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Commodore - Back In The Hardware Biz At Last?

Posted by simoniker on from the nobody-beats-the dept.

Aphrika writes "Commodore is back in the hardware business [via current owners Tulip Computers] and this time they're taking on... Apple? Due for release in August are three MP3 players; the eVic, fPet and mPet. The eVic is a 20GB (hence the name) hard drive-based player, while the mPet and fPet are closer to the Muvo/iRiver styled flash players. They'll also be hoping you pay a visit to the Commodore World Music Store once in a while to stock up on tunes..." We also recently mentioned Commodore's 'TV Game' and ROM-store projects over at Slashdot Games.

7 of 400 comments (clear)

  1. marketing ploy by grahagre · · Score: 5, Insightful

    this is of course a marketing ploy to draw on the vintage name of commodore, and might i say a damn good one; if i didnt have an ipod i'd buy from them right away!

  2. name by senatorpjt · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's not Commodore, it's just the name.

    It's like if I started calling my garage Digital Equipment Corporation and started selling pet rocks, it doesn't have anything to do with a VAX.

    1. Re:name by H0NGK0NGPH00EY · · Score: 4, Insightful

      But it's no different than what "Napster" or "Atari" has done.

      --
      Do not read this sig.
  3. Really just a Dutch company called Tulip... by MMHere · · Score: 4, Insightful

    They bought the Commodore name some years ago and have just now revived it for an unrelated line of hardware.

    So this isn't really Commodore -- why should anyone care?

  4. Manufacturers still don't get it by noewun · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The mp3 player market is now a commodity market, which means the focus is of user friendliness and style, not features. There is precious little to choose between the various horizontally-opposed players; what sets the iPod apart is its style and its user interface. Your average consumer isn't going to care about the name Commodore. They will want to know whether the thing works and looks better than an iPod.

    --
    I am a believer of momentum and curves.
  5. Re:Huh? by jimbolaya · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Commodore, it would seem, also needs a hint. "Cute" names that only a geek will get aren't like to sell a tremendous number of MP3 players. "iPod" struck me as an odd name, but Apple wasn't trying to be geek-cute when they chose that name. And they don't market the iPod as a geek toy, but as a hip accessory. Apple gets that music is about "cool" and "hip," and its obviously worked for them. Dell ("It's all about Cheap") and the rest of them either haven't learned this yet, or haven't been able to capitalize on it.

    --

    There ain't no rules here; we're trying to accomplish something.

  6. Re:This is shamefulThis is shameful by thephotoman · · Score: 4, Insightful

    While Microsoft got the rights to the look and feel legally, they didn't get the rights to the security, functionality, and sheer usability. Basically, they got the rights to make crap look pretty.

    --
    Haec merda tauri est. Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.