Brings back old memories. I still have my 8032, 4032, and Pet with Chicklet keyboards, and the 8050 and 4040 Floppy Disk Drives I used when I wrote software for these PCs. Remember the MAE assembler, Telstar, Machine Language Monitor, and Trap65? We did those and sold them at Eastern House Software. Those were fun times.
Thanks for chiming in Carl. These products were just ahead of my use of microcomputers. I found your MAE manual and see recent discussions of these, your work, in web searches. I'll be getting familiar with them.
I used to cut out a 2nd write protect notch on my disks to use the other side of the disk in my 8050. About a MB of storage if you use both sides. Not bad for 1980. I've not seen a Micropolis 8050 survivor before. I think they're pretty rare. The Tandon drives seemed to be more reliable. I still have mine and it's a Tandon. I had (and still have) a working "2001 Series Professional Computer" (or 3032 in the vernacular) Thanks for the blast from the past. I tell some of the young ones I work about these old machines and they look at me with a mixture of awe (if they're true nerds) or like I'm describing how a Conestoga wagon functioned if they're not. The 40xx PETs came out I think in 1981 or 1982.
The 8050 came as a set with the 8032, from an executive who took the set with him when he left Commodore. They were boxed, with his shipping address on them. I don't think too many boxed PETs survive either. imgur.com/a/BNUSd
The first time I saw that model Pet, I was blown away since it looked like a computer should look. However, it’s monochrome screen led me into the arms of Apple. The magic of these old systems is not about what they did. It was all about what they could do! It was such a dramatic entrance into the psyche of Americana! The Pet had the aura of a business system. And I think that was good and bad for commodore. But, the Apple ii plus has a language card. On first glance it sounded so international! But, it just meant it had two versions of BASiC. Surprisingly, Apple Integer BASIC and AppleSoft each had pros and cons. it was not immediately clear that AppleSoft was “better” unless you wanted floating point calculations.
I actually want a PET, but I don't really have any more space for one at the moment. I don't have the money either. From what I've heard, they're hard to find and sell for a lot :(
So cool. I wish I had access to one now and then. But too expensive and takes way too much space to fit into my living quarters. Thumbs up for testing software on it. I would welcome you testing other software and games for it.
I’ve heard people used to say “I want a VisiCalc” as though the computer was a single purpose machine to build out spreadsheets. Computerized spreadsheets on a short list of ‘greatest inventions’
d-i and Shift-R is the short form of directory. Shift + RUN/STOP will load and run the first program on disk (for Basic 4.0 machines) VISICALC is a copy protected program. The copy protection is a ROM chip that you have to install on the motherboard. This has all identifying marks removed. Do not lose this as it contains part of the Visicalc program. Stephen G7VFY 07956544202
The diskdrive has more power than the pet :-) You have two CPU´s running to operate the diskoperation standalone as dualcpu multitasking !!!! If you send an copydirective to the drive , the station runs without the computer and if it finished, it send an call via errorcanel to the PET
Can you use a Vic 1540 and 1541 and 1571 with a CBM 8032? I'm thinking yes, because they all use the original PET serial interface. I have all of those, plus a Vic, 2x C64, a C128 and C128D... and have never turned any of them on except the PET. I did use those honking big dual PET drives though back in college. Used them all in the 1980s, but haven't used any since... these I got all in one big dump. Oddly, I programmed a Spreadsheet like program for the Dean from total scratch starting on a PET, but I moved the whole project into compiled Quickbasic on an IBM AT that compiled at an insane 12mghz... a lot faster than the PET. This was in 1986/87. I thought I still had the source code/compiled binary on my webserver in my code archive but don't see it there.
PETs use a parallel (IEEE 488) interface , so no you can use the serial interfaced drives, unless you use a parallel to serial adapter. Commodore produced the serial interface as a cost reduction move. The parallel cables were very expensive. Sounds like a nice collection there!
@@douglascrawford2563 - Seriously? I thought the whole point of the 1540/1541 was to be backward compatible with the PET/CBM machines. Grr. Anyway, I checked my collection, and I don't have a 1540... I have a Vic Styled White Vic1541 (It actually says Vic on it) and Grey 64 Styled 1541. Somehow I ended up with an Amiga modem but no Amiga, though I had an opportunity to scarf a 500 once upon a time. I didn't because I despise Workbench. I miss the old days but wouldn't go back. Sadly, I coveted and dreamed of all these machines so incredibly far out of my reach when I was a kid, and now that I have them all, i can't stand to look at them. I remember when a Quadra 950 Tower was like a Super computer. I don't think I've ever booted mine up. I was bring them all home at one time by the pickup truck load....
this commodore has CBM cause it was from over seas CBM stands for commodore business machine were while here in the USA it was Commodore PET which stood for Personal Electronic Transactor so yours come from europe and the only reason for the name change over there is because of philips had a trade mark over the name "PET" other wise nice computer hard to believe it will be 38 this year i wish i can have one to mess around on but im not going to pay $800 to $1,000 for one that i can barly do anything on lol
My employer bought several of this same model "CBM" marked PET, we bought them from an authorized Commodore Business Machines office-distributor in the Chicago area, and they did not come from Europe in the sense that they were bought there and then brought over to the States. I also saw plenty of other CBM version PETs elsewhere in the States, so they were certainly not unusual. I don't know for certain, but my recollection is that Commodore used the PET moniker for the models primarily sold to schools and individuals, and used the CBM moniker when marketing to businesses.....I don't recall ever hearing that "CBM" was solely a European version.
Yes, many people claim that CBM branding was due to trade mark problems with the PET name in the Europe. Its plausible and comes from good sources I recall. But is the reverse true - that they could not use the CBM branding domestically? I don't think so. I've never heard that claimed. So I doubt it. C= may or may not have payed attention to what branding was shipped around the US. Consider this, If C= had a great domestic order come in when they only had CMB branded stock boxed and ready to go... would they have HESITATED to ship them on on a domestic order? I say no but that's just my guess.
Never heard of them. I too have an 8050. Can u find any evidence of these ever existing? Commodore was famous for vaporware after all. Like their stringy floppy disk from the same era.
visicalc was the very first spreadsheet program...then LOTUS 1-2-3 hit around 1983 and it put visicalc out of business.....then microsoft hit with Excel around 1985 on the mac and 1987 on MSWindows and eventually put lotus 1-2-3 out of its misery and the rest is history. But make no mistake...lotus 1-2-3 and excel would NOT exist if it wasn't for Visicalc. The Apple 2 and Visicalc changed the world as we know it today.
This machine iwas not from Europe. This machine set belonged to a C= executive from West Chester, PA. He bought it, left the company with it, and put it in his closet. and approximately 30 years later I bought it from him, in the original boxes with his name and address on them. So no, it was not from overseas and that is NOT why it has CBM on it.
A cool piece of history.... Are you collecting some other software for the PET? I saw a lot of PET titles on ebay not that long ago. All on tape thou, but I guess you got access to a tape unit as well?
no wonder the drive and the main unit looks very new. I have a similar setup (our companies first computer) 8032/8096+8050+8023P with the addition of the Z-RAM (CP/M) expansion card. I'm still in the process of restoring all three devices because unfortunately they were stored in the company warehouse. After running this version you've managed to run, I'm hoping to find and run VisiCalc for CP/M on this 8032 as well :-) I would really appreciate if someone would share the VisiCalc for CP/M v2.2 (thats the version of CP/M that runs on PETs) Great work and thnx a lot for the video 👍 👍
I do have tape drives but have collected no PET tapes. I have saved BASIC programs to tape and demonstrate "the old way" of saving programs to interested folks (kids). I probably should get some real PET tapes.
Ah Visicalc for CPM. Bob Frankston was at VCFEast a few years ago and he mentioned, IIRC, that they did one CP/M version for an HP machine. That might mean that they did not do one for the PET's CP/M board, I don't know. All I know is what he said. Do you know otherwise? I doubt that that the HP version could have been successfully moved to the PET as I expect Visicalc would resort to accessing screen memory directly.
Douglas Crawford, that hp version of visicalc you've mentioned i believe is for an hp125 which is a cp/m machine however visicalc manual indicates that computer must be in local os mode meaning it's not an cp/m version. You can find info on that here: www.hpmuseum.net/exhibit.php?swc=18
Brings back old memories. I still have my 8032, 4032, and Pet with Chicklet keyboards,
and the 8050 and 4040 Floppy Disk Drives I used when I wrote software for these PCs. Remember the MAE assembler, Telstar, Machine Language Monitor, and Trap65? We did those and sold them at Eastern House Software. Those were fun times.
Thanks for chiming in Carl. These products were just ahead of my use of microcomputers. I found your MAE manual and see recent discussions of these, your work, in web searches. I'll be getting familiar with them.
What kind of software did people use on their PETs? I've only every known them to be in schools for people to learn programming on.
I used to cut out a 2nd write protect notch on my disks to use the other side of the disk in my 8050. About a MB of storage if you use both sides. Not bad for 1980. I've not seen a Micropolis 8050 survivor before. I think they're pretty rare. The Tandon drives seemed to be more reliable. I still have mine and it's a Tandon. I had (and still have) a working "2001 Series Professional Computer" (or 3032 in the vernacular) Thanks for the blast from the past. I tell some of the young ones I work about these old machines and they look at me with a mixture of awe (if they're true nerds) or like I'm describing how a Conestoga wagon functioned if they're not. The 40xx PETs came out I think in 1981 or 1982.
The 8050 came as a set with the 8032, from an executive who took the set with him when he left Commodore. They were boxed, with his shipping address on them. I don't think too many boxed PETs survive either. imgur.com/a/BNUSd
I learnt on exactly these machines. Great fun.
Great stuff as always Doug! The PET is a beautiful machine. Love that full screen editor and you are certainly the Lord of VisiCalc!
Brings me back to mey high school days. Killer Poke!
The first time I saw that model Pet, I was blown away since it looked like a computer should look. However, it’s monochrome screen led me into the arms of Apple.
The magic of these old systems is not about what they did. It was all about what they could do! It was such a dramatic entrance into the psyche of Americana!
The Pet had the aura of a business system. And I think that was good and bad for commodore. But, the Apple ii plus has a language card. On first glance it sounded so international! But, it just meant it had two versions of BASiC. Surprisingly, Apple Integer BASIC and AppleSoft each had pros and cons. it was not immediately clear that AppleSoft was “better” unless you wanted floating point calculations.
Hilarious. Apple's color was SO BAD, they added a "color killer" circuit as an UPGRADE.
@2:08 "reseated the chips..." oh man the flashbacks
That is such a cool setup. 👍
I actually want a PET, but I don't really have any more space for one at the moment. I don't have the money either. From what I've heard, they're hard to find and sell for a lot :(
yes, I bought all of mine about 15 years ago, when they were sold for 100 € or less. Today the price is x10 or more....
So cool. I wish I had access to one now and then. But too expensive and takes way too much space to fit into my living quarters. Thumbs up for testing software on it. I would welcome you testing other software and games for it.
Pretty powerful for the time considering just over a decade ago only major institutions had that kind of power.
Agreed! Great observation.
The program that changed the world. Until vc, home computers weren't that useful.
I’ve heard people used to say “I want a VisiCalc” as though the computer was a single purpose machine to build out spreadsheets.
Computerized spreadsheets on a short list of ‘greatest inventions’
I saw the Pet in 1984. My typing class teacher wanted to introduce us to Word Processors. Or was that '83? I dunno.
d-i and Shift-R is the short form of directory.
Shift + RUN/STOP will load and run the first program on disk (for Basic 4.0 machines)
VISICALC is a copy protected program. The copy protection is a ROM chip that you have to install on the motherboard. This has all identifying marks removed. Do not lose this as it contains part of the Visicalc program.
Stephen G7VFY
07956544202
cA is shorter than diR
My 8032 had visicalc on a rom chip
It was nice to see the software but the eprom protection was awesome oldest example I have seen of something like that.
Tripods are your friend, auto focus is your ememy
You should probably invest in a new camera, for this one has a perfectly frightful framerate. That aside, an informative video.
Yeah, that's why I haven't done any more until I get a better one. It was done a long time ago now. I'll probably reshoot it someday.
The diskdrive has more power than the pet :-) You have two CPU´s running to operate the diskoperation standalone as dualcpu multitasking !!!!
If you send an copydirective to the drive , the station runs without the computer and if it finished, it send an call via errorcanel to the PET
Needs more camera shake.
Can you use a Vic 1540 and 1541 and 1571 with a CBM 8032? I'm thinking yes, because they all use the original PET serial interface. I have all of those, plus a Vic, 2x C64, a C128 and C128D... and have never turned any of them on except the PET. I did use those honking big dual PET drives though back in college. Used them all in the 1980s, but haven't used any since... these I got all in one big dump.
Oddly, I programmed a Spreadsheet like program for the Dean from total scratch starting on a PET, but I moved the whole project into compiled Quickbasic on an IBM AT that compiled at an insane 12mghz... a lot faster than the PET. This was in 1986/87. I thought I still had the source code/compiled binary on my webserver in my code archive but don't see it there.
PETs use a parallel (IEEE 488) interface , so no you can use the serial interfaced drives, unless you use a parallel to serial adapter. Commodore produced the serial interface as a cost reduction move. The parallel cables were very expensive. Sounds like a nice collection there!
@@douglascrawford2563 - Seriously? I thought the whole point of the 1540/1541 was to be backward compatible with the PET/CBM machines. Grr. Anyway, I checked my collection, and I don't have a 1540... I have a Vic Styled White Vic1541 (It actually says Vic on it) and Grey 64 Styled 1541. Somehow I ended up with an Amiga modem but no Amiga, though I had an opportunity to scarf a 500 once upon a time. I didn't because I despise Workbench.
I miss the old days but wouldn't go back. Sadly, I coveted and dreamed of all these machines so incredibly far out of my reach when I was a kid, and now that I have them all, i can't stand to look at them. I remember when a Quadra 950 Tower was like a Super computer. I don't think I've ever booted mine up. I was bring them all home at one time by the pickup truck load....
Sweet !
Do something about the focus.
this commodore has CBM cause it was from over seas CBM stands for commodore business machine were while here in the USA it was Commodore PET which stood for Personal Electronic Transactor so yours come from europe and the only reason for the name change over there is because of philips had a trade mark over the name "PET" other wise nice computer hard to believe it will be 38 this year i wish i can have one to mess around on but im not going to pay $800 to $1,000 for one that i can barly do anything on lol
My employer bought several of this same model "CBM" marked PET, we bought them from an authorized Commodore Business Machines office-distributor in the Chicago area, and they did not come from Europe in the sense that they were bought there and then brought over to the States. I also saw plenty of other CBM version PETs elsewhere in the States, so they were certainly not unusual. I don't know for certain, but my recollection is that Commodore used the PET moniker for the models primarily sold to schools and individuals, and used the CBM moniker when marketing to businesses.....I don't recall ever hearing that "CBM" was solely a European version.
Yes, many people claim that CBM branding was due to trade
mark problems with the PET name in the Europe. Its plausible and comes from good sources I recall. But is the reverse true - that they could not use the CBM branding domestically? I don't think so. I've never heard that claimed. So I doubt it. C= may or may not have payed attention
to what branding was shipped around the US. Consider this, If C= had a
great domestic order come in when they only had CMB branded stock boxed
and ready to go... would they have HESITATED to ship them on on a
domestic order? I say no but that's just my guess.
Levi Cassidy Interpunctuation is for wimps.
8250 was the double sided version of the 8050.
There were two hard drives, 9050? and 9090. Very unreliable.
Never heard of them. I too have an 8050. Can u find any evidence of these ever existing? Commodore was famous for vaporware after all. Like their stringy floppy disk from the same era.
8250s sell on eBay from time to time. I have a D9060 hard drive. I've seen D9090s. The D9060 is 5Mb, the D9090 is 10Mb.
I like nostalgia but come on you posted this in 2015. Why use a 1990 camera operated by a parkinsons patient?
Point taken. Thanks.
Its basicaly XCELL from microsoft
visi calc is similar to microsoft xcell
visicalc was the very first spreadsheet program...then LOTUS 1-2-3 hit around 1983 and it put visicalc out of business.....then microsoft hit with Excel around 1985 on the mac and 1987 on MSWindows and eventually put lotus 1-2-3 out of its misery and the rest is history. But make no mistake...lotus 1-2-3 and excel would NOT exist if it wasn't for Visicalc. The Apple 2 and Visicalc changed the world as we know it today.
This machine iwas not from Europe. This machine set belonged to a
C= executive from West Chester, PA. He bought it, left the company
with it, and put it in his closet. and approximately 30 years later I
bought it from him, in the original boxes with his name and address on
them. So no, it was not from overseas and that is NOT why it has CBM on
it.
A cool piece of history.... Are you collecting some other software for the PET? I saw a lot of PET titles on ebay not that long ago. All on tape thou, but I guess you got access to a tape unit as well?
no wonder the drive and the main unit looks very new. I have a similar setup (our companies first computer) 8032/8096+8050+8023P with the addition of the Z-RAM (CP/M) expansion card. I'm still in the process of restoring all three devices because unfortunately they were stored in the company warehouse. After running this version you've managed to run, I'm hoping to find and run VisiCalc for CP/M on this 8032 as well :-)
I would really appreciate if someone would share the VisiCalc for CP/M v2.2 (thats the version of CP/M that runs on PETs)
Great work and thnx a lot for the video 👍 👍
I do have tape drives but have collected no PET tapes. I have saved BASIC programs to tape and demonstrate "the old way" of saving programs to interested folks (kids). I probably should get some real PET tapes.
Ah Visicalc for CPM. Bob Frankston was at VCFEast a few years ago and he mentioned, IIRC, that they did one CP/M version for an HP machine. That might mean that they did not do one for the PET's CP/M board, I don't know. All I know is what he said. Do you know otherwise? I doubt that that the HP version could have been successfully moved to the PET as I expect Visicalc would resort to accessing screen memory directly.
Douglas Crawford, that hp version of visicalc you've mentioned i believe is for an hp125 which is a cp/m machine however visicalc manual indicates that computer must be in local os mode meaning it's not an cp/m version. You can find info on that here: www.hpmuseum.net/exhibit.php?swc=18