Jeri Ellsworth

The Woman, The Geek, The Legend

After the Amiga apocalypse (i.e. Commodore bankruptcy) rendered the Amiga market a desolate wasteland populated only by misshapen fallout victims shambling about like zombies searching for their next technological fix, the Amiga scene left a little bit to be desired. Those who remained soldiered on as much from habit as anything else. Pictures from Amiga shows were posted online, and for those unlucky enough to happen upon them, the nightmarish images of genetic mishaps milling about on paisley hotel carpeting won't soon be forgotten. Things looked grim.

Then along came Jeri.

Now, it's every die hard computer geeks secret fantasy to come across a woman like Jeri. A woman who is decent looking, has mad technical knowledge, and who is actually more comfortable among computer geeks than in the nail polish aisle at Walmart. Jeri was all of that, and more.

Jeri Ellsworth was the first woman ever to show up willingly at an Amiga show who didn't look like the unfortunate attempt to breed a pit bull with a 6 month old bucket of Kentucky fried chicken (extra crispy). This alone would have made her an Amiga legend, but there was more. Jeri had taught herself how to design chips and had engineered a Commodore 64 in a joystick, a new expanded c64 called the C-One, and even a giant robot designed to destroy all Apple users with enormous diamond studded crushing fists (ok, I made the last one up).

It was almost too much for the esurient Amiga convention going crowd to take. Jeri became a celebrity overnight and the rest was history.

This page is dedicated to her.

Buoyed by her Amiga fame, Jeri tried her hand at standup comedy. Unfortunately, jokes about RS-232 ports don't play the same way to the general masses.

Jeri (right) posing next to an anonymous female Amiga user (left). 

Jeri's Commodore 64 in a joystick revolutionized the gaming industry, and led to innumerable poorly phrased joystick jokes and pickup lines at Amiga conventions.