CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers

[vox]

Read through most of it and found it to be quite enlightening.  I don't think I'd be getting one any time soon, but I now at least understand where CommodoreUSA is coming from, their mind set and what they are trying to achieve.

Most of what was already known to the public. Beside known mindset and strategy that is just clearer now, insulting thing to me is "observation that Amiga is neither software or hardware, but (barry`s) project and vision" and thus that "CUSA is taking Amiga forward". Amiga is Classic machines and machines that can run AmigaOS natively, just like for example its such case with Mac. Target CPU and arhitecture can change (like x86 with AROS, or PPC with MOS/OS4) but that is the feeling and spirit. Even if its obsolete in modern terms, there would be a real project and real vision to bring it further, instead of just dismissing it.

OK, the right of CUSA is to have such nonsense as CommodoreOS as OS for Amigas, labels "All Commodore and Amigas are Windows compatibile" and other things that confuse past and their present en devour, but maybe it is the only way for mainstream profit and licence pay-off.

In that task, they should be less high profit to remain on x86 market, more presenting themselves as CUSA and not CBM, and much more professional, not the 11:59 bulk PR company, as once again demonstrated.

Q&A session has revealed no new plan, no new strategy or product as they announced just more ... not 30 mill $ advertising.

[Lurch]

Tried reading it, kind of over it. Have gone back to enjoying my Amiga as a hobby, gave up a long time ago that I'd yet again in my life time see an Amiga at the local store.

Have tried a AmigaNG product but under the hood something kept nagging me :-(

Anyway I have my Amiga 500 and my WinUAE box (and some competition pro's and hopefully soon some reflex joysticks) to keep me happy.

@Duce change PDF reader? :-)

[OlafS3]

I have shortly read the paragraphs regarding the existing community and it is clear that they have not invested anything and will not ("waste of money"). Aros would be the only interesting for them (X86) but they are not allowed to do (AmigaInc/Hyperion) and because of that they will never invest just one cent in it. All 68k projects are interesting but they will not invest, PPC is not interesting and they would never invest in a port of AOS or MorphOS and besides they want to control the OS. Therefore all closed source OSs are not interesting. So we know what we all can expect of them. Nothing. What I do not understand why they keep on trying to get on amigasites in the news if they are not interested in the community.

[takemehomegrandma]

I have shortly read the paragraphs regarding the existing community and it is clear that they have not invested anything and will not ("waste of money"). Aros would be the only interesting for them (X86) but they are not allowed to do (AmigaInc/Hyperion) and because of that they will never invest just one cent in it. All 68k projects are interesting but they will not invest, PPC is not interesting and they would never invest in a port of AOS or MorphOS and besides they want to control the OS. Therefore all closed source OSs are not interesting. So we know what we all can expect of them. Nothing.

And all of it makes perfect sense!

What I do not understand why they keep on trying to get on amigasites in the news if they are not interested in the community.

Are they really? Or is it that *other* people (the handful but very active and vocal "CUSA Haters") are constantly opening these kind of threads? I think it is!

Besides, I actually think that some people here might be interested in what they have to offer. It's a fact that to some people here, the Amiga(tm) trade mark is far more important than merits/spec/qualities/etc of the product it's trying to sell, the biggest selling point of them all! Which is crazy... :crazy:

[swoslover]

I have shortly read the paragraphs regarding the existing community and it is clear that they have not invested anything and will not ("waste of money"). Aros would be the only interesting for them (X86) but they are not allowed to do (AmigaInc/Hyperion) and because of that they will never invest just one cent in it. All 68k projects are interesting but they will not invest, PPC is not interesting and they would never invest in a port of AOS or MorphOS and besides they want to control the OS. Therefore all closed source OSs are not interesting. So we know what we all can expect of them. Nothing. What I do not understand why they keep on trying to get on amigasites in the news if they are not interested in the community.

I don't know why you would expect a business to invest in something when they can't expect to get anything in return for it.

You expect him to be altruistic in his attitude towars the community?  Get real he wants to make money.  

These OS's should be looking to fund themselves rather than begging for handouts.

One thing I do agree with him saying "there are better causes out there".

[spirantho]

My overriding impression on what he's saying is this:

1) C64s and Amigas rocked in the 1980s.
2) We want the name to once again be seen to represent creativity and power.

However, what I never saw in any of that was:

"We still like to use Amigas".

Leo was mentioned as having a couple of Classics for gaming, but that doesn't constitute anything to do with why some of love our Amigas, which is: the OS, be it AOS 3, AOS 4, MOS or AROS.

In other words, all they're interested in is the name. Whether that's to genuinely make the Amiga famous or to line Barry's pockets is down to the eye of the beholder, I suspect.

I think that's the fundamental difference between Amiga users and C=USA users - Amiga users have chosen Amiga-like OSes because they don't want to use Linux or Windows. C=USA users can't see the difference between Linux/Windows and AmigaOS except that Linux/Windows has more features and more software and therefore is "better". And that is why I - as an Amiga user - will never be interested in anything C=USA has to offer as our goals are just too different. Amiga is many things, but it was never just about the name until C=USA came along.

Edit:

Besides, I actually think that some people here might be interested in what they have to offer. It's a fact that to some people here, the Amiga(tm) trade mark is far more important than merits/spec/qualities/etc of the product it's trying to sell, the biggest selling point of them all! Which is crazy...

And that - unfortunately - is basically hitting the nail on the head.

[A1260]

It starts off talking about how he bought more 64s than anyone else, and then quickly descends into marketing speak about how great it is that Commodore and Amiga brands are reunited.
I just read 32 pages of marketing and don't know anything I didn't already.

Nothing to see here, move along please....

p.s. have the servers gone down yet?

dilbert got it right then....


barry thinks brand loyalty is the going to happen, so he can cash in easy money with stickers and x86 machines... as dilbert said.... hahahaha, good one.

[OlafS3]

I am not your opinion. By donating money f.e. for bounties they would have shown their good will and the interest in the community. By not doing so they show that the community is not interesting for them (except that they want find "crazies" that buy their products just because of brand names)

[OlafS3]

"One thing I do agree with him saying "there are better causes out there"."

ok, but why call it "Amiga" then? And when you talk about it, I have a used notebook at home with Kubuntu for 110 EUR, why spending so much money for his overprized hardware?

[takemehomegrandma]

However, what I never saw in any of that was:

"We still like to use Amigas".

What he *did* say, was more in the lines of "We would like to use real, useful for real in 2012 computers, not museum hardware running an OS that completely lacks the following which we are considering as basic features"

...which would be:

"1. The ability to utilze the latest hardware
2. An advanced graphical API
3. SMP
4. An advanced software stack
5. Mature software development options"

He also said: "We have gone to the trouble of creating our own custom branded
Commodore operating system based on GNU/Linux, which does
everything an Amiga-like OS can [except screen dragging perhaps:lol:] and more,
without any of the various [like lack of SMP, MP, modern CPU, RAM limit, etc?]
hindrances people seem to argue about ad infinitum."

And also:

"Sure, the AMIGA mini does not resemble a classic AMIGA but I felt it
was something that Commodore would have produced had it continued
to this day. Some of our new Amiga models will bear a closer
resemblance to the classics but are not intended as replicas. We intend
to do what we feel Commodore would have done if it had continued to
this day."

This last paragraph sums up their ambitions pretty good, I think. And why not? There is nothing wrong with that. Nobody is taking away your classic A1200, or your OS4 box. And we can only speculate how the Amiga would have evolved, had Commodore been alive all this time. I think Barry might be quite right actually. Apple has made at least one similar jump before, and today's Windows are not in any way similar to Windows 3.11 either...

If you don't like it, don't buy it. But nevertheless -- It's teh reeel!!11!!1!

Commodore Amiga (TM)

[vox]

This last paragraph sums up their ambitions pretty good, I think. And why not? There is nothing wrong with that. Nobody is taking away your classic A1200, or your OS4 box. And we can only speculate how the Amiga would have evolved, had Commodore been alive all this time. I think Barry might be quite right actually. Apple has made at least one similar jump before, and today's Windows are not in any way similar to Windows 3.11 either...

We can all speculate what would be if CBM survived, but same can do Barry and this does not make his choices "right". Point is he is merely an OEM rebrander (or not OEM, a name rebrander) and his choice of "advanced OS" is nothing he has developed.

In other terms he is not selling anything new but the "look" (C64x) and now, not even that, but just the name for huge price difference which makes CUSA irrelevant offer in x86 world (=overpriced even more then Apple that at least offers designed hardware and their own OS). Windows today is much built on previous ones which is clearly visible in many stupid limitations like A-Z drives and 3 letter filetype recognition on extension (which is a DOS feature) even it is rewritten NT kernel and much improved. Way forward is always built on older experience, elements and knowledge.

No one is taking away Classics and OS4 machines EXCEPT CUSA is pretending there is no Amiga history after 1993, and that there is no AmigaOS being developed in their promo. If they are not to develop something that might reach needed minimum (as now is closer to it then ever) to be viewed as usable OS, at least they shouldn`t lie about it - missrepresenting CBM history as their own.

Also they are trying to stick Amiga name exclusively to themselves, negating and in those terms competing to current AROS, Natami, OS4 and  MorphOS

They should have CommodoreUSA Amiga 2012, but using same names as previous models is an insult to Classics, and even their current use.

In other words, generally its just retro exploit, and unless supporting AmigaOS like development it shouldn`t be viewed as development of Amiga. It`s just same as name licenced for dildos, drinks or any other non related product (like it was case with iCoin licence).

Problem is that it tries to cash Amiga survival on no innovation and no real advancement, no matter how much Barry tries to indicate his choices were "advanced and innovative"

Good news is that licence seems to have a timely manner until 2019, so we shall witness either "rise or fall" of "Commodore" again.

P.S.
Nothing against Linux: Linux could be used on much less "advanced hardware" competing for low price and quite usable computer. And I would be glad if they really helped development of MINT and AROS (as promised).

It exploits Linux, Amiga name and has many wrong small steps. There is no real need to have CUSA advertised at any Amiga website, unless paid promo and labeled so. Since they are business, we shouldn`t be "charity" either.

[spirantho]

What he *did* say, was more in the lines of "We would like to use real, useful for real in 2012 computers, not museum hardware running an OS that completely lacks the following which we are considering as basic features"

...which would be:

"1. The ability to utilze the latest hardware
2. An advanced graphical API
3. SMP
4. An advanced software stack
5. Mature software development options"

All of which is great for a mainstream OS, but for a hobby OS there's one really important question to answer:

Do I enjoy using it?

If I don't enjoy using an OS then it doesn't matter how many bells and whistles it has it will never be my hobby, and that's what Amigas are to me.

[OlafS3]

they want to compete on the mass market with their "Commodore Amigas" and in this case it is relevant. But it has really nothing to do with the past and the existing community. Amiga was a innovative combination of OS and hardware that was clearly differentiating from the other platforms. That is not the case with their products, even if they lower their prices.

[tone007]

What he *did* say, was more in the lines of "We would like to use real, useful for real in 2012 computers

I like using real, useful, modern computers as well, and I also like purchasing them from companies who can support the product they sell and also provide competitive pricing.  If anything, CUSA should be selling their hackjob machines for less than "real" vendors are selling theirs for. What, no profit there? Now you're getting it. Move on to luxury plumbing fixtures.

[_ThEcRoW]

2012 and the same people who stated they are interesting in cusa products or threads, keep posting on them.
It's the same explanations again again and again. Could some of the mods lock the thread please?

[danwood]

"This was not a paid advertising program; You can’t buy this
exposure from Disney, it as to be offered; it’s not for sale.
Disney, at their sole expense, printed millions of full color dvd
insert panels, which were included on the front of every TRON
dvd worldwide!"

Hmmn it wasn't in mine...  (UK)

http://i.imgur.com/XZaaz.jpg