Michael Tomczyk will make an appearance at the 2nd-annual Kennett Classic event from 12-4. He will have a table set up with selected items for sale from his personal collection of memorabilia and he will be available for autographs and selfies.
Commodore project manager Michael Tomczyk was instrumental in the development and world-wide launch of the VIC-20 microcomputer. The VIC-20 was the first microcomputer to sell over one million units. Michael was also the co-designer of the Commodore VICModem which also sold over a million units. These were the days when project managers actually got their hands dirty and participated in decision making about product features as well as pricing and product marketing. Michael’s innovations included user-friendly manuals, simplified software (tape and cartridge), and unique advertising with popular celebrities such as William Shatner.
My personal copy of The Home Computer Wars, An Insider’s Account of Commodore and Jack Tramiel, by Michael Tomczyk. I purchased the book in 2008 and Michael was kind enough to add a note on the inside cover page.
And here is it, the VIC-20 computer. If you look closely you can see that this is actually the German VC-20, renamed for reasons of cultural sensitivity. A funny story if you get the chance to speak to Michael about it.
Michael did not rest on his laurels after leaving Commodore in 1984. To learn more about Michael’s career, start with his Wikipedia page and then follow the links to learn more about his other projects and writings.
