So many different computers it hurts my brain!

[theking21083]

Basicly I have been wanting to get an Atari computer for some time now. There are so many different ones to choose from I can't figure out what to get. What does everybody think is the best well rounded machine to get? Basicly I would like to get the one that is the most reliable, compatable, upgradable, easy to find, and won't cost a whole hell of alot. I know that I don't want a 400 because of the membrane keyboard, and I was reading about some problems with the 1200XL so I'm not so sure about that. Basicly I was thinking along the lines of getting a 800 or 800XL but just wanted to check and see what everybody elses opinions were before I bought one.

[Gunstar]

Problems with the 1200XL are WAY overated, in fact, I've never found any. Originally there was a fuss over it becuase it wasn't 100% compatible with the 800, but neither are any of the other XL or XE computers in the line. and if you plan on upgrading it, any problems will disappear, like if you add in the Atarimax 32-in-1 OS, then you can have a 400/800 OS, XL and XE and a bunch of others, so there are no longer compatiblity issues anyway, plus, it give you built in basic, so you don't need a basic cart like you normally do with a 400/800/1200XL. It's got the best keyboard, not only in the Atari 8-bit line, but probably the best keyboard of any computer ever. The 800 is a very close second though, and the 600/800XL next. XE's have terrrible keyboards. The 1200XL has the most room inside to do any upgrades you want, and all the chips are socketed which makes upgrading much easier. Go with the 1200XL, you won't be disappointed. But, that being said, you're better off with any of the 64K+ in the line, like the 800XL or XE's. The 800 is a fantastic computer, but with it's 48K a TON of programs won't work on it, it's really the one with compatibility issues in this day and age.

Edited March 11, 2008 by Gunstar

[Sean39]

HI

 

My Father was an Engineer at Atari Corporation. If You get the 800XL Make sure you ask the Person you are buying it from to

open the Unit or look on it and see if it was of the last 800XL. Why because the last 800XL worked out the bugs yes Bugs.

 

The last made 800XL have the Atari basic REV. C in it and the early one have REV. A in them that had a bug. Now the early

800XL computers did not have the freddie chip this is a memory management chip that help the computer to manage the memory better.

 

 

So what are you looking for the 800XLF yes 800XLF was the best one made out of the 800XL units. The only other sugestion I have you

if you can not get a 800XLF is to get the 130EX which will have REV. C and the freddie chip and 128K memory. I am 40 years old

and been around Atari all my life ,and that not just owning one but growing up in Atari since my father was one of their engineers.

 

Take care and GOD BLESS

 

seankw39

[Sean39]

Hi

 

Sorry I made one mistake it the Atari 130XE computer. I made a type error...

Well Good luck.

 

 

sean39

[Rybags]

Stock - 130XE, but you get a shitty keyboard, and it's probably the most unreliable of the 8-bitters.

 

If modding - probably the 1200XL since it has the most room, closely followed by the 800XL.

 

For looks - the 800.

[Mister VCS]

The Atari 600 XL was my favorite back in the days. I like the slim look of this version. I really want a

PAL 600 XL today! Which XE-cartridges don't work with this one?

Any other "600 XL-lovers"?

[phaxda]

Yup, can't beat the 800 for looks and for some gaming. I have an 800 and a 130XE and the XE is a pain for gaming with that @#$%^ rear cart slot. Course you could just get a flash cart and never worry about it and the extra XE features are nice if you're going to actually, well, compute on it. I voted for the 800 though just because of its iconic status, but most will probably suggest the XL for good reason. I just haven't been lucky enough to find one of those at a garage sale yet. I figured it out last night, the total cost of my 8-bit collection was around $45 and I have a pretty nice selection of games now. So partially whatever you can get cheap works too!

[+Philsan]

Where is Atari 130XE (s-video output and 128K)?

 

*EDIT*

 

If you don't want to mod, if you want the best image quality and to play some 128K games and demos, 130XE is the best choice.

Edited March 11, 2008 by Philsan

[mimo]

straight out of the box compatibility - 800XL + they can easily be upgraded, don't worry about which version of Basic is on board, when is Basic ever used anyway?! Video needs a bit of work, but it is a really easy and cheap upgrade. Some models fully socketed

 

600XL- nice small footprint, easy internal upgrade to 64k, video needs work, no monitor port on US versions, nice keyboard

 

best for moding, 1200XL, although even in standard form the compatibility issues are way over exaggerated, however the video output really benefits from a work over, lots of space inside for mods. Best of the 8 bit keyboards. Fully socketed ICs

 

130XE, nice if you can find a working one, B+C have them BNIB, faulty RAM is the biggest cause of death. Keyboard is only an issue if you plan to do lots of typing on it.Easy upgrade to 320K, nice video out as standard. All IC's soldered

 

800 Built like a tank, but currently no XL/XE compatibility, all ICs socketed.

 

My personal favorite is my very moded PAL 600XL (512K, 32-in-1 OS, Stereo Pokey, internal sio2sd, video upgrade)

[WizWor]

Tall order. There are really only two choices -- an 800 or an XEGS. The 800 has four joystick ports. If you have three friends who will play asteroids with you, that's a lot of fun. There area also a number of games that will only play on a 400/800 (there is a list in section 8.4 of this FAQ). The 800 is reliable and upgradeable. The XEGS is my favorite A8. It is attractive and reliable. The XEGS has composite video out as well. Couped with a maxflash cart, you have an instant on arcade experience that is tough to beat. I think the 65xe is the same machine without the detachable keyboard.

 

I'd like to have a 1200xl. People have tricked these out nicely. There are, however, compatibility problems and I see a lot of keyboard RnR posts. They also tend to be expensive. Nothing wrong with an 800xl, but the XEGS comes with composite video out.

 

I can't recommend a 400 or a 600xl because they have too little under the hood. You can upgrade, but, for the most part, that will cost more than starting out with a better machine.

 

If you are interested in mods, you might want to post a list of changes you are pondering as that may change people's recommendations. I can't bring myself to cutting an A8, so any mods I would do would work on my XEGS.

 

Good luck!

Edited March 11, 2008 by WizWor

[MEtalGuy66]

HI

 

My Father was an Engineer at Atari Corporation. If You get the 800XL Make sure you ask the Person you are buying it from to

open the Unit or look on it and see if it was of the last 800XL. Why because the last 800XL worked out the bugs yes Bugs.

 

The last made 800XL have the Atari basic REV. C in it and the early one have REV. A in them that had a bug. Now the early

800XL computers did not have the freddie chip this is a memory management chip that help the computer to manage the memory better.

 

 

So what are you looking for the 800XLF yes 800XLF was the best one made out of the 800XL units. The only other sugestion I have you

if you can not get a 800XLF is to get the 130EX which will have REV. C and the freddie chip and 128K memory. I am 40 years old

and been around Atari all my life ,and that not just owning one but growing up in Atari since my father was one of their engineers.

 

Take care and GOD BLESS

 

seankw39

 

heh. Well, Rev C. basic is not a problem, as you can either get it on cartridge, buy the ROM from B&C or BEST and drop it in, download the image and burn it on a 2764 EPROM and "wire it in", or just run one of the many aftermarket versions of BASIC that kick the d*gsh!t out of ATARI basic (like TurboBasic or Basic XE)..

 

The Freddie Chip is kind of useless unless you are dealing with extended RAM in a 130XE, and really it makes the machine somewhat UNSTANDARD from a memory upgrade isntallation standpoint. It does not add ANY features to the machine from a programming/softwarte compatability standpoint, and really, is not worth even worying about. All of the 65XE and XEGS machines came with it, but to be honest, you will never notice a difference when actually using an 800XL as to whether or not it has the Freddie.

 

The 800XL is a very stable design, has a better than average keyboard, and is VERY compatable from an upgrade standpoint. It is probably the most "standard" atari 8-bit out there if you truly evaluate it based on "across the board" software, hardware, and upgrade compatability. It has a PBI bus so you can plug in serious hardware devices like the MIO or BlackBox, and RAM expansions up to 1 megabyte and beyond are quite well supported on this machine. "out of the box" it probably runs a good 90% of the software thats out there for ATARI 8-bit. With a cheap 256k memory expansion and a "translator disk"(for OLD 400/800 only programs,) it's probably closer to 99%... And it is almost guaranteed to work well with just about every hardware device ever sold for ATARI 8-bits.

 

Its also a very common machine. It was really the "c=64" of ATARIs.. They sold the crap out of them in both the US and Europe. Easy to find, and usually cheap. Much more durable than the XE series, Much better keyboard, VERY "standard," compatability-wise.. A true WORKHORSE of a machine.

[theking21083]

I was leaning towards getting an 800XL and it seems that most people recomend it over the others so that's probably the way that I am going to go. It seems to be a well rounded machine. My next question is, does anybody have an extra 800XL that they would part with for some $$$?

[mimo]

I was leaning towards getting an 800XL and it seems that most people recomend it over the others so that's probably the way that I am going to go. It seems to be a well rounded machine. My next question is, does anybody have an extra 800XL that they would part with for some $$$?

Maybe worth asking Guitarman, all his stuff is tested with Atari test gear.

[+Guitarman]

I was leaning towards getting an 800XL and it seems that most people recomend it over the others so that's probably the way that I am going to go. It seems to be a well rounded machine. My next question is, does anybody have an extra 800XL that they would part with for some $$$?

Maybe worth asking Guitarman, all his stuff is tested with Atari test gear.

 

 

Read an PM'ed!! LOL Thanks Mimo!!

[Dr. Van Thorp]

The 800 was the only one with 4 joystick ports (aside from the 400, which has a lousy keyboard). There is something to be said for that.

 

Why was so much software written that required more memory than the 800 had? Seems like a developer would have been giving up a big chunk of the market.

[mimo]

The 800 was the only one with 4 joystick ports (aside from the 400, which has a lousy keyboard). There is something to be said for that.

 

Why was so much software written that required more memory than the 800 had? Seems like a developer would have been giving up a big chunk of the market.

I believe it is called progress, it's the reason we drive cars, not a horse and cart, we use e-mail instead of snail mail, we use Pentium 4 duo core instead of 386 etc etc

[WizWor]

Much more durable than the XE series

What do you base this on? I have *never* had an atari computer fail. No one I know has had one fail (except due to massive trauma). After 30 years these things are available in great numbers. I'm not sure I'd characterize any atari as 'less durable' (except maybe the 1200xl keyboard problems).

[theking21083]

Thanks for all your help guys, I went from knowing next to nothing to learning quite a bit. Any info that anybody wants to add then keep it coming. What are some good accessories to get for the 800XL?

[Urchlay]

What are some good accessories to get for the 800XL?

 

If you get nothing else, get an SIO2PC cable. This allows you to download disk images and run them (using your PC to emulate an Atari disk or tape drive), and to connect your Atari to the internet (telnet BBSes, IRC, even text-based web browsers), and Atari programs can print to modern printers with it, too.

 

If you're looking for original stuff, you probably want at least one disk drive, probably a 1050, preferably with one of the upgrades (Happy, US Doubler, Speedy). There never was an Atari-branded monitor made for the 8-bits, but you probably do want a monitor with s-video (separate chroma/luma) inputs, for best picture quality. I use a Commodore 1702, though these are getting hard to come by. An 850 (or clone, like the P:R: Connection) will give you standard serial and parallel ports, but an SIO2PC cable can double as a regular serial port, too. You probably won't find many of the old Atari-specific printers still in working condition, these days...

 

I don't know whether you're interested in hardware mods for the 800XL, but if you are, the first thing you'll want to do is either the Clearpic or Super Video 2.1. Both are pretty easy if you know how to solder, and both result in a dramatic improvement in video quality. Other useful mods: 256K (or more) RAM upgrade, 32-in-1 OS, internal SIO2PC, internal MyIDE... of course there's something to be said for keeping the Atari in its original condition, too. Better get two of them

[mimo]

In order of usefulness (in my opinion)

SIO2PC

Maxflash cart or two

SIO2SD

Easy 256K upgrade from Best or Atarimax

Quick and easy video upgrade

32-in-1 OS

Stereo Pokey

[+Philsan]

If you want to connect Atari to PC (load and save files, virtual printer, etc.), SIO2PC (AtariAge user classics sells this device, $30-60)

or/and

if you want a stand-alone solution (load and save files), SIO2SD (AtariAge user Pigula sells this device, around $50).

Edited March 12, 2008 by Philsan

[WizWor]

(AtariAge user Pigula sells this device, around $50).

Via PM or is there a post/site with price, etc?

[mimo]

I bought mine from MegaHz

http://mega-hz.no-ip.com/Angebote/SIO2SD/SIO2SD%20rev.2.html

[dmlloyd]

I am surprised that the 600XL ranked so low. Sure, it only has 16k - and there's no monitor out. But if you're willing to put some time into it - add more RAM, rip out the hated RF modulator and replace it with s-video - it's as good as an 800XL, but smaller; and with +5V on the PBI to boot. A few days ago I started modifying one that I got long, long before and was just sitting in the basement. I'm starting to feel like I have a "main" Atari again for the first time since my 800XL died about 15 years ago.

[Gunstar]

I am surprised that the 600XL ranked so low. Sure, it only has 16k - and there's no monitor out. But if you're willing to put some time into it - add more RAM, rip out the hated RF modulator and replace it with s-video - it's as good as an 800XL, but smaller; and with +5V on the PBI to boot. A few days ago I started modifying one that I got long, long before and was just sitting in the basement. I'm starting to feel like I have a "main" Atari again for the first time since my 800XL died about 15 years ago.

A lot of us retro fans aren't into the current fashion that smaller=better. For example, I personally can't stand the tiny cellphones we have today, I prefer the slightly large 90's models that I can actually use the keypad without the help of a pencil to push buttons; I have big fingers. I hate the tiny second-gen consoles like the PS1 and the PS2 mini, I like my big 3DO and XBOX! I like the 1200XL becuase of all the space it provides to cram way more upgrades in than the 600XL. Sure it's a cute little machine (600XL), but I love the space of the 1200XL and the superior keyboard and the function keys. Also, I never liked the cartridge port on top with a cartridge sticking out, it always seemed to make it look like to much of a "game machine" console to me; the 1200XL looks like a serious computer and still very sleek and modern looking. I also never liked the rear XE cart slots, the 1200XL's side slot that actually completely hides the cartridge is too cool, and the slanted joystick ports on the left side too. There's just so many cool design features of the 1200XL that, IMHO had it all over the 600/800XL and XE's. Sure, it doesn't have the PBI, but in this day and age with SIO2PC and flashram drives and internal HD's like MyIDE, it's no longer important, IMHO. Besides, if you really want it, you can mod the 1200XL to have a PBI too.

Edited March 14, 2008 by Gunstar