7 ms·

Group of investors represented by YouTuber Perifractic buys Commodore

104 points by erickhill 1y ago

kragen 1y ago
That's great! But not Amiga, which Gateway 2000 owns. Too bad it seems to be mired in the retrocomputing morass.
- ForOldHack 1y ago
  How sad.
throwpoaster 1y ago
Computer technology is not "the scourge of mankind". Terrible messaging around a beloved brand.
- mattigames 1y ago
  Most profesional digital graphic artists and writers do hold some level of resentment to the latest technological advancements, and other professions will soon undoubtedly join that sentiment as AI tech evolves into more job fields.
  - ABS 1y ago
    as usual it's a matter of bubbles: most of those you know might hold such resentment, most of those I know are in fact in love with the possibilities and are trying their hardest to leverage the new tools. My 64yo "non digital" graphic artist aunt holds a very high level of resentment to the digital ones, while most of her old friends and ex-colleagues who embraced digital way back when are stil active in the space and happy one way or another, she is not. But she is happy she can now get near-real-time two-way translation to/from languages she doesn't speak and is also happy to bury her head in the sand when I point out that's thanks to the same tech that will have an impact on the people who do simultaneous translations as a job.
    - deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]
- yard2010 1y ago
  You are just wrong. Look at the last few years and see how computer technology is being worshiped in the most destructive way. Instagram is literally bringing diseases to children. This comes from a person for which the internet and computers are the love of life and everything. I'm excited about these times and the future. But every day that goes by I feel like this technology thing is going backwards, thanks to irresponsible, rich and careless people, and should be stopped right now. It will not stop, this is only the beginning.
  - dmos62 1y ago
    By that logic, all technology that is misused is "a scourge". Metal and plastic technologies build weapons, computer technology controls bombs, pharmaceutical technologies make addictive drugs, food technologies contribute to diabetes epidemics. I don't like this train of thought. I do like that there are the menonites and the amish in this world, but, for myself, I prefer a more intimate relationship with technology, for the lack of a better word. I like to think of technology as an extension of people: what the technology is and how we use it is then a reflection of our minds in their current stage of continuous evolution. If we have problems regulating dopamine, then we'll gravitate to technologies that allow us to experience those problems: not the other way around. Basically, I don't think of technology as external to society, rather to me it's a reflection.
  - imiric 1y ago
    This opinion will inevitably be seen as pessimistic tech doomerism, especially on forums like this. And yet, for all the glory and benefit that we were promised modern technology would bring, the average person only enjoys a small sliver of it, while the rest is enjoyed by the 1% of humans in control, or corrupted by those who seek becoming part of the 1%. We can access a world of information, but most of it is corrupted by (m|d)isinformation. In fact, most mainstream media is corrupted by it. We can communicate with family and loved ones around the world, at the expense of our data being exploited. We can buy and consume easier than ever before, but have to navigate a sea of poor quality products and scams. We have miraculous drugs, most of which are only accessible to the wealthy. We have self-driving cars and high-tech gadgets to entertain ourselves, which is great until the companies start exploiting us. And so on. The latest wave of AI tech is another step in this same direction, ramped up to levels we have never seen before. I challenge anyone to steel man the argument that technology has been a net positive for humanity on a global scale, or that it will ever get better. I sure can't.
- phito 1y ago
  This comment will age like milk
ChrisArchitect 1y ago
Related previously: YouTuber claims to have received an offer to buy the Commodore brand https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44215117 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44215117
card_zero 1y ago
I advise the new CEO to immediately sell the brand again, take the "low seven-figure sum", and invest it in actual technology for a new company which can be called Rear Admiral.
0xbadc0de5 1y ago
Buried the lede - they have not yet actually paid for it and are still raising money. As I said in the previous post about this, I support their efforts and applaud their enthusiasm. But they are making some very risky moves with their premature messaging. This could easily fall through and is just begging other parties with less sincere interest in the brand's legacy to take notice.
- kotaKat 1y ago
  And it's "only" a "low seven-figure sum" involved here. I'm quite frankly expecting a crash and burn with a lot of grasping-at-finances to try to keep whatever this becomes afloat, and/or another Atari-esque cash-grab-flailing-venture situation.
- fredfish 1y ago
  AFAICT from the article the takeover deal is agreed and in process, so assuming they end up able to pay on time and meet any other requirements I don't see how other interest matters?
  - wodenokoto 1y ago
    I don’t know what the agreement is, but if either party is allowed to pull out at a 10% cost, and this fund raising goes crazy viral it might make financial sense for the seller to pull out, and make a new offer.
    - fredfish 1y ago
      Sure bad things could happen depending what terms they could negotiate. The counter proposal seems to be to not have made the deal probably not being able to raise enough money to do so in secrecy (or not maintaining secrecy and making more spicy gossip about an opportunity.) The old owner is probably happier to be done with owning the brand and getting more than they could have with no free advertising.
    - deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]
Theodores 1y ago
Sometimes you have got to let things go. Clinging onto the past doesn't make sense in tech. Teaching kids today the wonders of that useless language called BASIC on 8 bit micros from the eighties amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. What next, slide rules? If I had money and social media clout then I would buy SGI (Silicon Graphics) and get kids to learn the MIPS instruction set on refrigerator sized machines that needed their own power station. But no, got to let it go.
- askonomm 1y ago
  In a world where quality content or products disappear at an ever quicker pace, replaced with generic slop with no emotional attachment, functioning as just a way to extract something from you, the consumer, nostalgia becomes ever more valuable. Maybe not let everything go? Maybe letting things go is why we're at the current state of toxic consumerism that nobody likes.
- topspin 1y ago
  > Sometimes you have got to let things go. Yes, but it's too early for Commodore. Commodore is fondly remembered by Gen X, and Gen X is still alive and has the means to indulge its nostalgia.
- rbanffy 1y ago
  I can easily see a new generation of Silicon Graphics machines powered by something like a MI300R (R because the amd64 cores would be replaced by RISC-V ones, which are the natural heirs to MIPS). Or we could repurpose the SGI acronym to be Silicon Graphics and Intelligence to catch the AI wave. And, of course, publish OpenIRIX under GPLv3. Including the screensavers.
  - touggourt 1y ago
    For those interested by the Irix desktop, Maxx Intercative is a free autorized clone https://docs.maxxinteractive.com/ https://docs.maxxinteractive.com/
    - 1y ago
palmfacehn 1y ago
Can someone briefly explain what the actual product will be? Not interested in going down a rabbit hole with a series of videos. I just want a straight to the point explanation.
- alanfalcon 1y ago
  That'll be revealed in episode 3. (They do have Jeri Ellsworth and some OGs from Commodore signed up to be part of the team though, and seem to genuine love the brand and have nostalgia for the C64, so I have cautious optimism!)
  - mattl 1y ago
    I’m sure multiple video parts is supposed to raise hype but it has the opposite effect on me.
    - palmfacehn 1y ago
      Perhaps the content creator's brand is the product here. The hardware may be a side dish, if it ever materializes?
andrewstuart 1y ago
It’s very odd that the first product announced is not a retro computer but some sort of anti social media product. Doesn’t take long for directions to change. Strikes me the main real opportunity was to bring the original C64 back to life, not to go to war with social media, which is so unrelated to retro computing and commodore that I shook my head and turned off the announcement video.
deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
emsign 1y ago
I like the enthusiasm for Retrofuturism, that if you didn't get the future that you were once promised 20-30 years ago you just create it anyway. I think that's a more humane alternative "to move fast and break things". I'm so sick of the latter and its negative effects on societies.
mrandish 1y ago
It's important to understand that: * Commodore B.V. only owns the Commodore trademark and logo. They do not own any of the Commodore source code, patents, designs, etc. They do not own the Amiga trademarks, logos, source code, ROMs, etc. * The exact terms and status of the transaction are unclear, however it appears to be a letter of intent and contingent on raising sufficient funds, which has not yet been done.
- arresin 1y ago
  The logo and name wouldnt be a lot for a “low seven figure” payment.

104 points by erickhill 1y ago

kragen 1y ago

That's great! But not Amiga, which Gateway 2000 owns. Too bad it seems to be mired in the retrocomputing morass.

ForOldHack 1y ago
How sad.

throwpoaster 1y ago

Computer technology is not "the scourge of mankind". Terrible messaging around a beloved brand.

mattigames 1y ago
Most profesional digital graphic artists and writers do hold some level of resentment to the latest technological advancements, and other professions will soon undoubtedly join that sentiment as AI tech evolves into more job fields.
- ABS 1y ago
  as usual it's a matter of bubbles: most of those you know might hold such resentment, most of those I know are in fact in love with the possibilities and are trying their hardest to leverage the new tools. My 64yo "non digital" graphic artist aunt holds a very high level of resentment to the digital ones, while most of her old friends and ex-colleagues who embraced digital way back when are stil active in the space and happy one way or another, she is not. But she is happy she can now get near-real-time two-way translation to/from languages she doesn't speak and is also happy to bury her head in the sand when I point out that's thanks to the same tech that will have an impact on the people who do simultaneous translations as a job.
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
yard2010 1y ago
You are just wrong. Look at the last few years and see how computer technology is being worshiped in the most destructive way. Instagram is literally bringing diseases to children. This comes from a person for which the internet and computers are the love of life and everything. I'm excited about these times and the future. But every day that goes by I feel like this technology thing is going backwards, thanks to irresponsible, rich and careless people, and should be stopped right now. It will not stop, this is only the beginning.
- dmos62 1y ago
  By that logic, all technology that is misused is "a scourge". Metal and plastic technologies build weapons, computer technology controls bombs, pharmaceutical technologies make addictive drugs, food technologies contribute to diabetes epidemics. I don't like this train of thought. I do like that there are the menonites and the amish in this world, but, for myself, I prefer a more intimate relationship with technology, for the lack of a better word. I like to think of technology as an extension of people: what the technology is and how we use it is then a reflection of our minds in their current stage of continuous evolution. If we have problems regulating dopamine, then we'll gravitate to technologies that allow us to experience those problems: not the other way around. Basically, I don't think of technology as external to society, rather to me it's a reflection.
- imiric 1y ago
  This opinion will inevitably be seen as pessimistic tech doomerism, especially on forums like this. And yet, for all the glory and benefit that we were promised modern technology would bring, the average person only enjoys a small sliver of it, while the rest is enjoyed by the 1% of humans in control, or corrupted by those who seek becoming part of the 1%. We can access a world of information, but most of it is corrupted by (m|d)isinformation. In fact, most mainstream media is corrupted by it. We can communicate with family and loved ones around the world, at the expense of our data being exploited. We can buy and consume easier than ever before, but have to navigate a sea of poor quality products and scams. We have miraculous drugs, most of which are only accessible to the wealthy. We have self-driving cars and high-tech gadgets to entertain ourselves, which is great until the companies start exploiting us. And so on. The latest wave of AI tech is another step in this same direction, ramped up to levels we have never seen before. I challenge anyone to steel man the argument that technology has been a net positive for humanity on a global scale, or that it will ever get better. I sure can't.
phito 1y ago
This comment will age like milk

ChrisArchitect 1y ago

Related previously: YouTuber claims to have received an offer to buy the Commodore brand https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44215117 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44215117

card_zero 1y ago

I advise the new CEO to immediately sell the brand again, take the "low seven-figure sum", and invest it in actual technology for a new company which can be called Rear Admiral.

0xbadc0de5 1y ago

Buried the lede - they have not yet actually paid for it and are still raising money. As I said in the previous post about this, I support their efforts and applaud their enthusiasm. But they are making some very risky moves with their premature messaging. This could easily fall through and is just begging other parties with less sincere interest in the brand's legacy to take notice.

kotaKat 1y ago
And it's "only" a "low seven-figure sum" involved here. I'm quite frankly expecting a crash and burn with a lot of grasping-at-finances to try to keep whatever this becomes afloat, and/or another Atari-esque cash-grab-flailing-venture situation.
fredfish 1y ago
AFAICT from the article the takeover deal is agreed and in process, so assuming they end up able to pay on time and meet any other requirements I don't see how other interest matters?
- wodenokoto 1y ago
  I don’t know what the agreement is, but if either party is allowed to pull out at a 10% cost, and this fund raising goes crazy viral it might make financial sense for the seller to pull out, and make a new offer.
  - fredfish 1y ago
    Sure bad things could happen depending what terms they could negotiate. The counter proposal seems to be to not have made the deal probably not being able to raise enough money to do so in secrecy (or not maintaining secrecy and making more spicy gossip about an opportunity.) The old owner is probably happier to be done with owning the brand and getting more than they could have with no free advertising.
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]

Theodores 1y ago

Sometimes you have got to let things go. Clinging onto the past doesn't make sense in tech. Teaching kids today the wonders of that useless language called BASIC on 8 bit micros from the eighties amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. What next, slide rules? If I had money and social media clout then I would buy SGI (Silicon Graphics) and get kids to learn the MIPS instruction set on refrigerator sized machines that needed their own power station. But no, got to let it go.

askonomm 1y ago
In a world where quality content or products disappear at an ever quicker pace, replaced with generic slop with no emotional attachment, functioning as just a way to extract something from you, the consumer, nostalgia becomes ever more valuable. Maybe not let everything go? Maybe letting things go is why we're at the current state of toxic consumerism that nobody likes.
topspin 1y ago
> Sometimes you have got to let things go. Yes, but it's too early for Commodore. Commodore is fondly remembered by Gen X, and Gen X is still alive and has the means to indulge its nostalgia.
rbanffy 1y ago
I can easily see a new generation of Silicon Graphics machines powered by something like a MI300R (R because the amd64 cores would be replaced by RISC-V ones, which are the natural heirs to MIPS). Or we could repurpose the SGI acronym to be Silicon Graphics and Intelligence to catch the AI wave. And, of course, publish OpenIRIX under GPLv3. Including the screensavers.
- touggourt 1y ago
  For those interested by the Irix desktop, Maxx Intercative is a free autorized clone https://docs.maxxinteractive.com/ https://docs.maxxinteractive.com/
  - 1y ago

palmfacehn 1y ago

Can someone briefly explain what the actual product will be? Not interested in going down a rabbit hole with a series of videos. I just want a straight to the point explanation.

alanfalcon 1y ago
That'll be revealed in episode 3. (They do have Jeri Ellsworth and some OGs from Commodore signed up to be part of the team though, and seem to genuine love the brand and have nostalgia for the C64, so I have cautious optimism!)
- mattl 1y ago
  I’m sure multiple video parts is supposed to raise hype but it has the opposite effect on me.
  - palmfacehn 1y ago
    Perhaps the content creator's brand is the product here. The hardware may be a side dish, if it ever materializes?

andrewstuart 1y ago

It’s very odd that the first product announced is not a retro computer but some sort of anti social media product. Doesn’t take long for directions to change. Strikes me the main real opportunity was to bring the original C64 back to life, not to go to war with social media, which is so unrelated to retro computing and commodore that I shook my head and turned off the announcement video.

deleted 1y ago

[deleted]

emsign 1y ago

I like the enthusiasm for Retrofuturism, that if you didn't get the future that you were once promised 20-30 years ago you just create it anyway. I think that's a more humane alternative "to move fast and break things". I'm so sick of the latter and its negative effects on societies.

mrandish 1y ago

It's important to understand that: * Commodore B.V. only owns the Commodore trademark and logo. They do not own any of the Commodore source code, patents, designs, etc. They do not own the Amiga trademarks, logos, source code, ROMs, etc. * The exact terms and status of the transaction are unclear, however it appears to be a letter of intent and contingent on raising sufficient funds, which has not yet been done.

arresin 1y ago
The logo and name wouldnt be a lot for a “low seven figure” payment.