Commodore PET 2001

Ahhhh .. perhaps the most unique machine ever produced, this is the Commodore PET 2001.  Designed by Chuck Peddle, founder of MOS Technologies (later acquired by Commodore and renamed CSG - Commodore Semiconductor Group), this machine is a large an imposing specimen.

Introduced almost at the same time as the Apple ][ and Radio Shack TRS-80, the Commodore PET 2001 had a lot to offer in a time full of "homebrew" machines: It came with 4K or 8K RAM, BASIC in ROM, had a built in tape drive for storage / retrieval of programs, a keyboard capable of upper AND lower case lettering as well as graphics characters (PETSCII - 8 bit / 256 symbols, where ASCII is 7 bit / 128 symbols) and a built in monochrome monitor.  It was introduced at $595 for the 4K version and $795 for the 8K version.

Of note is the keyboard, which is more like that of a calculator than anything else I can think of.  It is small and cramped, but many owners think of this as another great Commodore achievement rather than a hindrance; no other machine has anything near this keyboard.  All personal feeling aside, it is simply difficult to use.

TECHNICAL INFO:

CPU:            MOS 6502

MEMORY:  4 or 8 kilobytes

OS:               Microsoft (!!!) BASIC

PORTS:       IEEE-488, parallel, cassette

STORAGE:   built-in cassette deck

GRAPHICS:  256 graphic symbols (PETSCII), monochrome monitor

SOUND:       N/A

Date Released:        1977