Atari 800 Series

All items, unless otherwise noted, are currently contained in my collection of Atari microcomputers. If I do not have the item, yes I may be interested in purchasing one. Please email me for details.

The Atari 800 series was first announced in 1978, and became available in late 1979. All computers utilize a 6502 main processor and 6520 PIA, along with three LSI ASICs: ANTIC display processor, a PoKey sound and serial I/O processor, and either the CTIA or GTIA TIA chip. Some later versions used the custom Atari 6502C (Sally).

With the exception of the tape recorders, all were manufactured in Sunnyvale, California. Some late-era cheaper versions of the 400 were made in Hong Kong at the end of the 400's run.

Atari 800

The Atari 800 is the flagship of the 800 line. It first came with 8K of RAM, later 16K, then finally 48K. It has one OS cartridge slot, three RAM cartridge slots, and two ROM cartridge slots. After-market upgrades provided a built-in hard disc interface, 80 column display, and up to 1Mb of RAM--all on plug-in cartridges. The 400 and 800 featured heavy RF-shielding, and were popular with radio hobbiests due to their very low noise. The 1981 MSRP for the 800 with 16K of RAM was $1080.00.

Atari 400

The Atari 400 was the stripped-down version of the 800. It was missing the three RAM cartridge slots and one of the ROM cartridge slots of the 800. It also had no monitor jack, and the remaining RAM board--along with the CPU board--is hidden inside the case. The OS is built into the motherboard. Intended for school and hobbiest computer use, the 400 first came with 8K of RAM, later 16K. The 1981 MSRP was $499.95 for the 8K version, or $630.00 for the 16K version.

410 Version A.

This Japanese--manufactured tape drive was the first release. It was superior in quality to the later version, but unlike the Hong-Kong revision which for all its faults was obviously custom-built for Atari, the Japanese version was a standard "shoebox"-style tape recorder built to Atari standards. While the quality was fairly good, it had the strange features of a carrying handle and a blank panel obviously intended for audio connectors that revealed its heritage. The 1981 MSRP for the 410 was $89.95.

410 Version B.

The later version of the 410 was made in Hong Kong and its cheaper amplifier circuitry was so noise sensitive that it required remastering of mass-produced data tapes to the new standard. Many new computer users were forced to use this inferior device as primary storage. Perhaps the only true weak spot in the design of the series is the tape drive and interface. Audio cassette tapes are a poor medium for data storage. The Atari tape scheme was poor. And the Hong-Kong model 410 was poor. All-in-all, an ugly spot on an otherwise fantastic era.

810 Disc Drive--MPI Version.

The earlier revisions of the 810 utilized a floppy mechanism built by Micro Peripherals, Inc--or MPI. This large "garage door" style mechanism was later supplemented with, then replaced by, the Tandon mechanism. Different revision 810s use different faceplates. The 1981 MSRP on the 810 was $599.95.

810 Disc Drive--Tandon Version.

The Tandon revision 810 uses a full-height Tandon mechanism similar to those used in the IBM PC computers (which came out two years later, in 1981). Some of the mechanisms supplied by Tandon (not just to Atari, but to IBM and other companies as well) used plastic pins to secure the drive door. An enthusiastic user might one day flip open the drive door only to have it come off in his hand. After many unhappy Atari and IBM users, Tandon replaced the plastic pins with pins made from brass.

815 Dual Disc Drive -- Prototype (Tandon).

Atari had a strange habit of shelving its best ideas, and the 815 is no exception. The 815 disk drive features dual 180K (SS/DD) mechanisms, for a total of 360K of storage (this was a LOT around 1980!) The 815 was designed so you could plug four units together, giving a user a total of eight drives and 1.44MB of online space...without the cost of a hard disc! A very attractive device, the 815 has a total of NINE status LEDs in three different colors. The 815 had been designed and was entering production when production was ordered stopped. There were compatibility problems between drives, and the extensive hand assembly made the units barely profitable. Had it been sold, its 1981 MSRP would have been $1499.95. Around fifty units are thought to exist.

815 Dual Disc Drive -- Prototype (MPI).
ITEM IN ACQUISITION

Same to Tandon version, but features MPI mechanism and custom faceplate. Atari was experimenting with manufacturing units with both mechanisms, as with the 810. The MPI verion 815 seems to be the rarer of the two.

850 Interface -- Metal Case Version

The 850 interface allowed Atari owners to communicate with the outside world. Once again ahead of their time, Atari designed the 850 to support four serial and one parallel port. The 850 could also communicate with 20ma Current Loop devices and supported baudot code. The first design used a high-quality black anodized brushed aluminum case. It was soon replaced with a cheaper--and better matching--plastic case version.

850 Interface -- Plastic Case Version

Electronically just the same as above. Atari priced the 850 low, as it was required to use two Atari-branded peripherals. The 1981 MSRP was a steal at 219.95.

830 Modem

The 830 Acoustic modem was made for Atari by the same contractor making the modems for Apple and many other companies. It required an 850 interface to plug in to the Atari, and was limited to 300 baud. No auto-answer or switching here! The 1981 MSRP was $199.95.

835 Modem

The 835 Direct-Connect modem replaced the 830, and was direct-connect in more ways than one. It plugged directly into the Atari--negating the need for the 850--and plugged directly into the phone jack. It did lack a ring detector, however. Atari users quickly rigged up a device from Radio Shack parts and started their BBSes.

820 Printer

The 820, like all 800-series equipment, is a very sturdy printer. It used 40-column spool paper and a standard typewriter--style ribbon. It retailed for $449.95 in 1981.

822 Printer -- ITEM IN ACQUISITION

The 822 Thermal Printer used 40 column thermal roll paper and a ceramic printhead. Intended for graphics, its MSRP was $449.95 in 1981.

825 Printer

The Atari 825 Printer was actually a Xerox-Diablo in disguise. A high quality printer, the 825 required the 850 interface and had an MSRP in 1981 of $999.95. They cost Atari quite a bit from Xerox. These printers became hard to get, and many Atari users wanting a high speed 80-column printer gave up and purchased a third-party device. Then, around 1992 Atari discovered a warehouse full of the printers, along with many other products thought uncommon or rare. This sort of incredible miss-management is the sad story of much of Atari. In fact, finding a forgotten warehouse full of outdated product is not an uncommon Atari tale.

(Some) other Atari 800 series products:

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