gomem
New Member
Posts: 4
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Post by gomem on Mar 5, 2009 15:13:44 GMT -5
Hi all.. I've not been in these forums for ages. But I just listened to 118 about the PET 2001 model. We used to have these chiclet keyboard beasts at the local polytechnic, as well as 3016 model PETs. PET was the first microcomputer I used to give some serious time to, back in about 1980. Anyways this is what I remember about these. On the 2001 model 8K version Commodore used to drill holes the mainboard in the RAM expansion area to stop unofficial memory expansion. Also on the 3000 series, there was an easter egg with the v3 BASIC. If one would type WAIT 6502,0 the screen fills up with the word MICROSOFT. In fact I've just confirmed this to be true using the VICE emulator here on my MacBook Pro. Thanks Earl for posting another great Retrobits show. BTW I've become quite active producing podcasts myself. Which are Podmafia, Gomem Show and Metanews Daily. All can be found at www.slpodcast.net
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Post by thurstan on Mar 8, 2009 18:03:30 GMT -5
yes a great show Earl. I know so little about the PET series, they are like computers from the land that time forgot to me! Definitely an iconic machine.
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Post by racob on Mar 8, 2009 18:50:13 GMT -5
Wow .. i just finished listening to this editon. Thanks Earl ..brings back memories. I still have this Commodore PET2001-8 - (Personal Electronic Transactor) - the one with the chicklet keyboard. This was my first Real Computer (after my brief time on Netronic's COSMAC ELF). When it first arrived on our local Commodore dealer, I had to fork up $1100 Cdn dollars to have it. I gues, I spent all of my money cause after that, I can no longer afford to buy PET pheripherals when the time the disk drives (4040) were available.
I remember joining our local Commodore computer group to learn more and go further with it. Here are some of the things I remember. 1. I had (still is) two kinds of kernals (ROMS) under the hood because there was a flaw on the original one, I had to buy these set of ROMS from Skyles Electronics. I have a switch between the two. I wish I can replace those ROMS and burn the kernal into (27xx series) EPROMS in case they go bad. 2. I had to subscribe to "Cursors" tape magazine just to get more software for it. 3. We (the club) came up with a small sound amplifier/interface for it and listen to the tiny beeping sounds. Care to play "Aliens" on the chicklet keyboard? 4. We develop a small circuit that sense the casette motor speed and : - beeps when it slows down and find the first part (beginning) of the program in the tape. - We would go for a 10 minute break, etc. and listen to the next beep (meaning the end of the program load). 5. Someone sold me a 40 AlphaNumeric char printer (made by SWTPC) and was able to build an IEEE488 interface to make it work. 6. the last one I did was to build or interface a full size keyboard (bought one) which was hooked up externally. I don't have that keyboard anymore.
I gave this PET to my nephew but was able to get it back when his Dad started cleaning up their house and was about to thrash it.
Wow...this goes to show my age as well!!
R. Acob
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Post by thurstan on Apr 19, 2009 14:14:02 GMT -5
just got me a PET 8032
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Post by Gatton on Apr 19, 2009 23:18:03 GMT -5
just got me a PET 8032 Congrats thurstan. I'd love to have a PET and maybe I'll pick one up. When I was a kid the PET is what I thought computers were supposed to look like. And as some of you already know good old Captain Kirk himself had a PET in his collection of antiques. Take a look in the background in this still from the film.
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