Reg Hardware

Comments on: Commodore launches little laptop

*checks calendar* 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 12:05 GMT

Black Helicopters

Its not April again already is it??

They really missed a trick here, if it was installed with AmigaOS, or even just dual boot into Amiga in a Box (http://aiab.amiga.sk), this thing would FLY off the shelves through nostalgia alone.

A C= branded machine running XP, perish the thought.

Better name 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 12:11 GMT

Heart

They should call it the Commodore Amoeba...

I would buy one of these if it had a Linux option, i was a big fan of Commodore back in the days.

Nice design 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 12:17 GMT

Shame the keyboard color resemble and early C16.

No thanks. 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 12:18 GMT

Thumb Down

While I'm the first in the line for an Amiga laptop for all sorts of wrong reasons, that looks TERRIBLE. The design is like an 80s brick!

A C7??? 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 12:18 GMT

Thumb Down

One of the new Via Nanos I could understand but why on earth put a C7 in there and then compound your failure by slapping a £300+ price tag on it?!

Wot, no AmigaOS? 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 12:21 GMT

Thumb Down

"There'll be no Linux option, apparently, only Windows XP."

If it came with a 2008 version of AmigaOS, then I might have got excited. Instead it's just another bland overpriced disappointment from a brand name that ought to have the grace to just die.

Nice 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 12:33 GMT

Release a proper Amiga hardware version with Workbench and you've got yourselves a sale.

Just don't expect any support... 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 12:33 GMT

Would never buy another commodore product - their support is non existent (in this country at least). Just like Cowon...

There'll be no Linux option, apparently, only Windows XP. 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 12:40 GMT

You can always disagree to the Windows XP T&Cs, uninstall and claim the money back. It's happened before.

If it's a Commodore 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 13:00 GMT

It'll be a notebook computer with a HUGE power brick that could warm a house - and a tape drive.

WANT 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 13:05 GMT

Happy

OK, judging by the photos, it's no Macbook Air, but for God's sake IT'S GOT A COMMODORE LOGO ON IT! Will definitely up my street cred with the retro computing commuter crowd. The beige plasticy look of it is a nice retro nod too...

ARGH! 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 13:06 GMT

Thumb Down

£325. C7M. XP.

Why, dear god, WHY. What is the point of this?! It'll be slow as hell with the cache-crippled VIA CPU and XP, and the Commodore brand isn't even backed up with a comprehensive/well integrated emulator?

What is the point of launching this dreck when there are established, CHEAPER models?!

No unix 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 13:09 GMT

no go.

Looks ok though, but it will run like the proverbial dog.

Now if one can get the windows tax taken off the price, that could be a goer.

talkin' 'bout the resolution! 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 13:22 GMT

Alert

10" screen = good.

1gb ram = soso

HD = bad (need SSD's you muppets!)

bbbut what's da res, baby?

cheers,

bill

stuff and nonsense: http://www.eupeople.net/forum

Yes, blimey, AmigaOs! 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 13:39 GMT

Gosh yeah, I'd love to see one of those released with AmigaOs, then I could, erm, well I'm not sure what I could do with it really.

Erm, I just kinda remember when computing was fun? - as clearly it's not anymore, is it?

I'm confused.

I'm going to get all nostalgic with my ZX-Spectrum - anyone got a bit of duct tape? - now this is fun...

Re C64 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 13:40 GMT

Happy

Are they still using the same batch of plastic to make the case?

Commodore != Amiga 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 13:41 GMT

These days, both Commodore and Amiga only exist as brands owned by companies that hope to cash in on their brand recognition (much like Atari). The company that owns the Commodore brand is not the same one that owns the Amiga brand. "Commodore" these days seem to just make standard x86 PCs with pretty cases, while "Amiga" claims to be "a software company dedicated to creating applications and services to help people access and control the content of their unique digital environment. We call this Digital Living™". Bleugh.

a decidedly C64-beating £325 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 13:50 GMT

My C64 cost more than £325! ...before adding a display and disc drive ;)

Windows XP? 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 13:58 GMT

Thumb Down

It ain't a Commodore, it's a shit sandwich.

Does it at least come with... 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 14:11 GMT

Coat

Does it at least come with the V.I.C.E. emulator and a nice selection of C64 games preinstalled? How about an IEEE-488 port just for fun?

At least it isn't Vista. 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 14:23 GMT

Microsoft have been pushing XP as the OS for this general class of computer, so I'm not all that suprised.

And everyone and their dog sells USB stuff with XP support. Linux, on the other hand, can be a trap. Even "Linux" on the packaging is no guarantee. And, because of that, supporting Linux can be a PITA.

But there is a very comfortable space between no official support, and not being able to easily run Linux. The stupidity is when a manufacturer sells a machine like this which cannot easily run Linux.

Ameagre. 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 14:35 GMT

Coat

I think my comment is in my other coat.

Pointless 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 14:40 GMT

....its doesn't even have a run-stop key....

This brought a rush of nostalgia 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 14:46 GMT

Paris Hilton

Yep, it should come with c64/amiga emulators and a range of apps & games.

Paris - who doesn't understand it cos she was born too late.

Want the next one 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 15:34 GMT

Linux

I'll wait for the next revision and a bit of a price drop, but I'm really liking the commodore color combo.

SSD instead of HD will be welcome too, as is a no OS/linux version.

Oh, and come on, at least include vice + uae, with legal roms.

Anyone else notice.. 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 15:41 GMT

Stop

that those two pictures feature different systems?

Note the rounded edges in the first pic..

Make one with Sinclair branding... 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 15:53 GMT

...and I might be interested!

Nostalgia... 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 16:05 GMT

Come on everyone, the biggest problem with this thing is the price tag! If they sold it for 50 quid they could rock the entire industry and become a "cult" brand on the back of their current nostalgia value. Instead they hobble it and hock it off for £325? If only the accountants hadn't stuck their noses in...

Seriously though, what would be the problem with just wiping it and installing your own Linux?

<dream>Now I want an Acorn one.. 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 16:24 GMT

Stop

With an ARM chip, that can duel boot Risc OS and Linux! </dream>

Acorn ruled in all they did.... 'cept marketing :(

Flames from (cheers Jolyon..) Ameagre/Atari/Anti-Acorn fanatics will be ignored so save you fingers..

Shame I just got the eee 901 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 16:44 GMT

Thumb Up

Or this thing would be top of the list.

I loved my c64, and the logo alone would sell this thing to me.

ARM 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 17:04 GMT

Almost every portable device that is NOT an x86 laptop/netbook is ARM based

Nokia Smart phones

iPhone

Archos 6th Gen and new Archos net tablets

unlike the x86 camp the ARM is a core in a chip that does everything.

shame on you nostaligia freaks 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 17:14 GMT

nobody caught the "peek, poke" reference to scanning and inserting memory data?

Commodore Beige? 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 17:32 GMT

WTF? It's clearly white. The white balance on the shot hasn't been corrected for artificial lighting.

Again, price-wise - Acer Aspire One, 1GB/120GB, Linux, £229. 1024 x 600, decent 1.6GHz CPU. Asus machines are also competing on similar levels, as is the MSI Wind.

The Commodore shown here, the Maplin/Elonex machine... they're all exceptionally poor value by comparison.

Joe: I was tempted to stick Sinclair logos on my black Eee 701 ;)

Acorn stuff - well, the brand got snapped up. Make enough noise, I'm sure the current owners will be happy to market a subnotebook running XP on a crippled CPU as well.

Nah..Marketing failure- 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 18:20 GMT

Coat

No pert tart on the beach (or bitch on my pert ...)

Ye'well. I was born in Chelsea. Pobody's Nerfect.

to Richard Kilpatrick 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 19:24 GMT

Heart

"I was tempted to stick Sinclair logos on my black Eee 701" - now

thats a damn fine idea.... especially the nice main bar one.. I might do that on my black Eee 900

Nostalgia aint the word 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 20:04 GMT

if theyre going to sell that. they should keep it on the drawing baord. until they make it not look like something from the 80s, or they`ll be living on workbench patents for the next 15yrs

It's got FAIL written all over it. 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 20:37 GMT

Thumb Down

It does what the Acer Aspire One does, only it costs more and doesn't look as good. No Linux and at a price point that is way above the Eee so it's not in that market either. Who is going to buy it?

MMMM, Commodore 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 22:44 GMT

Boffin

Well, £325 is a little much for a C7 based laptop, and with only 1GB RAM, and 80GB HDD, it's not really worth it.

Shame they didn't use the Atom or the Nano in this and triple the hard drive size and double the RAM, then it would be a contender.

I wouldn't be surprised if they were counting on the Commodore branding to sell it.

Also it should come preloaded with a C64 Emulator and every game that was ever made for the C64.

Underspecced, overpriced... 

Posted Tuesday 2nd September 2008 23:57 GMT

Go

They seem to have gone straight back to the days of the Amiga 600 and CD32.

And if it's anything like my second generation C64, it'll be about as reliable as, er, something sentient with a nasty sense of humour. Although that might have been the tape deck being crap.

Still, nowt wrong with a bit of nostalgia...and my S1 C64/tape deck was much better in terms of reliabilty.

[I want my one in S1 C64 light grey with black keys [and the System keys - Win, Pause, PrntScrn et al can be dark grey. In a row. Down the side]

Lovely.

Steven

10 Print "Steven R is great";

20 goto 10

30 End

Raith

Er.... 

Posted Wednesday 3rd September 2008 00:11 GMT

Holy factual inaccuracy Batman!.

According to this: http://www.commodorecorp.com/repository/document/90.pdf factsheet from the Commodore website. Which is freely available and publicly facing, and should have been easily accessed by anyone. This machine comes with "MS WinXP or Linux Operating System."

Also note that this SCC has it's own girl on the first page. While not as scantily clad as the EEE girl, she's still quite attractive.

The guy on the second page, however, looks pretty confused; and well he should be.. why is he there.. he doesn't even have a computer.. just a cup of coffee or tea.

If it's got an HDD its not an SCC 

Posted Wednesday 3rd September 2008 03:09 GMT

Unhappy

If there's no SSD then its not an SCC.

I think I'll stick an old C64 sticker on my Asus and run Frodo on it, thanks.

If it could run my 'Blue Meanies' cartridge I'd be sold!! 

Posted Wednesday 3rd September 2008 03:25 GMT

Flogged the Vic 20 on tatBay years ago - big mistake..........Nuff said...

Mines the one with the cream and beige pockets!!!

@Dave 

Posted Wednesday 3rd September 2008 08:17 GMT

Yes, very enlightening. It doesn't specify the clock speed of that C7, the resolution of the display, the formats handled by the card reader...

What is does clarify is that:

The device is white.

The USB ports are in a stupid place.

FWIW, they may plan to offer it with Linux but are choosing to offer it with XP only for the time being. Not that El Reg is always accurate or even fair (see: FlipStart coverage), but they're only going to be as good as the information they're given when dealing with press released or third-party reports from shows.

Um.... 

Posted Wednesday 3rd September 2008 08:48 GMT

Stop

The datasheet....

She's using a DELL laptop! And that guy's just begging for change, because he's not got enough money for "the train home".

I'd love nothing more than the nostalgia factor of a Winblows Amiga Laptop, but they can't even sort out their datasheet, then I'm out...

Erm..Aint that... 

Posted Wednesday 3rd September 2008 09:04 GMT

...a Sinclair MK14 in a tacky case? Now, THAT was a real 'puter!

decisions 

Posted Wednesday 3rd September 2008 12:11 GMT

Paris Hilton

Since when have Commodore or Amiga ever made good business decisions ?

btw.. AmigaOS is still alive and very much in development

http://www.hyperion-entertainment.biz:8080/news/2008-07-11

If a laptop/tot was released with Os4.1 > I'd be first in line to buy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSAhR7uXcCc

Regards

Outcast

Ps.. Paris.. Coz I reckon she's got better business sense than C= A.Inc Combined

Re: Um.... 

Posted Wednesday 3rd September 2008 12:40 GMT

Thumb Up

And two of the pics in the commodore PDF are EEE's ! Still want one tho.

poke 36879,8 

Posted Wednesday 3rd September 2008 12:46 GMT

I'd wager none of you youngsters can remember what this did on a Vic-20.

Poke 36879,8 

Posted Wednesday 3rd September 2008 14:22 GMT

Sets the screen and border to black.

Damn I'm good.