Task: Watch the Documentary “Atari: Game Over” Needed: Web browser Time: 1 hour Introduction One of the great stories of Atari was the “rumor” that they buried tons of E.T. cartridges for the 2600 in a desert landfill after the video game crash of 1983.
Read morePurchase New Power Supplies (5-10 mins)
Task: Purchase New Power Supplies Needed: Web browser Time: 5-10 minutes Introduction I have previously posted about the need to go through your collection and purge dangerous power supplies that can fail and take your Atari out. Further, you may not trust the ones that
Read moreTry the Diamond Graphical Operating System (10-15 mins)
Task: Try the Diamond Graphical Operating System Needed: Diamond GOS ATR file Time: 10-15 minutes Introduction The command line interface of DOS was cumbersome, but we didn’t mind because we were pioneers in the early days of home computing. It was all we knew and
Read moreReplace Rubber Feet (5-10 mins)
Task: Replace Rubber Feet Needed: New Rubber Feet Time: 5-10 minutes Introduction I have had several problems with the little rubber feet on the bottom of Atari hardware. First, some of the feet degrade over time and the chemicals damage the finish on my desk
Read moreAttend an Atari Party (1 day)
Task: Attend an Atari Party Needed: Time and travel Time: 1 day Introduction Many of us carry out our Atari projects in isolation due to the rareness of the hobby. As such, we relish those infrequent opportunities to meet with other enthusiasts to celebrate our
Read morePlay Qix on Your Atari 8-Bit Computer (15-30 mins)
Task: Play Qix on Your Atari 8-Bit Computer Needed: Qix cartridge, ROM, or ATR file Time: 15-30 mins Introduction Qix was one of the first cartridges I owned for the Atari 400 and 800. I still love this game. It has simple rules, good graphics,
Read moreRead “Atari Force” Mini Comic Books (15-60 mins)
Task: Read “Atari Force” Mini Comic Books Needed: Web browser Time: 15-60 mins Introduction I have a large stack of Atari 2600 manuals and catalogs that I accumulated over the years. In this stack there are several Atari mini comic books which shipped in boxes
Read morePurchase the “Atari Projects” Book (5-10 mins)
Task: Purchase the Atari Projects Book Needed: Web browser Time: 5-10 mins Introduction I have really enjoyed completing and posting the projects on this web page. Earlier in the summer I decided to curate 50 of the approximately 80 posts and create a book focused
Read moreConduct Experiments with AtariLab (30-60 mins)
Task: Conduct Experiments with AtariLab Needed: AtariLab Starter Set Time: 30-60 mins Introduction One of the coolest peripherals for the Atari computers was the AtariLab that was developed by Atari in collaboration with Dr. Priscilla Laws who was a professor at Dickinson College. I never
Read moreWatch Joe Decuir on YouTube (1-2 hours)
Task: Watch Joe Decuir on YouTube Needed: Web browser Time: 1-2 hours Introduction Joe Decuir was hired by Atari to debug the prototype for the Atari 2600 and then went on to help design and build the Atari 400 and 800 computers. He has had
Read moreRead the Book “Atari Inc.: Business if Fun” (10-15 hours)
Task: Read the Book “Atari Inc.: Business if Fun” Needed: “Atari Inc.” book Time: 10-15 hours Introduction This book is a tour de force in Atari stories and history and is a must-have for any Atari enthusiast bookshelf. As Curt Vendel states in the Foreword,
Read morePlay Star Raiders on Your Atari 8-Bit Computer (15-30 mins)
Task: Play Star Raiders on Your Atari 8-Bit Computer Needed: Start Raiders cartridge, disk, or ROM Time: 15-30 mins Introduction Star Raiders was released in 1979 along with the Atari 400 and 800 computers. It was a huge success and the demos in the stores
Read moreRead the Book “Atari BASIC” (1-2 hours)
Task: Read the Book “Atari BASIC” Needed: Atari Basic by Albrecht et al. (1979) Time: 1-2 Hours Introduction My first two books were Your Atari Computer and Atari BASIC. They are still a great way to get familiar with the Atari 400 and 800 if
Read moreTips for Managing the Size of Your Collection (10-15 mins)
Task: Tips for Managing the Size of Your Collection Needed: strategy and willpower Time: 10-15 mins Introduction I amassed a pretty big Atari collection back in the early 2000s when hardware and software was easy to come by in flea markets and thrift stores. Looking
Read moreMake Floppy Disks Double-Sided (5-10 mins)
Task: Make Floppy Disks Double-Sided Needed: floppy disks, notcher Time: 5-10 minutes Introduction When floppy disks first came on the scene they were single-sided and had a single notch or hole on the right side that you could cover with tape to write-protect the disk.
Read moreListen to the Floppy Days Podcast (1-4 hours)
Task: Listen to the Floppy Days Podcast Needed: Web browser Time: 1-4 hours Introduction The Floppy Days podcast was founded by Randall Kindig in 2013 and has been going strong every year for the last six years. Randy’s goal is to cover as many vintage
Read moreExplore Disk Operating System (DOS) Versions (30-60 mins)
Task: Explore Disk Operating System (DOS) Versions Needed: DOS ATR files Time: 30-60 minutes Introduction I remember vividly the excitement of getting my first Atari 810 disk drive and the magic of the disk operating system (DOS). Since we got our 800 and 810 around
Read moreExplore Floppy Disk Collections (30-60 mins)
Task: Explore Floppy Disk Collections Needed: Floppy disks Time: 30-60 minutes Introduction One of my favorite things to do with my Atari home computers is explore the contents of my floppy disk collections. I still have my floppies from back in the day and have
Read moreRead Atari News from the 1970s and 1980s (30-60 mins)
Task: Read Atari News from the 1970s and 1980s Needed: Web browser Time: 30-60 minutes Introduction A number of good books have been written about the history of Atari (e.g. Racing the Beam and Breakout). It is a fascinating story of innovation, success, and failure.
Read morePurchase an Atarimax SD Multi-Cart for Atari 5200 (10-15 mins)
Task: Purchase an Atarimax SD Multi-Cart for Atari 5200 Needed: Web browser Time: 10-15 minutes Introduction My previous post covers purchasing an Atari 5200 console if you don’t already have one. As with all Ataris, the cartridges can be quite expensive with prices of $20
Read morePurchase an Atari 5200 (30-60 mins)
Task: Purchase an Atari 5200 Needed: Web browser Time: 30-60 minutes Introduction Atari released the 5200 in 1982 as a sequel to the successful 2600 console. It competed with the Intellivision and ColecoVision but was never very popular due to its poor design and lack
Read moreExplore Atari User Group Newsletters (10-15 mins)
Task: Explore Atari User Group Newsletters Needed: Web browser Time: 10-15 minutes Introduction I grew up Atari in a small Midwest town and didn’t have access to some of the enriching activities such as calling local Bulletin Board Services (BBS) or participating in local Atari
Read morePlay Sea Dragon on Your Atari 8-Bit Computer (15-30 mins)
Task: Play Sea Dragon on Your Atari 8-Bit Computer Needed: Sea Dragon disk or ATR file Time: 15-30 minutes Introduction My all time favorite game on the Atari 8-bit computers was and still is Sea Dragon. I still have my original 16K cassette version of
Read morePurchase an SDrive-Max Floppy Emulator (15-30 mins)
Task: Purchase an SDrive-Max Floppy Emulator Needed: SDrive-Max Time: 15-30 minutes Introduction The ability to boot software from SD card devices makes using Atari computers a breeze. These devices allow you to load up lots of executables and ATR files on an SD card and
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