Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!udel!mmdf From: WEVERHA@clemson.clemson.edu Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Where did Amiga come from (was Re: What's ST mean?) Message-ID: <1662@nigel.udel.EDU> Date: 14 Oct 89 13:54:18 GMT Sender: mmdf@udel.EDU Lines: 57 Date: Wed, 11 Oct 89 14:24 EDT From: Chris Everhart (803) 656-8164 Subject: Re: Where did Amiga come from (was Re: What's ST mean?) To: amiga-relay@LOUIE.UDEL.EDU > In article <1188@lakesys.lakesys.com>, mikes@lakesys.lakesys.com (Mike Shawalu > > The story I heard about the name of our favorite computer is that is was > > originally intended to be "Amica", which is Latin for "friend". But, someon > > already was using that name, so they changed the "c" to a "g", and the rest > > is history. Now, I am not an expert on Latin, and I don't know if they trea > > the final "a" as a feminine case modifier, as is done is Spanish. But, from > > a marketing point of view, I believe that words that end in "a" are supposed > > to appeal to different market sectors than words that end in "o" or other > > letters. Any other comments or supporting info? > > -- > > - Mike Shawaluk > > The name actually came from the company which designed and would have built it > in the first place had they not run out of money and been bought by Commodore. > As to whether they (Amiga Inc) got their name in that way is a different story > Anyone remember Amiga? They used to make joysticks. > > -- > James A. Treworgy -- No quote here for insurance reasons -- > jtreworgy@eagle.wesleyan.edu jtreworgy%eagle@WESLEYAN.BITNET From what I've heard, the story goes like this: There was a group of talented people who wanted to build a really high- tech game machine. They planned the Amiga, with all sorts of custom hardware that would make game-enthusiasts' mouths water. After starting work on the new machine, they decided not to just stop at game machine, but to make it a superior computer as well. Unfortunately, their plans began to raise the cost higher and higher, so they started making computer parts to raise the funds they needed. After a while, they were still struggling, and Commodore and Atari, seeing their work, decided to buy them out. Atari tried first, but Commodore beat them out. Jack "Jerk" Tramiel attempted to sue Commodore, but lost. So, Commodore finished the designs (which were almost completed) on Amiga, thus introducing a superior (at the time) microcomputer. The company that originally started development named themselves the same as the planned name for the machine, Amica, Latin for friend, I believe. Unfortunately this was already taken, so they changed to to Amiga...which was by coincidence, Spanish for female friend. (not girlfriend -- the word for that is novia) Anyway, this is what I read years ago. Chris WEVERHA@CLEMSON.BITNET WEVERHA@PRISM.CLEMSON.EDU WEVERHA@GEMINI.CLEMSON.EDU My apologies to Jack Tramiel, but I disagree violently with many of his past business strategies. (I won't name any because I don't want to start an argument for which I'm not qualified)