Commodore Announces New Amiga and MS-DOS Personal Computers

WEST CHESTER, Pa., Nov. 14, 1988 -- PRNewswire -- Commodore International Limited (NYSE: CBU) today announced two new Amiga personal computers and a new MS-DOS PC for growing professional, business, and educational markets.

The machines will be introduced by Commodore's U.S. subsidiary -- Commodore Business Machines, Inc. -- at the COMDEX computer convention in Las Vegas today.

The new Amiga 2500 is a powerful workstation designed for a wide range of professional, high-speed, multi-tasking applications in science, business, engineering, graphics, and education.

The machine features a co-processor card with a 14.26 MHz Motorola 68020 microprocessor; 2 MB of 32-bit RAM (expandable to 4 MB of 32-bit RAM); a 68881 math co-processor; and a 68851 Memory Management Unit (MMU). The 2500 also features a 40 MB high-speed hard disk drive and autoboot controller, and is capable of supporting Unix as an alternate operating system.

The unit will be available through authorized dealers at a suggested retail price of $4,699.

The new Amiga 2000HD is designed for dealers and users who want a pre-configured Amiga built and supported by Commodore. The 2000HD features a 28 millisecond 40 MB high-performance hard disk drive; the A2090A autoboot hard disk controller; and Kickstart 1.3 and Workbench 1.3 system software pre-installed on the hard disk.

The unit will be available through dealers for $2,999 suggested retail.

The new AT-compatible PC40-III is a high-performance, state-of-the- art machine designed for business and education users who want a powerful PC at a competitive price.

The small footprint unit features a 12 MHz 80286 micro-processor; 1 MB of RAM; 256K of video display RAM; IBM VGA-compatible video and graphics modes; a 1.2 MB 5.25-inch floppy disk drive; a 19 millisecond 40 MB high-performance hard disk drive; and an optional 3.5-inch floppy disk drive.

The PC40-III will be available through dealers at $2,395 suggested retail without a monitor and $2,595 with the Commodore 1403 monochrome VGA monitor.

The Amiga 2500 and 2000HD build upon Commodore's growing base of Amiga computers while the PC40-III adds to Commodore's expanding base of MS-DOS PC compatibles.

On Nov. 1, Commodore reported that for the first fiscal quarter ending Sept. 30, 1988, earnings before extraordinary item increased 92 percent to $9.6 million or $.30 per share on a 15 percent increase in sales to $200.2 million.

Sales increased in all three product families -- the Amigas, the MS-DOS PCs, and the C64/C128D computers -- and in all three major markets -- Europe, North America and Australia.

Commodore International Limited manufactures and markets through its worldwide subsidiaries personal computers to home, education, business, and professional users around the world. The company has three product lines: C64/C128D computers for home and education; MS-DOS PC compatibles for home, office, and business; and the Amiga line for the home, education, business, and professional markets.

/CONTACT: Carden Welsh, treasurer of Commodore International, 212-935-3840; Joel Shusterman, vice president-marketing of Commodore Business Machines, 215-431-9100; or Gary Fishman, 212-661-1830, or Donald Reynolds, 213-824-2828, both of Donald Reynolds Associates, for Commodore/