appreciate you believing those people who you know and trust. Likewise I can only believe those people whom I know and trust. I knew the full spec on the 600, the 1200 and the 4000 as well as many other products many months before even the romours started and my information has ALWAYS proven to be accurate. Maybe on this occasion the information is not accurate, if so it's the first time in my two year relationship with C=. I'm not part of the "romour mill" and I have rarely stepped in to disclose the information I have been privvy to (although I'm not covered by any non disclosure agreements), my level of information goes beyond the engineers and into the board room. I'm not knocking anyone on this forum but I'm bound to trust those people who I know personally and who have proven so reliable. Have you considered the possibility that this product is just for the UK or Europe, (it would not be the first time) as I haven't asked I don't know whether this may be the case (unlikely though). I originally stepped in with information to put a poor worried amigan's fears to rest. Instead of thanks I'm starting to find this thread becomming more and more personally insulting. I will think twice before attempting to help in the future.
#103861From: Dale LarsonJun 15, 1993 2:17 PM
If anyone is comming off as insulting, they probably didn't mean to and they are probably sorry that you are taking offense. One of the unfortunate parts of electronic communication is that you can't see us chuckling behind our keyboards, taking a friendly poke at you after you took a (presumably) friendly poke at us. There are few things in life one can state with certainty. Fewer things still that one can state with certainty about Commodore. One of them is, however, that any new machine has to be built by somebody. Unless the guys "in the boardroom" have gone and picked up EE degrees without telling anyone, or started a "UK Only" or "Europe Only" Engineering department outside of West Chester, the Engineers in WC absolutely know what isn't going to be a product in the reasonably near future. Note that I didn't say they know what -is- going to be a product, only what -isn't-. Please don't stop posting. Just realize that sometimes, no matter how right you are, people will disagree with you. If you prove to be right in the end, you get to gloat. If not, oh well. We all make mistakes, and I certainly make more than my share.
#103911From: Richard EricksonJun 16, 1993 3:00 AM
Since you were recently in CBM, any inside info on the prevailing mood? It sure is depressing on the outside, I was wondering if it is the same on the other side of the computer. Richard -> via the Amiga 1000 AutoPilot
#103930From: Dale LarsonJun 16, 1993 10:59 AM
At the parties Friday, those who had been laid off received congratulations, those who had not got hugs and condolances. Dale Larson – An Amiga Software Engineer with lots of time on his hands.
#103937From: Richard EricksonJun 16, 1993 11:59 AM
I sort of had a feeling it would be like that. With all the bad news coming out of that place, it couldn't be a good place to work. Richard -> via the Amiga 1000 AutoPilot
#104348From: Greg GivlerJun 20, 1993 10:56 PM
One thing Richard, I worked there for 6 years, and I do not regret the time that I spent there. It was a great place to work, I mean, you could rub elbows with some of the more respected programmers in the field, from Mike Sinz, to Dale Larson, to Dave Haney and Greg Berlin and Randell Jesup. The people were great, the management got agravating, but then most of you know that since I have seen that most of you have vented your spleen from time to time. One of the disadvantages that I had by working at Commodore was that I could not agree with folks when I thought that management was making mistakes. I hope things go well for the folks left behind. They have a lot of hard work ahead of them if they are going to be able to turn things around. Greg Greg Givler – CBMSER Sysop Commodore Product Assurance
#103871From: Marlene Zenker/SYSOPJun 15, 1993 5:30 PM
Well first, please don't stop posting in the forum. We encourage everyone to participate. The only reason I posted the message was that it was pretty obvious you didn't know that the people that were posting replies to you were (very) recent Commodore employees and your responses to them seemed pretty insulting as well …And that's something these folks don't need to hear at the moment. In any event, that's all water under the bridge. I'm looking forward to future releases from Commodore, and hope we'll see something sooner, rather than later. Steve