Task: Read the Book “Adventure” on the Atari 2600 by Jamie Lendino Needed: Web browser for ordering Time: 3-6 hours to read Disclosure: Note that as an eBay Partner Network Affiliate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. Introduction Jamie Lendino is one of my favorite
Read moreRead the Atari 800 Salesperson’s Guide (15-30 mins)
Task: Read the Atari 800 Salesperson’s Guide Needed: Atari 800 Salesperson’s Guide Time: 15-30 minutes Introduction I wasn’t old enough to have a job selling Atari 8-bit computers in the late 1970s or early 1980s. Part of me wishes I could have had that experience.
Read moreRead the Book “Compute’s Second Book of Atari” (2-3 hours)
Task: Read the Book “Compute’s Second Book of Atari” Needed: Web browser or book Time: 2-3 hours Introduction I previously posted about “Compute’s First Book of Atari” that was a must have in the early Atari library. Compute! magazine published several of these books including
Read moreRead the Book “Compute’s First Book of Atari” (2-3 Hours)
Task: Read the Book “Compute’s First Book of Atari” Needed: Web browser or book Time: 2-3 hours Introduction The first three books I owned were “Your Atari Computer“, “Atari BASIC“, and “Compute’s First Book of Atari”. The third book is a compilation of Atari articles
Read moreExplore the Atari FTP Archive (15-30 mins)
Task: Explore the Atari FTP Archive Needed: Web browser Time: 15-30 mins or more Introduction Google is my favorite way to find files for my Atari 8-bit computers and consoles. However, there is something to be said for browsing archives of Atari-related material. I always
Read moreRead the Book “6502 Assembly-Language Programming” by Chrisopher Lampton (3-6 hours)
Task: Read the Book “6502 Assembly-Language Programming for Apple Commodore, and Atari Computers” by Chrisopher Lampton Needed: Web browser for purchase Time: 3-6 hours or more Introduction I love programming in assembly language because you are right on the metal telling the computer hardware what
Read moreRead the Second Edition of the Book “Breakout” by Jamie Lendino (3-6 hours)
Task: Read the Second Edition of the Book “Breakout: How Atari 8-Bit Computer Defined a Generation” by Jamie Lendino Needed: Web browser for purchase Time: 3-6 hours or more Introduction I love both old and new books about Atari. I particularly enjoyed Jamie Lendino‘s book
Read moreRead the Book “Once Upon Atari” by Howard Scott Warshaw (6-8 hours)
Task: Read the Book “Once Upon Atari” by Howard Scott Warshaw Needed: The Book Time: 6-8 hours Introduction I have previously posted about the video “Once Upon Atari” which documents some of the history and culture of Atari in the early days. The video is
Read moreExplore the Atari 400/800 Home Computer System Technical Reference Notes (1-2 hours)
Task: Explore the Atari 8-Bit Home Computer System Technical Reference Notes Needed: Web Browser Time: 1-2 hours Introduction When the Atari 400 and 800 home computers were released in 1979 they were a closed system. Atari imagined a monopoly on games and software for the
Read morePurchase the Book “Art of Atari” (5-10 mins)
Task: Purchase the Book “Art of Atari” Needed: Web Browser Time: 5-10 mins Introduction I loved looking at the box art of Atari 2600 games and imagining playing them. Atari did an amazing job with the artwork. As such, I was very excited when the
Read morePurchase or Download the Atari 8-Bit Programming Reference Book “Mapping the Atari” (5-10 mins)
Task: Purchase or Download the Atari 8-Bit Programming Reference Book “Mapping the Atari” Needed: Web Browser Time: 5-10 mins Introduction Any serious programming on the Atari 8-bit computers requires interacting with various memory locations on the Atari. Some of these memory locations are free for
Read moreRead the Book “The Creative Atari” (30-60 mins)
Task: Read the Book “The Creative Atari” Needed: Web browser Time: 30-60 mins Introduction As I have previously posted, Creative Computing magazine was published from 1974 until 1985 and covered all of the major computing platforms including Atari. They had a number of great articles
Read moreExplore the 8-Bit Workshop Web Page (10-15 mins)
Task: Explore the 8-Bit Workshop Web Page Needed: Web browser Time: 10-15 mins Introduction This is a must browse web page with some amazing resources for those interested in programming and game development for the Atari 8-bit consoles including the 2600, 5200, and 7800. Other
Read moreExplore Atari 8-bit Computer Hardware Manuals (15-30 mins)
Task: Explore Atari 8-bit Computer Hardware Manuals Needed: A web browser Time: 15-30 mins Introduction I love reading the manuals that came with Atari 8-bit computer hardware. I think it is because it reminds me of opening a new Atari. I still have a number
Read moreRead the Book “Unofficial Atari: A Visual History” (15-30 mins)
Task: Read the Book “Unofficial Atari: A Visual History” Needed: The book Time: 15-30 minutes Introduction “Unofficial Atari: A Visual History” is ~400-page book written by Darren Doyle and published by Greyfox Books. Much of the book consists of two-page visual layouts of 162 third-party
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 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 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 moreRead the Purple Book (2-3 hours)
Task: Read the Purple Book Needed: Your Atari Computer book or PDF Time: 2-3 hours Introduction I recall having two books when we first got our Atari 400 and then 800 back in the day. The first was Atari BASIC as a self-teaching guide. The
Read moreRead the Book “De Re Atari” (3-6 hours)
Task: Read the Book “De Re Atari” Needed: De Re Atari Time: 3-6 hours Introduction When the Atari 400 and 800 computers were released in 1979 they were a closed system. That is, only Atari personnel knew the details of the hardware that were necessary
Read moreTry BASIC Programs from a Micro Adventure Book (1-2 hours)
Task: Try BASIC Programs from a Micro Adventure Book Needed: BASIC, Micro Adventure Book #2 Time: 1-2 hours Introduction When I was a kid, I loved the ‘choose your own adventure books‘. It was really fun to participate in how the story took shape. I didn’t
Read moreRead the Book “Racing the Beam” by Nick Montfort and Ian Bogost (3-6 Hours)
Task: Read the Book “Racing the Beam” by Nick Montfort and Ian Bogost (3-6 Hours) Needed: The book Time: 3-6 hours Introduction I had an Atari Video Computer System (VCS) or 2600 before I owned an Atari 400 and then 800 computer. The 2600 was
Read moreRead the Book “Terrible Nerd” by Kevin Savetz (3-6 hours)
Task: Read the Book ‘Terrible Nerd’ by Kevin Savetz Needed: The book Time: 3-6 hours Introduction Many of us grew up with Atari home computers in the 1980s. I certainly did with my Atari 400 and then 800. Those were great times and many of
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