TL;DR
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Commodore demonstrated the PET at the January 1977 Consumer Electronics Show, presenting an integrated computer with a keyboard, monitor, cassette drive and 4 KB of memory. A Commodore history page calls it the world’s first personal computer, but that designation is disputed by broader definitions and the source does not establish a definitive industry-wide first.
Commodore demonstrated its PET computer at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago in January 1977, months before the Apple II and Radio Shack TRS-80, according to a company-history page that calls the machine the world’s first personal computer. The date and the PET’s integrated design are documented in that account; the broader “first” label depends on how a personal computer is defined and is not established by the page alone.
The PET brought several components together in one unit: a keyboard, 9-inch blue-and-white monitor and cassette tape drive, alongside a motherboard using MOS Technology’s 1 MHz 6502 processor. The source describes the original configuration with 4 KB of memory, expansion sockets and ports including serial connectivity. Its operating system was stored in ROM, and the machine could display upper- and lower-case text and graphics.
The prototype shown at CES was assembled under severe time pressure. The history account says engineer Chuck Peddle worked long hours in the three days before the show to make it functional. It describes the demonstration unit as having a wooden case and a television picture tube, rather than the steel enclosure used on production machines. Commodore’s production PET 2001 had a metal chassis and calculator-style keys; the account gives its weight as 47 pounds.
Early sales figures and prices in the source illustrate the challenge of turning the demonstration into a mass-market product. The 4 KB model was offered by mail order for $495, with a stated three-to-six-week wait. The page says Commodore later raised that price to $595 and promoted an 8 KB model for $795. It also reports that production initially reached about 30 machines a day and that roughly 500 units were assembled in the first year. These figures come from the historical account and are not independently corroborated in the supplied material.
How the PET Made Computing More Accessible
The PET mattered because it packaged computing hardware that had often been sold as a kit or as separate components into a single, ready-to-use system. A built-in display, keyboard and storage device reduced the need for buyers to source and connect multiple pieces of equipment. That design made the PET relevant to schools, businesses and home users seeking a computer that could be used out of the box.
Its history also shows why claims about the “first personal computer” need care. The PET was an early integrated product and arrived during a fast-moving period of commercial computer development. But priority can mean the first computer sold to individuals, the first assembled system, or the first model with a particular set of built-in features. The source’s claim is meaningful as a description of the PET’s place in that period, not a settled verdict covering every possible definition.
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From 6502 Chip to CES Demonstration
The PET grew from work at MOS Technology, where Peddle and colleagues developed the MOS 6502 processor. The account says the team had also made the KIM-1 computer trainer to demonstrate the chip. Peddle developed the PET concept after Radio Shack declined to retail it, according to the same history.
Commodore founder Jack Tramiel later acquired MOS Technology, including its staff, patents and production facilities, through a deal supported by a $3 million loan guarantee from investor Irving Gould, the page says. Commodore was then known for office equipment and calculators. Its decision to build a complete computer helped distinguish the PET from earlier systems described in the account as circuit boards chiefly suited to technically experienced hobbyists.
The account identifies the product’s name officially as Personal Electronic Transactor, while noting alternative explanations and rumors about its origin. It also says PET models were adapted for European markets under the 3000-series names in 1978. Those details place the CES showing within a broader effort to turn a prototype into a commercial line.
“The Commodore PET was the world’s first Personal Computer.”
— Ian Matthews, author of the Commodore history page
How the ‘First PC’ Claim Holds Up
The supplied source gives a date for the CES demonstration and describes the machine’s components, but it does not provide independent records verifying every detail or a comparative history establishing the PET as the first personal computer under all definitions. Earlier machines and competing products may qualify depending on whether “personal computer” means an assembled, self-contained, commercially available system or includes kits and computers aimed at enthusiasts.
Some operational and sales figures—including the initial production rate, first-year output and early order prices—are reported by the history page without supporting documents in the provided material. The source also says it includes a note verifying the CES date, but that note is not included in the supplied text. The precise evidence for the date, production totals and priority claim therefore remains unclear here.
What Historical Records Can Confirm
The source page was last updated on November 29, 2018, and the material provided does not describe a new announcement, product release or current event. Further confirmation of the historical claims would require checking contemporary CES records, Commodore advertisements and catalogs, production documentation, and dated reporting on rival computers.
Those records could clarify when the PET was first demonstrated, when customers could actually buy it, and how its features compared with systems already available. Until that evidence is assessed alongside the source account, the safest conclusion is that Commodore showed a notably integrated computer at CES in January 1977, while its status as the first personal computer remains dependent on the definition used.
Key Questions
When was the Commodore PET shown publicly?
The cited Commodore history page says the PET was announced and demonstrated at CES in Chicago in January 1977. The supplied material does not include the underlying records mentioned as verification.
What did the original PET include?
The account describes an integrated keyboard, 9-inch monitor, cassette drive and 4 KB of memory, with a 1 MHz MOS 6502 processor, expansion options and a ROM-based operating system.
Was the PET definitively the first personal computer?
The history page calls it the world’s first personal computer, but the source material does not establish that as a universal consensus. The answer depends partly on how “personal computer” is defined and which earlier systems are included.
How much did the PET cost at launch?
The page says the 4 KB version was initially offered by mail order for $495, later raised to $595, while an 8 KB model was promoted for $795. These are figures reported by that historical account.
Source: commodore.ca
