{"id":19895,"date":"2024-11-07T15:26:05","date_gmt":"2024-11-07T20:26:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?page_id=19895"},"modified":"2026-02-25T22:13:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T03:13:26","slug":"vin10","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin10\/","title":{"rendered":"Commodore 8296"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Commodore 8296<\/h2>\n<p>[Vin10]<a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/canada.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-20437\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/canada-240x240.jpg\" alt=\"canada logo\" width=\"240\" height=\"240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/canada-240x240.jpg 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/canada-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/canada-160x160.jpg 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/canada-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/canada-360x360.jpg 360w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/canada.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Commodore 8296, released in 1983, was the final and most advanced model in the PET line, notable for its expanded 128K RAM, integrated dual floppy drives in the 8296-D variant, and a modernized case with a detachable keyboard and swivel monitor. Its claim to fame was serving as a powerful business microcomputer, bundling office software and offering significant memory and storage upgrades over earlier PETs, though it remained fundamentally similar in architecture to the original 1977 PET. While the 8296 was only produced in small numbers and mainly sold in Europe, the PET series as a whole was hugely influential-especially in Canadian education-reflecting Commodore\u2019s roots as a company founded in Toronto, Ontario, by Jack Tramiel.<a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260225_195357698-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-23680\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260225_195357698-400x533.jpg\" alt=\"Commodore PET 8296\" width=\"337\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260225_195357698-400x533.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260225_195357698-240x320.jpg 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260225_195357698-160x213.jpg 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260225_195357698-768x1023.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260225_195357698-1153x1536.jpg 1153w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260225_195357698-1538x2048.jpg 1538w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260225_195357698-360x479.jpg 360w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260225_195357698-scaled.jpg 1922w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 337px) 100vw, 337px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Manufacturer<\/strong>: Commodore<\/li>\n<li><strong>Type<\/strong>: Personal Computer<\/li>\n<li><strong>Release Date<\/strong>: 1983<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cost at release<\/strong>: $2,500 (~$7,000 adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n<li><strong>MIPS<\/strong>: 0.145 &#8211; 0.5 (145 &#8211; 500 KIPS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"TextRun SCXW36078203 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW36078203 BCX0\">Hardware Specifications<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>CPU<\/strong>: MOS 6502 CPU running at 1 MHz. Optional Zilog Z80 co-processor board for CP\/M compatibility.<\/li>\n<li><strong>RAM: <\/strong>160K (32k standard)<\/li>\n<li><strong>ROM: <\/strong>24 Kilobytes CBM 8296 ROMs<\/li>\n<li><strong>Display<\/strong>: MOS Technology 6545 CRTC, 12&#8243; Monochrome displays, 80 columns x 25 rows<\/li>\n<li><strong>Storage<\/strong>: Dual internal 5.25&#8243; floppy drives (1 MB total capacity) in the 8296-D model<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sound<\/strong>: Piezo electronic speaker. One square wave voice. Three octaves.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ports:\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\nMOS 6520 PIA, MOS 6522 VIA<br \/>\nIEEE-488 Port<br \/>\nCommodore Datasette port<br \/>\nMale edge-connector &#8216;EXPANSION&#8217; port<br \/>\nMale edge-connector CBM parallel programmable &#8220;User&#8221; port<\/li>\n<li><strong>Keyboard<\/strong>: Full 73 key QWERTY, 11 key numeric keypad! 4 direction 2-key cursor-pad<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"TextRun SCXW136206418 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW136206418 BCX0\">Operating System &amp; Programming Languages<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW136206418 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"my-0\"><strong>Operating System<\/strong>: CP\/M<\/li>\n<li class=\"my-0\"><strong>Supported Languages<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li class=\"my-0\">Commodore BASIC 4.0 (built-in)<\/li>\n<li class=\"my-0\">6502 machine language (via monitor and SYS command)<\/li>\n<li class=\"my-0\">CP\/M and languages like COBOL, FORTRAN, and Pascal (with optional Z80 co-processor)<a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250508_131431817-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-21046\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250508_131431817-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Commodore 8296\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250508_131431817-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250508_131431817-240x180.jpg 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250508_131431817-160x120.jpg 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250508_131431817-768x577.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250508_131431817-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250508_131431817-2048x1538.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250508_131431817-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250508_131431817-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Notables<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"my-0\">The 8296 was the final and most advanced model of the iconic Commodore PET line, released in 1983 and only produced in small numbers, mainly for the European market<\/li>\n<li class=\"my-0\">Its case design, with rounded lines, a swivel monitor, and detachable keyboard, was considered unusually stylish for the era and is sometimes compared in aesthetics to later Apple iMacs<\/li>\n<li class=\"my-0\">The 8296-D variant featured dual high-density 5.25&#8243; floppy drives integrated into the case-an advanced feature for its time<\/li>\n<li class=\"my-0\">Some models included a special ExecuDesk ROM chip to launch bundled business software, though most applications still required disk loading<\/li>\n<li class=\"my-0\">The PET series, including the 8296, was especially influential in Canadian and US schools, cementing Commodore\u2019s early reputation in educational computing<\/li>\n<li class=\"my-0\">Nicknames and internal references included &#8220;SK&#8221; (for &#8220;separate keyboard&#8221;) and &#8220;CBM&#8221; (Commodore Business Machines); the PET line itself stood for &#8220;Personal Electronic Transactor&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Donated by<\/strong>: Dr. Arlen Michaels<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Commodore 8296 [Vin10] The Commodore 8296, released in 1983, was the final and most advanced model in the PET line, notable for its expanded 128K RAM, integrated dual floppy drives in the 8296-D variant, and a modernized case with a detachable keyboard and swivel monitor. Its claim to fame was serving as a powerful business [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":19704,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Commodore 8296 - School of Computer Science<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Commodore 8296 The Commodore 8296, released in 1983, was the final and most advanced model in the PET line, notable for its expanded 128K RAM, integrated\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin10\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin10\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin10\/\",\"name\":\"Commodore 8296 - 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