Files
yann64andClaude Opus 5.5 b274874139 All machines linked to their forum thread (full comment import)
1,289 discussions, 9,527 archived comments; pages no longer carry the comments themselves.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
2026-10-13 17:26:43 +02:00

14 KiB

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params
title categories types origins years cpus params
Atari 400
Computers
Home Computer
U.S.A.
1979
6502
name image logo company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos adverts hardware emulators links docs videos related oc_id source
400 /media/museum/photos/atari_400_system_s1.jpg /media/museum/logos/atari-400_logo.gif /companies/atari Atari
label value
NAME 400
label value
MANUFACTURER Atari
label value
TYPE Home Computer
label value
ORIGIN U.S.A.
label value
YEAR 1979
label value
END OF PRODUCTION 1982
label value
KEYBOARD QWERTY membrane keyboard, 61 keys\ 4 function keys (Reset, Option, Select, Start)
label value
CPU 6502
label value
SPEED 1.79 Mhz
label value
CO-PROCESSOR ANTIC (Scrolling, Sprites, Video), CTIA / GTIA (Color, Sprites, Collisions), POKEY (timers, sound, keyboard, serial I/O), PIA 6810 (I/O, including the 4 joystick ports)
label value
RAM 8 KB or 16 KB (newer models)
label value
ROM 10 KB
label value
TEXT MODES 40 x 25
label value
GRAPHIC MODES several graphic modes, maximum : 320 x 192
label value
COLORS 16 (each color can have 8 luminances) = 128 colors maximum in the lowest graphic mode (requiring display list interruption to have them simultaneously)\ and up to 256 colors in some specific modes for machines having the GTIA chip instead of the CTIA
label value
SOUND 4 voices, 3.5 octaves
label value
SIZE / WEIGHT Unknown
label value
I/O PORTS Monitor RGB output, RF TV video output, 1 cartridge slot, Atari Serial Input/Ouput (SIO) port, 4 controller jacks
label value
OS 400/800 OS in ROM
label value
POWER SUPPLY External power supply
label value
PRICE $500 (US)
photos
adverts
hardware
emulators
links
docs
videos
91
title subtitle text image
ATARI 400 /media/museum/photos/atari_400_2_hr.jpg
title subtitle text image
THE FLOPPY DISK UNIT ATARI 810 it uses 5.25" floppy disks and can store about 86 KB / disk. /media/museum/photos/disk_xl.jpg
title subtitle text image
THE ATARI JOYSTICK it is the same used with Atari VCS 2600 console. /media/museum/photos/xl_joy.jpg
title subtitle text image
THE ATARI TAPE RECORDER (600 bauds transfer rate) /media/museum/photos/xl_k7.jpg
title subtitle text image
ADVERT Picture courtesy of [Steve Browning, www.sbrowning.com/vintage](http://www.sbrowning.com/vintage). /media/museum/pubs/atari_400-800_pub_1.jpg
title subtitle text image
US ADVERT #2 (1979) Advert said: Compare the built-in features of leading microcomputers with the Atari personal computers. And go ahead, compare apples and oranges. Their most expensive against our least expensive: the Atari 400... /media/museum/pubs/atari_400-800_pub_2.jpg
title subtitle text image
INDUS GT 5''/14 disk-drive The Indus GT Double Density Drive is considered by many the best floppy drive available for the 8-bit Atari's with its digital readouts and smoke plexi cover. /media/museum/hardware/atari_800_indus-gt_disk-drive_1.jpg
title subtitle text image
ASTRA 2001 FD UNIT Dual 5.25 Dual 5.25" FDD unit using single side, single or double density floppy drives /media/museum/hardware/atari_800_astra2001fd_1.jpg
title subtitle text image
PERCOM DISC DRIVE Advert March 1983 Advert said: The Percom Data AT-88 offers 88 Kbytes (formatted) in single-density, with plug-in ease of attachment to your Atari. The AT-88 has integral power supply, "no-patch" to Atari DOS and critical constant speed regulation.\ Take advantage of this low introductory price of $488... /media/museum/hardware/atari_800_percomad_1.jpg
title subtitle text image
CORVUS SYSTEMS HARD-DRIVE 10Mb hard-drive This is a 10Mb hard-drive. With up to 8 multiplexers with 8 ports each it's possible to connect up to 64 Atari 800's up to a single 10 or even 20 megabyte Atari system. Still in use Today at the Fordham Prepatory School in the Bronx, NY is a 64 Atari 800 computer network hooked up to a single Corvus Hard drive system ! The Corvus hard disk system also sported a unique and innovative back-up system called "The Corvus Mirror" which was a VCR interface system that allowed you to plug a standard Video Cassette Recorder (VCR) up to the Corvus Hard Drive System to save back-ups of the hard disk onto actual Video Tapes!!! /media/museum/hardware/atari_atari800_hd-corvus-systems_1.jpg
title subtitle text image
TOUCH TABLET The touch tablet was the best tool for drawing and painting. It shipped with the AtariArtist cartridge. /media/museum/hardware/atari_800xl_touchtablet_s1.jpg
title url platform text
SIO2PC http://www.cswnet.com/~nkennedy/sio2pc.htm MS DOS PC emulates Atari Disk
title url platform text
Altirra http://www.virtualdub.org/altirra.html Windows Altirra, an 8-bit Atari computer emulator
title url platform text
Atari800Win http://www.concentric.net/~Twist/atari800win/ Windows
title url platform text
Atari800Win Plus http://a800win.atari-area.prv.pl/ Windows Atari 8 bit emulator for windows
title url platform text
WAHCE Home Page http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Node/4391/ Windows
title url platform text
XFormer http://www.emulators.com/xformer.htm Windows
title url platform text
Chris Lam's Website http://www.chrislam.co.uk/ Apple homepage for Horizon
title url platform text
The Atari 800 Emulator for the Mac http://www.serve.com/derekl/atari/atari_emu.html Apple
title url platform text
WACKE http://www.ctaz.com/~jlfenton/Wacke.html Apple
title url platform text
ACE http://www.csh.rit.edu/~shaggy/software.html Unix / Linux
title url platform text
Atari++ http://www.math.tu-berlin.de/~thor/atari++/ Unix / Linux Unix based emulator of the Atari eight bit computers, namely the Atari 400 and 800, the Atari 400XL, 800XL and 130XE, and the Atari 5200 game console
title url platform text
Atari800 http://atari800.sourceforge.net/ Multiplatform Atari800 is an Atari 800, 800XL, 130XE and 5200 emulator for Unix, Amiga, MS-DOS, Atari TT/Falcon, SDL and WinCE
title url text
8-bit ATARI Assembly Language http://oort.com/turbots/asm.htm
title url text
Antic - The Atari Resource http://www.atarimagazines.com/
title url text
APE - Atari Peripheral Emulator for DOS and Windows - Home Page http://www.nacs.net/~classics/
title url text
Atari 2600-7800 FAQ http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~dzubera/2600faq.html
title url text
Atari 8-Bit Computers Frequently Asked Questions http://www.chez.com/cmpi/paleo/8bits/atari/faq_atar.htm
title url text
Atari 8-bit computers: 400/800/XL/XE http://www.santellocco.com/ATARI/ dedicated website in italian
title url text
Atari 8-bit New User, Emulator Help FAQ - v2.1 http://www.sonic.net/~nbs/new_and_emu.html
title url text
Atari 8-bit SpartaDOS Project http://www.celebritybase.net/atari8/
title url text
Atari Gaming Headquarters Main Page http://www.atarihq.com/
title url text
Atari Magazines http://www.atarimagazines.com/ Contains the full text of all issues of ANTIC magazine and moste of the STart ones !
title url text
Atari XL-XE Games And Demos Page http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/~sgl/atari/
title url text
ATARI.ORG http://www.atari.org/ Looking for something on any Atari machine ? Follow the links !
title url text
ATARIARCHIVES.ORG http://www.atariarchives.org/ Wow! This site is preserving and archiving information about & software for Atari and other classic computers. Everything here is available with the permission of the copyright holders.
title url text
Dead Hackers Society http://www.dhs.nu/ Downloads, tools, news and more
title url text
Homepage Nyman Atari 8 bit http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/2741/8bit.html
title url text
Ken's Atari 8-bit Page http://home.columbus.rr.com/ksiders/atari.htm
title url text
Mac-Atari Fusion http://www2.bitstream.net/~marksim/atarimac/ Atari 8bit Resources for Mac Users
title url text
MacFalkner's XL Homepage http://members.aol.com/MacFalkner/atariindex.htm
title url text
Personal Atari Web Page http://rjespino.tripod.com/atari.html jpeg viewer for the Atari 8-bit and some other tools
title url text
Polish Atari Wikipedia http://atariki.krap.pl A lot of info about Atari (in polish)
title url text
Reminiscing 8-Bit Atari Games http://www.qlam.com/atari/atari.html
title url text
Satantronic Atari Crew, Atari XL-XE and Falcon 030 http://www.napri.sk/web/satantronic/
title url text
The Atari 800 XE Laptop http://www.benheck.com/Games/Atari_800/Atari_800_laptop_1.htm This guy explain how he made a laptop Atari 800 !
title url text
The Atari Historical Society http://www.atari-history.com/ The complete history of Atari Arcade and Home games and computers. Complete site with pictures, commercials (streaming), and full text articles. Amazing site !
title url text
www.ataricave.com http://www.ataricave.com Atari 8-bit Games reviews, original manuals, music, maps and more!
title url text
XL Search - The Atari 8-bit File Archive Search Engine http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/xlsearch/
title url text
Web Wiz CAPTCHA http://www.webwizcaptcha.com Programming on the Atari computers
title url cover text
ATARI 400 OWNER'S GUIDE http://www.trailingedge.com/atari8/ /media/museum/docs/couvs/atari_400_owner-guide.jpg [**ATARI 400 OWNER'S GUIDE**](http://www.trailingedge.com/atari8/)written by Atari  compiled/archived by David Williams\  type of document : PDF\  source : [www.trailingedge.com](http://www.trailingedge.com/)
title url cover text
ATARI SYSTEM REFERENCE MANUAL http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/atarixe/index.htm /media/museum/docs/couvs/doc_atarirefmanual.jpg [**ATARI SYSTEM REFERENCE MANUAL**](http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/atarixe/index.htm)written by Bob DuHamel (1987)  compiled/archived by Ivo van Poorten\  type of document : PDF\  size : 160 KB\  source : [Daves Old Computers](http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield) **... READ THE ONLINE VERSION BY CLICKING BELOW :**
title url text
Atari 400 commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sr28fygmOQ Length: 28 s
title url text
Atari Home Computer laser disc - Introduction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54mvCo1uq5A Length: 5 min 20 s
title url text
Atari Home Computer laser disc - Conclusion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQDQWvwZ-2w Length: 1 min 30 s
/museum/atari-1200-xl
/museum/atari-1400-xl
/museum/atari-1450-xld
/museum/atari-600-800-xl
/museum/atari-65-130-xe
/museum/atari-65xep-65xem
/museum/atari-800
/museum/atari-800xe
76
url date
https://web.archive.org/web/20230607051808/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=76 2023-06-07

The Atari 400 and 800 were the first home computers to use custom coprocessors and the first to use "sprites" and special video interruptions like display lists, features that will be implemented later on the Commodore 64 and Amiga (Atari 400/800 and Amiga were designed by Jay Miner).

It offered high graphic resolution, lots of colors and great sound capabilities, more than other computers could do then ! The two models had same characteristics, the 400 is the low-cost version, it has only 16 KB (instead of 48 KB), one cartridge port (two for the 800) and a membrane keyboard (a typewriter style keyboard one for the 800).

Originally, the 400 was sold with 8 KB RAM, but later most 400s were shipped with 16 KB. The 800 was expandable to 48 KB by adding cartridges, as the case opened upwards to reveal 3 slots behind the program cartridge slots. The expansion in the 400 (which had an identical motherboard) was only available by removal of the top half of the case, as it did not open past the (single) program cartridge slot, and was only possible through a registered Atari dealer.

The Atari 400 was known inside Atari as code name "Candy".


Tristan Smith adds:
The keyboard was very much disliked on this thing. There were several replacement keyboards on the market. Some connected via cable to one of the ports (and required a TSR program be loaded). Others required you open the system up and replace the actual keyboard. One that I remember was adhesive! It had all the keys on it with "eraser" type rubber things on the underside. You peeled off the backing and attached it over the membrane keyboard. When you pressed a key, the eraser would press the membrane key. As unresponsive as that was, it was still better than the original.
Not too many people realized that the Joystick ports were true I/O and could be used to control devices. There were a bunch of items that used the joystick ports. I remember building a phone dialer with them....

Adin Seskin reports:
The sound on these computers was particularly impressive. Apart from 4 square-wave generators, you could covert them to 2 voices with a far greater frequency range, and the voice generator could also produce general video-game noises very easily - explosions, machine noises etc.
At one point a surprisingly good software-based speech synthesizer was developed, to exploit the sound chip. It had to disable all interrupts, especially video DMA, in order to generate the sounds, which rather limited its use.
Not many people know that the same sound generator was also used for data encoding when saving programs or data to the cassette or disk systems.