Task: Listen to ANTIC – The Atari 8-Bit Podcast
Needed: Web browser or podcast app
Time: 1-2 hours
Introduction
There is so much to learn about Atari home computers. This is a lifetime hobby that never grows old. There is endless material in retro magazines, books, archives, and web pages to read and digest. However, there is nothing like listening to experts discuss and debate the finer points of Atari history, hardware, and software. Fortunately, there are a number of retrocomputing podcasts that satisfy this curiosity. Some, like the Retro Computing Roundtable (RCR), cover all old computers including Atari. I really like this one. There is also Retrobits that is no longer active but has great material from across the computing spectrum. I also really like Floppy Days that is a generalist retrocomputing podcast with some good Atari content. However, for the Atari lover, nothing beats the ANTIC podcast that is 100% dedicated to Atari 8-bit home computers.
ANTIC was founded and is hosted by Randy Kindig, Kevin Savetz, and Brad Arnold in 2013 and has had steady episodes since. There are more than 350 episodes in total. Most of these are really interesting interviews with people that worked for Atari or people that contributed hardware, software, or other related materials over the years. Some are really interesting discussion episodes that feature the hosts and sometimes guests talking about specific topics and news. I have learned tons from ANTIC. I recommend starting at the beginning and working your way through. I listened to all of the discussion episodes first and am now working my way through many of the interviews. I queue these up on my iPhone and listen to them in the car on my daily commute. A great way to pass the time!
Instructions
Not much to say here. You can find these on the ANTIC website and listen to them on your PC or you can subscribe on your smartphone or mobile device. Most episodes are between 30 minutes and 1.5 hours long. One of the really useful features is the show notes that include links to the sources mentioned in the podcast.
Comments
This podcast is an amazing service to the Atari community. A special thanks to the hosts for all their hard work over the past five plus years. The interviews are really important because everyone from back in the day is aging and their knowledge of Atari history will disappear quickly. Indeed, some have passed before being able to be interviewed. Some have passed since being interviewed. I hope the hosts will be able to keep this going for years to come!