CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

Please note the CEO of CommodoreUSA sent us the answers to the interview @ 11:51 PM EST. The amount of text was too large to post as a news item so I had to get help posting this. Link to full interview listed below.

http://www.discreetfx.com/CEOCommodoreUSAInterview.pdf

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

Thank you for posting this.

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

Hey, Transition, mind posting this in a format conducive to copy/paste? It'd make further discussion a million times easier.

Anyway, my question was not answered, so I'll just re-post it in case Barry is lurking about: If a single Amiga fan (i.e. Trevor) can, with his own money, fund the design and production of a whole custom PowerPC board and distribute systems based around it, why can't CUSA accomplish more than selling equally expensive computers made out of commodity PC parts?

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

Very long, so i only glanced over a few questions. Seemed to be pretty well written and thought out responses. Doesn't change anything for me though.

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

Don’t ever assume anything. (Barry)

Its evangelistic, love affair (yet calling critics on virge of psychotic) and no, no, no we`ll do it as we plan thing.
At least NO answers are short and straight. And like every good fairy tale, ends with much love.
Story about Commodore always having its own software is the best.

Only surprise is why discreetfx would be hosting such non-sense

Or the best quote to use back is

and

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

It starts off talking about how he bought more 64s than anyone else, and then quickly descends into marketing speak about how great it is that Commodore and Amiga brands are reunited.
I just read 32 pages of marketing and don't know anything I didn't already.

Nothing to see here, move along please....

p.s. have the servers gone down yet?

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

A waste of time, as expected. Just more horn tooting, veiled insulting comments about the community, and marketing mumbo jumbo.

Credit where credit is due, at least their word was kept and some questions were answered. Shame the PDF format makes any discussion of individual topics quite difficult, but running it through an online PDF to Text converter yields:

http://pastebin.com/kt9Z6chh

Any formatting errors are due to the PDF to Text converter, so don't blame me - it is a verbatim batch process.

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

Read through most of it and found it to be quite enlightening. I don't think I'd be getting one any time soon, but I now at least understand where CommodoreUSA is coming from, their mind set and what they are trying to achieve.

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

What do you mean? I had no problems doing copy/paste, but if *you* have it, I think it may be *a good thing* for the upcoming discussion! :p :lol:

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

It was a good read, I have nothing against them/him. I still think a C64X would be cool on my desk, but I'm not that rich so I could buy another computer just for the coolness factor. :(

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

Puzzled by this, can easily copy and paste from a PDF.

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

Not all PDF readers copy and paste well.

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

+1

In my views he has clearly stated that he has no interest in the community, has not invested in any camp and will not invest because it is "wasting money". So we now know about their attitudes. Nothing that would make change my mind. Aros is already getting combined with Linux and that is much more amiga and much cheaper than any of their solutions...

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

Thank you for making this effort, Barry! :)

A long, very enlightening post with lots of info. I believe *all* my questions were answered, and probably all the rest as well (perhaps similar questions may have been grouped together and slightly rephrased).

Anyway, I now know a lot more about you, how you are thinking, your ambitions, etc. This should clear out some misconceptions (and some others won't, since there are a handful of people with an agenda of *inventing* misconceptions and lies surrounding this issue, for some reason). As you said, you hare never taken anything away from anyone, people not interested aren't affected. But still they hate. Strange, perhaps, but we have seen it a lot of times during the last 1.5 decade. We call them "BAF's" (meaning Blind Amiga Followers); people who have an overly emotional relationship to the Amiga(TM) trade mark, way beyond what's healthy, even of a religious proportion some times, where things like rational thinking and common sanity left the building shortly after Commodore (the original one ;)) went bust.

It will be interesting to see whether you succeed in this. I fear however, that the "brand values" of the Amiga brand is

1) Completely forgotten by most people by now (there hasn't been any viable mainstream products for more than 1.5 decades)
2) More in line with this Dilbert strip for most of the the remaining:

http://weblog.cemper.com/files/u2/di...-marketing.gif

That strip pretty much sums up everything Amiga(TM) stands for today, after the past 1.5 decade of mismanagement. Spot on (you got to love Dilbert)! :lol:

I wish you the best of luck in your Amiga(tm) endeavors, but mind you that many of those people responsible for putting the Amiga(tm) in its current position described by Dilbert above, are at large still here and still somewhat operational. So just be aware that the brand your products are being built upon, may risk being negatively influenced by these other people's moronic decisions, and their BAF's praising them on their Internet crusades. What I'm trying to say is that you seem to be about to make *real* products for *real* markets, using a brand name whose values and development/management you cannot control entirely yourself, and some of the people that *can* aren't exactly known for making rational decisions. You have been warned! ;)

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

Most of what was already known to the public. Beside known mindset and strategy that is just clearer now, insulting thing to me is "observation that Amiga is neither software or hardware, but (barry`s) project and vision" and thus that "CUSA is taking Amiga forward". Amiga is Classic machines and machines that can run AmigaOS natively, just like for example its such case with Mac. Target CPU and arhitecture can change (like x86 with AROS, or PPC with MOS/OS4) but that is the feeling and spirit. Even if its obsolete in modern terms, there would be a real project and real vision to bring it further, instead of just dismissing it.

OK, the right of CUSA is to have such nonsense as CommodoreOS as OS for Amigas, labels "All Commodore and Amigas are Windows compatibile" and other things that confuse past and their present en devour, but maybe it is the only way for mainstream profit and licence pay-off.

In that task, they should be less high profit to remain on x86 market, more presenting themselves as CUSA and not CBM, and much more professional, not the 11:59 bulk PR company, as once again demonstrated.

Q&A session has revealed no new plan, no new strategy or product as they announced just more ... not 30 mill $ advertising.

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

Tried reading it, kind of over it. Have gone back to enjoying my Amiga as a hobby, gave up a long time ago that I'd yet again in my life time see an Amiga at the local store.

Have tried a AmigaNG product but under the hood something kept nagging me :-(

Anyway I have my Amiga 500 and my WinUAE box (and some competition pro's and hopefully soon some reflex joysticks) to keep me happy.

@Duce change PDF reader? :-)

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

I have shortly read the paragraphs regarding the existing community and it is clear that they have not invested anything and will not ("waste of money"). Aros would be the only interesting for them (X86) but they are not allowed to do (AmigaInc/Hyperion) and because of that they will never invest just one cent in it. All 68k projects are interesting but they will not invest, PPC is not interesting and they would never invest in a port of AOS or MorphOS and besides they want to control the OS. Therefore all closed source OSs are not interesting. So we know what we all can expect of them. Nothing. What I do not understand why they keep on trying to get on amigasites in the news if they are not interested in the community.

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

And all of it makes perfect sense! :)

Are they really? Or is it that *other* people (the handful but very active and vocal "CUSA Haters") are constantly opening these kind of threads? I think it is!

Besides, I actually think that some people here might be interested in what they have to offer. It's a fact that to some people here, the Amiga(tm) trade mark is far more important than merits/spec/qualities/etc of the product it's trying to sell, the biggest selling point of them all! Which is crazy... :crazy:

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

I don't know why you would expect a business to invest in something when they can't expect to get anything in return for it.

You expect him to be altruistic in his attitude towars the community? Get real he wants to make money.

These OS's should be looking to fund themselves rather than begging for handouts.

One thing I do agree with him saying "there are better causes out there".

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

My overriding impression on what he's saying is this:

1) C64s and Amigas rocked in the 1980s.
2) We want the name to once again be seen to represent creativity and power.

However, what I never saw in any of that was:

"We still like to use Amigas".

Leo was mentioned as having a couple of Classics for gaming, but that doesn't constitute anything to do with why some of love our Amigas, which is: the OS, be it AOS 3, AOS 4, MOS or AROS.

In other words, all they're interested in is the name. Whether that's to genuinely make the Amiga famous or to line Barry's pockets is down to the eye of the beholder, I suspect.

I think that's the fundamental difference between Amiga users and C=USA users - Amiga users have chosen Amiga-like OSes because they don't want to use Linux or Windows. C=USA users can't see the difference between Linux/Windows and AmigaOS except that Linux/Windows has more features and more software and therefore is "better". And that is why I - as an Amiga user - will never be interested in anything C=USA has to offer as our goals are just too different. Amiga is many things, but it was never just about the name until C=USA came along.

Edit:
And that - unfortunately - is basically hitting the nail on the head.

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

dilbert got it right then....
http://weblog.cemper.com/files/u2/di...-marketing.gif

barry thinks brand loyalty is the going to happen, so he can cash in easy money with stickers and x86 machines... as dilbert said.... hahahaha, good one.
http://i.imgur.com/2rMgh.jpg

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

I am not your opinion. By donating money f.e. for bounties they would have shown their good will and the interest in the community. By not doing so they show that the community is not interesting for them (except that they want find "crazies" that buy their products just because of brand names)

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

"One thing I do agree with him saying "there are better causes out there"."

ok, but why call it "Amiga" then? And when you talk about it, I have a used notebook at home with Kubuntu for 110 EUR, why spending so much money for his overprized hardware?

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

What he *did* say, was more in the lines of "We would like to use real, useful for real in 2012 computers, not museum hardware running an OS that completely lacks the following which we are considering as basic features"

...which would be:

"1. The ability to utilze the latest hardware
2. An advanced graphical API
3. SMP
4. An advanced software stack
5. Mature software development options"

He also said: "We have gone to the trouble of creating our own custom branded
Commodore operating system based on GNU/Linux, which does
everything an Amiga-like OS can [except screen dragging perhaps:lol:] and more,
without any of the various [like lack of SMP, MP, modern CPU, RAM limit, etc?]
hindrances people seem to argue about ad infinitum."

And also:

"Sure, the AMIGA mini does not resemble a classic AMIGA but I felt it
was something that Commodore would have produced had it continued
to this day. Some of our new Amiga models will bear a closer
resemblance to the classics but are not intended as replicas. We intend
to do what we feel Commodore would have done if it had continued to
this day."

This last paragraph sums up their ambitions pretty good, I think. And why not? There is nothing wrong with that. Nobody is taking away your classic A1200, or your OS4 box. And we can only speculate how the Amiga would have evolved, had Commodore been alive all this time. I think Barry might be quite right actually. Apple has made at least one similar jump before, and today's Windows are not in any way similar to Windows 3.11 either...

If you don't like it, don't buy it. But nevertheless -- It's teh reeel!!11!!1!

Commodore Amiga (TM)

:D

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

We can all speculate what would be if CBM survived, but same can do Barry and this does not make his choices "right". Point is he is merely an OEM rebrander (or not OEM, a name rebrander) and his choice of "advanced OS" is nothing he has developed.

In other terms he is not selling anything new but the "look" (C64x) and now, not even that, but just the name for huge price difference which makes CUSA irrelevant offer in x86 world (=overpriced even more then Apple that at least offers designed hardware and their own OS). Windows today is much built on previous ones which is clearly visible in many stupid limitations like A-Z drives and 3 letter filetype recognition on extension (which is a DOS feature) even it is rewritten NT kernel and much improved. Way forward is always built on older experience, elements and knowledge.

No one is taking away Classics and OS4 machines EXCEPT CUSA is pretending there is no Amiga history after 1993, and that there is no AmigaOS being developed in their promo. If they are not to develop something that might reach needed minimum (as now is closer to it then ever) to be viewed as usable OS, at least they shouldn`t lie about it - missrepresenting CBM history as their own.

Also they are trying to stick Amiga name exclusively to themselves, negating and in those terms competing to current AROS, Natami, OS4 and MorphOS

They should have CommodoreUSA Amiga 2012, but using same names as previous models is an insult to Classics, and even their current use.

In other words, generally its just retro exploit, and unless supporting AmigaOS like development it shouldn`t be viewed as development of Amiga. It`s just same as name licenced for dildos, drinks or any other non related product (like it was case with iCoin licence).

Problem is that it tries to cash Amiga survival on no innovation and no real advancement, no matter how much Barry tries to indicate his choices were "advanced and innovative"

Good news is that licence seems to have a timely manner until 2019, so we shall witness either "rise or fall" of "Commodore" again.

P.S.
Nothing against Linux: Linux could be used on much less "advanced hardware" competing for low price and quite usable computer. And I would be glad if they really helped development of MINT and AROS (as promised).

It exploits Linux, Amiga name and has many wrong small steps. There is no real need to have CUSA advertised at any Amiga website, unless paid promo and labeled so. Since they are business, we shouldn`t be "charity" either.

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

All of which is great for a mainstream OS, but for a hobby OS there's one really important question to answer:

Do I enjoy using it?

If I don't enjoy using an OS then it doesn't matter how many bells and whistles it has it will never be my hobby, and that's what Amigas are to me.

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

they want to compete on the mass market with their "Commodore Amigas" and in this case it is relevant. But it has really nothing to do with the past and the existing community. Amiga was a innovative combination of OS and hardware that was clearly differentiating from the other platforms. That is not the case with their products, even if they lower their prices.

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

I like using real, useful, modern computers as well, and I also like purchasing them from companies who can support the product they sell and also provide competitive pricing. If anything, CUSA should be selling their hackjob machines for less than "real" vendors are selling theirs for. What, no profit there? Now you're getting it. Move on to luxury plumbing fixtures.

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

2012 and the same people who stated they are interesting in cusa products or threads, keep posting on them.
It's the same explanations again again and again. Could some of the mods lock the thread please?

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

"This was not a paid advertising program; You can’t buy this
exposure from Disney, it as to be offered; it’s not for sale.
Disney, at their sole expense, printed millions of full color dvd
insert panels, which were included on the front of every TRON
dvd worldwide!"

Hmmn it wasn't in mine... (UK)

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

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

Nor mine Danwood....

But that's by the bye.

having read the thing, yes i read it not just skimmed it, it seems to me that the majority of things have been issues already covered multitudes of times on various forums. Just not filled with vitriol we normally would see from Barry. The things that are new and he clears up seem to amount to the usual back tracking and spin we have seen. Such as the $30million ad budget, something that I can't understand why they ran with it in the first place nor amended before now as it's been mentioned even on their own forums without anyone correcting it if it was complete crap. And I am still skeptical that a company like Disney would allow them to advertise for free.

The way I look at this is that he has come with a carefully crafted, well thought out bit of marketing. While he has answered the questions I can't help but feel this was all just an exercise in marketing for him and something that he can refer to if anyone else ever asks him the same things.

My opinion hasn't changed. I doubt it ever will. But I hope that this will keep them off our backs now.

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

@Barry Altman (just so you know where I got this idea from)


My question from the interview:

Barry's answer:


True. This was stated by @redrumloa after his initial visit with Barry. It was quite clear, but I suppose you could say "not public"?

last paragraph

#6

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

The above 5 points is what many OS4 users would die to have, but it won't happen going the current route. Frankly, it will be very difficult (read: impossible) to sell any kind of general desktop computer to *anyone* (outside this little community made of a few hundreds more or less fanatics) without those features, meaning *no business*. Anyone looking to sell a *perfectly usable* (for real, to "real" people!) desktop OS of year 2012 level must go a different route, and by going this route (the custom Linux OS), at least it will be something different than Windows and MacOS, and who knows, maybe it feels good enough and fun to use? Not like the old OS3 based OS's, something new, like Mac OSX compared to MacOS 9? Windows 2k compared to Win3.11? Completely different, not at all the same thing, but still something you could adapt to and embrace given some time?

Anyway, again - Nobody is taking your Museum Amiga's away from you, nor your OS4 boxes, so take it easy. If the new Commodore Amiga's aren't for you, then don't get it, as simple as that.

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

You are free to buy whatever you want, from whoever you want.

If it isn't for you, then don't buy it. Simple, really?

As an example: The A1X1K/OS4 sure as hell isn't something for *me*, no matter the brand names or boing balls slapped on to it. At least the Commodore Amiga's are usable for real, it doesn't have ancient specifications, it has an OS and SW stack that makes the computer usable, and it sure as hell doesn't cost $3,000+. Neither of them are MorphOS though, it was more than a decade ago since I mentally abandoned the Amiga(tm) brand forever, so I see no need in looking at Amiga branded stuff of any kind. I look at specs, price, etc and make my decisions from that... :)

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

Yeah, in the end the Barron isn't the Anti-Christ, just another businessman trying to make a buck, he saw the Commodore and Amiga brands as a chance for that and he took it. In the end who wouldn't? He's not going to produce anything for the retro enthusiasts, there's no money in that, as is more than evident from the businesses that have tried.

He's just a guy who used to make cable ends and is spending his own money to try to build a business that will outlast him. It comes with middle age, suddenly you know you aren't here much longer and you want to leave something that says "I was here." I really do empathize with that, but in the end his products aren't for me. I can see if I owned a computer shop, I would sign up for his programme, because it would make my computer shop different to the other computer shops around, but I sold my business years ago.

In the end I appreciate that he took the time to explain everything, and just because I'm not a potential customer it doesn't mean I don't wish him well. After all these years, there is no second coming of the Amiga. I will love my classic Amiga toys and emulators and continue with Apple products for my modern needs.

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

+1

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

I just tire of the yammering on about these "new Commodore" and "new Amiga" machines on sites like A.org, and I for one hope I never see another thread about either of them now that "the air has been cleared".

We got guys busting their asses - the Natami guys, Mike and crew with the FPGA Arcade board, stuff like the ACA boards, ZorRam. MorphOS, AmigaOS, and AROS all offering very nice offerings of the Amiga experience. We have more choice than we ever had in regards to "The Amiga Experience", really. While we may fight and bicker between the camps, at the end of the day we do all truly know we are on the same boat.

Yet we waste our time dancing around with this C-USA nonsense - commodity hardware with a rebadged Linux distro, from a company that clearly has no intentions in offering anything to anyone wanting something that actually resembles an "Amiga".

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I understand the retro market. I do understand why someone buys a C64x. I do understand and fully realize there are people that will buy the "Amiga Mini" in some attempt to revisit their glory days back when they had a real Amiga. I'm entirely comfortable with the concept of "a fool and his money are soon parted", and I'm entirely comfortable in the fact their products are not for me. I hope C-USA makes a good PC that people are happy with if they purchase one.

Why the angle keeps getting spun that it's the "haters" that have kept them as a topic on true Amiga sites, that one baffles me. I wonder why they are even mentioned at all - they are a commodity PC assembler/rebadger, and Gateway has more true Amiga street cred than C-USA. It baffles me why every time C-USA so much as squeaks out a muted fart, the powers that be here are front paging it. All I can come up with is they are trying to drive pageviews, and I see that as costing this site and others like it a lot of the old timer traffic.

People come here primarily to discuss the Amiga. How you define "Amiga" is up to you. It might be legacy, it might be FPGA, or AROS, MOS, AOS, or emulation. Whatever floats your boat. Isn't a damned thing Amiga about anything that will ever come out of Commodore USA other than engraving on a Chinese case filled with x86 components, running Linux with a custom skin.

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

Did the Amiga.org servers melt yet?

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

Are you trying keep this thread on the front page..... :-)

Re: CommodoreUSA CEO Interview Answers
 

The Lovecraftian H'Miga!


(props to whoever posted that on mb)