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Commodore PET

PET 2001 · 1977–1982 · all-in-one

Specifications

Cpu: MOS Technology 6502, 1 MHz
Ram: max: 32 KB on later 2001-32 / 4032 boards; the original 4 KB/8 KB boards were not user-expandable beyond their socketed chips · base: 4 KB (2001-4), 8 KB on the more common 2001-8
Ports: IEEE-488 (CBM/PET bus, disk drives and printers) · Built-in cassette port (second external cassette port on later boards) · Composite video out (on later boards) · Expansion/memory port (motherboard edge connector) · User port
Display: Built-in 9 inch monochrome CRT, 40x25 text, fixed CBM/PETSCII character graphics, no bitmap graphics mode
Storage: base: Built-in Commodore Datasette cassette drive (no internal storage) · options: Commodore 2040/4040 dual 5.25" floppy drive over the IEEE-488 (CBM/PET bus) interface
Os Support: latest: Commodore BASIC 4.0 in ROM on later 2001/4000-series boards, not field-upgradeable on original units · shipped: Commodore BASIC 1.0 (Microsoft-derived) in ROM
Release Price: $795 (4 KB model)

Variants

Models

PET 2001-N / 2001-321979 update with a full-travel typewriter-style keyboard replacing the cramped chiclet keys, up to 32 KB RAM and a graphics keypad.

Storage

PET 2001-4Launch configuration with 4 KB RAM and the small chiclet keyboard, the version demoed at the 1977 West Coast Computer Faire.

PET 2001-88 KB RAM version, the most common early configuration once Commodore ramped production.

Upgrade paths

RAM

8 KB to 32 KB by swapping in higher-density DRAM chips on later motherboard revisions · Original 4 KB/8 KB boards used a different memory map than later 16 KB/32 KB boards, so this is a board-dependent chip swap, not a simple socket fill, and requires desoldering on some revisions.

~$50-$100 in period chips

HARD

storage

Dual 5.25 inch floppy drives via the Commodore 2040/4040 over IEEE-488 · The IEEE-488 port was standard from the start, so no internal modification is needed, just cabling and a compatible external drive.

~$1,000 for a 2040 dual drive at launch

MODERATE

keyboard

Chiclet keyboard to full-travel keyboard by replacing the entire keyboard assembly from a later 2001-N unit · Not a supported upgrade path at the time; hobbyists today sometimes transplant later keyboard assemblies into early chassis, connector and case cutout differences make this fiddly.

varies, donor keyboard plus wiring

HARD