Turning an Atari 2600 into a computer…
I just came across this interesting bit of computing history.
Back in 1982, there was a peripheral that turned an Atari 2600 into an (incredibly simple, ZX-81 level) home computer, including a keyboard, BASIC, and cadette support.
But the addon is/was incredibly rare, and there’s very little information about it online.
So it’s interesting to see there’s now a video up on YouTube profiling this device (known as a Spectravideo CompuMate) and how it works…
#tech #technology #atari #Atari2600 #retro #retrocomputing #retrogaming @technology @videogames @retrogaming
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@ajsadauskas @technology @videogames @retrogaming actually looks a lot like a ZX81 keyboard.
Did it fit all the woody models and the “Vader” too?@ajsadauskas @technology @videogames @retrogaming
I’ve got one remark on this: the thing that this addon turned the 2600 into was way *below* 1982 #ZXSpectrum tech standards and specs in many ways. Just take a look and compare memory and screen resolution and you’ll see. Not to mention the rich BASIC functionality of Sinclair BASIC.
Also, that addon came too late in many ways to be profitable as some of the real computers of the time (see above) were less costy and easier to get than this rather limited piece of addon hardware.
@Wintermute_BBS @technology @videogames @retrogaming You’re right, I’ve updated the post to ZX-81 level, which is probably a better comparison than the Speccy.
@ajsadauskas @technology @videogames @retrogaming yup, that’s fair enough, thank you 👍
@Wintermute_BBS @ajsadauskas @technology @videogames @retrogaming but the developers of this extension definitly had some inspiration from the ZX81, as shown in the video with the Keyboard comparison etc. With this being released in 1982 i think it was just still to expensive to have success. Should have been way cheaper or much earlier.
@Stege @ajsadauskas @technology @videogames @retrogaming well, Philips did the same with their Videopac G7000 - it was already the cheapest option for a keyboard, aside from having people build one themselves
@Wintermute_BBS @Stege @technology @videogames @retrogaming There was potentially an opportunity for Atari to release a very entry level computer based on the 2600.
Think chiclet keyboard, BASIC, tape drive connector, yet still able to play a River Raid cartridge.
@ajsadauskas @Stege @technology @videogames @retrogaming I get your point, but then: weren’t the Atari 400 and 600 aimed at the same target group?
EDIT: this is probably an example of Warner Communications loosing control over their product strategy
@Wintermute_BBS @Stege @technology @videogames @retrogaming Atari 400 was US$550 at launch, the 2600 was US$189.95 at launch.
Hypothetically, had they managed to get a price point at somewhere close to US$200-$250 for a version with a chiclet keyboard, tape connector and BASIC, that would have opened up an even lower lower-end market than the 400.
It very much would have been aiming for that ZX-81 end of the market.
@ajsadauskas @technology @videogames @retrogaming come to think of it: the same year that the addon was released, Tandy released the #CoCo2 for an initial retail price of $159 - to me this shows how quickly prices for components dropped and tech evolved while the fierce competition (at least in the US market) made prices drop every month.
… and yes, as we all know #JackTramiel played a big role in this effect …
@ajsadauskas
@technology @videogames @retrogamingUpon reading the Phoenix history of video games by Leonard Herman, I was amazed at how many times this was attempted with so many different consoles. Companies really wanted to go after the market of folks who wanted some kind of computer without paying the price for a real one.
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