PET stands for Personal Electronics Transactor. The computer was mainly used in educational institutions and was one of the first to be complete in terms of features offered at the time.

The computer boots directly into Basic when turned on, something that few computers did in those days. You could immediately start programming or loading a cassette using the built-in cassette recorder.

Chuck Peddle, the inventor of the MOS 6502 microprocessor, has convinced Commodore not to make calculators anymore, but to shift its focus to larger computers. This in response to the success of the KIM-1.

The keys are therefore similar to those of a calculator. Data storage via cassette was simple and cheap and Commodore's metal housing was already available because of the steel factory that Commodore also had.

The PET 2001 is available with different stickers. There are black stickers with accents red and blue which is considered the first version. Also completely black variants and the most rare is the blue variant. Later PET versions received an improved keyboard in exchange for the removal of the cassette recorder.

A funny fact is that the PET 2001 can be opened like a hood, including kickstand to work directly on the mainboard.

It was the basis for the entire 8-bit production line that Commodore would set up.