Commodore PET – The Worlds First Personal Computer

The Commodore PET, announced in January 1977, was the world's first personal computer. It was demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, months before the Apple II and TRS-80. The PET's chassis was initially designed with rounded edges, but was later changed to a square design to reduce production costs. The first prototype was cobbled together in a hurry and had a wooden chassis and a TV picture tube. Chuck Peddle, a visionary engineer, led the project and worked 20 hours a day for three days to get the PET functional before the CES show. The PET was a significant departure from previous home computers, which were only understood by enthusiasts. The MOS 6502 processor, developed by Peddle and his colleagues, was a key component of the PET and was also used in other computers, including the KIM-1 'Computer Trainer'.