On The Edge: The Spectacular Rise & Fall of Commodore

PRODUCT REPLACED BY NEW COMMODORE: A COMPANY ON THE EDGE

On The Edge: The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Commodore tells the story of Commodore through first-hand accounts by the actual Commodore engineers and managers who made the company. From their entry into computers in 1976 until their demise in 1994, the Commodore years were always exciting. Commodore had astounding success with their computers, including the PET, the VIC-20, the Commodore 64 and the incredible Amiga computers. Commodore was one of the only companies with the ability to make their own silicon, and you could see the results in their computers. They had more creativity, more color, and more character than either Apple or IBM could deliver. It also resulted in cheaper computers. The Commodore 64 cut a path of destruction through the competition, knocking Sinclair, Tandy, Texas Instruments, and Atari out of the computer business and badly hurting Apple. Although other companies received more press, Commodore sold more computers.


Cast of characters

Jack Tramiel - The pugnacious, volatile founder of Commodore computers. Once described as the scariest man alive.

Irving Gould - The financier who rescued Commodore from ruin in the late 1960's. As the Chairman of Commodore and largest shareholder, he was often his own worst enemy.

Chuck Peddle - Uncompromising inventor of the legendary 6502 microprocessor, used in computers and video game systems by Commodore, Apple, Atari, and Nintendo. Designer of Commodore's first computer, the PET. His relationship with Jack Tramiel eventually soured with disastrous consequences.

Robert Yannes - Frustrated musician and synthesizer aficionado. Designed the Commodore 64 and its famous sound chip, the SID.

Al Charpentier - Chain smoking computer graphics pioneer and architect of the VIC and VIC-II chips.

Thomas Rattigan - One time President and CEO of Commodore computers who saved the company from bankruptcy, only to collide with financier Irving Gould. On his last day with Commodore he was forcibly removed by security guards.

Bill Herd - AKA "The Animal", he designed the ill-fated Plus/4 computer and later went on to design the Commodore 128. Known to punch through walls and wrestle executives in the hallways of Commodore.

Jay Miner - Brilliant ex-Atari engineer responsible for the Atari 800 computer. Co-designer of the Atari 2600. Inventor of the ground breaking Amiga computer for Commodore. All his projects were co-designed by his faithful dog and official Commodore employee, Mitchy.

George Robbins - Designer of the low cost Amiga 500 computer. Lived a bohemian lifestyle at Commodore headquarters and never left the premises.

Dave Haynie - Carried on the Amiga legacy by developing the Amiga 2000. Stayed with Commodore until the bitter end.

And many more..

Front Cover (click to enlarge)	Back Cover (click to enlarge)

Hard Back(6x9 inches/548 pages)
ISBN No: 0-9738649-0-7