Upon hearing the name "Atari," most people think "video games." But Atari dabbled in home computers as well, producing over a dozen different models between 1979 and 1992. If you're reading this now, it's quite possible that you were the proud owner of one of these fine machines.
Atari's early home computer models sold fairly well in the early 1980s, providing a solid home PC alternative to juggernaut Commodore, which reigned supreme in the low-cost market by undercutting all its competitors. Atari's sales began to slip even more dramatically as IBM PC compatibles began to take over every sector, high and low, of the PC market in the mid-late 1980s. As a result, most of Atari's later computers are practically unheard of in the States.
So let's focus on the era that many do remember: that Golden Age between, say, 1979 and 1987. In the slides ahead you won't see an exhaustive retrospective of these machines, but rather a fun trip down memory lane. My first home computer was an Atari 800, and it's still one of my favorite computers to this day.
After you're done reminiscing, I'd love to hear about your Atari computer memories in the comments below.
Atari 520ST (1985)
(Photo: Atari)
Atari 800XL (1983)
(Photo: Atari)
Atari 1040STF (1986)
(Photo: Atari)
Atari 1200XL (1983)
(Photo: Atari)
Atari XE Game System (1987)
(Photo: Atari)
Atari 130XE (1985)
(Photo: Atari)
Atari 400 and Atari 800 (1979)
(Photo: Atari)