Re: Color PET Prototype Picture

From: Nate Lawson <nate_at_root.org>
Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2013 14:20:52 -0700
Message-Id: <E0D46477-37F7-49E3-81E3-05AE1AC1C875@root.org>
On Jun 4, 2013, at 12:12 PM, Rob Clarke wrote:

> 
>> 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.
>> 
> Chuck Peddle & Bill Seiler also worked on the TOI while another Yannes/Winterble/CHarpentier worked on what become the VIC-20. Didn't that get as far as working prototypes? Maybe it's on of those?


Supposedly, the picture was taken at the UK meeting that the other photos were taken at. So it had to be relatively polished before Jack began pushing for the VIC at the meeting.

At that point, Seiler had already been playing with the VIC chip in a PET board with proper kernal. Bob Yannes had not yet done his one-off hack of sawing off a PET video board and wiring up the VIC to a custom ROM that would show a single picture at CES.

It's possible this was either Seiler's VIC prototype or the TOI, which had the 6562 chip. My bet is on it being the TOI, both because of Tomczyk referring to it as "Apple 2 like" and how finished it looks. Both Seiler and Yannes had been unofficially working on their VIC prototypes and so neither would likely look as finished as this one.

-Nate


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Received on 2013-06-04 22:03:38

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