#homecomputer

🎄💾🗓️ Day 14: Retrocomputing Advent Calendar - Atari 400/800🎄💾🗓️

The Atari 8-bit computer line was launched in 1979 with the Atari 400 and Atari 800. Both were advanced for home computers at the time. Both were driven by a 1.79 MHz MOS Technology 6502 CPU, with ANTIC and CTIA/GTIA custom chips for advanced graphics and the POKEY chip handling sound and input/output duties. The Atari 800 was the premium model, featuring a full mechanical keyboard, user-expandable to 48 KB of memory, more metal shielding, and more durability. The Atari 400 was a lower-cost alternative with a membrane keyboard, limited to 16 KB of RAM, and a simplified construction.

With hardware-accelerated scrolling, Player/Missile graphics, and rich sound, the Atari 8-bit systems were known for gaming and creative applications. They were a versatile platform with cartridge-based software, cassette, and floppy disk storage. Atari's proprietary SIO (Serial Input/Output) port allowed daisy-chaining peripherals such as printers, modems, and disk drives, making connecting them easier than with other systems.

Newer models were more compact, combined memory expansion to as much as 128KB, and compatibility with developing software and peripherals improved. Atari's 8-bit computers are remembered for having groundbreaking hardware and a very colorful game library, and they are still being used by the retrocomputing community.

While doing research for this, I saw the XE Game System, never saw it before, very 80s for sure!

The Atari XEGS (XE Game System) was launched in 1987. A repackaged 65XE with a removable keyboard, it boots to the 1981 port of Missile Command instead of BASIC if the keyboard is disconnected.

Dieses antiquarische Buch des "Data Becker Verlages" zählt zu meinen Lieblingsüchern, wenn ich mich mit der Geschichte der Homecomputer beschäftigen möchte. Was ich toll finde, dass der ehemalige Moderator "Wolfgang Back" der Kult-Sendung "WDR Computerclub" das Vorwort geschrieben hatte. Er lädt zu einer spannenden Reise durch 3 Jahrzehnte "Heimcomputer" ein. Im Buch findet man nicht nur sehr viele Fotos, die die Meilensteine illustrieren, sondern es gibt auch immer wieder Anekdoten zu bestimmten Ereignissen und Persönlichkeiten. Die Jahrzehnte sind jeweils gegliedert in die Kapitel "Computer", "Menschen" und "Meinungen". Die Autoren Jörg und Kerstin Allner haben dieses Buch mit viel Liebe zum Detail gestaltet, bei dem das Lesen und Nachschlagen echt Spaß macht.

Post #57: Jörg & Kerstin Allner, Computer Classics, Die Highlights aus 30 Jahren Homecomputer, Data Becker Verlag, Düsseldorf, 251 Seiten, 15,95.- Euro, 2003.

MSX PHILIPS VG-8020 (twins) andra tutto bene

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