I have the main unit.
type computer
country USA
year 1983
os Basic 4.0
cpu MOS 6502
speed 1 MHz
ram 160 KB
rom 24 KB
graphic 12″ 80×25
colors mono
sound speaker, 1 voice, 3 octaves
ports IEEE-488, expansion, tape, user port
The Commodore PET/CBM 8296D — The Ultimate PET
The Commodore CBM 8296D was the most capable and final evolution of the Commodore PET line — a premium business computer with 96 KB of RAM, a built-in dual 5.25-inch floppy drive (the ”D” suffix indicating dual drives), an 80-column built-in monitor, and the MOS 6509 processor. Released in 1982, it represented Commodore’s most sophisticated attempt to compete in the business microcomputer market before the VIC-20 and C64 shifted the company’s focus entirely toward the home market. The 220V designation indicates a European model configured for continental European power standards.
96 KB of RAM
The 8296D’s 96 KB of RAM was substantial for a business microcomputer of 1982, achieved through a bank-switching architecture that allowed more memory than the 6502 processor’s 64 KB address space could normally accommodate. This extra memory was essential for running the more demanding business software of the era — database systems, accounting packages, and word processors that needed significant working memory to handle large datasets and documents.
The End of the PET Era
The 8296D arrived at a transitional moment for Commodore. The VIC-20’s enormous consumer success and the impending launch of the Commodore 64 were shifting the company’s focus away from the business PET market toward consumer electronics. The 8296D was the final high-end PET model, and its discontinuation marked the end of Commodore’s most professional product line. Today it is one of the most sought-after PET models for collectors who appreciate its capability and historical significance as the culmination of the PET series.