Task: Purchase a FujiNet Needed: Web browser Time: 10-15 mins Introduction One of the most exciting aspects of Atari 8-bit computers is the emergence of new devices which expand our fun and simplify our experience. Flash-based cartridges and SIO devices were revolutionary in that way
Read moreExplore Atari Advertisements in Retail Christmas Catalogs (10-15 mins)
Task: Explore Atari Advertisements in Retail Christmas Catalogs Needed: Web browser Time: 10-15 mins Introduction If you grew up in the United State in the early 1980s the Christmas catalogs from Sears, J.C. Penney, and other department stores were the bomb. We all spent days
Read morePurchase a RetroTINK for Conversion to Digital Video (10-15 mins)
Task: Purchase a RetroTINK for Conversion to Digital Video Needed: Web browser, RetroTINK Time: 10-15 mins Introduction I have previously posted about the challenges of converting the composite signal from the Atari 8-bit computers to HDMI for display on an LED monitor or TV. I
Read moreFun with the Atari Light Pen (15-30 mins)
Task: Fun with the Atari Light Pen Needed: Web browser, Atari Light Pen, CRT monitor or TV Time: 15-30 mins Introduction One of my favorite things to do with my Atari was making art. I had an Atari Touch Tablet and several other graphics programs
Read moreWatch Jay Miner Give a Talk from 1989 (30 mins)
Task: Watch Jay Miner Give a Talk from 1989 Needed: Web browser Time: 30 mins Introduction Mr. Jay Miner led the design and development of the graphics chips used in the Atari 2600 and the 8-bit computers. This included the Television Interface Adaptor (TIA) used
Read moreTry the Atari 8-Bit Twitter Bot (5-10 mins)
Task: Try the Atari 8-Bit Twitter Bot Needed: Web browser and a twitter account Time: 5-10 mins Introduction I have previously posted about the thriving Atari community on twitter. A fun new twitter bot has appeared in the last few weeks called the @atari8bitbot. This
Read moreWatch the Documentary “Once Upon Atari” (2 hours)
Task: Watch the Documentary “Once Upon Atari” Needed: Web browser Time: 2 hours Introduction The Atari story from start to finish is an amazing one. Particularly interesting are the stories from the early days of Atari which stem from a very free and open management
Read moreExplore Atari Computer Sales Brochures and Catalogs (10-15 mins)
Task: Explore Atari Computer Sales Brochures and Catalogs Needed: Web browser Time: 10-15 minutes Introduction One of my favorite things to is to explore sales brochures and catalogs for the Atari 8-bit line of computers. Fortunately, my packrat father saved a number of these so
Read moreExplore Homesoft’s Collection of Games for the Atari 8-Bit Computers (10-15 mins)
Task: Explore Homesoft’s Collection of Games for the Atari 8-Bit Computers Needed: Web browser Time: 10-15 minutes Introduction The Internet Archive and Atari Mania are awesome source of Atari software and games. These are certainly good places to start if you are looking for something.
Read moreExplore Atari Software and Games on Atari Mania (10-15 mins)
Task: Explore Atari Software and Games on Atari Mania Needed: Web browser Time: 10-15 minutes Introduction It can be challenging to find comprehensive and safe sources of Atari software and games online. The Internet Archive is certainly one of my favorites. Another go-to source is
Read moreExplore BASIC Programming Languages for the Atari 8-Bit Computers (30-60 mins)
Task: Explore BASIC Programming Languages for the Atari 8-Bit Computers Needed: Web browser Time: 30-60 minutes Introduction Nearly all of us who grew up with Atari 8-bit home computers learned to program in BASIC. This was especially true in the early days given software was
Read moreExplore the Page 6 Public Domain Software Library for Atari 8-Bit Computers (10-15 mins)
Task: Explore the Page 6 Public Domain Software Library for Atari 8-Bit Computers Needed: Web browser Time: 10-15 minutes Introduction Page 6 was an Atari 8-bit computer magazine started by members of a Birmingham, England Atari users group. The story of how this magazine got
Read moreMake an Atari 8-bit Computer Cartridge (1-2 hours)
Task: Make an Atari 8-bit Computer Cartridge Needed: Cartridge parts, EPROM programmer, soldering station or iron Time: 1-2 hours Introduction As I have mentioned in previous posts, I had tons of fun making my own Atari 2600 game called Gene Medic. I sent the binary
Read morePurchase a Soldering Station for Atari Electronics and Hardware Projects (10-15 mins)
Task: Purchase a Soldering Station for Atari Electronics and Hardware Projects Needed: Web browser Time: 10-15 mins Introduction I took a year of electronics in high school and did a lot of soldering. In fact, I used to fix tube televisions people from the community
Read moreBurn an Atari Binary File on an EPROM Chip (30-60 mins)
Task: Burn an Atari Binary File on an EPROM Chip Needed: EPROM burner, EPROM Time: 30-60 mins Introduction Read Only Memory (ROM) integrated circuits (IC) or chips were routinely used in the Atari 8-bit computers and video game consoles. For example, the Atari 800XL included
Read moreLearn About Checksum Programs for Checking Type-In Programs (15-30 mins)
Task: Learn About Checksum Programs for Checking Type-In Programs Needed: Web browser, Altirra Time: 15-30 mins Introduction It was common in the early 1980s to get software by typing in program listings from magazines like Antic or Compute!. This was partly because new Atari home
Read morePlay Infocom’s Planetfall on an Atari 8-bit Computer (1-2 hours)
Task: Play Infocom’s Planetfall on an Atari 8-bit Computer Needed: Planetfall Disk or ATR file Time: 1-2 hours Introduction Infocom was king of the text-based adventure games in the 1980s. I played Zork I with a friend and was instantaneously hooked. He had already played
Read moreTips for Speeding up Atari BASIC Programs (15-30 mins)
Task: Tips for Speeding up Atari BASIC Programs Needed: BASIC Time: 15-30 mins Introduction Atari BASIC is notoriously slow which is why many game developers worked with assembly language to do anything serious. However, if you want to develop in BASIC there are a number
Read moreCalculate Digits of Pi in Atari BASIC (10-15 mins)
Task: Calculate Digits of Pi in Atari BASIC Needed: BASIC Time: 10-15 mins Introduction The number pi (~ 3.14159265359) is a constant defined as the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. It has fascinated mathematicians for ages given the pattern of decimal values
Read moreExplore Chatbots on the Atari 8-bit Computer (15-30 mins)
Task: Explore Chatbots on the Atari 8-bit Computer Needed: Altirra emulator or original hardware with disk drive Time: 15-30 mins Introduction Chatbots have grown in popularity as natural language processing (NLP) has improved. An example is the Woebot developed by psychologists to assist people who
Read moreTips for Troubleshooting a Defective Atari 8-bit Computer (15-30 mins)
Task: Tips for Troubleshooting a Defective Atari 8-bit Computer Needed: web browser Time: 15-30 mins Introduction I have always been impressed with how reliable Atari 8-bit computers are. I have more than a dozen and they all work. What do you do if you get
Read moreExplore Atari Tweets (10-15 mins)
Task: Explore Atari Tweets Needed: web browser Time: 10-15 mins Introduction I am very active on twitter and love to post Atari-related items from time to time. Twitter is a great way to get information and interact with a slice of the Atari community. I
Read morePlay Bowling on the Atari 2600 (10-15 mins)
Task: Play Bowling on the Atari 2600 Needed: Bowling cartridge or Altirra emulator Time: 10-15 mins Introduction Everyone has played classics like Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and Missile Command on the Atari 2600. But, have you played Bowling? If not, you are missing out on one
Read moreExplore the Atari 8-bit Software Preservation Initiative (15-30 mins)
Task: Explore the Atari 8-bit Software Preservation Initiative Needed: A web browser Time: 15-30 mins Introduction One of the great aspects of the Atari hobby is that there is tons of archived software online and freely available for download for use on an emulator or
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