Atari 8-bit computers

Atari 8-bit computers

The Atari 800's nameplate is on the dual-width cartridge slot cover.
Manufacturer	Atari, Inc. (1979–1984) Atari Corporation (1984–1992)
Type	Home computer
Release date	November 1979; 45 years ago (1979-11)[citation needed]
Introductory price	Atari 400: US$550 (equivalent to $2,310 in 2023) Atari 800: US$1,000 (equivalent to $4,200 in 2023)[1]
Discontinued	January 1, 1992; 32 years ago (1992-01-01)
Units sold	4 million
Operating system	Custom Atari DOS (optional)
CPU	MOS Technology 6502B or MOS Technology 6502 SALLY @ 1.79 MHz (NTSC) @ 1.77 MHz (PAL)
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 × Atari joystick port 1 × Atari SIO 0–1 × PBI 0–1 × Composite monitor 1–2 × ROM cartridge
Successor	Atari ST
Related	Atari 5200

The Atari 8-bit computers, formally launched as the Atari Home Computer System,^[2] are a series of home computers introduced by Atari, Inc., in 1979 with the Atari 400 and Atari 800.^[3] The architecture is designed around the 8-bit MOS Technology 6502 CPU and three custom coprocessors which provide support for sprites, smooth multidirectional scrolling, four channels of audio, and other features. The graphics and sound are more advanced than most of its contemporaries, and video games are a key part of the software library. The 1980 first-person space combat simulator Star Raiders is considered the platform's killer app.

The Atari 800 was positioned as a high-end model and the 400 as more affordable. The 400 has a pressure-sensitive, spillproof membrane keyboard and initially shipped with a non-upgradable 8 KB of RAM. The 800 has a conventional keyboard, a second cartridge slot, and allows easy RAM upgrades to 48K. Both use identical 6502 CPUs at 1.79 MHz (1.77 MHz for PAL versions) and coprocessors ANTIC, POKEY, and CTIA/GTIA. The plug-and-play peripherals use the Atari SIO serial bus, and one of the SIO developers eventually went on to co-patent USB (Universal Serial Bus).^[4] The core architecture of the Atari 8-bit computers was reused in the 1982 Atari 5200 game console, but games for the two systems are incompatible.

The 400 and 800 were replaced by multiple computers with the same technology and different presentation. The 1200XL was released in early 1983 to supplant the 800. It was discontinued months later, but the industrial design carried over to the 600XL and 800XL released later the same year. After the company was sold and reestablished, Atari Corporation released the 65XE (sold as the 800XE in some European markets) and 130XE in 1985. The XL and XE are lighter in construction, have two joystick ports instead of four, and Atari BASIC is built-in. The 130XE has 128 KB of bank-switched RAM. In 1987, after the Nintendo Entertainment System reignited the console market, Atari Corporation packaged the 65XE as a game console, with an optional keyboard, as the Atari XEGS. It is compatible with 8-bit computer software and peripherals.

The 8-bit computers were sold both in computer stores and department stores such as Sears using an in-store demo to attract customers.^[5] Two million Atari 8-bit computers were sold during its major production run between late 1979 and mid-1985.^[6] In 1984, Atari reported 4 million owners of its computers and 5200 game console combined.^[7] The primary global competition came when the similarly equipped Commodore 64 was introduced in 1982. In 1992, Atari Corporation officially dropped all remaining support for the 8-bit line.^[8]