PET 200 (8032-SK) questions

From: Marko Mäkelä (msmakela_at_cc.hut.fi)
Date: 1999-09-10 10:45:45

A while back, I got this message.  I tried to search André Fachat's page 
for a FAQ or history of the PET computers, but the pages weren't there
(at <URL:http://www.6502.org/users/andre/petindex/petindex.html>).  Same
for Larry's PET page.  Is my computing equipment cursed today (first the
disk crash and now this), or what is going on?

	Marko

Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 18:01:00 CEST
From: _ _ <mrkz@hotmail.com>
[...]

I have just come over a piece of classic computer-history, and now I have 
some questions of the hardware. Some days ago I bought this:

* Commodore PET 200 (exactly the same as on the picture at: 
http://calvin.ptloma.edu/~spectre/ckb/secret/cbm-200.jpg)
* Commodore CBM dual drive floppy disk model 8050
* Commodore Tractor Printer 4022

The PET 200 (serial no: 14167) is in very good condition with just a few 
minor scratches. When I switch it on, it gives away a nice bleeping sound, 
and the green screen shows that the ROM is loaded with "commodore basic 
4.0", and that it has 31743 bytes free.
The keyboard has a Swedish layout, with the three extra keys found in the 
Swedish alphabet (åäö/ÅÄÖ). There are a few keys that doesn't seem to work 
when pressed (3,6,9,*/:,run/stop and inst/del). There actually also were 
some malfunctional keys on the numeric keypad, but after I dissambled the 
keyboard-contact and adjusted a pin, the numeric keyboard now works fine.
Maybe I should try to tweak some other pins inside he keyboard-contact to 
see if I can get the rest of the keys to work properly too.

The floppy diskdrive (serial no: 09557) is a huge piece of metal and plastic 
and when connected to the PET 200 shines with three red LEDs. I noticed that 
when the PET 200 is shut off, the drive flashes the right and middle LED 
from green to red light. I also noticed that when the PET is connected to 
the 8050, it does not give away any startup-sound when switched on. Maybe 
that sound only works as a warning to tell that there's no extra floppy 
attached?

The Tractor Printer seem so work to, and when turned on, the printer head 
slides from side to side and then stops with a the button (with the initials 
T.O.F) shines red.



Now, I've never owned such an old computer as the PET 200 so I am a bit 
confused/concerned what to do with it. Fro the beginning, I was only to buy 
a 1541 diskdrive for my old C=64, but also ended up with this extra 
hardware. It was the Commodore-logo that made me acquire the PET :)

So, I now want to know as much as possible of the PET 200. When it was 
introduced, what it costed, if it's rare, if the Swedish keyboard makes it 
even rare, to whom it was aimed (i.e. secretarys or business analysts) 
and... well... everything!

I also would like to know how to operate it. It seems like the basic works 
in the same way as he old C=64, but I really would like to know if there's a 
copy of a manual to come over somewhere. I also would like to have some 
software to play with. I know there are games produced especially for the 
PET, so do you know where I can get some 5 1/4"-floppies?

I really hope to get some of my questions answered. I am just so glad I now 
own a beatutiful computer as the PET 200! :)


regards,

Markus Norsted
Stockholm, Sweden

-
This message was sent through the cbm-hackers mailing list.
To unsubscribe: echo unsubscribe | mail cbm-hackers-request@dot.tcm.hut.fi.

Archive generated by hypermail 2.1.1.