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Offline BigBenAussieTopic starter

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New Commodore Invictus from Commodore USA
« on: May 28, 2010, 10:56:03 AM »


Now that's more like it!!!!!!

I don't have specs for you yet.
(watch this space)
Commodore USA

But it is probably the same specs as what it looks like. :-D

I can confirm that it is ATOM/nvidia based
INVICTUS is the latin word for "Invincible".
It comes in silver too. It also has a stylus.
I do not know if it features wireless wiBand HDMI. I'll see if I can find out. EDIT: It has it.
edit: It has the Nvidia ION chipset, which is a newer higher performance graphics chip set.
edit: It will have 5-5.5 hour battery life. The LCD screen does remain ON when external video is running.
« Last Edit: May 28, 2010, 08:33:47 PM by BigBenAussie »
 

Offline BigBenAussieTopic starter

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Re: New Commodore Invictus from Commodore USA
« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2010, 11:28:51 AM »
I find your lack of faith disturbing. :-D
 

Offline BigBenAussieTopic starter

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Re: New Commodore Invictus from Commodore USA
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2010, 11:51:05 AM »
Quote from: skurk;561586
The Commodore sticker aside, does this PC at least come with some sort of special software that makes it more Commodore-ish than, say, any other x86 PC?

Sorry for sounding negative, but please help me understand this - I don't really see what the fuzz is all about.  It's just another PC running Windows.


It is likely to come with AROS as a standard boot option.
I don't know yet, if there will be C64 or Amiga emulation options.
I hope to see some.

Note, that the official launch has not taken place.
The best is yet to come.
 

Offline BigBenAussieTopic starter

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Re: New Commodore Invictus from Commodore USA
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2010, 01:22:52 PM »
You do realise that those Nanovision MIMO 7″ USB Touch-screen Monitors you linked to are the exact same resolution as the actual touchscreen on the keyboard?
 

Offline BigBenAussieTopic starter

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Re: New Commodore Invictus from Commodore USA
« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2010, 02:57:25 PM »
@persia

I've been in contact with Commodore's owner Barry Altman. He just got back from China and is jet-lagged.
Over the last month or so we've been discussing AROS as a standard boot option.
I shot him an e-mail just before and I am surprised I already got a reply.

I can confirm that the Invictus WILL HAVE wireless HDMI. VERY COOL!!

The specs are actually higher than the ASUS eee PC, which apparently has difficulty even running Xp.

He says the Commodore trademark deal is a mere couple of weeks away. Only got to decide on various options. Not a matter of IF but WHEN now.

I have been given permission to quote this part of his e-mail.
Quote
Things are progressing at a rapid rate, and the Commodore line will launch shortly, with all the new products, including the Atom/Nvidea based INVICTUS, and many more surprises to follow.

Over the last couple of weeks he has shared with me the immense amount of work that goes into getting all this stuff done. Its much more than what you think. There's also a lot more going on that I can't divulge. The best is yet to come.
 

Offline BigBenAussieTopic starter

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Re: New Commodore Invictus from Commodore USA
« Reply #5 on: May 28, 2010, 03:11:05 PM »
Quote from: haywirepc;561602
I was kind of wondering how long it would take this idiot to rebrand this computer, since he's already got the cybernet and another all in one keyboard on his site.
With all due respect Steve.... Everything you've said in this post is complete and utter rubbish.
Quote
I love the hypeup and make believe nonsense on the website. I wonder how long it will be until commodore international or whoever owns the trademark sues him and shuts him down.
Hype up? Hype up? On their own website....Heaven forbid, they would try to sell a product.
Edit: Forgot to comment on trademark.
The owner says the Commodore trademark deal is a mere couple of weeks away. Only got to decide on various options. Not a matter of IF but WHEN now.

Quote
Why buy this thing from this joker? Just to get a commodore sticker you stick on yourself? Your kidding right?
Congratulations! You are runner up troll of the year.
The logo is already affixed to the machine as you would expect of classic Commodore machines.
Some of the pre-orders went out without them, that is all.
I don't know why you are getting you knickers in a knot over this.
Why is this making you so angry that you need to lash out and call people idiots?

I mean what did you expect a Commodore company to do? This is the first bunch of products. If you don't like any of the first generation of products, then don't buy one. Others will, and then you will see some unique product development more to your tastes. It might not be exactly what YOU want now, but the product line will evolve.
Is it too much to ask for a fair go? Maybe that's very Australian of me. ;-)
« Last Edit: May 28, 2010, 03:13:15 PM by BigBenAussie »
 

Offline BigBenAussieTopic starter

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Re: New Commodore Invictus from Commodore USA
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2010, 03:35:23 PM »
Quote from: tone007;561625
Someone else's products!  Unless he's selling at the same cost or less than the original vendor, it's a very silly idea to pay a higher price for a Commodore sticker.

You really make me laugh. I suggest you remove all brand products from your possession.
You'd probably end up naked. You pay more for a brand product. Get over it.
Hell, why don't you go wear that line out on the AmigaOne fans.
At least it's not CommodoreOne. Sheesh.
At least they can get the proper name of the brand.
Quote from: tone007;561625

Throwing a free OS onto a machine doesn't make the product original.

Why do you want to pay for Windows for? Losing Windows is a good thing.
It comes with Ubuntu now.... Yeah, it's been done before... sure... but it's hardly a wide spread practice. Isn't that different enough for you.
Ok, with a bit of luck we'll get AROS on it, and maybe some emulation options. We'll see.
You can even install MacOSX on their Commodore Phoenix. Which I hope to demonstrate when mine finally arrives. Yeah, you can do that on MSI machines. But it is still different.
There is probably even going to be an OS called Comodo which is a vastly simpler OS for young children or seniors.
Hell... What has Commodore got to do?
Do you want ChomeOS? I mean really?
Do you want something like Bumptop?
What would you like to see on this machine?
Tell me and I'll see if I can make it happen.
The owner is open to all suggestions.
We, the Commodore fans, can make this what we want!
 

Offline BigBenAussieTopic starter

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Re: New Commodore Invictus from Commodore USA
« Reply #7 on: May 28, 2010, 03:45:17 PM »
Quote from: Amiga_Nut;561630
What makes this anything other than a limp wristed Atom based piece of crap inferior to a 2005 Pentium M laptop with the LCD screen/lid removed?

Will it even be able to play Battlefield 2 for PC from 2005 @ SXGA in medium detail? Nope.

So the answer is nothing ;)

I bought an Amiga and a C64 because they were cutting edge technology, this is basically only suitable for the facebook/MSN/Youtube etc. Give me a Dell D810 laptop with 2.1ghz Pentium M II and 128mb ATI x600 with the lid missing for 50 bucks any day. Such a 5 year old machine would annihilate this thing on any test you care to run.

However if your current doorstop is a bit worn out and you don't want the door handles damaging your newly plastered walls on windy days.................


1. The Invictus comes with the Nvidia ION chipset which it is said will revolutionise gaming on these small devices. With wireless HDMI, you won't even need to have it plugged into your HDMI TV.

"Will it even be able to play Battlefield 2 for PC from 2005 @ SXGA in medium detail? Nope."
2. I bet you it will. And on your couch in your living room. And who knows, you might even be able to put keyboard game shortcuts on the touch screen.

3. If you think these specs are too low for you.....There's always the Commodore Phoenix, with the highend version being a 3.4 Ghz Quad Core. If you wait until Christmas you might even see an i7 version. That's why there's a range of Commodore machines at different specifications and price points. Honestly. Next you'll begrudge a Toyota Corolla for not being an F1 car!
 

Offline BigBenAussieTopic starter

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Re: New Commodore Invictus from Commodore USA
« Reply #8 on: May 28, 2010, 03:53:13 PM »
Quote from: trilobyte;561633
Hey!  Re-branding OEM PCs worked really well for Commodore companies of the past...

http://www.amiga.org/gallery/index.php?n=2621

Erm!

Isn't it funny. A lot of you are lamenting the re-branding OEM PCs as very un-Commodore, and then you realise Commodore actually did that themselves.
This practice isn't what killed Commodore either.
In 2010, this really is however, the only option available.

Did you expect a new Commodore company to come up with a console that can compete with multi-billion dollar companies like Sony and MS? Commodore couldn't even do that with their 2 console efforts.
Did you expect a new Commodore company to come up with revolutionary graphics technology that can compete with multi-billion dollar companies like ATI and nVidia?
Yeah, AGA was great.

What you are seeing is surely what the Commodore of old would have done anyway. Computers are a commodity. Why would you begrudge someone for wanting something a little different, even if it is not rational choice in your eyes.
« Last Edit: May 28, 2010, 03:58:03 PM by BigBenAussie »
 

Offline BigBenAussieTopic starter

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Re: New Commodore Invictus from Commodore USA
« Reply #9 on: May 28, 2010, 04:21:57 PM »
Quote
To paraphrase a saying from when commodore still had (a tiny bit) of relevency, "It's the software, stupid!"
You may find that the new Commodore machines will actually pay homage to the Commodore software legacy some time soon. That's what I am involved in facilitating right now. Otherwise it will be like Elvis coming back from the dead and singing only Abba songs.
 

Offline BigBenAussieTopic starter

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Re: New Commodore Invictus from Commodore USA
« Reply #10 on: May 28, 2010, 04:36:45 PM »
@Tone007
Just because you don't get it doesn't mean other people wont.
Yes, people can find and purchase whatever obscure machines they want.
If they can find these machines elsewhere they should go for it.
If the brand means nothing to them, they can shop elsewhere too.
No-one is forcing anyone to buy anything. But for those that want one, here it is.

In terms of software there is the matter of convenience as well which you seem to neglect. This is pitched at a more mainstream audience that would prefer everything to work out of the box. You're a geek and discerning and you probably want to do everything yourself. Next, I'll probably hear you can put a machine together like this out of parts strewn about in your bedroom. Well others aren't interested in that. I dare say the majority of computer purchasers aren't interested in that either.
Why you feel the urge to stomp on this, when this represents the ONLY chance of a Commodore comeback. I really don't know. (sigh)
 

Offline BigBenAussieTopic starter

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Re: New Commodore Invictus from Commodore USA
« Reply #11 on: May 28, 2010, 05:11:07 PM »
Quote from: abbub;561656
No, I agree completely.  In fact, my problem with these latest 'products' isn't the internals, it's the externals and the software.  

Two brilliant case studies for what Commodore needs to do are already out in the market place and do quite well:  the 'New Beetle' and the 'new MINI'.  Both pay massive amounts of homage to the original, iconic product, while still managing to modernize the brand.

They need to limit themselves to one primary sku, and actually hire a designer to create a new case for it that looks cool, retro, and most importantly, like a Commodore.  Also, beige is the new black.  Embrace it.

I'd also hire some software engineers.  I think you could easily get away using linux or BSD as the base for the OS (Darwin?!), but you have to write a custom GUI for it that also manages to look modern yet retro.  You might even be able to get away with using a modified version of something like Haiku on it.  I definatly would NOT ship it with Windows.  Windows should be a boot camp sort of option.  It's going to be a niche market one way or the other to begin with, so why not embrace that?  From the software side, I'd be trying to move towards an Apple model.  

Built-in emulation would be a given, but also get some guys to re-write and modernize some classic games from the C64 and include them with the system.

Finally you need marketing, marketing, marketing, marketing.  Reaching out to a bunch of guys on an Amiga retro website is easy.  You need to convince the 30-40 year olds who played with commodores when they were kids that this is the machine that can take them back to a time when computers were for fun, not spreadsheets.

...oh, you also need to keep this less than $500 a unit. :)

There are a range of machines for different people. Cutting off at a particular price only has people saying "if only they". You can't please everyone with one product, you can't even do that with many products. You create a range and people buy according to what they're willing to spend and their sensibilities. Should Apple only have one product? What you are asking for would be suicidal.

You don't think these devices are a modern spin on the Computer in a keyboard concept so reminiscent of Comodore's computer heritage? Look at any review of these kinds of machines from other companies and you will more often than not see reference to Commodore. New designs costs a lot of money and there is no guarantee of success. There will be new designs. The Commodore Phoenix is an apt name as it will help Commodore rise from the ashes. It will lead to bigger and better things.

I pushed for Beige. Barry laughed at me. Oh well. People also want the machine to boot into the Blue/Cyan ready screen too. I have to think beige is a rather acquired taste these days. I don't think I've ever heard anyone ask for a beige Amiga either. I see people asking for black. The Phoenix I chose is silver and black, with black keys. Suits my monitor decor and desk. But hey, maybe that's just me.

Wait, so you're going to pick....Darwin, or Haiku, over AROS. How very un-Amigan of you.  :-D
I've already mentioned the desire to put AROS as a standard boot option. If you couple it with ROMS it could provide the ultimate Commodore retro experience. It is not about being Apple. You simply can't go and build something new that is as good as MacOSX anyway and it's suicide to try. AROS does not pretend to be the greatest system ever, but provide an Amiga-like experience that returning Commodore fans will likely enjoy AS A HOBBY. Ya know, do you remember when computers were fun? You can't expect Commodore to, all by themselves, come up with a revolutionary new operating system to compete with the likes of Apple no matter what short-cuts they take. People already lament that MacOSX is just another unix/linux. Could you imagine what Amigafiles would say?

I'll say it again. As the machines sell, and they will, there will be new designs that will likely be more to your tastes.

Windows is only an option right now. The machines currently ship with the latest Ubuntu as standard. There will hopefully be more options in time for the official launch in Q3. I may have mentioned that I will be attempting to quadruple boot, Win7, Ubuntu, MacOSX and AROS, when I get my Phoenix.

In our e-mails Commodore USA's owner has told me that there will be a significant amount spent on marketing. Much more than the last Commodore companies seemed to have spent. They came and died without me even knowing they were there. There are some interesting advertising ideas kicking about. I am confident you'll hear about Commodore in the mainstream soon enough. Hopefully it wont be cringe-worthy, but I'm sure there'll be haters. There are always haters.

What you are asking in terms of revamps of Commodore games is outside Commodore's area of interest. Isn't something like that more down Hyperion's alley? You should accost them. If you could run a multitude of classic games, hopefully, out of the box, that would be an achievement in itself. You've got to leave something for third parties to create.
« Last Edit: May 28, 2010, 05:16:37 PM by BigBenAussie »
 

Offline BigBenAussieTopic starter

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Re: New Commodore Invictus from Commodore USA
« Reply #12 on: May 28, 2010, 05:26:34 PM »
Quote from: Piru;561661
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/04/15/commodore_name_kerfuffle/

This is just lame. Avoid.

@BigBenAussie

You're being used. I'd seriously reconsider dealing with this Altman guy.


@Piru.
Thanks for your concern. However, you are rehashing old arguments that I know you and I have already discussed previously. In fact, up until recently there was a link to that article right from Commodore USA's website. He only removed it *today* to add the Commodore Invictus to the front page.  Ya see, he's got nothing to hide. The Inquirer like Engadget and most of the tech blogs are all about sarcasm, snide remarks and snickering, and this kind of storm in a teacup is expected. The trademark negotiations are going forward with the correct trademark owner as planned and will be wrapped in a couple of weeks.
 

Offline BigBenAussieTopic starter

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Re: New Commodore Invictus from Commodore USA
« Reply #13 on: May 28, 2010, 05:36:22 PM »
Quote from: Piru;561671
There nothing better than free marketing.

Speaking of which, have any of you seen any actual marketing efforts from Commodore USA, other than getting people post to blogs and forums about it?


I post here voluntarily as a Commodore fan. Some people might be interested. Perhaps I'll know better next time. Maybe I'll never learn. Oh well. Nothing lost, except time posting.

Commodore haven't officially launched yet, but there was no point in waiting until then, when some products are already in place. Advertising hasn't even started and there has already been significant response. The current site is merely for research purposes. You don't like this whole effort. Fine. You're all sounding like a bunch of George Lucas haters lamenting the new Starwars trilogy. Fine. It doesn't mean it wont be successful. I'm sorry you can't share in my excitement and hope for this new Commodore enterprise.
 

Offline BigBenAussieTopic starter

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Re: New Commodore Invictus from Commodore USA
« Reply #14 on: May 28, 2010, 06:02:06 PM »
Ok @abbub
How do you recreate a Commodore 64? I'm listening.

Not one of those lame Webit things with a c64 emulator and a browser I hope.
You want something that evokes the spirit of the C64...then how?
How can you do it differently to what everyone else is doing.
You want Commodore to go into the OS business. The perfect OS... where is it then?
Hell, if Hyperion had an x86 version of AmigaOS, you don't think Commodore wouldn't come calling?

You want what people will regard as "just another unix", with a bit of retro eye-candy on top. But how is that different? You could make yet another Linux distro. But so what. At least AROS has retro going for it and being a clone of Commodore's AmigaOS is something at least. It lacks things but is developing quickly and modern enough to be used today. It's simple and lightening quick, and I thought that was what we all loved about AmigaOS.