Atari 400
| Atari 400 | |
 An atari 400 | |
| Manufacturer: | Atari |
|---|---|
| Year Introduced: | November 1979 |
| Form Factor: | Microcomputer |
| Clock Speed: | 1.79 MHz |
| Memory Size: | 8 KB - 48KB |
| CPU: | MOS 6502B |
| Operating System: | In-ROM Atari BASIC |
The Atari 400 was the little brother of the Atari 800. Made by Atari, the 400 was noted for having a membrane keyboard, and a single ROM cartridge slot to keep costs down. The Atari 400 & 800 both initially shipped with 8KB of RAM, however, as RAM prices dropped Atari started to ship machines with more main memory. It's worth noting that unlike Commodore's Vic20, the Atari 400 could have its RAM upgraded.
Similar to the Amiga, the Atari 400 had 3 co-processors, the ANTIC, CTIA/GTIA, and POKEY. And just like the Amiga they were designed by Jay Miner.
From an Atari advertisement, 1982:
THE ATARI 400 HOME COMPUTER
FEATURES AND TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
Console: FCC approved with built-in RF modulator. Connects to any TV (USA) CPU: 6502B Microprosessor: 0.56 microsecond cycle. 1.8MHz Color: 16 colors: each with 8 intensities. Sound: Four independent sound synthesizers for musical tones or game sounds. 3-1/2 octaves. Variable volume and tone. Internal speaker (in addition to audio through TV). Memory: Includes 16K bytes of Random Access Memory (RAM) and 10K Read Only Memory (ROM) Operating System. ROM may be expanded with a user-installed cartridge program. Keyboard: 57-key monopanel alphanumeric keyboard plus 4 special function keys. Upper/lower case. Inverse video. Full screen editing. Four-way cursor control. 29 graphic keys. I/O: Serial input/output port for simple connection to peripherals. Four controller jacks. Display: Highest graphics resolution 320 x 192, 24 lines of 40 characters. 3 text modes, 8 graphic modes. Power: AC transformer, UL approved, included. 120 VAC. Dimensions: 13 1/2" x 11 1/8" x 4 1/2", 5 3/4 lbs. Warranty: 90 days parts and labor. Service: Available at authorized ATARI Factory Authorized Computer Service centers.
Emulators
The Atari800 emulator is portable and somewhat popular. http://atari800.sourceforge.net/
