#Atari 400

[pixelfireplace]

Atari 400 & Atari 800

[yodaprod]

Micro Systemes Magazine (1983)

[boredtechnologist]

Maxell computer tape for saving programs

[80sheaven]

Atari 400 and 800 home computers

[gameraboy2]

Atari 400, "We've brought the computer age home"

[wisconsincomputerclub]

A few photos from our portion of the "Play if Forward" charity event. Good times were had!

[swapmeetsimming]

"Simtari" 400 MINI is up for Early Acess!

Releasing today for the release of the real thing, it will be public on the 18th!

I made a retro style catalog page for it, too. I really like making these - it makes me strangely happy.

The console is fully functional, can be upgraded and is small and adorably-sized to the real mini! The joystick is clutter, as the console will use whatever controller you have installed.

Here is the link to the public preview with information and more pictures!

[w4lkmann]

sorry for no art in a while i'm still not feeling too great :[ in the meantime though i thought you guys would enjoy this!! my dad got one of the 400 mini atari computers!!

[centralbunnyunit]

[pixelfireplace]

Atari A.N.A.L.O.G. Magazine - No. 5 (1982)

[arconinternet]

The Manes-Somerson BASIC Type-In Books (Books, Stephen Manes & Paul Somerson, 1984)

You can read them here.

Co-created by the creator of How to Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days.

[atariforce]

Atari BASIC cartridge photograph by Jacob Joaquin

[80sheaven]

Atari 400 / 800 advert

[stone-cold-groove]

Touch the future. Atari computer ad - 1979.

[1spy]

1984 | Prince - "When Doves Cry"

In the summers, my brother and I would usually spend at least a week with my dad's folks at their house. We loved visiting our grandparents, because we got to go out to eat every day at lunch, and at night our Nanny would provide us with amazing Cajun home cooking. They had way better cable than we had at our house, including all the movie channels. We got to watch many more R-rated movies than we could at home.

Briefly, they even had a subscription to the Playboy channel. Unscrambled. I'm sure it was error of some kind. What an education we had.

My grandparents' house in Deer Park, Texas is where my brother and I first started playing tennis. It's where my Papaw would take me to the library to check out every Encyclopedia Brown book I could get my hands on. And there was a playground at the end of the street we could walk up to anytime we wanted.

One of the kids we met there lived right by the playground, and we'd hang out at his house sometimes. I remember he had an Atari 400 computer with Jumpman on it. At the time, that was the best video game I'd seen outside of an arcade.

In the living room of his house, with his babysitter sitting there talking on the phone with her boyfriend, is where I first saw Prince's "When Doves Cry" video. At the time, I can honestly say that absolutely nothing about it seemed weird to me. I was just riveted at how cool he looked on his purple motorcycle. And stressed out watching him break up a violent fight between his parents. What I remember most is how much better it looked than almost every video on MTV.

Watching it as an adult, I appreciate how deeply transgressive the opening scene of this video was for its time. A beautiful naked man getting out of a bathtub holding his hand out to the viewer, inviting you into everything that follows. Also weird: when the movie part ends and suddenly a door opens, and a dove flies into the room where a man in scrubs and sunglasses is about to play keyboards. And they all jam out in their incredibly fine costumes.

Go back and watch it again. Keyboardist Dr. Fink is just as surprised as we are at what's about to go down.

But as a kid, I didn't even blink at that shit. When you're 10 years old and you watch MTV all the time, you're not surprised by anything that shows up on the screen.

Now, every time I hear this song, I'm impressed at how it doesn't seem dated at all. The insane opening guitar solo, the insistent keyboards, the menacing synth drones, Prince in '84 still sounds like music from another planet.

And the lyrics: musing on your parents, wondering what parts of them have become a part of you. Trying to figure out whether their past is your future. Afraid that the animal instinct to find a partner is just repeating a self-destructive pattern. Prince goes deep, y'all.

"Hey Ya" from Outkast covers similar ground. We'll hit that later.

Fave Lyrics:

Dream, if you can, a courtyard An ocean of violets in bloom Animals strike curious poses They feel the heat The heat between me and you

[boredtechnologist]

Ah, the late 70s and early 80s—a golden era for retro gaming! Back then, the joy of gaming wasn't just in the playing but also in the acquiring of the games themselves. Picture this: you're in your favorite hobby store or local computer shop, and instead of the flashy boxes and plastic cases we see today, you find software packaged in simple Ziploc bags.

These Ziploc bags were a hallmark of early gaming culture. Inside, you’d typically find a 5.25-inch floppy disk or a cassette tape, a photocopied instruction manual, and maybe, if you were lucky, a registration card or a small bonus item like a sticker. The simplicity of the packaging reflected the DIY spirit of the era, where many games were created by small teams or even solo developers working out of their garages or bedrooms.

The joy of these Ziploc-packaged games was multifaceted. Firstly, there was the thrill of discovery. Each bag was a little treasure chest, and the contents were often a mystery until you got home and loaded the game into your computer. The minimalist packaging left much to the imagination, allowing your mind to wander and build up excitement for what lay ahead.

Secondly, the Ziploc bags symbolized accessibility and creativity. Without the need for expensive packaging, more developers could afford to distribute their games. This democratization led to a rich diversity of games, from text-based adventures and early RPGs to quirky puzzle games and experimental simulations. Each new acquisition felt like uncovering a hidden gem, crafted with passion and ingenuity.

Finally, these bags represented a personal connection to the gaming community. In many cases, the developers included handwritten notes or personal signatures on the manuals, creating a sense of camaraderie between creator and player. You weren't just buying a product; you were supporting a fellow enthusiast's dream.

So, in those Ziploc bags, you didn't just find a game—you found a piece of gaming history, a testament to the early days of software development, and a reminder of a time when imagination and passion drove the industry forward. It was a simple, yet profoundly joyful experience that many retro gaming aficionados, like yourself, remember fondly.