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 moreRepair an Atari 800XL That Does Not Boot Cartridges by Replacing the GTIA Chip (1 hour)
Task: Repair an Atari 800XL That Does Not Boot Cartridges by Replacing the GTIA Chip Needed: Working GTIA Chip, Atari 800XL, Screwdriver, Chip Lifter Time: About 1 Hour or Less Introduction I acquired a non-working Atari 800XL in 2025 that would boot to a black
Read morePurchase a Retro Base LED for Adding Some Colorful Bling to Your Atari 800XL and 130XE 8-Bit Computers (5-10 mins)
Task: Purchase a Retro Base LED for Adding Some Colorful Bling to Your Atari 800XL and 130XE 8-Bit Computers Needed: Web Browser for Purchase and LED Light Strip Time: 5-10 minutes Disclosure: Note that as an eBay Partner Network Affiliate, I may earn from qualifying
Read moreDiagnose and Repair a Faulty Non-Maskable Interrupt (NMI) Signal on an Atari 8-Bit Computer (1-2 hrs)
Task: Diagnose and Repair a Faulty Non-Maskable Interrupt (NMI) Signal on an Atari 8-Bit Computer Needed: Oscilloscope, Multimeter, Soldering Iron, Desoldering Iron, Hot Air Rework Station Time: 1-2 hours Disclosure: Note that as an eBay Partner Network Affiliate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. Introduction
Read moreDiagnose and Repair the Crystal Clock Oscillator Circuit in an Atari 8-Bit Computer (1-2 hrs)
Task: Diagnose and Repair the Clock Oscillator Circuit in an Atari 8-Bit Computer Needed: oscilloscope, clock circuit components, soldering iron, desoldering iron, hot air rework station Time: 1-2 hours Disclosure: Note that as an eBay Partner Network Affiliate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. Introduction
Read moreAdd HDMI Video Output to Your Atari 8-Bit Computer Using the LumaCode GTIA-dizer and RGBtoHDMI Devices (15-30 mins)
Task: Add HDMI Video Output to Your Atari 8-Bit Computer Using the LumaCode GTIA-dizer and RGBtoHDMI Devices Needed: Atari 8-bit computer with GTIA chip in a socket, GTIA-dizer board, RGBtoHDMI board, Raspberry Pi Zero, microSD card Time: 15-30 minutes Disclosure: Note that as an eBay
Read moreConnect the Chroma Signal to the 5-Din Video Jack of an Atari 800XL for S-Video Output (30-60 mins)
Task: Connect the Chroma Signal to the 5-Din Video Jack of an Atari 800XL for S-Video Output Needed: Soldering Iron, Solder, Atari 800XL, Cutters, Wire Time: 30-60 mins Introduction It remains a mystery to me why Atari did not connect both the chroma and luma
Read morePurchase an 80-Column Board for the 1090 XL Expansion System Replica (10-15 mins)
Task: Purchase an 80-Column Board for the 1090 XL Expansion System Replica Needed: Web browser, Atari XL or XE Time: 10-15 minutes Introduction I recently posted about the newly developed 1090 XL Expansion System replica for connecting devices to an Atari XL or XE computer
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 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 moreWatch Peter Dell’s Programming the Atari XL/XE YouTube Videos (2-3 hours)
Task: Watch Peter Dell’s Programming the Atari XL/XE YouTube Videos Needed: Web Browser Time: 2-3 hours Introduction Programming is one of my favorite things to do with an Atari 8-bit computer. I have previously posted some of my own tutorials and some resources for learning
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 moreUpdate the Firmware of Your Ultimate 1MB Upgrade for Atari 8-Bit Computers (5-10 mins)
Task: Update the Firmware of Your Ultimate 1MB Upgrade for Atari 8-Bit Computers Needed: Ultimate 1MB, Web Browser, SIO2PC or SIDE Cartridge Time: 5-10 mins Introduction The Ultimate 1MB upgrade for Atari 8-bit computers is one of the most useful modern mods you can do.
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 moreRun the CP/M Operating System on Your Atari 8-Bit Computer using FujiNet and RunCPM (15-30 minutes)
Task: Run the CP/M Operating System on Your Atari 8-Bit Computer using FujiNet and RunCPM Needed: Web browser, FujiNet, DT-80 cartridge Time: 15-30 mins Introduction CP/M was one of the early operating systems available for computers with 8080 and Z-80 processors. It was developed by
Read morePurchase and Install an Ultimate Atari Video (UAV) Board for Better Composite Video from an 800XL (1-3 hours)
Task: Purchase and Install an Ultimate Atari Video (UAV) Board for Better Composite Video from Your 800XL Needed: Web browser, soldering iron, UAV board, Atari 800XL Time: 1-3 hours Introduction As I have previously reviewed, all of the Atari 8-bit computers have a monitor port
Read morePurchase and Install an Ultimate 1MB Board for Your Atari 800XL (1-3 hours)
Task: Purchase and Install an Ultimate 1MB Board for Your Atari 800XL Needed: Web browser, soldering iron, solder, wire, drill, U1MB board Time: 1-3 hours Introduction Modifications or mods are a great way to expand what your Atari 8-bit computer can do. The Ultimate 1MB
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 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 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 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 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 moreExplore Atari XL BASIC Listings (15-30 mins)
Task: Explore Atari XL BASIC Listings Needed: A web browser Time: 15-30 mins Introduction I recall several friends remembering when they got their first Atari 8-bit computer. They brought it home, took it out of the box, and quickly discovered they had no software to
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
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