On the Edge: The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Commodore

By: Brian Bagnall

Published September 1st 2006 by Variant Press (first published September 14th 2005)

Category: Business

Pages: 548 pages

ISBN: 9780973864908

Description:

Filled with first-hand accounts of ambition, greed, and inspired engineering, this history of the personal computer revolution takes readers inside the cutthroat world of Commodore. Before Apple, IBM, or Dell, Commodore was the first computer maker to market its machines to the public, selling an estimated 22 million Commodore 64s. These halcyon days were tumultuous, however, owing to the expectations and unsparing tactics of founder Jack Tramiel. Engineers and managers with the company between 1976 and 1994 share their experiences of the groundbreaking moments, soaring business highs, and stunning employee turnover that came along with being on top of the PC world in the early days.