Atari 800XL [Atari]

Now an 8-bit computer from Atari has also joined my collection. I was lucky enough to get hold of a superbly preserved Atari 800XL. A nice side note was that the seller lived not far from me, so I was able to combine picking it up with a lovely little motorcycle tour to our neighboring country of Austria.

Background:

The XL series (600XL and 800XL) was the successor to Atari's first 8-bit computers. The first models were the Atari 400 (8 KB RAM and a membrane keyboard – later 16 KB RAM) and the Atari 800 (up to 48 KB RAM and a typewriter-style keyboard). These were intended as competition for the Apple II. A 6502 CPU was used as the main processor. They were produced from 1979 to 1982.

In 1983, the 600XL (16 KB RAM) and the 800XL (64 KB RAM) models followed and mainly competed against the Commodore 64 and the Spectrum computers from Sinclair. The electronics differ only slightly from the 400/800 series. There were only minor changes in the memory management and the built-in Atari BASIC. For better connectivity of expansions, the PBI (Parallel Bus Interface) was exposed on the outside. The number of joysticks that could be connected simultaneously was limited to two. Several other devices were developed, but never reached market maturity.

The successors to the XL devices were the XE models, starting in 1985. The technical changes were also limited here. The RAM was again modified – 64 KB in the 65XE and 800XE; 128 KB in the 130XE. Visually, the devices were styled after the Atari ST series. The PBI was replaced by a non-compatible expansion port, and unfortunately, low-quality keyboards were used. Production was discontinued in 1992.

Peripherals:

• 1010 cassette recorder
• 1050 disk drive
• various printers (1020 plotter, 1025 and 1029 dot matrix printers, 1027 daisy wheel printer)
• 1030 modem (300 baud)
• Trackball CX80
• CX77 touch tablet
• CX75 light pen
• 1064 memory expansion (600XL only)