info-mac@uw-beaver (info-mac) (08/25/84)
From: Werner Uhrig <CMP.WERNER@UTEXAS-20.ARPA>
COMMODORE TO BUY AMIGA
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(from the Austin American Statesman, late last week sometimes)
West Chester, Pa (AP) - Commodore International Ltd. says it agreed to
acquire Amiga Corp., a small maker of microcomputers that rival
machines made by Apple Computer Inc.
Terms of the proposed purchase were not disclosed.
Amiga is a closely held firm based in Santa Clara, Calif. Commodore
is the nation's leading producer of home computers.
Industry analysts said the acquisition would enable Commodore to
introduce a personal computer with similar processing power and color
graphics capabilities as Apple's Macintosh, but that costs less.
Two months ago Amiga unveiled its Macintosh-like computer at a price
of $1500, compared with the $2,495 pricetag for the Macintosh.
And last week Commodore's chief executive, Marshall Smith, said
Commodore would soon introduce a small high-performance computer like
Macintosh for "well under $1,000."
The Amiga computer and Macintosh employ 32-bit microprocessors,
meaning they can manage 32 pieces of data simultaneously. Most other
personal computers costing under $1,500 use less powerful 8 and 16-bit
processors.
Besides giving Commodore a quick entry into the market for 32-bit
computers, Commodore's announcement also was seen as a competitive
move against Atari Inc., another home-computer maker that was acquired
in July by Commodore's former president, Jack Tramiel.
It had been widely reported that Tramiel also wants to market a
Macintosh rival that sells for less than $1,500.
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