info-mac@uw-beaver (info-mac) (08/25/84)
From: Werner Uhrig <CMP.WERNER@UTEXAS-20.ARPA> COMMODORE TO BUY AMIGA ----------------------------- (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. -------