Commodore's decision to try to compete in the IBM clone market, with it's ever shrinking profit margins was part of their downfall. They could not compete with the razor thin profit margins that also almost killed the likes of Dell and Gateway (named Gateway2000 at the time), plus dozens of other IBM clone manufacturers, or assemblers who were trying to cash in on the rapidly increasing computer sales market during the early 90's.
IIRC, Commodore had already lost too much money before they shut down the PC division. Shutting that division down was a last ditch attempt to save themselves from going bankrupt, but it was already too late, and only delayed the inevitable. Most game developers had already abandoned the Amiga market for PC clones & consoles by 1993. Also, since the Amiga had been neglected by Commodore, who spent their money trying to get established in the IBM clone market, instead of spending the needed money on R&D to keep the Amiga ahead of PC clones and the Mac, every new release of AmigaOS was a disappointment to existing Amiga owners. Everything after the original Amiga, later called the A1000, was too little too late.
Dell was on a rocket through the 90s. They were no where near death. Gateway maybe but not until the 00s.
Agree on the CBM Clone distraction.
