# RIP Jack Tramiel

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-jack-tramiel/618302>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 9, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-jack-tramiel/618302 "2012-04-09T21:21:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-jack-tramiel/618302/1 "2012-04-09T21:21:57Z")

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Jack Tramiel, founder of Commodore, has [died](http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2012/04/09/computer-legend-and-gaming-pioneer-jack-tramiel-dies-at-age-83/).

I literally bumped into him on the stairs at a computer show in the U.K. about 25 years ago. I’ve long regretted not making more of happenstance.

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**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-jack-tramiel/618302/2 "2012-04-09T21:31:48Z")

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I remember when the suits booted him out of Commodore even though he was personally responsible for its success to that point because they felt he couldn’t take the company to “the next level”.

It turned out that neither could they. Commodore started sinking like a stone the day he left.

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**Author:** ![Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marconi_N.Cheese)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-jack-tramiel/618302/3 "2012-04-10T01:56:08Z")

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☹ My very first computer was a VIC20. It started me on a career in IT. Thanks, Jack!

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**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-jack-tramiel/618302/4 "2012-04-10T17:37:09Z")

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I worked for Jack at Atari. He was a really interesting guy - very confrontational and much feared by employees, but an incredibly sharp businessman.

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**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-jack-tramiel/618302/5 "2012-04-10T17:45:55Z")

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Poke 53280,0

☹

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**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-jack-tramiel/618302/6 "2012-04-10T20:30:55Z")

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So I wonder who will end up with the old Atari Swordquest prizes that he supposedly had.