On Mon, 6 Jul 1998, Olminkhof wrote:
> Sam Ismail wrote:
>
> >Could someone please describe the features of a PET 2001 for me? Thanks.
>
> What is this, some sort of trick question?
I was wondering the same thing, but not because of the simplicity of the
answer, because there were so many variations to the PET 2001.
I'll assume that 'PET 2001' also covers the 2001N and 2001B models.
> 8" screen
Or is it 9"? I can't check mine because they are both locked in my
father's bedroom at this hour.
Supposedly the 2001N and 2001B came with 12" screens, but I've never seen
one.
I'm looking at an old copy (don't have a recent one on file) of Jim
Brain's "Canonical List of Commodore Products" and notice that one of my
PETs doesn't match any model on the list. From this list:
PET 2001-4K 4kB, Chiclet Keys, Built-In Cassette, Black Trim.
PET 2001-8K 8kB, Chiclet Keys, Built-In Cassette, Blue Trim, 9" screen
PET 2001-16K 16kB, Chiclet Keys, Built-In Cassette, Blue Trim, 9" screen
PET 2001-32K 32kB, Chiclet Keys, Built-In Cassette, Blue Trim, 9" screen
PET 2001B-8 8kB, Business Style, no Graphics on Keys, 12" screen
PET 2001B-16 16kB, Business Style, no Graphics on Keys, 12" screen
PET 2001B-32 32kB, Business Style, no Graphics on Keys, 12" screen
PET 2001N-8 8kB, Home Computer, Graphics on Keys, 12" screen, Num. Keys
PET 2001N-16 16kB, Home Computer, Graphics on Keys, 12" screen, Num. Keys
PET 2001N-32 32kB, Home Computer, Graphics on Keys, BASIC 4.0, Num. Keys.
PET 2001NT Teacher's PET. Same as 2001N, just rebadged
Mine is just labeled "PET 2001-8K" I think, with no 'N' or 'B' anywhere,
but mine has a 9" screen and a full-size keyboard with graphics symbols.
I don't imagine it would be too easy to graft a 9" screen onto a 2001N,
and I don't imagine anyone would want to, so I guess mine doesn't fit on
the list.
Note that at least the early PET 2001 machines came with a white display.
I think some of the 'newer' ones came with green phosphor instead.(?)
> chicklet keyboard
On the most ancient machines yes. But the PET 2001B and 2001N models came
with full-size keyboards, as does one of my straight 2001s.
> tape drive built in, to the left of the keyboard
Keyboard dependent.
But there's a lot more to 'features' than outward appearance. The machine
uses a 1.0MHz 6502. It has an 80-pin memory expansion port on the right
side (the 40 pins on the top side are all ground). There's an external
cassette interface at the back, for TAPE #2. There's an IEEE-488
interface on the back that was used for printers, disk drives, modems, and
probably other stuff. There's a user port on the back which is similar to
the user port on the VIC-20/C64.
The original ROMs don't have a monitor or support a disk drive, but ugrade
ROMs (which I think came out in 1979?) fix both of those things.
(As an aside, original ROM machines start up with the message:
*** COMMODORE BASIC ***
whereas upgrade ROM machines start up with
### COMMODORE BASIC ###
I don't have a machine with BASIC 4.0, so I don't know how that starts
up. Upgrade ROM machines also have a Microsoft easter egg in them
whcih is missing from the original ROMs.)
It might also be important to mention that the PET has a timer that
operates in real time. And it has the same character set(s) as the VIC-20
and C64, but you can't switch between the upper/lower-case text character
set and the upper-case/graphics set without issuing a POKE command. (Was
it 49512,12 and 49512,14? My memory is rusty.)
Also, the ROMs don't support any kind of serial communication through the
user port, only parallel.
The case is made of bent sheet metal so you don't want a PET 2001 dropping
on your head.
etc, etc...
> Hans
Doug Spence
ds_spenc_at_alcor.concordia.ca
http://alcor.concordia.ca/~ds_spenc/
Received on Tue Jul 07 1998 - 05:29:27 BST