CommodoreUSA Partners with Disney

[commodorejohn]

@Commodorejohn,

You know I wish I could live in the past like some of you. The fact of the matter is even my arch rival Apple saw the light and moved over to the X86 type CPU's they saw that the 68000 series and even the PPC chips where going obsolete.

First off, the 68000 series isn't even out of production. The commercially-available ColdFire chips may not be compatible enough for our purposes, but they do exist, and NatAmi has a much more compatible reproduction in the works that will still run faster than even the 68060.

And there's no way in hell it's obsolete, unless your definition of "obsolete" is "does not have a physical implementation that's fast enough to meet my needs at the moment." The 68k architecture is still a solid design that was far enough ahead when it was introduced 30 years ago that it didn't have to be brought up to modern standards via a series of increasingly massive kludges until they finally said "screw it" and moved it to to hardware emulation on a faster micro-architecture (*cough*x86*cough*)

The only difference is -- they had the money and the talent to rewrite their OS for the new Apples, they had their own money and people that could do a restart and make it work.

And it's hilarious that you'd even be making this comparison, when CUSA are going with bog-standard Linux on the C64x and have talked about maybe, possibly doing a vaguely-defined new OS for a later project.

What does Amiga have, a bunch of darn whiners that whine about everything, they aren't putting any money up, they aren't risking their bankroll but they are complaining about a second chance.

News flash: some of us don't have that kind of money. Believe me, if I suddenly won the lottery, funding a project like NatAmi would be #2 on my priority list, right after "pay off my college loans."

Well guess what they can't -- comparing the graphics and sound of Far Cry would be like trying to run a game for the Amiga on the Vic 20. It just isn't possible. That's right CJ we are talking games here, you know the things that made Amiga tick. You want to talk Amiga's Cliche -- video processing, guess what it doesn't lead the field anymore, MAC has taken over, and PC is right on its heals. Don't even try to talk business programs or multi tasking, the PC will wipe the Amiga slick today.

For your consideration: I am perfectly at peace with the fact that PCs and Macs (and newer ARM machines, for that matter) thoroughly outstrip even an accelerated 68k Amiga at any given task. But you know what? I don't value the Amiga because it can run the best games, or do the best video processing, or anything else. I value it because of what it is: a fascinating design in both software and hardware that is so beautifully documented that anyone can understand it. That is worth preserving, not abandoning just because it's not shiny enough.

What would you do if you had the money and the power to start a computer company?

I would fund the development of the NatAmi, or something like it, so that it could reach its full potential, with optimized hardware from the best fabs.

What new innovations would you bring out?

The fastest 68k Amiga to date.

What would your computer do that stood out from all the rest?

Who gives a shit? If it's a great machine, it's a great machine, and the hell with what the competition thinks.

Personally I'd rather the Amiga brand was laid to rest than whored out on cheap knock-off tat like supermarket TVs and sub $100 buggy android tablets, what a sad and undignified end to one of the industries most pioneering technology brands of the 80s/90s. Sticking the name Amiga on a kettle or crap TV is not doing "more for the Amiga", it's making what was once a legendary name into a laughing stock.

This. THIS.

Pay close attention, this is DISNEY, they don't do it that way. Why don't you call and ask Disney yourself if you can advertise your product and see what they say?

Look, I don't care whether you have to say "pretty please" and do a little dance or not, money changed hands and CUSA got advertising space. Everything else is just bureacratic twiddling.

[commodorejohn]

That is because you don't want to really know the difference.  First lets look at co-branding:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Co-branding

Second, Disney does not sell advertising space.

So they put a fancy name on it, what does that change? Even assuming you'd really count this as co-branding (because seriously, would Disney really be hoping to promote Tron: Legacy off the sales of a PC clone in a C64 case?) all that means is that maybe they exchanged something other than pure dollars for advertising space. Big whoop.

Third, it's a huge accomplishment to be partnering with Disney, they do a complete background check on the company before they sign any agreement. You can belittle it all you want, it is what it is and there is nothing you can say to change it.

So, what, Disney is the Amiga community's matchmaker now? What would a "background check" entail other than making sure that they're producing and shipping an actual product (which, by this point, is no longer in question?) If they're satisfied CUSA isn't a scam, good for Disney, but no amount of "co-branding" is going to make this not a PC clone in a fancy case running Linux.

[commodorejohn]

It seems that some people are already getting their Tron DVDs. Numbers are climbing fast.

So? Whether 2,000 people are interested in this or 20,000,000, it doesn't make it anything other than what it is: a low-end PC in a fancy case trying to make a fast buck off nostalgia from people who don't understand that the C64 was more than just an amusingly-shaped box.

The Amiga was a platform, not just a brand of IBM PC compatibles. If there's no money/time to run the Amiga platform or a development of it on this machine, then you're not going to be taken for anything more than bastardizing the name for a quick buck, that's why Amiga fans take offence.

This.

I feel your pain; I really do. I can just imagine how you would feel if a REAL tragedy befell you. I can think of many: the death of a loved one, financial ruin, illness, too many to innumerate, and none which I would wish on my worst enemy. But what you are really describing is analogous to loosing your first love, and I am not referring to your old computer toys. Most of us have experienced the inevitable breakup of our first girlfriend or boyfriend. It was horrible...really horrible. You could never imagine yourself happy again. But guess what..time heals those wounds, and most of us move on, still remembering those moments, but still able to love again..and love another. As much, but not the same, of course. I'm married to a shrink....and it gives me the advantage to see what maybe some of you are afraid to face. For those of you who feel so overwhelmed by all of this, talk to someone, and maybe get a handle on the problem. You may not see it, but this extreme over reacting is really not healthy, and is indicative of a somewhat aberrant behavioral problem. Send me a signed note from your therapist, and receive a free T-shirt.

And this smarmy jackoff behavior is exactly why there is so much vitriol going around Aorg in recent months. It's not enough to support CUSA, no, you have to condescend to the people who don't like it as though you're the Enlightened Chosen and the rest of us are poor backwards troglodytes who need to be "fixed" until we see the Light. Piss off.

[commodorejohn]

"I'm guessing this is for enthusiasts only.

Its pretty much just a C-64 shell and keyboard with its innard's ripped out and replace by crappy Atom netbook components with a custom bootmenu and the option of running a C-64 emulator.

Not at all appealing. I'd be more interested in a revived Commodore Company with a brand new Amiga and modern Commodore OS. No one wants to take on Microsoft and Apple though I imagine..."

Hey, look at that! Somebody's been using their brain...

There's positive and there' negative comments... one thing to keep in mind,  most Engadget readers are probably too young to have used C64s or Amigas. The true success of the Tron marketing is best seen on the Facebook page.

No. The true success of the Tron marketing will be best seen in the stores. It's braindead simple to claim you like something on Facebook; it's another matter to put your money towards it.

[commodorejohn]

So are you finished now?

Are the CUSA zealots?

[commodorejohn]

The Amiga was probably one of the greatest computers ever made, and I have to say the C64 was pretty neat to, but that was years ago, I am looking for something more up to date that can run the newer games, and at least print out a page of text on me modern day printer. I want a computer that can do something with modern day programming and monitors, without having to spend megabucks.

You have one. It's called "any x86 PC manufactured within the last three years." The problem is that some people want to redefine "C64" and "Amiga" to mean an x86 PC, instead of the specific platforms they actually signify, so that they can make a quick buck off nostalgia from people who don't know better or don't value the names as signifiers of something other than "that computer I used to have."