Commodore really screwed the pooch here. This was, finally, their "killer app", one that compels people, often irrationally, to buy it and buy whatever computer is needed to run it. Like so many other "killer apps" you have a lot of purchases being made by people who have no real use for it, who won't really use it much at all much less to its fullest, but this is ultimately the goal and a practically necessary component for the economic health of media-based developers.
Problem is, this 'killer app' was 1) too expnsive for casual users and 2) too niche to effect sales enough.
As good as Video Toaster was, it was still a product for more serious Video professionals and smaller TV stations. This limited its customer base. If you look at other killer apps, like Visicalc, that was a piece of software that was within the budget of a lot more people and usefull to a wider range of customers.
There is no way Commodore could survive on Toaster sales alone, evidenced by them not. You also had Prevue channel using Amigas in cable systems to provide the channel guide and that didn't keep them from folding. Toaster, Lightwave and Prevue were there to the end of Commodore. Prevue being a big reason certain used Amigas were still well priced after Commodore went under since they were buying up many of them and Toaster being a big reason box Amigas remined valuable.
Commodore did not need a $4000 ($2,400 for the toaster, $1,500 for the 2000) killer app. I venture Newtek was probably making more money on every Toaster/Amiga setup that was sold than Commodore was. They needed a few hundred dollar killer app and to actually let people know about it and why they needed it and why they need an Amiga to run it for them. How it would help their daily lives, improve something they do all the time. That is what killer apps do.
