Remembering my first computer

The Atari 400

Image: Evan-Amos CC BY-SA 3.0

Once upon a time, in the late 1970s, Atari was a dominant player in the video game industry, but they had aspirations to expand beyond just gaming. They wanted to create a personal computer that could compete with the likes of Apple and Commodore.

In 1979, Atari introduced the Atari 400, their first attempt at a personal computer. The Atari 400 was a sleek and compact machine with a unique design that set it apart from its competitors. It had a built-in keyboard and a cartridge slot for games and other software.

The Atari 400 was powered by a custom 6502 processor and had 8 kilobytes of RAM. It also had a built-in graphics and sound chip that allowed it to display colorful graphics and produce high-quality sound.

Despite its impressive features, the Atari 400 was not a commercial success. One of the main reasons for this was its membrane keyboard, which was not very responsive and made typing a frustrating experience. In addition, the computer was marketed mainly as a gaming machine, which limited its appeal to a broader audience.

Despite its limited success, the Atari 400 paved the way for Atari's later personal computers, such as the Atari 800 and the Atari ST. These machines were more powerful and more successful than the Atari 400, but they owe their existence to the pioneering work done by the Atari 400 team.

Today, the Atari 400 is a cherished artifact of computing history, and many enthusiasts still enjoy tinkering with and collecting these early machines. They serve as a reminder of the early days of personal computing and the pioneering work done by companies like Atari to bring computers into the mainstream.