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RETRO
DECEMBER 2019|COMPUTER SHOPPER|ISSUE 382
n16th December 1985, journalist
Michael Schrage heldatongue-in-
cheek awards ceremonyforthe
computer industry within the pagesofThe
WashingtonPost.Hes aid his ‘PCof the Action’
awards would addalittle humour inayear
that had plumbed the depthsof despair,
handing the ‘Lazarus, Never SayDie’award to
Microsoftfor finally releasing Windows and
‘Best Jobs Hunter’toA pple’s lawyers.
In among these was an award labelled
‘Survivorof the Year and, Jeez, He’s Got Sharp
Teeth’–ana ccolade givento Jack Tramiel. He
was deemed worthyof this honour because he
was“stillrunningAtariandisshippingproducts
that people are buying”.Its ummed upTramiel
perfectly,since he was not only knownto be a
gruff, rude,ruthless yet savvy businessman
who had survivedamost terrible periodof
history ,he’dalso pulledoff anear-miracle.
Although many would
question his tactics, he had
turned aroundAtari’s
fortunes having bought it
and pulled it awayfrom the
brink of collapse.The fact
he had helped pushAtari to
the edgeof that cliff thanks
to his previous success
with Commodore was
ironic. But here he was on the other sideof
adversity,experiencing an enlightening high
after adark low–albeit nothing like he had
suffered in his early years.
IN THE GHETTO
Tramiel wasaPolish Jew,
the sonof Abram Josef
Trzmiel and Rifka
Bentkowska, born inLodz,
Poland, on 13th December
- When the Germans
invaded on 1st September
1939,hea nd his parents
were confinedto the city’s
ghetto, the second-largest in
German-occupied Europe,
112
ghe
Ger
➡Jack Tramiel spoke at a
25th anniversaryevent to
mark the 1982 launchof the
Commodore 64
Image: Felix WinkelnkemperImage: Felix Winkelnkemper
RescuedfromaNazilabourcamp, JackTramieleven tually enteredthe worldof
computersand declar edbusinesswasakintow ar,asDa vidCrookesexplains
⬅The Atari 520STwas the
final machine JackTramiel had
direct involvement with, and
it went head-to-head against
Apple and Commodore
