CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers

[Duce]

Find it amusing that the magazine clip Vox posted is scathingly critical of the "new Amiga" that C-USA are offering.  Hope C-USA isn't posting that article in their Media relations file, because the author of said article is just as critical of the Amiga Mini as anyone here is, if not worse.

The words C-USA and Innovation shouldn't be used in the same sentence in regards to this Mini.  I'll give credit where credit is due on the 64 series, that case had some merit to retro guys.  There was something new and unique there, but not on this one.

The Amiga Mini?  Components I can purchase off any store shelf.  A $40 case, some commodity PC components in it, and a rebadged version of Linux.  
Not even an emulator with ROM's.  Nada.  Zip.  Zilch.  A Linux PC.

I'll respect it for what it is, and that's a PC - but man am I sick of people heralding an Intel based PC running Linux as the "new Amiga that will save the Amiga name!" when there's absolutely nothing "Amiga" about it, nor is there anything innovative.  An Amiga decal on a Dell, same thing.  PC components in a PC case.  Nothing more, nothing less.

I'm far beyond getting cranky about people defiling the Amiga name - after
years of seeing people like McBill and others farm it out like a $5 prostitute, I'm not a big, ardent defender of "the name".  What does annoy the living hell out of me is otherwise bright, intelligent people heralding things as a "rebirth" or a "great new innovation", when the stark truth is:  it is a COMMODITY PC WITH A LOGO ON IT, RUNNING LINUX, AT 2x THE PRICE.

The Amiga Mini has about as much to do with the Amiga as a Dell with an Amiga decal stuck on it.  Period.  There isn't enough whitewash in the world to get past the fact they are charging a 2x markup for an Amiga etching on a $40 mini-itx case that has been discontinued.

If their products are what you are after, by all means, it's your money and I truly hope you enjoy your systems.  There are more reputable and far cheaper "boutique" brands out there, however - or you could build your own in about an hour at half the cost...

Once again, I implore you to support the "little guys".  The Natami crew, FPGA guys, the authors and vendors of emulator programs, MorphOS, AROS, and OS4 - which do actually bring something unique and niche to the table.

[BigBenAussie]

@Vox. As Commodore USA is still a small company it is not currently possible to make everyone's (including ours) dream come true in regard to fulfilling various things the community wants that would denote more of the Amiga's heritage. This is regrettable, but unavoidable at the moment. We have stated the clear intention to do so. Barry even did so a few times in the interview. There have been various miss-steps of course, and all sorts of things were either promised prematurely or stated as plans in the euphoria of the moment of having secured usage of the trademarks. So what? Sometimes things don't go to plan. Stuff happens. But why that should in any way cause such consternation I have no idea. No one is forcing you to buy our products and nothing in your computing life has changed really. You just have another entity with the same goals as most of you, that can't do it all right now, but hopes to.

Incidentally, that magazine(?) article is incorrect. Amiga ROMs for game emulation are under our license from Amiga Inc. Because of this, after many months of discussions, we are still on the fence as to whether it is worth our while licensing Amiga Forever.

[Darrin]

@Vox. As Commodore USA is still a small company it is not currently possible to make everyone's (including ours) dream come true in regard to fulfilling various things the community wants that would denote more of the Amiga's heritage. This is regrettable, but unavoidable at the moment. We have stated the clear intention to do so. Barry even did so a few times in the interview. There have been various miss-steps of course, and all sorts of things were either promised prematurely or stated as plans in the euphoria of the moment of having secured usage of the trademarks. So what? Sometimes things don't go to plan. Stuff happens. But why that should in any way cause such consternation I have no idea. No one is forcing you to buy our products and nothing in your computing life has changed really. You just have another entity with the same goals as most of you, that can't do it all right now, but hopes to.

Incidentally, that magazine(?) article is incorrect. Amiga ROMs for game emulation are under our license from Amiga Inc. Because of this, after many months of discussions, we are still on the fence as to whether it is worth our while licensing Amiga Forever.

Yeah, because paying $10 for the basic version of Amiga Forever is such a hard decision to make.  God help C-USA actually pay someone for their OS content.

[EDanaII]

Funny, isn't it? They claim they'll do anything the community asks (AKA Community Challenge) and yet can't make a decision as simple as that...

[Darrin]

Funny, isn't it? They claim they'll do anything the community asks (AKA Community Challenge) and yet can't make a decision as simple as that...

Decision making isn't their strong point.

According to Dammy, they had shipped thousands of C64x units while Leo was still trying to make a decision as to whether he should include a mouse in the box.

Strange one that.  It is kind of hard to put a mouse in the box AFTER the thousands of units had been shipped to the customers, but then what do we know.  

Did they ever actually include a mouse with the C64x or was the $5 cost too much?

[dammy]

Funny, isn't it? They claim they'll do anything the community asks (AKA Community Challenge) and yet can't make a decision as simple as that...

Funny, the Amiga online community couldn't get 500 people to agree on a specific item for C=USA to make for them but you complain about C=USA holding off on making a decision on AF?

IMO, C=USA should include AF in the installed COS systems.

[vox]

@Vox. There have been various miss-steps of course, and all sorts of things were either promised prematurely or stated as plans in the euphoria of the moment of having secured usage of the trademarks. So what? Sometimes things don't go to plan. Stuff happens. But why that should in any way cause such consternation I have no idea. No one is forcing you to buy our products and nothing in your computing life has changed really. You just have another entity with the same goals as most of you, that can't do it all right now, but hopes to.

Incidentally, that magazine(?) article is incorrect. Amiga ROMs for game emulation are under our license from Amiga Inc. Because of this, after many months of discussions, we are still on the fence as to whether it is worth our while licensing Amiga Forever.

Companies should conduct like adults, not like children. Consternation is caused by too many promises versus none community interesting solutions.

"So what" is true, but in sense there are no common goals as most of us,
and thus your products, announcements and changes shouldn`t be here at all.

Article is quite right, including the fact that currently your products ship with no Classic Amiga compatibility out of box, for reasons that are no interest of end user. In those terms Amiga Forever and AmigaOS 4 are more Amiga products.

It was supposed to be "Commodore Mint edition" Premium feature,
as well, and I do believe you have even announced a Partnership with Cloanto

Unique to MCE is a legal emulation of many Commodore and Amiga computers. We have included a number of licensed game ROMs through a partnership with Cloanto, including the C64 and Amiga Forever collection

[vox]

Funny, the Amiga online community couldn't get 500 people to agree on a specific item for C=USA to make for them but you complain about C=USA holding off on making a decision on AF?

IMO, C=USA should include AF in the installed COS systems.

OK, we aren`t worthwile of bother. Thanks.
There was product to be outlined by the last forum before the hack
and voting was ongoing. New page was poorely promoted and CUSA lost the moment,
if there was, to make something with the community.

Nothing was offered as idea of product to preorder
or support.

As far as I can understand Leo confirmed just the script that can rip off the AF.

[Digiman]

Yeah, because paying $10 for the basic version of Amiga Forever is such a hard decision to make.  God help C-USA actually pay someone for their OS content.

If (big if) C=USA have Kickstart included in unit/volume licensing they don't need Amiga Forever legally.

However on the other hand they need to supply digital copies of the ROMs with each computer rather than hosting the existing piratey ROMs out there for downloads or condoning Google searches for unencrypted ROM downloads. This is the quagmire of legal emulation description however and why, as I understand it, Cloanto had to encrypt ROMs they supply so they could not be used by people with no right to use them with freely available [WIN]UAE and only licensed Amiga Forever.

Obviously not having UAE installed and configured on each machine sold is Ostrich head in the sand 'solution'

[Duce]

No Dammy, the Amiga Community couldn't get 500 people together to unite under the promise of a product from a company with absolutely no track record or credibility.  A company that for years has slandered and insulted said community, a company that brought in weird escrow terms and conditions like they were doing us some grand gift, a company that for the most part never "innovated" anything, yet with the drop of a hat, they are now an inventive company wanting to give us what we want - assuming we fork over the money, in advance.  Assuming what they would have delivered would have been anything more than poor quality chinese components with Amiga stickers.

Why would people, after reading horror stories of people having to rip apart their brand new C-USA Commodore 64's to install additional/better cooling, or watching them be told to add a laptop cooler to get the machines to run cool - want to have ANYTHING to do with any product they were innovating for the "Amiga Community?"

You have a very selective memory, and an even more selective view of what is reality and common sense.  If you cannot see why people were rightfully hesitant on that challenge to the community, you're living on a different planet than the rest of us.

[Digiman]

Funny, the Amiga online community couldn't get 500 people to agree on a specific item for C=USA to make for them but you complain about C=USA holding off on making a decision on AF?

IMO, C=USA should include AF in the installed COS systems.

Asking customers to design product scope & specification without an accurate description of technical solutions C=USA has the competency to design and build is NOT a viable business plan. Asking them to pay up front is also lunacy.

It is 100% down to C=USA to define their ability to legally, technically and financially be able to potential deliver the following....

1. C64x style bespoke identical replica Amiga case + keyboard + mouse
2. Ability to license existing/build new PPC motherboards with OS4 compatibility
3. Feasibility of x86 Amithlon+OS3.9 or AROS system being developed.

All I saw was a $500,000 attempted scam.

[tone007]

Funny, the Amiga online community couldn't get 500 people to agree on a specific item for C=USA to make for them

I bet the Amiga online community could very easily get 500 people together to tell C=USA to go to hell.

[Tripitaka]

Why are we bothering? No matter what's said CUSA aren't going to listen anyway. That much is blatantly obvious. I give up, do whatever you like CUSA. I doubt you'll ever do anything that I'll ever pay for because I doubt you will ever do anything that has the slightest connection to real Amigas. I can buy AF anytime or use UAE with my own ROMs. I can even make my own damn stickers to stick on my own PCs!

[wrath of khan]

With 500 people putting money forward we could do something ourselves.
Make our own case for natami and for general use or fund any amiga project.
We just need some trustworthy members like the Daddy or such who could accomplish such a thing.It would be cool for us to just make it happen ourselves a bit like the openpandora project in some respects.

[Duce]

I bet the Amiga online community could very easily get 500 people together to tell C=USA to go to hell.

Start the petition and tell me where to sign.

[koaftder]

a company with absolutely no track record or credibility.  A company that for years has slandered and insulted said community, a company that brought in weird escrow terms and conditions like they were doing us some grand gift, a company that for the most part never "innovated" anything, yet with the drop of a hat, they are now an inventive company wanting to give us what we want - assuming we fork over the money, in advance.  

Hmmm, that sounds another company we know... :roflmao: