There was a 3rd party add-on board called the "visible memory." It added 8K to the PET's memory and remapped the PET's own monitor to use it as a frame buffer. So instead of 40x25 8x8 characters, you had 320x200 addressable dots that could each be on or off. I know it existed because I owned one, although I can't find any reference to it on the modern Internet. Perhaps it went by another name as well? 208.50.99.146 ( talk) 21:24, 24 August 2015 (UTC)
Update: Found a link [ [1]] 99.31.208.203 ( talk) 01:13, 25 August 2015 (UTC)
it would be really great to see a timeline of when each model was first available and sold, but i haven't been able to find anything that does that and am not comfortable editing wiki right now. help? 68.18.196.230 ( talk) 19:49, 26 November 2010 (UTC)
The article indicates an effective transfer rate to the tape cassette of 750 baud. But I recall that it took a little under three minutes to write out 8 kB, which would be 400–500 baud. 199.184.30.51 ( talk) 13:37, 17 June 2011 (UTC)
The article claims:
"Internally a newer motherboard was used, along with an upgrade from static RAM to dynamic RAM"
It is not possible to interface dynamic RAM to the 6502 processor because the 6502 has no provision for tri-stating its data bus - necessary to perform the refresh cycles. It is not even possible to provide external data bus tri-stating because the bus cycle of the 6502 is such that it has no available time interval in which to perform it. AFAIAA, there was no dynamic RAM version of the PET ever sold. In fact there was no dynamic RAM version of any 6502 based computer for these very reasons. Commodore (and MOS) had to produce the upgraded 6510 processor before dynamic RAM could be used. 109.153.235.85 ( talk) 16:13, 22 September 2011 (UTC)
The article claims that these machines were not sold as 'PET' in Europe as Philips already used the name PET. These machines most certainly were sold in the UK (which is part of Europe) as the Commodore PET. In fact virtually every computer museum here has at least one example. Philips had a considerable presence in the UK, but there doesn't seem to have been a problem? 109.153.235.85 ( talk) 11:56, 23 September 2011 (UTC)
The article claims that the SP900 (SuperPET) was sold only in Europe.
the SP9000, known as the SuperPET or MicroMainframe. This machine (only sold in Europe
I worked for "The Computer Shop of Abilene" of Abilene, Texas, and about 1981 we offered the SuperPET for sale along with the 4000 and 8000 series of CBMs. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.33.213.110 ( talk) 14:34, 18 July 2012 (UTC)
How many of all PET's were sold by Commodore? Does anyone have reference(s)? Please add to the "unitssold" field of the infobox, similar to Commodore 64 and Commodore 128. Thanks. • Sbmeirow • Talk • 11:26, 19 February 2019 (UTC)
The PET was not "the first personal computer sold to the public". One can trivially verify this by reading any of the hundreds of references in the various articles here on the Wiki, or even the Byte issue that is used in this one.
The PET was announced in January 1977. A prototype run of 100 units shipped to the press and similar users in October. This can be seen in the Byte reference found in this article. They note the production problems they were having. Volume shipments did not begin until December and most pre-orders were not filled until into 1978.
The TRS-80 began development in December 1976. It was announced on 3 August 1977 and began shipping in volume in September. They had already shipped 5000 by the start of December, and about 10000 by the end of the year.
The Apple II was announced at the West Coast Computer Faire on 16 April 1977. It went on sale on 5 June and the first shipments went out on 10 June. I cannot find a volume claim, however, but given the sales were ~$760,000 by the end of the year one can estimate it to be thousands.
So the PET wasn't even the first of the "1977 trinity" to reach the public. The only claim it might make here is that it was the first to be offered to be sold, as opposed to actually sold. But that is a rather less interesting claim.
But of course that is ignoring all of the other personal computers that were already available. This depends on the definition, but if we say that a personal computer is a machine that is sold to the public (as opposed to corporate or industrial accounts), is completely assembled, runs out-of-the-box (thus has something like an OS and/or language ROM to get it running as opposed to switching in a loader) and has a keyboard as opposed to an external terminal, then the MCM/70 of 1975 meets all of those requirements. Now one might also add the requirement for a build-in keyboard and display, but the MCM/70 had both of those as well. It also had a built-in cassette for storage and a display. There appears to be no definition by which the PET is a PC and the MCM is not.
But of course, that's not the definition of a PC, and I don't think there is anyone who would truly claim the Apple II is not a PC, although it would fail to be one in the definition above. So if one uses the broader definition of a machine that does not require a separate terminal for use, thereby eliminating the Altair and Micral N for instance, there are dozens upon dozens of such machines. For instance, the Sol-20 was complete with the exception of a display, which used a standard television, just like the Apple II. It shipped in December 1976. The Intercolor 8001 was for sale in February 1976, but became a complete computer as the Compucolor 8001 in December, when it added a built-in color CRT, a cassette system that had a disk-like file system, and BASIC in ROM. It began shipping in 1977. All of the major companies were selling such systems at that time, flip through the Byte linked above and you'll find dozens of examples, some with built-in CRTs and even floppy drives.
I am aware that this piece of lore is common on the Commodore web sites, helped in no small way by the claim being made by someone that worked at Commodore. It is also clearly counterfactual, and unless someone can offer any reason this claim should remain, it needs to be removed from the lede and likely reduced to a footnote "so-and-so claims". Maury Markowitz ( talk) 02:33, 5 January 2020 (UTC)
There most definitely was! My school in London had 2 4008 machines and 1 4016. The 4008 machines most definitely had 8k RAM. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Magnamus ( talk • contribs) 15:56, 18 February 2020 (UTC)
I was reading the article and found a claim that the PETs have 4k character roms. The original 2001 series, the expanded 2001 (aka the 3000 series) and the 8000/4000/9000 have all 2k char roms. While the source is mentioned and it explicitely states "this gives a charrom size of 2k" 4k are still claimed. Additionally, I own four Commodore PETs: a 2001-8, a 3032 (aka 2001-32N) and two 8032 (with 64K expansions). The rom in the first generation of PETs is the 6540-010 (2k), while both the 3032 and 8032 use the 901447-10 (a 2316, also 2k).
Regards
Buran Biggest Fan ( talk) 18:58, 13 April 2020 (UTC)
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There was a 3rd party add-on board called the "visible memory." It added 8K to the PET's memory and remapped the PET's own monitor to use it as a frame buffer. So instead of 40x25 8x8 characters, you had 320x200 addressable dots that could each be on or off. I know it existed because I owned one, although I can't find any reference to it on the modern Internet. Perhaps it went by another name as well? 208.50.99.146 ( talk) 21:24, 24 August 2015 (UTC)
Update: Found a link [ [1]] 99.31.208.203 ( talk) 01:13, 25 August 2015 (UTC)
it would be really great to see a timeline of when each model was first available and sold, but i haven't been able to find anything that does that and am not comfortable editing wiki right now. help? 68.18.196.230 ( talk) 19:49, 26 November 2010 (UTC)
The article indicates an effective transfer rate to the tape cassette of 750 baud. But I recall that it took a little under three minutes to write out 8 kB, which would be 400–500 baud. 199.184.30.51 ( talk) 13:37, 17 June 2011 (UTC)
The article claims:
"Internally a newer motherboard was used, along with an upgrade from static RAM to dynamic RAM"
It is not possible to interface dynamic RAM to the 6502 processor because the 6502 has no provision for tri-stating its data bus - necessary to perform the refresh cycles. It is not even possible to provide external data bus tri-stating because the bus cycle of the 6502 is such that it has no available time interval in which to perform it. AFAIAA, there was no dynamic RAM version of the PET ever sold. In fact there was no dynamic RAM version of any 6502 based computer for these very reasons. Commodore (and MOS) had to produce the upgraded 6510 processor before dynamic RAM could be used. 109.153.235.85 ( talk) 16:13, 22 September 2011 (UTC)
The article claims that these machines were not sold as 'PET' in Europe as Philips already used the name PET. These machines most certainly were sold in the UK (which is part of Europe) as the Commodore PET. In fact virtually every computer museum here has at least one example. Philips had a considerable presence in the UK, but there doesn't seem to have been a problem? 109.153.235.85 ( talk) 11:56, 23 September 2011 (UTC)
The article claims that the SP900 (SuperPET) was sold only in Europe.
the SP9000, known as the SuperPET or MicroMainframe. This machine (only sold in Europe
I worked for "The Computer Shop of Abilene" of Abilene, Texas, and about 1981 we offered the SuperPET for sale along with the 4000 and 8000 series of CBMs. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.33.213.110 ( talk) 14:34, 18 July 2012 (UTC)
How many of all PET's were sold by Commodore? Does anyone have reference(s)? Please add to the "unitssold" field of the infobox, similar to Commodore 64 and Commodore 128. Thanks. • Sbmeirow • Talk • 11:26, 19 February 2019 (UTC)
The PET was not "the first personal computer sold to the public". One can trivially verify this by reading any of the hundreds of references in the various articles here on the Wiki, or even the Byte issue that is used in this one.
The PET was announced in January 1977. A prototype run of 100 units shipped to the press and similar users in October. This can be seen in the Byte reference found in this article. They note the production problems they were having. Volume shipments did not begin until December and most pre-orders were not filled until into 1978.
The TRS-80 began development in December 1976. It was announced on 3 August 1977 and began shipping in volume in September. They had already shipped 5000 by the start of December, and about 10000 by the end of the year.
The Apple II was announced at the West Coast Computer Faire on 16 April 1977. It went on sale on 5 June and the first shipments went out on 10 June. I cannot find a volume claim, however, but given the sales were ~$760,000 by the end of the year one can estimate it to be thousands.
So the PET wasn't even the first of the "1977 trinity" to reach the public. The only claim it might make here is that it was the first to be offered to be sold, as opposed to actually sold. But that is a rather less interesting claim.
But of course that is ignoring all of the other personal computers that were already available. This depends on the definition, but if we say that a personal computer is a machine that is sold to the public (as opposed to corporate or industrial accounts), is completely assembled, runs out-of-the-box (thus has something like an OS and/or language ROM to get it running as opposed to switching in a loader) and has a keyboard as opposed to an external terminal, then the MCM/70 of 1975 meets all of those requirements. Now one might also add the requirement for a build-in keyboard and display, but the MCM/70 had both of those as well. It also had a built-in cassette for storage and a display. There appears to be no definition by which the PET is a PC and the MCM is not.
But of course, that's not the definition of a PC, and I don't think there is anyone who would truly claim the Apple II is not a PC, although it would fail to be one in the definition above. So if one uses the broader definition of a machine that does not require a separate terminal for use, thereby eliminating the Altair and Micral N for instance, there are dozens upon dozens of such machines. For instance, the Sol-20 was complete with the exception of a display, which used a standard television, just like the Apple II. It shipped in December 1976. The Intercolor 8001 was for sale in February 1976, but became a complete computer as the Compucolor 8001 in December, when it added a built-in color CRT, a cassette system that had a disk-like file system, and BASIC in ROM. It began shipping in 1977. All of the major companies were selling such systems at that time, flip through the Byte linked above and you'll find dozens of examples, some with built-in CRTs and even floppy drives.
I am aware that this piece of lore is common on the Commodore web sites, helped in no small way by the claim being made by someone that worked at Commodore. It is also clearly counterfactual, and unless someone can offer any reason this claim should remain, it needs to be removed from the lede and likely reduced to a footnote "so-and-so claims". Maury Markowitz ( talk) 02:33, 5 January 2020 (UTC)
There most definitely was! My school in London had 2 4008 machines and 1 4016. The 4008 machines most definitely had 8k RAM. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Magnamus ( talk • contribs) 15:56, 18 February 2020 (UTC)
I was reading the article and found a claim that the PETs have 4k character roms. The original 2001 series, the expanded 2001 (aka the 3000 series) and the 8000/4000/9000 have all 2k char roms. While the source is mentioned and it explicitely states "this gives a charrom size of 2k" 4k are still claimed. Additionally, I own four Commodore PETs: a 2001-8, a 3032 (aka 2001-32N) and two 8032 (with 64K expansions). The rom in the first generation of PETs is the 6540-010 (2k), while both the 3032 and 8032 use the 901447-10 (a 2316, also 2k).
Regards
Buran Biggest Fan ( talk) 18:58, 13 April 2020 (UTC)