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.

Seeking to ascertain how the Commodore Amiga, a computer now widely regarded as having been five years ahead of its competition, failed so spectacularly in the marketplace, this book takes an in-depth look at the people and personalities behind it. The often unflattering picture that emerges is one of top-level executives who had little understanding of how to market their product to the public and a company that struggled to remain relevant. Other products that Commodore produced and tried to market, such as the C128, Geos, game consoles, and the untold story of the proposed successor to the record-breaking C64—the C65—are also examined in depth. Told through firsthand interviews with company insiders, this examination of the now defunct company traces the often baffling decisions that led to the eventual demise of Commodore.

Concluding the Commodore trilogy, this book takes a look at Commodore's resurgence in the late 1980's and then ultimate demise. This was a period of immense creativity from engineers within the company, who began "moonshot" projects using emerging CD-ROM technology. Get to know the people behind Commodore's successes and failures as they battle to stay relevant amidst blistering competition from Nintendo, Apple, and the onslaught of IBM PC clones. Told through interviews with company insiders, this examination of the now defunct company traces the engineering breakthroughs and baffling decisions that led to the demise of Commodore.