The original Atari 400 and 800 models were released with a series of plug-n-play peripherals that used Atari’s “SIO” serial bus system, an early analog of the modern USB. To meet stringent FCC requirements, the early machines were completely enclosed in a solid cast aluminum block, which made them physically robust but expensive to produce. Over the following decade, the 400 and 800 were replaced by the XL series, then the XE. All of the 8-bit family models have the same CPU and coprocessors, running at the same clock speed, but the XL and XE are much lighter in construction and were less expensive to build. The 130XE, released in 1985, increased the memory to 128K of bank-switched RAM.
The Atari 8-bit computer line sold two million units during its major production run between late 1979 and mid-1985. They were not only sold through dedicated computer retailers, but department stores such as Sears, using an in-store demo to attract customers. The primary competition in the worldwide market was, starting in 1982, the Commodore 64. This was the first computer to offer similar graphics performance, and went on to be the best selling computer of the 8-bit era. Atari also found a strong market in Eastern Europe and had something of a renaissance in the early 1990s as these countries joined a uniting Europe.
On January 1, 1992, Atari Corp. officially dropped all remaining support of the 8-bit line.
* Information provided by Wikipedia
Manufacturer | Atari, Inc. (1979–1984) |
Atari Corporation (1984–1992) | |
Type | Home computer |
Release date | November 1979 |
Introductory price | US$550 (Atari 400, 1979) |
US$1,000 (Atari 800, 1979) | |
Discontinued | January 1992 |
Units sold | 4 million |
Operating system | Atari 8-bit OS |
CPU | MOS Technology 6502B |
@ 1.79 MHz (NTSC version) | |
@ 1.77 MHz (PAL version) | |
Graphics | 384 pixels per TV line |
256 colors | |
8× sprites | |
raster interrupts | |
Sound | 4× oscillators with noise mixing |
or 2× AM digital | |
Connectivity | 2× (or 4×) Joystick |
1× Atari SIO | |
1× (or 0×) PBI | |
1× (or 0×) Composite Monitor | |
1× (or 2×) ROM cartridge |
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Atari XL/XE 5-Pin DIN S-Video & Composite AV Cable
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5-Pin DIN Composite AV Cable
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Atari XL/XE 2 Amp Power Adapter
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Atari XL/XE USB Power Cable
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Atari 400 / 800 / 1200XL / 1050 AC Adapter
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Happy 1050 Upgrade for Atari 1050 Disk Drive
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Armor3 Composite AV to HDMI Converter Box
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Trooper Premium Controller for 2600/ RetroN 77
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S-Video to Chroma / Luma RCA Adapter
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