YOU’LL NEED THIS

ALTIRRA

For more casual users: www. virtualdub.org/altirra.html.

ATARI800

Advanced users: https://atari800.github.io/download.html.

THE ATARI 800 series is often overlooked in retro computing, but this machine genuinely put the wind up companies such as Apple and Commodore, establishing an architecture that sold millions of units with a long production run.

On its release, the 800 was ahead of its time and one of the most powerful computers around, bringing innovations such as specialized coprocessors to ease CPU load.

Being an Atari machine, the 800 family features the classic Atari arcade library, but is also an essential experience for fans of ’80s micros.

So, let’s take a brief history lesson before exploring how you can emulate the 800 line yourself at home. –JOHN KNIGHT 

1 DEVELOPMENT AND LAUNCH 

The 800 series was born when Atari realized its console hardware could be expanded upon with a keyboard, and other kinds of I/O, to make a television-based micro. The Atari 800 would be the foundation upon which other models could follow, using the same basic chipsets and architecture.

>> Launching in November 1979, Atari’s initial lineup consisted of two models: the fully featured 800 for $1,000, and the strippeddown budget model 400 for $550. The 800 had two cartridge ports, four expansion slots, and a proper keyboard; the 400 had one cartridge port, two expansion slots, and an inexpensive childproof membrane keyboard.