Commodore CBM 8096

The CBM 8096 expanded the 8032 with an additional 64KB memory board. Bank switching allowed specialised business and development software to use memory beyond the 6502’s normal address space.

It extended the useful life of the 8000 architecture for larger professional applications.

Notable Features

• A 64KB expansion board raised total installed memory to 96KB.
• Software had to use bank-switching techniques to access the additional memory.

Historical Significance

• It extended the useful life of the 8000 architecture for larger professional applications.

Collector’s Notes

• PET revisions often share names while differing in motherboard, ROM, keyboard and display hardware; the serial number and internal board revision should be recorded.
• Memory, storage, displays and expansion hardware should be documented because configurations often changed during a system’s working life.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Commodore CBM 8096
Manufacturer	Commodore
Launched	Thursday, January 1, 1981
Discontinued	Mid-1980s
Country	United States
CPU	MOS Technology 6502 at approximately 1 MHz
Units Sold
Form Factor	All-in-one metal desktop computer
Power	Internal mains supply
Networking	PET networking and shared-drive systems available from Commodore and third parties
Operating System	Commodore BASIC in ROM
Expansion / I/O	IEEE-488, cassette, user port and internal expansion connections
Keyboard	Business keyboard with numeric keypad
Storage	External cassette and IEEE-488 disk drives; external IEEE-488 disk drives supported
Sound	Piezoelectric beeper on later models; early PETs have no dedicated sound
Colours	Monochrome green or white phosphor
Graphics	MOS 6545/CRTC or discrete PET video logic depending on model; character graphics
Display	Built-in 12-inch CRT; 80 x 25 text
ROM	BASIC 4.0
RAM	96KB total with bank-switched expansion
CPU Speed	Approximately 1 MHz