The Educator 64, also known as the PET 64 and Model 4064, was a
microcomputer made by
Commodore Business Machines
Commodore International (other names include Commodore International Limited) was an American home computer and electronics manufacturer founded by Jack Tramiel. Commodore International (CI), along with its subsidiary Commodore Business Mach ...
in 1983. It was sold to schools as a replacement for aging
Commodore PET
The Commodore PET is a line of personal computers produced starting in 1977 by Commodore International. A single all-in-one case combines a MOS Technology 6502 microprocessor, Commodore BASIC in read-only memory, keyboard, monochrome monitor, ...
systems. Schools were reluctant to adopt the Commodore 64 "breadbox" design due to theft or vandalism of the smaller, more exposed components. The 4064 designation followed in line with the PET's 4008, 4016 and 4032 models as a 64 KB 40-column model.
The internals of the Educator 64 were refurbished
Commodore 64 motherboards and monochromatic green monitors. The area above the keyboard contained a quick reference card for
BASIC 2.0 and
Commodore DOS
Commodore DOS, also known as CBM DOS, is the disk operating system used with Commodore's 8-bit computers. Unlike most other DOSes, which are loaded from disk into the computer's own RAM and executed there, CBM DOS is executed internally in the dr ...
commands. The only differences between the Educator 64 and the other 64 models were the graphics capabilities, the built-in speaker, the sound amplifier with volume control, the
3.5 mm mini-jack for mono sound output to headphones, the internal power supply, and the keyboard which is missing the color abbreviations imprinted on the front edge of the number keys. The Educator 64 retained the ability to display shades of green, while the PET 64 and 4064 were monochrome-only. Though the PET 4008/4016/4032 computers had cases made entirely of metal, only the Educator 64's base was metal—the upper case was made of thick plastic.
The Educator 64 was not sold in great numbers. It suffered from its
monochrome display most Commodore 64 software assumed the availability of color. And, by that time, the
US education market was firmly in
Apple
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...
's grasp.
External links
The C64 is Schoolbound
{{Commodore International
Commodore 8-bit computers