ThE STARTiNG LiNEby JohN HARdiE, AC RESOURCE EdiTOR
Attention Neophytes!
Welcome to a new column in AC. As Resource Editor I'm something of a latecomer to the AC Staff. I'm an old-time collector of practically everything ever sold under the Fuji symbol ("If I ain't got it, or haven't seen it/heard about it, it probably weren't made!"). Aside from providing assistance to any reader with a question about Atari hardware/software, my particular concern is for the newcomer to the Classic Atari.
Prices on Atari 8-bit computer equipment are falling like a stone. These attractive prices are drawing new computer users to the Atari 8-bit platform. Whether they're being bought at garage sales and flea markets or passed down in the family, the Atari 8-bits are getting into the hands of people who would be more than willing to use them if they just knew what to do. This column will serve as a guide to you novices to help you understand why us old-timers think the Atari is the best 8-bit computer ever made. I'll start with the most basic elements of Atari hardware. You seasoned veterans would do well to keep an eye on this column, too: eventually I might work up to discussing some of the more esoteric products that leaked out of Sunnyvale.
Assembling A System
The first thing you need to do is make sure you have all the components necessary for the type of system you want (or, all the components that should be in that big box of Atari junk you bought for $10 at the yard sale). The main components of your computer system are as follows:
- Video Display
- Computer
- Disk Drive
- Printer
- Accessories (joysticks, interfaces, modem, etc.)
- Software
Not every component is needed for your system. What you want to do with your computer will determine what pieces you need to make a go of it. For example, the person who just wants to play games could get away with a video display, computer, and some joysticks as long as the games are on cartridges (which plug into the computer). On the other hand, if you wanted to play disk-based games or do serious applications like word processing or financial management, you'll need a disk drive and printer in your system as well. To access on-line telecommunications systems you'll need some type of interface and a modem.
A common source of confusion for beginners is to plug in some new accessory and then discover it won't work: In some ways computers are actually rather stupid: they often don't recognize the existence of an accessory unless you tell the computer it's there (video displays are an exception). Most peripheral devices will require some sort of software that alerts the computer of its presence and provides a software interface.
Do I Have Everything?
Let's start with the video display. If you have a TV in your house then you have a video display for your computer. All you need to hook your Atari to your television is an RF switchbox and an RF cable (cable with an RCA plug on each end). The RF switchbox and cable should come with the computer, and is normally attached to the antenna inputs on the TV set.
Another type of video display unit is a monitor. Although Atari never sold their own monitor for the Classic machines, you can use just about any composite monitor available. To use a monitor you'll need a monitor cable available from any of the vendors listed at the end of this article. A few more notes about the video displays before we move on: the Atari 400 and 800 models of computer had the RF cable built-in, so all you need is a switchbox to hook them to your TV. Also, the Atari 400 and 600XL models have no monitor output so you have no choice but to use a TV with those computers. [Editor's Note: the various video interfaces are described in detail in the December '93 issue of AC, along with a hardware hack to restore the missing monitor output on the 600XL. See "Super Video 2.1XL" in the December issue. -BP]
Computers!!!
Unlike other brands of computers that have their keyboards seperate from the computer itself, the Atari computers are self-contained units. The computers originally came packaged with the owner's manual, power supply and necessary cables, to connect it to a TV (as mentioned above). There were basically two types of power supplies. One for the 400, 800, and 1200XL models and another for the later XL and XE models. The power supply for the 400, 800, and 1200XL models has an output of 9 volts AC (VAC) which is listed on the supply itself. The other type has a 5-prong plug on the end that will only fit into the later XL/XE models. Below is a quick description of each Atari 8-bit computer model, in the order they were produced, along with the most common amount of memory found on that unit.
Atari 400 - brown-grey case with flip top lid over cartridge slot, membrane keyboard, no monitor output. 16K memory. Produced 1978-79.
Atari 800 - brown-grey case with flip lid over 2 cartridge slots, monitor ouput. 48K memory. Produced 1978-79.
Atari 1200XL - handsome cream-white case and ebony-brown keyboard with silver keys across top, cartridge slot on left side, monitor output. Physically the largest of the XL series. 64K memory. Produced 1982.
Atari 600XL - same color case as 1200XL but with silver keys on side and cartridge slot on top, expansion port in back, no monitor output. Smallest member of the XL family. 16K memory. Produced 1983-84.
Atari 800XL - same case as 600XL but a little larger, with expansion port and monitor output. 64K memory. Produced 1983-84. Most popular XL machine.
Atari 65XE - grey case with diagonal-shaped function keys across the top, cartridge slot in back, monitor output, no expansion port. 64K memory. Produced 1985-87.
Atari 130XE - same as a 65XE but with extra memory and an expansion port next to the cartridge slot, monitor output. 128K memory. Produced 1985-87. Most popular XE machine.
Atari XE Game System (XEGS) - grey case with cartridge slot on top, detachable keyboard and pastel colored buttons, composite video and audio jacks. 64K memory. Produced 1987-88. Hybrid computer/videogame system, not a hot seller.
This might seem like a lot of different models, but keep in mind that, functionally speaking, some models are slightly updated versions of the older machines. For example, a 65XE is functionally equivalent to an 800XL, only in a newer casing and lacking the expansion port. A 130XE is basically a 65XE with twice as much memory and the expansion port added back in. We'll go into more details on the computers later, so hang on while we look at...
Disk Drives!
The next component of your system we need to identify is the floppy disk drive. It provides off-line memory storage for the computer using 5.25" magnetic disks. There were many disk drive models available for the Atari computers, most of which were made by companies other than Atari. You should be able to pick your drive from the list below.
| Atari 810 | Rana |
| Atari 1050 | Trak |
| Atari XF551 | Astra |
| Indus GT | Concord |
| Percom | Amdek 3" |
The I/O cable (also called the SIO cable beause it attaches to the Serial I/O port) is a cable with a 13-pin female connector on each end. One end of the I/O connector goes into the back of the computer and the other end can go into either of the two ports found on the back of your disk drive. The reason for two I/O ports on the back of the drive is so you can hook up additional drives or printers, etc. (this is called daisy-chaining). If you don't have at least one disk drive with your system, it's highly recommended you get one if you plan on doing anything serious with your machine.
And A Printer Too!
You might also have a printer with your system. Listed below are the Atari printer models with a brief description.
Atari 820 - brown case, 40 columns, cash register type paper, dot matrix.
Atari 822 - brown metal case, 40 columns, thermal printer.
Atari 825 - brown case, 80 columns, requires interface, dot matrix.
Atari 1020 - cream-white and brown case, 4 color plotter, capable of 80 columns, small width paper. Atari 1025 - cream-white case, 80 columns, dot matrix, text only.
Atari 1027 - cream-white and brown case, 80 columns, daisy-wheel, letter-quality.
Atari XDM121 - grey case, 80 columns, daisy-wheel.
Atari XMM801 - grey case, 80 columns, dot matrix.
All the above printers except the Atari 825 can be hooked up in the same manner as the disk drive. If you have an Atari 825 or another brand of printer (Epson, Panasonic, Citizen, etc.), you'll need an interface to connect it to your system. Atari and several other companies made interfaces for your computer (such as the Atari 850, ICD P:R:Connection and MIO, Supra (or MPP) 1150, Ape-Face, and Computer Software Services Black Box- to name a few.) Your best bet is to contact one of the vendors listed at the end of this article for availability. You should also have an owner's manual and power supply (if necessary). The printers listed above have built-in power supplies except the 822, 1020, and 1027 models. The 822 and 1020 models use the same power supply as the 400 and 800 computers. The 1027 uses a slightly different supply with an output of 9.5VAC and 40VA (listed on the bottom of the power supply). Again, we'll go into more details on the printers later, but for now we just want to make sure you have all the necessary pieces for your system.
Accessories
Now for the FUN part!!! Accessories are the hardware gizmos that allow you to do endless things with your Atari. Here are just a few examples:
| Joysticks | Drawing Tablets |
| Paddles | Light Pens |
| Trak-ball | Robots |
| Modems | Home Controllers |
| Science Kits | Numeric Keypads |
| Music Keyboards | Light Guns |
| Voice Synthesizers | Video Cameras |
A Great Computer!
There's a world of opportunity waiting for you with your Atari computer. Many of the products made for the Atari aren't available for any other computers, and the ones that are usually cost a bundle. As this series continues, we'll cover your computer system much more in-depth. We'll talk about the different features and drawbacks of the different models and how to get the most out of them. We'll also discuss some advanced (modems) and obsolete (cassette recorders) hardware for your Atari. For now, you should know what equipment you have and what pieces, if any, you're missing and how to connect them. If you're missing any of the pieces mentioned in this article (owner's manuals, power supplies, I/O cords) contact one of the vendors below and request a catalog. [Editor's Note: see the October '93 AC for a more complete vendor list. - BP]
Vendors:
Best Electronics
B&C ComputerVisions
American Techna-Visio
