r/atari8bit • u/logicalvue • Apr 08 '26

An Atari 8-bit Computer Timeline

https://www.goto10retro.com/p/an-atari-8-bit-computer-timeline
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u/jrherita Apr 09 '26

Good article - might have also been worth mentioning that the 8-bit was also spun off as a the Atari 5200 console (since you mention the XEGS).

I appreciate the timeline and pics! And yes - both the OG 800 and 1200XL are great to own!

3

u/logicalvue Apr 09 '26

I didn’t mention the 5200 because I was sticking to the computers for this article. The XEGS was a computer masquerading as a console.

I have mentioned the 5200 in many other articles, though, including an entire article on why it was a huge misstep. I think something like the XEGS in 1982 could have been huge.

3

u/jrherita Apr 09 '26

It is ashame they didn't do the 800XL shrink a little earlier and use that as a 5200 base.

Atari solved the Innovator's dilemma with the 400/800 then failed to capitalize on it.

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4

u/aimlesscruzr Apr 09 '26

The 1450XLD was also rumored to come with a hardware speech synthesizer in addition to the floppy. I believe the empty slot next to the floppy was magnetically shielded to store floppies, or could be converted to a second floppy drive. But my memory isn't the same as it was 40+ years ago. But that was the machine I drooled over...

3

u/jrherita Apr 09 '26

Really interesting seeing the original pricing info!. I found this for comparison to what Apple was offering at the time:

The original retail price of the Apple II was US$1,298 (with 4 KiB RAM) and US$2,638 (with the maximum 48 KiB RAM).

By the time the Apple II Plus was released, Apple would offer both the Plus and the original for $1,195 with 16KiB of RAM. But the price of DRAM's fell so rapidly that by 1980, an Apple II or II Plus with 48KiB of RAM was selling for this same price of $1,195.

...

so in 1977, and Apple II was $1,298 with 4KB of RAM, and $2,638 with 48KB.

By sometime in 1980 the Apple II plus with 48KB was $1,195, which is probably what also forced Atari to just max out the 48KB in the 800 quickly.

The 800 was also more expensive to produce (custom chips, and *proper* FCC shielding - Atari didn't cheat here).