Leonard Tramiel - Part 1 - Commodore

Leonard Tramiel - Part 1 - Commodore

Author: Karl Kuras November 10, 2022 Duration: 1:18:19

No family name is more associated with the early popularization of computers than Tramiel. We speak with Leonard Tramiel, son of Commodore co-founder Jack Tramiel about his life growing up around tech, his role in Commodore's earliest machines and becoming VP of Software at Atari.
In this first part of our interview Leonard talks about programming Commodore calculators, advising his dad on the entry into computers, creating PETSCII, Jack's departure from Commodore, and the start of what would become the Atari ST.

Recorded March 2022.

Get us on your mobile device:
Android: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly92aWRlb2dhbWVuZXdzcm9vbXRpbWVtYWNoaW5lLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz
iOS: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/video-game-newsroom-time-machine

And if you like what we are doing here at the podcast, don't forget to like us on your podcasting app of choice, YouTube, and/or support us on patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/VGNRTM

Send comments on twitter @videogamenewsr2
Or
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vgnrtm
Or
videogamenewsroomtimemachine@gmail.com

Links:
https://www.seti.org/leonard-tramiel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_International
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Tramiel
http://www.vintagecalculators.com/html/commodore_calculators.html
https://vintage-technology.club/pages/calculators/commodore/calcrefcom.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Peddle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Door_into_Summer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Electronics_Show
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_PET
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PETSCII
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_VIC-20
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari#Atari_Corporation_(1984%E2%80%931996)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiraz_Shivji
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Mensch
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiga
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_ST
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_ST#Operating_system
https://vintagecomputerstories.blogspot.com/2022/01/if-looks-could-kill.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_TED
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_Panther
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_Jaguar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Minter
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Carmack
Virtual Light Machine - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V21Dv9zfDhc
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_Jaguar#Jaguar_VR
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JT_Storage
Leonard Tramiel Scepticism - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=936ORwrr7AM
Leonard Tramiel TEDx - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRBU8pEDWwY
Atari Annual Report 1994 - https://archive.org/details/AtariCorporationAnnualReport1994/page/n12/mode/1up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amazing_Meeting
Leonard Tramiel at CommVEx 2015 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfJzMAyDh_I

Other resources:
https://dayintechhistory.com/news/jack-tramiel-family-years-atari/
https://www.arcadeattack.co.uk/leonard-tramiel/


Ever wonder what gamers were actually talking about decades ago, before online forums and endless hot takes? Each month, Video Game Newsroom Time Machine hosted by Karl Kuras does exactly that, dusting off the headlines and magazine pages from the past. This isn't just a nostalgia trip; it's a grounded look at the industry's turning points as they happened. You'll hear about the surprising announcements, the forgotten controversies, and the hardware launches that had everyone buzzing-from arcade trends in Japan to home computer wars in Europe and North America. The podcast specifically revisits news from exactly 30, 40, and 50 years prior, creating a unique layered perspective on how video game culture evolved. It’s like sitting in a newsroom from a different era, piecing together the stories that shaped the games we remember today. Tune in for a monthly dose of context, where the past conversations about pixels and processors feel surprisingly fresh and directly connected to the present.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine
Podcast Episodes
January 1984 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:30:55
Jack Tramiel leaves Commodore, Apple advertises the Mac & Amstrad enters the home computer market These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and aro…
William Volk - Avalon Hill, Activision, Lightspan, PlayScreen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:17:55
Few developers can boast careers spanning more than 4 decades, but today's guest, William Volk has developed games for virtually every platform released, covering every genre, including strategy, RPG, adventures, educati…
December 1993 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:19:07
Night Trap gets Lieberman's panties in a bunch, Id unleashes Doom & Apple II is no more These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the vi…
December 1983 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:20:07
Toys push games off of shelves, GUIs vie for supremacy & Coinops' laserdisc dreams dashed These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the…
The Computer Chronicles - 40th Anniversary with S.M. Oliva [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:01:36
40 years ago, American television saw the dawn of a nationwide show updating viewers on the latest developments in the exciting world of computers, The Computer Chronicles. We dive into the history of this show with blog…
November 1993 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:25:56
Next gen trash talk heats up, Nintendo and Sega trapped by strong yen & CDROM can't pay the rent These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and arou…
November 1983 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:08:50
IBM introduces the PCJr Coleco ships the Adam Infocom disses graphics These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the video game industry…
Gregg Barnett - Beam Software, Discworld [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:41:15
Gregg Barnett is a 40 year veteran of the gaming industry, having started with porting The Hobbit to the C64, developing the legendary Way of the Exploding Fist, bringing Discworld to computers and today working on high…
October 1993 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:42:38
Nintendo profits crash, Next gen console battle begins & Arcades go 3D These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the video game industry…