Re: Commodore and Apple

["Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com>]

Jim Butterfield wrote:
> On Sat, 5 Mar 2005 15:13:46 -0700, "White Flame \(aka David Holz\)"
> <NOSPAMwhiteflame52@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
> >  I doubt that during the development of the
> > original Apple that they were anybody that a chip manufacturer would
> > approach about using their chips. 
>
>
> Some years later, Commodore bragged that they gave Jobs and Wozniak
> their first chips.  They meant MOS Technology, of course.  And I would
> find it believable that a small manufacturer, coming late into a hard
> market, would try to sweeten their chips to developers whenever they
> found an opportunity.
>
> Doesn't mean it really happened that way, of course.  But I find it
> curious that Commodore would otherwise admit to giving a start to a
> major competitor.  At the time, I wondered why they would say this,
> even if true; they must have been feeling very secure.

Sorry, but that's nonsense.

Apple Computer didn't even exist when Woz made the processor decision,
and he did it at a conference, visiting a MOS Technology booth, based
on the (amazingly) low price in small (single) quantities.

MOS Technology had no idea at the time that this particular customer
would play a significant role in the future of their processor.

Much later, when Apple was already incorporated, and looking to
negotiate a deal for large numbers of 6502's, I would expect any
prospective supplier to offer a couple of dozen evaluation samples.
Perhaps this is what "Commodore" was referring to.

-michael

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Home page:  http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/