Commodore joins Netbook crowd

(Credit: Liliputing)

Updated at 5:54 p.m. PDT to clarify that the "Commodore" in the Commodore UMMD 8010/F is most likely only an homage to the company of yore.

Gadget watchers on the tubes are atwitter with news that the Commodore name is having a decidedly 2008 moment in connection with the nascent but red-hot Netbook market.

The Commodore UMMD 8010/F, announced at the IFA consumer show in Berlin, will sport a 1.6GHz Via C7-M processor and will have an 80GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, and optional Bluetooth. The machine will have 10-inch display and a 1.3-megapixel camera. Prices are expected to start at $610.

The Netbook joins the fast-growing new category of small, cheap laptops exemplifed by Asus' Eee PC.

With low-power processors, and tiny screens and keyboards, most Netbooks available today aren't good for much more than surfing the Web, checking e-mail, working on office documents, and maybe a little minor multimedia fun--though those tasks do comprise a bulk of what most people do on their laptops.

No doubt some consumers will be drawn to the Commodore UMMD 8010/F for its nostalgic appeal. The Commodore name is indelibly linked to iconic computers of the '80s such as the C64 and the Amiga. But times change, and old companies often fade away--several years back, Dutch company Yeahronimo Media Ventures bought the rights to the Commodore name, with the express goal of selling gadgets and trading on "not only the brand name but also the heritage of Commodore."

If you have any insights on the new Commodore devices and the company behind the name today, let us know in the comments section below the story.

And before you go shopping for any Netbook, you might want to take a look at CNET editor Dan Ackerman's tips for finding the perfect Netbook.

[lkrupp]

And it will tri-boot AmigaOS, OS X, and Linux. No?

[DarkHawke]

Only in our dreams, my friend. Only in our dreams!

[Stephen Macklin]

They may be buying it for nostalgia, maybe for price - but NOT for the name. The "UMMD 8010/F" just doesn't roll of the tongue.

[rick19355]

That's hardly the Commodore of iconic '80s C64 and Amiga fame! It's no more than the name, which they're using for nostalgic appeal (for anybody who's silly enough to think it's really the same company).

[Leslie Katz]

You know, there seems some debate as to whether this Netbook is linked to the Commodore that made the C64 or is just using the company's name, as many have done. Thanks for pointing out; tried to make that more clear.

[Dirk VanNerden]

I'm bout to pop a tape in my Vic-20 and kick it oldschool!

[Magicland]

This has nothing to do with Commodore, who was a great computer manufacturer in the 80's. The name's been bought and sold more often than Pamella Anderson in the last 30 years. Somebody's just trying to make a buck off of it, and at that price, they'll probably fail.

[Urza9814]

I don't get these things. For a _lower_ price you can get a 2GHz dual-core CPU, 2 gigs of RAM in a 15" dell Vostro. Yea, it does have a slight size advantage, but 15" isn't that big. My girlfriend has fit bigger computers than this in her purse :P

[limefan913]

Well, I wasn't sure what the last two words of that comment were about to be...

[ssratt]

If they had bothered to offer it at a good price I would have been tempted, right now though unless they take a hard look at drop it to under $500 I will be going with the Aspire 1 for $400

[AmigoHombre]

I worked at Commodore US corporate headquarters during some of the final years. I wouldn't expect that brand or heritage to carry much mail by now, at least in terms of the probable market for such a device.

[Magallanes]

Because Commodore, Spectrum, Amstrad and Atari was a part of the old-good-days. Virus, patch, firewall, spywares,bsod, rrod, several drivers and many of the nasty subproducts of this electronic era was inexistent for this machine.

[robd11]

If it comes pre-loaded with that cool lander game I'm in.

[smokified]

I miss my Amiga.

[SandyJarvlet]

> I worked at Commodore US corporate headquarters during some of the final years.

Did you know Jim or Melissa Bertlett? They were engineers but were of the "farmer" heritage (literally, like most good people of West Chester, PA back then). Very cool people -- helped me (at 8 years old) all the time with my C64.

Anyway - in the spirit of "Farmers" Jim and Melissa, here's a riddle for you:

Q: Where do you find the best farmer?

[ Answer at: http://cackl.com/joke/view/656/Where-do-you-find-the-best-farmer ]

Thanks for the Commodore memories, and whereever the J&M are, hope you're doing well!

[LogicProphet]

This is crappy Marketing. The only thing it has in common with the Commodore is in name and if that's they're selling point they should prepare to be sorely disappointed. 1st of its running on a Via processors most netbooks are already gunning with Atoms processors which significantly improves battery life. 2ndly its a 10" screen net-books are within that range but that's like the last alternative most net-books range from the 7" to 9" display. Lastly is the price $610?! the EEE1000 is a 10" net book with an atom processor and its price range is $549.

Basically an under powered processors, no real eye popping features,and a high price range "nostalgic appeal" is not gonna cut it.

[rdelfin]

Even though I learned BASIC with the original Brown commodres and Vic-20s, I jumped onto the Commodore wagon by owning one of the newer incarnations of the C-64 (the light-beige one). I also had the 5.25" Disk drive (I think it was the 1541-II model?, also with the newer aesthetics), and man.. I remember how fly I felt with my GEOS set-up and all....

[BadLag]

I still have my 128 in my computer museum, man, 2 computers in one, 64 Basic and 128 CPM, yee haw...but for the time, the Commodore was a great machine, I remember connecting with the lightning fast 300 Baud rate modem, using Paperclip software and going to BBS's...cool
I don't think attaching the Commodore name to a new PC is going to sell many machines though...IMO

[danielszabo1981]

commo who?

[stalepie2]

Looks neat, I like it. Dark screen though?

[zeke707]

The product will not fly. Too little for too much. The real Commodore Vic20, C64, Amiga were ahead of their time. This product would have been neat in 1981.