Nice Original PET at a Low Price
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Personable85
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- Location: Warren, Michigan USA
Chicklet PET
Could someone please explain to me the appeal of the old chicklet PETs. Personally, I won't buy anything less than a PET 2001-N-16 series (of which I own several). The PET 2001-N series are at least useful. They have a full size keyboard which is wonderful for typing and sufficient memory for serious programming. The chicklet PETs have only 8K of memory which makes them nearly useless for most programs. And, the chicklet keyboard makes typing a program of any serious length nearly impossible. Why would anyone who wants to program on a PET want a PET 2001 with the chicklet keyboard? Could someone please explain this to me? The only reason I can find for buying a chicklet PET is either for nostalgia or as an investment. As an investment, are the chicklet PETs really going to be worth a whole lot more money 50 years from now? I think not! You'd be better off putting your money in the bank at 1% interest than buying a chicklet PET as an investment. If anyone knows something about the chicklets that I don't, please enlighten me.
Thanks!
Mark
Thanks!
Mark
I think Nostalgia is the main reason. The chicklet PET is the "original" Commodore Computer (ignoring the KIM) so I guess from a collectability standpoint they are a little bit more special. As to usability, at this point any 8-bit machine is practically useless compared to todays machines. I mean, you might as well run an emulator on the PC if you wanted to do some programming. I agree that as an investment they're probably not that wise to buy. Maybe 100 years from now they might be worth something but not these days.
I know for myself the Commodores were the machines I grew up on, learned to program, and really ENJOYED using. Today's PC's just aren't that fun.
You own several machines... what do you do with them?
I know for myself the Commodores were the machines I grew up on, learned to program, and really ENJOYED using. Today's PC's just aren't that fun.
You own several machines... what do you do with them?
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Personable85
- Posts: 63
- Joined: Tue Oct 10, 2006 10:27 am
- Location: Warren, Michigan USA
Chicklet PETs
I made my comments about the chicklet PETs because I am baffled by the amout of money they are getting on ebay compared to any other series of Commodore PET/CBM computers . I simply can't understand why they are so popular compared to others in the Commodore inventory. So, I began to wonder if there was something about the chicklet PETs that I was missing.
I grew up with the VIC-20 and C64. I had PETs in high school. Now, I collect PET/CBMs as a hobby. Among other things, I love their design and uniqueness; especially the PET 2001-N series, PET 4032s and the CBM 8032s (I don't like the look of the later PETs such as the 8296s). I see them as art and even display some of them in my home as such. For me, they are a pleasure to the eye. I can't say that about the chicklet PETs (or today's modern computers). It is not my intention to offend chicklet PET owners. To each their own. I am simply stating a fact which is true for me. I simply cannot see the appeal of the chicklet PETs.
It is true that the old 8 bit computers are of little or no use today. Modern computers are better in every way. The only advantage computers like the PET have is their ease of programming. It is far more fun to program on an 8 bit computer (I believe) than a modern computer. Today's modern computers are for serious programmers. Teams of programmers make today's programs. The days of programming for fun and liesure are gone. For amateur programmers such as myself, you have Microsoft Visual Basic and that's it. Today's Basic language is a lot more difficult to learn and use than Basic from the past. That's where the old computers come in. They fill the ease-of-use programming gap nicely. I believe that both the new and old computers can co-exist nicely. Neither is stepping on the other's turf. Today, you can have the best of both worlds. You can have it all.
I grew up with the VIC-20 and C64. I had PETs in high school. Now, I collect PET/CBMs as a hobby. Among other things, I love their design and uniqueness; especially the PET 2001-N series, PET 4032s and the CBM 8032s (I don't like the look of the later PETs such as the 8296s). I see them as art and even display some of them in my home as such. For me, they are a pleasure to the eye. I can't say that about the chicklet PETs (or today's modern computers). It is not my intention to offend chicklet PET owners. To each their own. I am simply stating a fact which is true for me. I simply cannot see the appeal of the chicklet PETs.
It is true that the old 8 bit computers are of little or no use today. Modern computers are better in every way. The only advantage computers like the PET have is their ease of programming. It is far more fun to program on an 8 bit computer (I believe) than a modern computer. Today's modern computers are for serious programmers. Teams of programmers make today's programs. The days of programming for fun and liesure are gone. For amateur programmers such as myself, you have Microsoft Visual Basic and that's it. Today's Basic language is a lot more difficult to learn and use than Basic from the past. That's where the old computers come in. They fill the ease-of-use programming gap nicely. I believe that both the new and old computers can co-exist nicely. Neither is stepping on the other's turf. Today, you can have the best of both worlds. You can have it all.