May 27, 2009 - WATN - Dom Deluise

This week’s WHERE ARE THEY NOW? WEDNESDAY (WATN) is Dom Deluise.

I know I am late with this one as Dom is also late. That is, Dom died two weeks ago.

Dom was best known for his role with buddy Burt Reynolds in the Cannonball Run movies.

Dom died while I was on my own Cannonball Run. I traveled 2100 miles, thru 9 states in under 60 hours. I chronicled the trip in a previous blog. I learned about Don’s passing during the newsbreak on a All Country, All The Time radio station somewhere in Texas. I think it was called “The Wolf” or “The Coyote” or something catchy.

When I was able to read Dom’s obituary the next day I was stunned. Nowhere in the 932-word article (I was in a truck cab for three days) was there a mention of Dom’s relationship with NCR.

Dom was the pitchman for NCR’s ill-fated foray into the Personal Computer field. I don’t blame Dom for NCR’s failure, although his selection as the front man didn’t help.

In 1984, NCR introduced an 8-Bit CP-M-based Decision Mate V (DMV) personal computer. It had 64K RAM, and supported a 5.25 floppy with 32K bytes of storage and a Winchester hard disk with 10M bytes of formatted storage. The drive alone weighed 30 pounds. It was very powerful at the time. However by today’s standards it would only hold the concert version of “Hotel California.”

The real problem was the Operating System. NCR decide to go with CP-M instead of DOS as its platform. Think Beta vs. VHS. However by adding a weight challenged, widely unknown, out of work comic as the face of your product didn’t help. NCR actually bought Super Bowl ads that year with Dom prancing around spouting the virtues of teh NCR PC. I guess Ricardo Montebaum (rich Corinthian leather) or the Clydesdales weren’t available.

NCR did later release PC’s on the DOS platform, but the damage was done. I use an old DMV to prop open the door to my shed in the summer. The old marketing execs that selected Dom Deluise as NCR’s computer spokesperson are also holding doors open – as Wal-Mart greeters. (Not there is anything wrong with that.)

Dom – may you finally rest in peace. I just hope your entry ticket thru the gates of St. Peter wasn’t processed on the CP-M platform-based computer.