COMMODORE FEATURED ON PUBLIC TV

By Dick Estel

Around the middle of August 1988, the Public Broadcasting System featured the Commodore 64 on its weekly series, The Computer Chronicles. Since this show is heavily oriented to the IBM compatible world, it was surprising and gratifying that the show's hosts, Stuart Cheifet and Gary Kildall, presented the Commodore as something more than a game machine.

The program featured several users who are doing something a little out of the ordinary with their machines. One lady had written a program that would print out patterns for knitting. Another user had a wine selection program that apparently is being used as a customer service in some Bay Area supermarkets.

There were also displays of graphics and music capabilities. And the show visited a user group meeting where members commented on the purpose of such organizations.

In addition, Commodore president Max Toy was briefly interviewed. His comments centered on the continued support the company plans for the Commodore. He stated that the company continues to sell over a million C64's annually world wide. Toy responded to the frequent dismissal of the 64 as "outdated" by noting that it is the most common computer for first-time users, and to someone new to computers, the technology is still new.

The show also featured an interview with Berkeley Softworks chief Brian Dougherty. He stated that he developed the GEOS system because of a feeling that programmers had not yet pushed the machine to its limits. He also pointed out that expanded capabilities for the 64 are partly due to the use of sophisticated new development tools.

Present for a studio interview was Kelly Flock from Electronic Arts, who demonstrated their new "Skate or Die" program.

Although there was a hint of condescension in Cheifet's chuckling reference to "the good old Commodore 64," overall it was a very positive presentation of the capabilities of this workhorse computer. (Best of all, the word "Amiga" was used only twice!)

(10/88)