Commodore International
History
Commodore International was an American home computer and electronics manufacturer founded by Jack Tramiel. Tramiel's philosophy of "computers for the masses, not the classes" led to the development of several successful early home computers, such as the PET, VIC-20, and C64, which became the best-selling computer model of all time.
The company was established in 1954 in Toronto as the Commodore Portable Typewriter Company by Polish immigrant and Auschwitz survivor Jack Tramiel. In 1955, the company moved into the electronic calculator business, which was a growing market at the time. Commodore soon became one of the leading calculator manufacturers.
In the mid-1970s, Commodore moved into the emerging personal computer market. Their first product in this category was the PET (Personal Electronic Transactor), released in 1977. The PET was a success, and it was followed by the VIC-20 in 1981 and the C64 in 1982.
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64, also known as the C64 or the CBM 64, was introduced in January 1982. It was a 64-kilobyte home computer with excellent sound and graphics performance for its time. The C64 dominated the low-end computer market for most of the 1980s. For a substantial period (1983–1986), the C64 had between 30% and 40% share of the US market and two million units sold per year, outselling the IBM PC, Apple's Macintosh, and the Atari 8-bit family of computers.
Amiga
In 1985, Commodore launched the Amiga 1000, a high-end personal computer with advanced audio and graphics capabilities. It was notable for its operating system, which featured pre-emptive multitasking, a novel feature at the time. The Amiga line of computers found success in high-end business and video production markets, but they were less successful in the home market.
Decline and Bankruptcy
Commodore International declared bankruptcy on April 29, 1994, and its assets were acquired by Escom, a German PC manufacturer, in 1995. The Commodore brand has since been used by various companies for a range of products.
Legacy
Commodore's computers, particularly the C64 and the Amiga series, left a significant legacy. The C64 is still used today by hobbyists, and its software library is one of the largest for any computer system, with an estimated 17,000 titles. The Amiga series is remembered for its advanced multimedia capabilities, which were unrivaled at the time of its release.