Q&A: PC pioneer Chowaniec looks back at the Amiga

[Argo]

Adam Chowaniec talks about the innovative early PC, the rut the industry is in and his biggest pet peeve

December 12, 2007 (Computerworld) -- Long before geeks were cool -- and rich -- a group of engineers and computer scientists had to build the first machines that would ignite the PC revolution and ultimately change the way people communicate, play and do business.    
Adam Chowaniec, who is now chairman of supercomputer maker Liquid Computing Corp., was one of those computer industry pioneers. Chowaniec joined Commodore Computer just a year after the popular Commodore 64 was launched 25 years ago this week. His task was to build the successor to the C64, then the most popular machine on the market with more than 20 million units sold. Chowaniec, as vice president of technology at Commodore, was responsible for creating the Amiga PC.

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[joetee]

"Adam Chowaniec talks about..."

"...His task was to build the successor to the C64, then the most popular machine on the market with more than 20 million units sold."

All truth about the C-64 (+DTV64) numbers, but I question this claim of an Amiga "task".

"Chowaniec, as vice president of technology at Commodore, was responsible for creating the Amiga PC."

I'd like to remain professional here, but balance it with being the first one to call "TOTAL {bleep}" on his claim!
As-if HE was responsible!!!
  Please correct me if I'm wrong because experts I know dont agree at all (I was never employed at CBM). Prove me wrong AdamC and I will respect you like I do the actual folks responsible for Amigas success once bought by Commodore: The CBM+Amiga gurus*.
Every time I am wrong and my memory is corrected I grow smarter - _relish_ it!

JoeT

*Andy Finkle, Bill Herd, Dave Haynie, etc...

[Trev]

I've never heard of Adam Chowaniec. Guess I'm not cool enough.

[HopperJF]

From the comments:

"Chowaniec is an impostor.
Submitted by CapnZilog on December 18, 2007 - 01:44.
reply | report this comment
Rated: 2

Chowaniec is an impostor. Jay Miner, former Atari 800 designed who died in 1994, is the father Amiga, and the founder of Amiga, Inc (a story which is will documented on the Web.) I was one of the original software developers for the Amiga back 1985, and can personally say that despite having met nearly everyone of import who worked on the hardware and design both, I had never heard of Adam Chowaniec before he gave his presentation on 12/10/07 at the Computer History Museum. WTF!"

 :madashell:  :madashell:  :madashell:

[Floid]

Create = "Productize."

...Aren't you glad they spared you from an article containing the word 'productize?'

[RobertB]

Joe wrote:

> ...with being the first one to call "TOTAL {bleep}" on his claim!

Joe, if you notice, it was the reporter who wrote that intro, and it was not a direct quote from Adam.  Reporters frequently get things wrong.  I've dealt with them before.  In fact, reporters were getting things wrong when they interviewed Bil Herd in front of my eyes at the Dec. 10 Computer History Museum event.  He had to gently correct them (I wonder if they still understood).

> *Andy Finkle, Bill Herd, Dave Haynie, etc...

Bil Herd was there, but Dave Haynie couldn't make it.  However, Dale Luck got along famously with Adam (I have it on videotape), Dale remarking that Adam was his boss.

For a few pics of the CHM guests and engineers, go to

http://www.dickestel.com/comm25ann.htm

I was half-expecting you to be at the event, Joe.

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
The Other Group of Amigoids
http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/

[Plaz]

vice president of technology at Commodore

I think this line is the real clue. He was probably a business and/or project manager, not necessarily an engineer. It's not uncommon at our place to hear a project manager get kudos for delivering a project/product. But we all know there's a significant team of people making that project happen. The good managers make sure to spread those kudos around.

This article reads like the reporter was making some broad statements because they didn't know any better and Adam simply didn't object.

BTW JoeTee... wow actually another user posting from metro Atlanta?

Plaz