Task: Benchmark Your Atari 8-Bit Computers Using BASIC Needed: Atari BASIC, the benchmark ATR file, one or more 8-bit computers, SIO2PC or FujiNet Time: 15-30 minutes Introduction During the early 1980s, as home computers exploded on the scene, programmers naturally wanted to know which systems
Read morePurchase and Use an ATR8000 for Booting the CP/M Operating System Using Your Atari 8-Bit Computer (1-2 hours)
Task: Purchase and Use an ATR8000 for Booting the CP/M Operating System Needed: ATR8000, Standard Shugart Floppy Drive and CP/M Disks or a Floppy Emulator, 34-Pin Connector Time: 1-2 Hours Introduction There are several options for booting the CP/M operating system on your Atari 8-bit
Read moreTrigger the Atari 8-Bit Computer Screensaver (5 mins)
Task: Trigger the Atari 8-Bit Computer Screen Saver Needed: An Atari 8-Bit Computer or Emulator Running BASIC Time: 5 Minutes or Less Introduction Screen burn in was a concern with Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors. This was caused by the phosphor in certain areas of
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 morePurchase a Monkey Wrench II Cartridge for BASIC Programming on your Atari 800 Computer (10-15 mins)
Task: Purchase a Monkey Wrench II Cartridge for BASIC Programming on your Atari 800 Computer (10-15 mins) Needed: Web browser, Atari 800, Atari BASIC cartridge Time: 10-15 minutes Introduction I learned to program in BASIC on my Atari 400 and then 800 computers. I started
Read morePurchase a New 4-in-1 OSS Programming Language Cartridge for Your Atari 8-Bit Computer (5-10 mins)
Task: Purchase a New 4-in-1 OSS Programming Language Cartridge for Your Atari 8-Bit Computer Needed: Web Browser Time: 5-10 mins Introduction Optimized Systems Software (OSS) made the best programming languages for the Atari 8-bit computers in the early 1980s. Some of their products included BASIC
Read moreWatch “The Magic Room” Documentary about the Atari Summer Camp (30-60 mins)
Task: Watch “The Magic Room” Documentary about the Atari Summer Camp Needed: Web browser Time: 30-60 minutes Introduction Atari ran several summer computer camps during the early 1980s and produced a documentary featuring kids at the first one. There are three versions of the film
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 morePlay Pitfall! on an Atari 8-Bit Computer or Video Game Console (30-60 mins)
Task: Play Pitfall! on an Atari 8-Bit Computer or Video Game Console Needed: Emulator, SD Card Device, or Cartridges and Original Hardware Time: 30-60 mins for watching several videos Introduction I first played Pitfall! when it came out in 1982 at a friend’s house on
Read moreExplore the The Modern Atari 8-Bit Computer YouTube Channel (30-60 mins)
Task: Explore the The Modern Atari 8-Bit Computer YouTube Channel Needed: Web Browser Time: 30-60 mins for watching several videos Introduction I have learned a lot about Atari 8-bit computers and video game consoles by watching YouTube videos. One of my favorite channels is 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 morePurchase and Assemble a SpartaDOS X Cartridge (15-30 mins)
Task: Purchase and Assemble a SpartaDOS X Cartridge Needed: SpartaDOS X cartridge circuit board, battery, and cartridge shell Time: 15-30 mins Introduction I have previously posted about SpartaDOS and its modern successor SpartaDOS X (SDX). This is an incredibly powerful and flexible DOS for interacting
Read morePlay Caverns of Mars on an Atari 8-Bit Computer (10-15 mins)
Task: Play Caverns of Mars on an Atari 8-Bit Computer Needed: Altirra or Caverns of Mars cartridge or disk Time: 10-15 mins Introduction Caverns of Mars is one of my favorite games because of its simple yet effective graphics and relatively simple and fun gameplay. The
Read moreLearn to Implement Page Flipping in BASIC on Atari 8-Bit Computers (30-60 mins)
Task: Learn to Implement Page Flipping in BASIC on Atari 8-Bit Computers Needed: Altirra emulator Time: 30-60 mins Introduction We previously covered moving data on and off the screen as part of coarse horizontal and vertical scrolling by changing the memory address of the screen
Read moreRead “How Atari took on Apple in the 1980s home PC wars” by Benj Edwards (5-10 mins)
Task: Read “How Atari took on Apple in the 1980s home PC wars” by Benj Edwards Needed: Web browser Time: 5-10 mins Introduction There have been a number of popular press pieces on various aspects of the Atari story. There is a great piece by
Read moreProgram in 80 Columns of Text on Your Atari 8-Bit Computer with the ACE-80 Cartridge (5-10 mins)
Task: Program in 80 Columns of Text on Your Atari 8-Bit Computer with the ACE-80 Cartridge Needed: ACE-80 or ACE-80XL cartridge Time: 5-10 mins Introduction The Atari 8-bit computers all display a maximum of 40 columns of text which can be limiting for some applications
Read moreDownload the Atari 8-Bit ROM Collection by Ghostware (5-10 mins)
Task: Download the Atari 8-Bit ROM Collection by Ghostware Needed: Web browser Time: 5-10 mins Introduction There are tons of game and utility ROMs available online for download. We have previously posted about the Atarimania resource, for example. Downloading multiple ROMs can be tedious. Fortunately,
Read morePlay Joust on an Atari 8-bit Computer (10-15 mins)
Task: Play Joust on an Atari 8-bit Computer Needed: Joust ROM and emulator or cartridge and computer Time: 10-15 mins Dedication: My good friend Steve Nash (RIP) Introduction I turned 16 in 1984 and was fortunate enough to be able to drive a 1980 Formula
Read morePurchase a SIDE3 Cartridge for Atari 8-Bit Computers (10-15 mins)
Task: Purchase a SIDE3 Cartridge for Atari 8-Bit Computers Needed: Web browser, Atari 8-bit computer Time: 10-15 mins Introduction The ability to load files on an SD card and boot them on original Atari 8-bit computer hardware is very desirable and I have covered several
Read morePlay Frogger on the Atari 8-Bit Computers and Consoles (10-15 mins)
Task: Play Frogger on the Atari 8-Bit Computers and Consoles Needed: Web browser, Emulator Time: 10-15 mins Introduction I have about a dozen Atari games I love to play over and over again for decades and decades. Frogger is definitely on that list for both
Read morePlay an Atari Game You Have Never Played Before (10-15 mins)
Task: Play an Atari Game You Have Never Played Before Needed: Web browser, Emulator Time: 10-15 mins Introduction There are hundreds and hundreds of games for the Atari 8-bit computers and video game consoles. One of my favorite things to do is to try new
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 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 more