Jack Tramiel dies at age 83

[CSixx]

May he rest in peace...

[TheBilgeRat]

Apple IIc's in my grade school - but my dad thought computers were a fad and I never got one of my own until my A1200 in college.

[Dragster]

I would like to add my 2cents to all of this too:

Commodore will always be apart of me for both the Commodore64/128 and the Amiga line.  Commodore and Jack made it possible for a whole generation to own a computer and that was a jumping off point for so many careers, innovations, and personal lives.  I am happy to say that I was in that group.

My experience with a Commodore 64 in 1983 (for Christmas) was the most life-changing product I've ever owned.  Jack's passing is another mark in my history of getting older and watching those that have come before me pass into history.  

I think Jack touched many people's lives and whether he was as ruthless as the stories paint him I do not know.  I am just glad for the good that he has done and wish him well in the next life.


Thank you Jack.

RIP

-P

I couldn't be more agree with you, I feel exactly the same way. The Commodore 64, my first computer, changed my life forever.

Thank you, Jack.

D.

[runequester]

Apple IIc's in my grade school - but my dad thought computers were a fad and I never got one of my own until my A1200 in college.

PC's in my school in the 80s and early 90s.
One of the youth clubs I went to had 64's and later some A500's.

[arttu80]

I was not a C64 user, but had Amigas since 1992. I didn't even know much about Jack Tramiel before reading this book "Commodore Company on the Edge". So I have deepest respect to The man. Indeed, very sad he left his own company in 1984.

R.I.P.

[Duce]

Was no doubt Jack was a complete ballbuster to work for - however given his background of having to fight tooth and nail for success, coming from a concentration camp to North America, it's quite understandable he was particular in his ways.  Fight your way up the ladder from the bottom, you'll inevitably step on some toes, and Jack got a lot of bad press for that.  Oddly, Steve Jobs was worse, but in retrospect is now lauded as a sheer visionary rather than the cut-throat (and borderline neurotic/abusive) businessman he was.

I never owned a Commodore 64, but used them a fair bit back in the day.  Tramiel is one of the ones that got computers to the masses, and while I do think he did so for profit value to some extent (good intentions don't pay the bills, after all), I firmly believe he had some revolutionary motives and simply wanted people exposed to this new medium of home computers.  That in itself is something to be admired - the "home computer" market was virtually non existent back then.

I know for certain I would have gotten into computers far, far later if the offerings from Commodore were not so affordable for the masses.  I never owned a 64, but they undoubtedly sparked my interest, an interest I have to this day in all things "computer".

Back then, everyone had a VIC or a 64.  Apple offerings were 3-4x the cost of a C= 64 and were only generally found in schools in my area at the time - the VIC and 64 series were truly revolutionary back then, and I fondly remember spending weekends with a now deceased friend, typing in BASIC programs from the popular print magazines at the time on his 64.

He was also a co-founder of the US Holocaust Museum, another noteworthy cause.

RIP Jack - if it wasn't for you and your ideals of computers for the masses, I can safely say many of us here wouldn't have the passion we have for computers right now.

[TheDaddy]

And Steve Jobs will still be celebrated less accurately than he should be...weird.

Apple still applies the concept of computers for the classes not for the masses...double weird.

[MarkTime]

I was a big fan of the first Atari founder, Nolan Bushnell, as my Dad had been a purchaser of early Pong games, and when the Atari VCS came out in 1977, he purchased one - I mean he just bought one, full price, no questions asked

I followed along with my Dad's loyalty to Atari, buying an Atari 400, later an 800XL, and later kind of watched the whole thing collapse, both in terms of losing the 8-bit war to Commodore, and the collapse of the video game market under Warner.

Then a curious thing occurred, Tramiel left Commodore, formed Atari Corp. from the ashes of the old Atari.

I didn't know anything about him, my friends in the Commodore community weren't sure we were getting such a gift.   But man, he launched that Atari ST, and Atari was back on top.
And I'll always have fond memories of the ST, as I do of the Commodore 64 and the not-dead Amiga.

Tramiel - rest in peace dude.  Thanks for the ST, and more fun years with Atari.  I'll overlook that whole JTS reverse merger, where I lost my investment (tiny one at that).

I'll echo what others are saying, Tramiel was an early pioneer, and for that I have great respect for him.

[RobertB]

Man, its funny to watch Jack and Woz trade jabs.  There is no love lost there!

Actually, in the pre-show they had a long discussion (about an hour or so) with each other, both smiling and laughing.  You can see a photo of that at

http://techland.time.com/2012/04/09/improbable-pc-pioneer-commodores-jack-tramiel-1928-2011/

I observed them from a balcony, me not being a VIP allowed to join that pre-show on the ground floor.

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug

[Vlabguy1]

Ok.. that's it.  I've just decided that for the month of April, and every April after this one .. I vow to set up my C64, 1702 and all the extras etc..etc in Jack's honor.  
(If I had the space it would never be put away :-).. ).  
Rich
NY..
Pics to follow.  I know this is the Amiga forum, will anyone be offending if I posted them here??

[blanghorst]

Ok.. that's it. I've just decided that for the month of April, and every April after this one .. I vow to set up my C64, 1702 and all the extras etc..etc in Jack's honor.
(If I had the space it would never be put away :-).. ).
Rich
NY..
Pics to follow. I know this is the Amiga forum, will anyone be offending if I posted them here??

Well, FWIW, I won't be -- I have my C128 and 1571 on my desk with my Amiga 2000 and the gear for my main PC.  I built a cable and it is connected to the 42" plasma across the room.    Maybe I should play a few games in Jack's honor.

[amigasociety]

Rest in peace Mr. Power Without The Price and Mr. Jackintosh!

I was born and raised Atari and never did the whole Commodore or Amiga thing until now with my Amiga stuff.

I for one was happy Jack founded Atari Corp and made the Atari a success for at least a little while.

Thanks Jack and Family.

Sorry to hear Jack passed.

Remember the good times.

TJ

[Minuous]

Alas. Mr Tramiel was worth a hundred of Steve Jobs. I suspect if he had remained at the helm of Commodore, the Amiga would now dominate the industry.

[smerf]

Ok.. that's it.  I've just decided that for the month of April, and every April after this one .. I vow to set up my C64, 1702 and all the extras etc..etc in Jack's honor.  
(If I had the space it would never be put away :-).. ).  
Rich
NY..
Pics to follow.  I know this is the Amiga forum, will anyone be offending if I posted them here??

Hi,

Yeah! I would be offended, post them on a C64 board, I just won't allow it. This is an Amiga board, what the heck are you doing posting C64 on Amiga boards.

OK seeing that this a special occassion honoring Jack, I will let you slide this time, but don't ever try this again, or I will, will, will, will, will, will, will pout a lot.

Nothing more annoying than a pouting smerf with a pancake on his head

smerf

[smerf]

Alas. Mr Tramiel was worth a hundred of Steve Jobs. I suspect if he had remained at the helm of Commodore, the Amiga would now dominate the industry.

Hi,

Why do you underrate Jack so much, he was worth way more that a hundred Steve Jobs, he was worth pi to the umpteenth power, and that is a lot of Steve Jobs. I wonder if both of them are carrying on the competition up there.

smerf

[partycentralpartygirl]

I was very sad to hear of Jack's passing. I wish his family well in this terrible time.

I am coping with his death in the only way I know how. Via Meme's.

http://i.imgur.com/gAVuB.jpg

RIP Jack, I wish we could have had you around until you were 183.