About This Video
As part of my ongoing efforts to preserve vintage computer history, I'm sharing this original 1987 Commodore Amiga promotional video from COMDEX/Fall '87. The footage offers a look back at Commodore's efforts to bring the Amiga to a wider audience during an important period in the computer's history.
The video features Commodore's famous "Only Amiga Makes It Possible" marketing campaign, highlighting the Amiga's advanced graphics, stereo sound, and multitasking capabilities. The campaign emphasized what made the Amiga stand out from competing personal computers of the era. The song "Only Amiga Makes It Possible" was performed by Elaine Caswell.
1987 marked a significant turning point for the Amiga lineup. Following the introduction of the Amiga 1000 in 1985, Commodore introduced the more affordable Amiga 500 for home users and gaming enthusiasts, alongside the expandable Amiga 2000, which targeted businesses, developers, and professional users. Together, these machines represented Commodore's effort to establish the Amiga in multiple segments of the personal computer market.
At COMDEX/Fall '87, Commodore was promoting the Amiga as much more than a gaming computer. Its high-resolution color graphics, four-channel stereo sound, and multitasking operating system offered capabilities that made it particularly attractive for desktop publishing, computer animation, video production, and other creative applications. The Amiga 2000's expansion capabilities also provided opportunities for specialized hardware and professional software development.
The event coincided with Commodore's expanded advertising efforts throughout 1987, including television, print, and industry promotions. With the Amiga 500 and Amiga 2000, Commodore was working to strengthen its position against established competitors while demonstrating the potential of multimedia computing years before it became commonplace on personal computers.
COMDEX/Fall '87 took place November 2-6, 1987, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Digitization Details:
This video was digitized from an original VHS recording using my Panasonic DMR-ES46V DVD recorder, with the output upscaled to 720p HD to preserve the best possible presentation of the original analog footage.