Re: Color PET Prototype Picture

From: Steve Gray <sjgray_at_rogers.com>
Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2013 12:00:54 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <1370372454.18948.YahooMailNeo@web161306.mail.bf1.yahoo.com>
Jim,
 
Funny, I saw that a while ago, but must have skimmed over it the first time. It's fascinating ;-)
 
We know that Commodore made the 8033 "Colour PET" prototype and showed it publicly (see pic on my "ColourPET" project page). This was an 80 column PET. 
We don't really know anything about this one though. On the picture you are referring to, the caption says "Chuck Peddle showed a new prototype computer that looked like an Apple II."  We can see it's clearly a PET keyboard rearranged and the case resembles a PET without monitor.  I don't think we have enough information to know exactly what it is. Is it a working system or a mockup? Is it based on the PET or VIC-20 or something inbetween. Did it use the prototype 80 column custom chip (6562), was it a hacked up 6545, or did it use the VIC-I 6560 chip?
 
 No doubt if Peddle was the driving force behind it then it probably started out based on the PET and probably used a custom chip. 22 or 80 I don't know. Once Mr. Tomczyk  and Jack Tramiel got involved then it evolved to be the VIC-20.
 
 Remember that Commodore were always announcing things then changing the names. I think the VIC-20 was called a "Color PET" or "Micro PET" early on probably because PET was the  only "line" commodore had at the time amd people assumed it was some type of upgrade or compatible machine. We know the C64 was originally referred to as the VIC-40, and the CBM-II P500 was also called the C64, PET-II or Colour PET too.
 
Steve
 
 
From: Jim Brain <brain@jbrain.com>
To: cbm-hackers@musoftware.de 
Sent: Monday, June 3, 2013 11:45:56 PM
Subject: Color PET Prototype Picture
 

>Maybe I just missed the revelation, but I just noticed that page 5 of this:
>
>http://www.retrocommodore.com/retro/images/documenti/Retrocommodore-Presentation_Rome-Italy_Michael-Tomczyk_18Nov2012.pdf
>
>shows a photo of the Color PET prototype, in a plastic case.
>
>Jim
>
>-- 
>Jim Brain
>brain@jbrain.com
>www.jbrain.com
>
>
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Received on 2013-06-04 20:00:09

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