Closeup of PET keyboard
Commodore was originally a calculator manufacturer, and the original keyboard design is evidence of that legacy.
This picture shows the keyboard which was completely orthogonal and had undersized keys. It was difficult for all but determined touch-typists with small fingers! The keys were small, spring-loaded single contact membrane switches with silksreened tops. Although it's difficult to see in this poor-quality picture, most of the keytops legends are worn away as a result of countless hours happily spent programming in BASIC and 6502 assembly language and playing cassette-based games like "Startrek" and "Space Invaders."
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