█ Vintage Computing Museum
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1979

Atari 800

Atari, Inc.

Atari 800
Photo by Evan-Amos, Wikimedia Commons, public domain · source

Specifications

CPU
MOS 6502B @ 1.79 MHz
Memory
8 KB standard, up to 48 KB
Storage
Cartridge (two slots), cassette, 5.25" floppy
Display
Composite/RF, 320×192 color, hardware sprites
OS
Atari OS in ROM; Atari BASIC cartridge
Intro price
$999

The machine

Atari's flagship 8-bit home computer. Custom support chips — ANTIC, CTIA/GTIA, and POKEY — gave it graphics and sound capabilities well beyond contemporary general-purpose home machines.

Why it matters

Pioneered using custom coprocessors for video and audio in a home computer, an idea that carried directly into the Amiga, the Atari ST, and modern GPUs.