Commodore 8032

The PET 8000 series was released in May 1980, three years after the original PET 2001. Although it has the same MOS 6502 CPU running at the same speed (1 MHz), improved circuitry allowed the 8000 series to operate significantly faster.

Commodore 8032

The PET 8000 series was released in May 1980, three years after the original PET 2001. Although it has the same MOS 6502 CPU running at the same speed (1 MHz), improved circuitry allowed the 8000 series to operate significantly faster.

The 8000 series uses Basic 4.0 and for the first time, it comes standard with a 12-inch screen.

This machine was a major innovation in the lineup and was more targeted towards business users rather than the home market, which was a shift in strategy compared to the 2001/3000 machines. Business users were the main target of new features in the new 4.0 Basic, although the impact on the American market, as with previous and later models, was limited by the lack of CP/M compatibility.

8032 refers to an 80x25 character display. The machine came with 32K memory as standard in the 8032 model, but could add an additional 64K externally. Later, the upgrade was installed in the factory, creating the 8096 model. The specimen in our collection is the 32K model, hence the designation 8032.

Commodore also released the PET 4000 series around the same time as the CBM 8000 series. The 4000 series is almost identical, except that it has a standard 9-inch screen instead of a 12-inch screen, with 40 characters per line of text.

This marked the end of the Commodore PET line and also signaled the end of Commodore's activities in the business market. Many reviewers believe that this was one of the many serious strategic mistakes that ultimately led to the company's bankruptcy.

This model is the 8032-32B.

Catalog type
Desktop computer
Manufacturer
Release Date
May 1980
Processor
MOS 6502 @ 1 Mhz
Memory
32 KB
Storage
Extern cassette, harddisk of floppy
Operation System
Commodore Basic 4.0

Museum Collection

Set up in the 80s area.

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