Commodore USA
Encyclopedia
Commodore USA, LLC is a computer company based in Pompano Beach, Florida, with additional facilities in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Commodore USA, LLC was founded in April 2010. The company's goal is to sell repackaged PCs using the classic Commodore
and Amiga
name brands of personal computers, having licensed the Commodore brand from Commodore Licensing BV on August 25, 2010 and the Amiga brand from Amiga, Inc.
on August 31, 2010.
named Commodore 64x. The machine looks almost exactly like the original Commodore 64 except with a slightly different keyboard and power supply. The base model has an Intel Atom
processor and an NVIDIA Ion 2 graphics card, while the top version released August 13, 2011 called the C64x Extreme features an Intel Core i7 CPU with 8Gigabytes
SO-DIMM
Random Access Memory
and 3 Terabytes
hard drive using the Intel Sandy Bridge
chipset. It is the first Commodore computer in years to be manufactured with its own keyboard design with C= key instead of the Windows Key
and Windows Keyboard. Other features are optional DVD or Bluray optical drive and built-in memory card reader. There is a fan
inside the C64 keyboard computer. As of June 2011 the first batch of 20,000 C64x machines had sold out. There is also a barebones version of the C64x which comes without a motherboard, power supply, or optical and hard drive that allows hobbyist enthusiasts to install their preferred Mini-ATX motherboard.
product line is a group of keyboard computers with original Commodore function keys.
Computer that is the same size as most internet keyboards.
The Vic Pro is a keyboard computer with the same external appearance as the Phoenix mentioned above, with a built in touchpad, memory card reader, and two fan
s. Originally designed and manufactured by Cybernet as a space-saving workstation.
branded x86 desktop and all-in-one computers based upon the Intel i7
chipset with emulation of the old Amiga
systems built-in.
, a Linux
-based OS
system to be used throughout its product range. It is a media center operating system, bundled with software. It also has proprietary elements, but is not related to in any way to Amiga OS. The operating system will be free and only bundled and supported with purchased Commodore USA systems. It does support emulation of some of the previous Commodore operating systems.
. It previously claimed that their machines support every operating system available from Ubuntu
specifically, to Windows and even OSx86
, but disclaiming that they do not and will not sell Mac OS X
. Commodore USA's online store sold Microsoft Windows separately and bundled Linux in their keyboard computers. Their keyboard computers available at the time were rebadged and were introduced with the Windows Key
. Later, Commodore USA announced that they would officially support, develop, and ship their computers with AROS
, but shifted their focus on redesigning Linux as Amiga Workbench 5, and Amiga Workbench X, but decided to name it Commodore OS and dropped all plans of making it resemble an Amiga
-like operating system due to additional legal proceedings.
The flagship product has been focused on the most, leaving all other announced items as vaporware
. Examples of announced products that appear to have been cancelled are Invictus and Amigo. The Commodore USA website was redesigned and an interactive forum was launched at the same time. High-end Amiga-PC designs were posted on the website. The company licensed the Commodore brand from Commodore Licensing, BV on August 25, 2010. It licenced the Amiga
brand from Amiga, Inc. shortly afterwards on August 31.
Despite the technological differences between the original C=64 and the new one, the physical design aesthetics of the new machine are so popular that sales of the new machine have soared; the first production run of 20,000 units sold out quickly, and began shipping on June 24, 2011. , no further sales figures have been released by the company.
owned by Fujitsu
.
Some of Commodore USA's announced products have become vaporware
since their announcement. Some of these examples have been cancelled due to intellectual property disagreements, most notably concerning the rights of licensor Amiga Inc. with regards to the possible use of AROS
in future Amiga systems from Commodore USA. Others have simply been cancelled as the business plan evolves away from their sector of the market.
Commodore USA has also received criticism from various retro computing groups who do not recognise any uniqueness to their products. Some criticism is due to the company's use of generic PC components, a choice some retro fans see as incompatible with the original products' heritage of custom chipsets. Commodore USA has responded to this position by pointing out the high cost of researching and developing original chipsets, and the relative expense and lack of mass-market software support for other CPU ISAs such as Power Architecture
or Motorola 68000 family.
Commodore USA has attempted to address these differentiation related concerns by announcing Commodore OS, intended to be developed to support and be released with Commodore USA systems. Their Amiga product line is not compatible with original Commodore Amiga systems including the operating system, AmigaOS
which is in fact developed by a separate company. Commodore USA originally claimed the intention of developing AROS to be bundled with their Amiga systems, however this plan was later publicly discarded by CEO Barry Altman.
Commodore International
Commodore is the commonly used name for Commodore Business Machines , the U.S.-based home computer manufacturer and electronics manufacturer headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania, which also housed Commodore's corporate parent company, Commodore International Limited...
and Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
name brands of personal computers, having licensed the Commodore brand from Commodore Licensing BV on August 25, 2010 and the Amiga brand from Amiga, Inc.
Amiga, Inc.
Amiga, Inc. is the company that holds the intellectual property associated with the Amiga personal computer , including the Amiga trademark.-Brief history of Amiga brand:...
on August 31, 2010.
Phoenix
The Commodore Phoenix is a keyboard computer resembling an updated style of the Commodore 64. It was originally designed and manufactured by Cybernet as a space-saving workstation.Commodore 64x
The flagship product for Commodore USA is an updated Commodore 64Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
named Commodore 64x. The machine looks almost exactly like the original Commodore 64 except with a slightly different keyboard and power supply. The base model has an Intel Atom
Intel Atom
Intel Atom is the brand name for a line of ultra-low-voltage x86 and x86-64 CPUs from Intel, designed in 45 nm CMOS and used mainly in netbooks, nettops, embedded application ranging from health care to advanced robotics and Mobile Internet devices...
processor and an NVIDIA Ion 2 graphics card, while the top version released August 13, 2011 called the C64x Extreme features an Intel Core i7 CPU with 8Gigabytes
GB
- Geography :* Gabon , a country in West Africa* Great Britain, an island in Europe* Guinea Bissau , a country in West Africa* Green Bay, Wisconsin, a city in Wisconsin, USA...
SO-DIMM
SO-DIMM
A SO-DIMM, or small outline dual in-line memory module, is a type of computer memory built using integrated circuits.SO-DIMMs are a smaller alternative to a DIMM, being roughly half the size of regular DIMMs...
Random Access Memory
Ram
-Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another...
and 3 Terabytes
TB
-Music:*Tenor and bass, a score for male chorus*The Beatles, the English rock band, the most lauded and successful group in the history of modern music**The Beatles , the tenth album by the above band, also known as the White Album...
hard drive using the Intel Sandy Bridge
Sandy Bridge
Sandy Bridge is the codename for a microarchitecture developed by Intel beginning in 2005 for central processing units in computers to replace the Nehalem microarchitecture...
chipset. It is the first Commodore computer in years to be manufactured with its own keyboard design with C= key instead of the Windows Key
Windows key
The Windows logo key—also known as the Windows key, the home key, the meta key, the start key, MOD4, or the flag key —is a keyboard key which was originally introduced on the Microsoft Natural keyboard before the release of Windows 95. This key became a standard key on PC keyboards...
and Windows Keyboard. Other features are optional DVD or Bluray optical drive and built-in memory card reader. There is a fan
Computer fan
A computer fan is any fan inside, or attached to, a computer case used for cooling purposes, and may refer to fans that draw cooler air into the case from the outside, expel warm air from inside, or move air across a heatsink to cool a particular component...
inside the C64 keyboard computer. As of June 2011 the first batch of 20,000 C64x machines had sold out. There is also a barebones version of the C64x which comes without a motherboard, power supply, or optical and hard drive that allows hobbyist enthusiasts to install their preferred Mini-ATX motherboard.
VIC
The VicCommodore VIC-20
The VIC-20 is an 8-bit home computer which was sold by Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980, roughly three years after Commodore's first personal computer, the PET...
product line is a group of keyboard computers with original Commodore function keys.
- Vic Slim:
Computer that is the same size as most internet keyboards.
- Vic Pro:
The Vic Pro is a keyboard computer with the same external appearance as the Phoenix mentioned above, with a built in touchpad, memory card reader, and two fan
Computer fan
A computer fan is any fan inside, or attached to, a computer case used for cooling purposes, and may refer to fans that draw cooler air into the case from the outside, expel warm air from inside, or move air across a heatsink to cool a particular component...
s. Originally designed and manufactured by Cybernet as a space-saving workstation.
Amiga PC
A product line (coming in late 2011), of AmigaAmiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
branded x86 desktop and all-in-one computers based upon the Intel i7
I7
I7 or i7 may refer to:*Paramount Airways, IATA code*Intel Core i7, series of Intel Processors based on the Nehalem micro architecture*In Music, I7, V7 of IV...
chipset with emulation of the old Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
systems built-in.
Commodore OS
As of 2011 Commodore USA is developing Commodore OSCommodore OS
Commodore OS, full name Commodore OS Vision, is a GNU/Linux distribution developed by Commodore USA and intended for its Commodore-branded PCs. The distribution is based on Debian and Linux Mint, available only for x86-64 architectures, and uses the GNOME 2 desktop environment. The public beta...
, a Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
-based OS
OS
OS may refer to:* O.S. Old Stonyhurst, an old boy of the ancient Jesuit public school, Stonyhurst College* O.S. Engines, a Japanese manufacturer of model aircraft engines* Ocean Science, an Oceanographic Journal published by the European Geosciences Union....
system to be used throughout its product range. It is a media center operating system, bundled with software. It also has proprietary elements, but is not related to in any way to Amiga OS. The operating system will be free and only bundled and supported with purchased Commodore USA systems. It does support emulation of some of the previous Commodore operating systems.
History
Commodore USA consistently focused on bundling an alternate operating system, preferring LinuxLinux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
. It previously claimed that their machines support every operating system available from Ubuntu
Ubuntu (operating system)
Ubuntu is a computer operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution and distributed as free and open source software. It is named after the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu...
specifically, to Windows and even OSx86
OSx86
OSx86 is a collaborative hacking project to run the Mac OS X computer operating system on non-Apple personal computers with x86 architecture and x86-64 compatible processors...
, but disclaiming that they do not and will not sell Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
. Commodore USA's online store sold Microsoft Windows separately and bundled Linux in their keyboard computers. Their keyboard computers available at the time were rebadged and were introduced with the Windows Key
Windows key
The Windows logo key—also known as the Windows key, the home key, the meta key, the start key, MOD4, or the flag key —is a keyboard key which was originally introduced on the Microsoft Natural keyboard before the release of Windows 95. This key became a standard key on PC keyboards...
. Later, Commodore USA announced that they would officially support, develop, and ship their computers with AROS
Aros
Aros may refer to:*Aros , a river in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium*AROS Research Operating System, a free software implementation of AmigaOS* Aros, the original Viking name of Aarhus, the second largest city in Denmark...
, but shifted their focus on redesigning Linux as Amiga Workbench 5, and Amiga Workbench X, but decided to name it Commodore OS and dropped all plans of making it resemble an Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
-like operating system due to additional legal proceedings.
The flagship product has been focused on the most, leaving all other announced items as vaporware
Vaporware
Vaporware is a term in the computer industry that describes a product, typically computer hardware or software, that is announced to the general public but is never actually released nor officially canceled. Vaporware is also a term sometimes used to describe events that are announced or predicted,...
. Examples of announced products that appear to have been cancelled are Invictus and Amigo. The Commodore USA website was redesigned and an interactive forum was launched at the same time. High-end Amiga-PC designs were posted on the website. The company licensed the Commodore brand from Commodore Licensing, BV on August 25, 2010. It licenced the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
brand from Amiga, Inc. shortly afterwards on August 31.
Marketing strategies: the "Retro" look
One marketing strategy used by Commodore USA is to appeal to the growing trend among consumers for purchasing products whose style imitates or replicates those styles and fashions of the past century, with a particular emphasis on the 1960s, 70's, and 80's. In the case of Commodore USA, the emphasis is on the 1980s, as their new flagship computer closely replicates the look and feel of the original Commodore 64 of 1982. This trend can also be seen in recent-model sports cars that seek to replicate the look and feel of their predecessors from the 60's and 70's.Despite the technological differences between the original C=64 and the new one, the physical design aesthetics of the new machine are so popular that sales of the new machine have soared; the first production run of 20,000 units sold out quickly, and began shipping on June 24, 2011. , no further sales figures have been released by the company.
Controversy
Commodore USA has been criticised for altering previously announced plans, threatening legal action against an OS News writer's article, and mistakenly attempting to obtain licensing from a Commodore licensee unauthorised to sublicense. Commodore USA has been alleged to have used various images, artwork, and designs without the permission of the original authors, though it has been confirmed that in some examples this has been due to image authors leaving the Amiga user community without leaving contact details regarding their artwork. Further controversy surrounding company's image use policy has revolved around alleged photographs of the C64x assembly line in China, revealed to have been old promotional images for a facility in AugsburgAugsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
owned by Fujitsu
Fujitsu
is a Japanese multinational information technology equipment and services company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is the world's third-largest IT services provider measured by revenues....
.
Some of Commodore USA's announced products have become vaporware
Vaporware
Vaporware is a term in the computer industry that describes a product, typically computer hardware or software, that is announced to the general public but is never actually released nor officially canceled. Vaporware is also a term sometimes used to describe events that are announced or predicted,...
since their announcement. Some of these examples have been cancelled due to intellectual property disagreements, most notably concerning the rights of licensor Amiga Inc. with regards to the possible use of AROS
Aros
Aros may refer to:*Aros , a river in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium*AROS Research Operating System, a free software implementation of AmigaOS* Aros, the original Viking name of Aarhus, the second largest city in Denmark...
in future Amiga systems from Commodore USA. Others have simply been cancelled as the business plan evolves away from their sector of the market.
Commodore USA has also received criticism from various retro computing groups who do not recognise any uniqueness to their products. Some criticism is due to the company's use of generic PC components, a choice some retro fans see as incompatible with the original products' heritage of custom chipsets. Commodore USA has responded to this position by pointing out the high cost of researching and developing original chipsets, and the relative expense and lack of mass-market software support for other CPU ISAs such as Power Architecture
Power Architecture
Power Architecture is a broad term to describe similar RISC instruction sets for microprocessors developed and manufactured by such companies as IBM, Freescale, AMCC, Tundra and P.A. Semi...
or Motorola 68000 family.
Commodore USA has attempted to address these differentiation related concerns by announcing Commodore OS, intended to be developed to support and be released with Commodore USA systems. Their Amiga product line is not compatible with original Commodore Amiga systems including the operating system, AmigaOS
AmigaOS
AmigaOS is the default native operating system of the Amiga personal computer. It was developed first by Commodore International, and initially introduced in 1985 with the Amiga 1000...
which is in fact developed by a separate company. Commodore USA originally claimed the intention of developing AROS to be bundled with their Amiga systems, however this plan was later publicly discarded by CEO Barry Altman.