Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!unixland!achilles From: achilles@unixland.uucp (David Holland) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit Subject: Re: What is an Atari 400?? Message-ID: Date: 1 May 91 16:28:53 GMT Sender: bbs@unixland.uucp (Waffle BBS) Distribution: comp Organization: The Think_Tank BBS & Public-Access Unix Lines: 45 **** FORWARDED MESSAGE **** From moonsweep!Blade!carl_gundel Wed May 1 91 10:34:17 Path: moonsweep!Blade!carl_gundel Date: 91Apr30 8:58 pm EST From: carl_gundel@Blade.mind.org Organization: Beantown 617/891-7338 Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit X-Citadel-Gateway: moonsweep.UUCP (Portcullis 0.5) Message-id: <91Apr308:58_pm@Blade.citadel> Subject: Re: What is an Atari 400?? The Atari 400 is an 8 bit machine based upon the 6502 microprocessor. This is the same processor as the Commodore 64 and the Apple ][ series computers. It was the first (as I remember it) personal computer with Sprite (or as Atari called them, Player/Missile) graphics, enabling it to move a graphic image(s) in front of or behind other images without them disrupting each other. The hardware took care of everything, and short of needing to learn how to program them, sprites did not require the programmer to develop any special software. O The Atari 400 has a BASIC interpreter available on pop-in cartridge. Short of assembler, I'm not sure what other languages are (or were) available. The Atari 400 has a big brother, the Atari 800. This machine has a full travel keyboard (in place of the 400's membrane type), and came with 32KB memory as opposed to the 400's 16KB (someone please correct me if I'm wrong). Peripherals are attached to these two machines in daisy chained fashion, sort of like SCSI devices (is this correct?). One device was plugged into the processor, the next was plugged into the first device, and so on. These two machines had some really fantastic video game software available. I do believe that the modern Atari home video game machines have their heritage in the 400 and 800. As far as support goes for these machines, I'm not sure, but aren't some of Atari's more recent 8 bit PC's compatible (or almost?)