4 replies to this topic

[carmel_andrews]

I was reading a PDF version of a c-128 book 'the black book of the commodore 128' by Robert and Dell Taylor (Value Soft, publishers)

In the introduction chapter where they gave a condensed summary of commodore history (briefly mentioning the bit about commodore as a typewriter repair company and totally skipping the bit about commodore as a calcutor manufacturer)

Anyway when they eventually got to the summary of commodore history as a computer company, BEFORE they even mentioned the PET, it mentioned that commodore had been commissioned by Tandy/Radio Shack to design a computer system for them, after reviewing their (T/RS's) decision, they decided to design their own system (i.e the TRS 80) (didn't give a year of manfacture or what it was called)

It begs the question, what ever happened to this system that commodore designed for T/RS, did it morph into the PET, what was it going to be called, what did it look like, what processor were commodore going to use (since the TRS 80 came with a Z80 and commodore had just bought out the originator of the 6502), what type of system was it going to be (single board, like the Aim65/Kim1 etc or a proper system like the PET, Apple II etc) and lastly did commodore start designing this system before or after it purchased MOS

Anyone know ?

[JamesD]

I hadn't heard that but I'm sure it was the PET.
So if it weren't for Tandy, Commodore might not have entered the personal computer market until a year or two after Tandy and Apple? Hmmmm...
Without being involved so early, Commodore might not have been a major player in the market or at the very least, other manufacturers (Tandy) might have gained a more dominant position in the market.

[desiv]

Just reading Bagnell's book, and it's in there too...

Can't remember how early that was, but basically as I remember, Commodore wanted to make computers and sell them thru Radio Shack.
Radio Shack looked and decided they could do that themselves..

Wish I had a better memory, but oh well..
Can't remember if that was PET or earlier, but I "thought" it was the PET....

desiv

[sloopy]

has all you want to know and more...

http://www.amazon.co...27224851&sr=8-3

sloopy.

[carmel_andrews]

Dunno why they interviewed William 'Bill' Mensch, since He left MOS before commodore bought them out

http://en.wikipedia..../MOS_Technology

And the text


Bill Mensch left MOS even before the Commodore takeover, and moved home to Mesa, AZ from MOS's Norristown, PA. After a short stint consulting for a local company called ICE, he set up the Western Design Center (WDC) in 1978. As a licensee of the 6502 line


Though, in some later article i read elsewhere, it mentions that tramiel asked him come back, by then he'd already set up WDC (western design centre)