Commodore PET 2001-8

Commodore shipped the PET 2001-8 as its first widely available personal computer, an 8K BASIC machine in a white metal case, delivered to early customers in October 1977 after a last-minute shift from a planned 4K model.

The PET 2001-8 materialized not through marketing fanfare but through logistical improvisation. One of the earliest documented units, serial #0010081, arrived in New Haven on October 25 after a cross-country journey from Palo Alto, having been rerouted from an initial 4K configuration when Commodore informed buyers in late September that only 8K versions would ship, offering either a $200 upgrade or a refund¹⁴¹⁵. This pivot, executed mid-delivery, reflects the machine’s status as a first-run product forged in supply constraints rather than consumer research. The final unit measured 17½" wide, 19" deep, and 15½" high, weighed about 37 pounds, and rested on feet spaced to require only a one-foot-square surface for stability¹⁴. Its case, painted white metal, gave it the appearance of laboratory equipment more than a home appliance¹⁴¹⁵.

The PET 2001-8 ran BASIC in 8K of RAM, a configuration explicitly supported by software such as MEM-EXPLORER, which required at least 8K and used Microsoft PET BASIC with embedded 6502 machine-language routines⁹. The machine was compatible with METRIC-CALC™, a BASIC-based system designed specifically for the 2001-8 or a 2001-4 augmented with an external 4K memory unit²³. Despite its minimal memory, the 2001-8 served as the foundation for a suite of technical workbooks covering string handling, graphics, cassette I/O, and logic operations including GOSUB and ON X¹. These documents treated the PET not as a toy but as a teachable system, with structured curricula implying an educational or professional target audience.

Peripherals expanded its utility beyond standalone computation. The PET 2022 printer, a dot matrix unit with tractor feed and full graphics support, allowed forms handling on plain paper, while the PET 2023 offered similar capabilities²³. The PET 2040 Dual Drive Mini Floppy Disk system provided 343K of usable storage, an intelligent peripheral that offloaded disk management tasks³. For connectivity, the PET to IEEE Cable sold for $39.95, and an external cassette unit or second C2N cassette could be added for $95⁵⁶. A retrofit kit, the ROMRETRO KIT, offered an updated operating system for $90⁶. The Commodore Service Kit, priced at $24.95, suggested Commodore anticipated field maintenance⁵.

The 2001-8 was explicitly labeled the "original PET" in contemporary documentation, distinguishing it from later variants such as the 2001-16B and 2001-32N, which featured typewriter-style keyboards and increased memory⁷⁸¹⁰¹¹¹²¹³. The 2001-8KN, with large keys, carried the same $795 price as the standard 2001-8K⁶. Word processing software such as Commodore Word Pro II and III was available for the original 2001-8, indicating efforts to position it for business use despite its limited memory⁷⁸¹⁰¹¹¹²¹³. Accessories like Petunia, a $29.95 music-playing add-on, and the Video Buffer, which enabled secondary display output, were sold individually or as a Combo package⁵.

After receiving endless complaints about the calculator-style keyboard of the original PET 2001, Commodore released models with a full-size keyboard⁴. The integrated cassette drive, standard on the 2001-8, disappeared in subsequent revisions, suggesting a transitional design⁴. The motherboard and interface PCB for the 2001-8 were available separately for $80, indicating Commodore supported component-level replacement or replication⁷⁸¹⁰¹¹¹²¹³.

References

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