OK folks, here it is:
I spent a little less than an hour talking to Barry Altman today. As we already know, Commodore USA, LLC is a legitimate Florida corporation.
They do have one product to sell currently named "Phoenix" which he admits is basically the same as a similar computer sold by Cybernet.
Yes, he does own a company that imports and distributes bathroom vanities. But he isn't trying to hide this, any other facts relevant to himself or Commodore USA from anyone. In fact he's encouraged anyone interested in a civil conversation to contact him and he's more than willing to provide answers to any questions you have. In his words "I don't lie, I don't bullsh*t".
He also admits that the website, in his own words, is "fu*king awful" and is currently considering ways to improve it. He claims that he used of images he didn't create, after searches to find the content owner were friutless, and that he would still like to contact the images' creator.
He does seem serious about the PC64 (which is just in the beginning of its design) and an X86 Amiga (for which rights have just been secured), but he's a little disturbed by some of the negative posts he's read.
With a background in business, I can understand part of his confusion. Some of you responding are just thrilled to see these names back in production again. Others have a lot of bagage due to past unfullfilled promises and the understandable concern that this might just be a con (like so many other announcements in the past). Some of the comments from this side have been pretty extreme.
Well, it doesn't appear to be a con. And when you think about it he has a point, how (considering the small size of our market) would he profit from that? No, Altman appears to just be a savvy businessman who recognizes that the Commodore name still has brand recognition.
I can't fault his logic on the decision to license the Commodore name. As to Amiga, well if Bill McEwen still has the right to sell the name, then this was probably inevitable. Frankly, I wish Hyperion and A-eon luck, but their market is focused on us (the hobbyists). Currently a PPC based AOS powered system isn't a product for the average consumer. Altman isn't pushing any alternative system. He stated that he uses Linux, but was concerned about AROS' viability as a product for the consumer market. Further he stated the Commodore USA products would also support Windows (and that OSX might even be a possibility - for the consumer, I don't think he wants to worry about issues revolving around installing that).
I have about three pages of notes. This covers some major points, not all of them though. If you've got any specific points, I can try to address them OR you can take them directly to Barry.
Hey, I'm not concerned with the label on my PC, but some of you might be. Any of you AROS users that may want a sense of validation, you may be able to run your OS on a Commodore branded Amiga PC soon. And C64 fans, your going to get one serious unusual Christmas gift - a PC in a C64 shell. That'll confuse your family, friends and associates.
I'm sure there's more to come on this. So, as Redrumloa has pointed out, we need to remain calm, polite, and have some perspective. These announcements aren't the end of the world. AROS may now have something/someone in their corner that strengthens their position (whoever is in charge - you ought to contact Altman). The rest of us, were hardly going to be damaged by someone who can afford to pick these brands a run with them.
