As for books. The Programmer's Reference Guide for the Atari
400/800 computers by David Heiserman (Howard Sams, 1984) is a
good "single volume" reference, Mark Chasin's Assembly Language
Programming for the Atari Computers (McGraw-Hill, 1984) is highly
recommended; it provides many excellent examples strictly for Atari
users, explaining such difficult concepts as I/O, handlers, and VBIs.
Carl Evans's Atari BASIC Faster and Better (IJG, 1983) is an excellent
technique book for BASIC programmers who want to improve their
style and learn some machine language.
	Jerry White, well-known Atari software author, coauthored a
good compendium with Gary Phillips called The Atari User's
Encyclopedia (The Book Company, 1984), Linda Schreiber's Ad-
vanced Programming Techniques for Your Atari (Tab, 1983) has sev-
eral good routines for graphics and strings in BASIC.
	COMPUTE! Books has published several good books, including
COMPUTE!'s Third Book of Atari, COMPUTE!'s First and Second Book
of Atari Graphics, and COMPUTE!'s First Book of Atari Games. A real
hacker's delight is The Atari BASIC Sourcebook, by Bill Wilkinson,
Kathleen O'Brien, and Paul Laughton, which includes the entire
source code for Atari BASIC--a must for serious BASIC users (along
with Wilkinson's Inside Atari DOS). One of COMPUTE!'s best books
recently is Richard Mansfield's Machine Language for Beginners,
a painless way to introduce yourself to machine language
programming.
	Finally, for the real hardware buff, Atari once published their
400-800 Home Computer Field Service Manual (part # FD 100001); it
has a wealth of data, schematics, parts lists, diagnostic tests, and
assembly information, It's hard to get, but worth it. An 800XL Field
Service Manual is also available. Sams has released an excellent
hardware technical service manual for the 800 and 800XL, it's expen-
sive. but contains material any hardware hacker needs to know.
	It looks like the Atari will have a long life; it's already into its
third generation (all compatible). I'm glad to see that the recent
change in ownership did not spell the end of my favorite home com-
puter, but rather Jack Tramiel is continuing to support and develop it
as well as maintain compatibility between models. I'm looking for-
ward to seeing his new 68000-based ST machines.

March 1985
Ian Chadwick
55 Kent Rd
Toronto, Ont.
M4L 2X5
Canada
CompuServe 70375,1010