Timeline¶
This timeline will expand as the podcast goes along!
Sources¶
Atari Inc.: Business is Fun by Marty Goldberg and Curt Vendel
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132160/atari_the_golden_years__a_.php?page=4
Timeline of old personal computers: http://oldcomputers.net/
http://www.landley.net/history/mirror/atari/museum/Atari-Timeline.html
1977¶
Feb¶
Initial planning of a VCS replacement. Joe Decuir and Jay Miner started the hardware development to replace the VCS by sometime in 1979
George McLeod designed the CTIA
Doug Neubauer designed POKEY (POtentiometers and KEYboard interface, and oh it did some sound too)
Joe Decuir designed the SIO interface (Atari wanted slots but FCC had strict rules about shielding for home devices: (from http://www.atarimuseum.com/articles/joedecuir.html):
Atari was dealing with the FCC under the Part 15 Type I rules, for anything that actually generated TV channel RF. Those radiation rules were much stricter then the Class A and Class B rules that common computers must meet, so slots were out, and we ended up wrapping the electronics in a 2mm thick aluminum casting. The serial bus was our way of adding peripherals. (It was also a very expensive one. I think it sank the product.) Meanwhile, Apple was dodging the FCC, by not including the RF modulator themselves. You had to buy it from someone else and install it yourself.
co-invented fax modems and worked on the original USB specification and design (from http://www.digitpress.com/library/interviews/interview_joe_decuir.html)
1978¶
December¶
Atari announces the Atari 400 and 800 personal computers.
OS developed by Alan Miller, Larry Kaplan, Bob Whitehead, and David Crane
1979¶
January¶
Demoed at the Winter CES
October¶
400, 800 released
400: 11/1/79 $549.95: http://www.pcmuseum.ca/details.asp?id=285
800: 10/1/79 $999: http://www.pcmuseum.ca/details.asp?id=35
Compute! magazine’s first issue
Alan Miller, Larry Kaplan, Bob Whitehead, and David Crane leave to form Activision
November¶
First ads appeared (Byte) 400: US$549, 800: US$999
1980¶
March¶
Star Raiders by Doug Neubauer, considered the first “killer app” for the Atari computers
December¶
sold 35000 computers (gamasutra)
1981¶
January¶
Compute! magazine starts monthly publication
ANALOG Magazine inaugural issue, starting bi-monthly publication
May¶
Atari announces the 8KB Atari 400 is being discontinued, 16k memory will be standard at a list price of US$399
ANALOG Magazine moves to quarterly publication
1982¶
Unsure¶
De Re Atari released, developer docs available
January¶
Atari begins shipping all Atari 800 units with GTIA graphics chips, allowing modes 9, 10, and 11 with up to 16 colors per scan line
April¶
Antic magazine inaugural issue, bi-monthly
September¶
ANALOG Magazine returns to bi-monthly publication
December¶
Atari issues a US$55 rebate on the Atari 400, dropping its retail price to under US$200.
Page 6 magazine inaugural issue, bi-monthly (published through 1998!)
1983¶
January¶
Atari introduces the 1200XL home computer.
April¶
Antic magazine begins monthly publication
May¶
Atari offers a US$100 rebate on the Atari 800, bringing its retail price to below US$400.
June¶
Atari cancels production of the Atari 1200XL, due to compatibility and other problems.
Atari releases the 600XL, US$199: http://www.pcmuseum.ca/details.asp?id=64
August¶
ROM magazine inaugural issue, bi-monthly publication
October¶
Atari releases the 800XL, US$299: http://www.pcmuseum.ca/details.asp?id=64
1983: June - Atari introduces the Atari 600 XL. 1983: June - Atari introduces the Atari 800 XL, with 64 KB RAM. 1983: June - Atari introduces the Atari 1450 XL, with built-in 300 bps modem. 1983: June - Atari introduces the Atari 1450 XLD, with built-in 300 bps modem and disk drive.
November¶
Hi-Res magazine begins bi-monthly publication
1984¶
May¶
Hi-Res magazine final issue
July¶
Jack Tramiel, Former President of Commodore International, buys the Atari console and home computer divisions
