THE HOME COMPUTER WARS Michael S. Tomczyk An Insider's Account of Commodore and Jack Tramiel This book is dedicated to all the people who said I'd never make it, because they're the ones who made me try the hardest. MST ---------------------------------Contents Acknowledgments Chapter One 1979: Welcome to the War Chapter Two Foreign Wars: The Japanese Are Coming Chapter Three Captain Jack and the Temple of Doom Chapter Four The Walrus and the Carpenter Chapter Five Chicago CES: The War Starts Here Chapter Six Crossing the Delaware Chapter Seven Grace Under Pressure: The Real Story of the VIC-20 Chapter Eight Commodorians: The "Force" Was with Us Chapter Nine Winning the War & The Last Days of Pompeii Chapter Ten The New Atarians -----------------------------
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Acknowledgments This book is based on my own recollections, impressions, and viewpoint. Those who helped fill in the facts and helped me recall some of the stories and conversations have my sincere thanks. If I inadvertently left out anyone's contribution, my sincere apologies. And the following people I'm pleased to be able to thank publicly here: My wife Kim Tuyen, for making me feel like a genius when I felt like a shlub; my mother, Mrs. Dorothy Davis, for giving up her singing career so I could be a writer; my aunt, Mrs. E. A. Thomas, for helping me keep my perspective. Kit and Lesley Spencer, who encouraged me to write this story; and to special Commodorians John Feagans, Lee Schreiber, Tony Tokai, Don Richard, Harald Speyer, Dick Sanford, Greg Pratt, Rich Wiggins, Tom Hyltin, Gail Wellington, Yashi Terakura, Chuck Peddle, Jim Baclimann, Eli Kenan, Jo Marinello, Pat Jones, and Sig Hartmann. VIC commandos Neil Harris, Andy Finkel, Rick Cotton, David Street, Jeff Bruette, and Sue Mittnacht, for their constant "benutzefreundlichkeit". Mentors O. John Haering, Robert von Bergen, and the late Professor David Lippert, for introducing me to busines and journalism. Lisa Braden, Linda Thomas, and Steve Eisenberg, for contributing photos. Robert Lock, for helping me get started in the computer industry; and the entire staff at COMPUTE! Publications for their help and support, especially Richard Mansfield and Juanita Lewis who helped edit this book, and Gary Ingersoll, Stephen Levy, and Lance Elko. Irving Gould, for his courtesy and generosity over the years. And, of course, my continuing gratitude to Jack and Helen Tramiel, for inviting me along on the grand adventure and allowing me to chronicle those exciting years. In 1980, when I joined Commodore, I made it clear to Jack Tramiel that, as a writer and journalist, I expected to eventually write a book on my experiences at Commodore. He and several executives I later worked for encouraged me to write "the Commodore story," and it was agreed that I would someday chronicle the experience when the time was right.