Commodore founder and computer legend Jack Tramiel passes away

[IDemo]

Source: slashgear.com

Sad news today. Jack Tramiel, founder of Commodore International and computer legend has passed away at the age of 83, according to Forbes. After surviving imprisonment at Auschwitz during WWII Tramiel went on to lead an aspiring life. Probably best know for Commodore International, and in the gaming community at large.

Between typewriters, calculators, and gaming systems like the Atari many might not known Jack Tramiel’s name, but he was a legend that produced some iconic products like the Commodore 64 back in the 80′s. Here’s a great quote by Martin Goldberg, a writer on the Atari brand:

Jack Tramiel was an immense influence in the consumer electronics and computing industries. A name once uttered in the same vein as Steve Jobs is today, his journey from concentration camp survivor to captain of industry is the stuff of legends.”

Jack’s love for technology and his aggressive business practices we can thank for driving down the price of personal computers during the 80′s, and made them what they are today. His legacy will continue forever. Tramiel is survived by his wife, three sons, and their families.

Read more: http://www.slashgear.com/commodore-founder-and-computer-legend-jack-tramiel-passes-away-09222143/

[onehandle]

1. Thank you, sir. nt

[FailureToCommunicate]

2. My first computer.

Last edited Tue Apr 10, 2012, 10:10 AM - Edit history (1)

It had COLOR! ...and music! and ran Papert's "LOGO" Still have it.

RIP Jack Tramiel. Thanks for offering an exciting, affordable personal computer to the rest of us.

[Clouseau2]

3. Same here

It's what got me started to what I am today!

[wandy]

5. More than Apple could do. More than IBM could do. This little critter did more to bring about...

the PC than any other.
Heck you could afford one.
Thanks Jack.
Rest well.

[KatyaR]

9. Yep, that was mine, too

I thought I was really "cool" because I had TWO disk drives so I didn't have to switch out disks so often. That and a modem and dot-matrix printer, and I was absolutely hooked.

[demilib]

13. Me too...

and it is still my favorite. RIP

[Roland99]

21. Atari 1200XL here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_8-bit_family#1200XL

[anti-alec]

4. That was my first PC

Commodore 64 at 8 years old in 1984 (had the chicken pox that day - and it was a gift from my dad to our family, and I used it a LOT)

(That too, became my first introduction to what became known as the Internet)

Thanks Mr. Tramiel, for the memories.

[HopeHoops]

6. Wah.

[Maine-ah]

7. thanks Jack!

My first PC...the VIC 20

[burrowowl]

8. RIP

[Diclotican]

10. IDemo

IDemo

My first PC (of sorts) was a Commodore 64, who I believe I played to death in the early 1990s ... And I learned a lot about old style codes, who I regrettable doesn't remember a thing about today;/.. Oh well

Thank you mr Jack Tramiel, you did a Dam good job of making Computers more affordable for everyone - even tho the C64 was rather expensive wen I got it....

Diclotican

[Rob H.]

11. A C64 was the first "serious" computer I ever used

We had a ZX81 before that, but it was really limited by comparison. Wrote school papers on the C64, played games, just had a lot of fun with it.

Rest easy, Mr. Tramiel

[mahatmakanejeeves]

22. Hey, hey, don't you go talking trash about my Timex Sinclair.

Timex Sinclair

I came close to going out to Ames to pick up a Commodore, but I never made the leap.

I think I'll watch my VHS tape of WarGames. Neat computers in that movie. I wish I had it on LaserDisc.

Lots of fun back then.

[Rob H.]

24. Yeah, it was a lot of fun, too

as long as we were careful not to jostle it or bump the 16K memory module plugged into the back and make it dump everything in its memory.

It held its value really well, too, iirc--when my dad decided to sell it and get the C64 he sold the ZX81 for what he paid for it. It's really amazing to think how much more powerful computers have gotten since those early days, too.

[Trajan]

12. TOS anybody ?

Yep .... Cut my 'code' teeth learning BASIC on the VIC20, the C64 and the Commodore PET ...

(Remember those Sprites ? ... HAH ... the first programmable 'objects' that I know of ....)

Sometime later, after weighing all the possible options - I decided that the Atari 520ST, running the 16 bit Motorola 68000 uP @ 8 Mhz, and shipped with a STANDARD 510 Kb RAM was simply superior to all other available PCs of the era .... And ? .. It had BUILT IN MIDI !

TOS was the Atari version of DOS, and Jack Tramiel was the 'T' behind TOS .... A true renaissance man ....

RIP Jack ..... May the Sprites carry you to the fields of Elysium ....

[quispquake]

18. The ST was my first computer

I still hold extremely fond memories of it, and am a major computer nerd nowadays because of how 'fun' and simple (but POWERFUL) TOS made the ST.

[hunter]

14. The beginning of the home computing was a wild ride.

The Atari-Amiga-Commodore war was brutal. Lots of big personalities.

[Snarkoleptic]

15. This is what my first PC looked like. I think it was 1977 when I got it for $799.

[sarcasmo]

16. Is that a cassette player? We had a 64 but I have never seen that one.

[Jokerman]

19. That's a "Datassette Recorder".

A PC controlled compact cassette for data.

The early TV character generator I worked with had one of those.

[sarcasmo]

25. Pretty cool, must be rare, never see those at the flea markets.

[Vidar]

17. RIP & thank you. It was my first computer as well.

[Liber-AL]

20. I wonder what Lionel Richie thinks about this?

After all he WAS a Commodore!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Richie

[yellowcanine]

23. Woo hoo, 65 kb of Ram and 2 floppies!

Yeah buddy.