psomerf

We did have foreign kids both years I worked for the Camps. In addition to the one I mentioned in the interview, there were brothers from Korea who were at a session in Maryland. They were to return to Korea about the same time as the KAL007 shootdown. Every so often I look through the names, and none jump out at me, so I don't think they were on that flight. The following year we an older teen from southern South America (I think Argentina, as Argentina had been in the news a lot in the recent past in 1984) and a ten year old girl who was the daughter of an actor and a beauty queen in Columbia or Venezuela. That last does go toward your point about the cost of the camps being a bit self-selecting at times. National Computer Camps (which dates back to 1977) indicates that their tuition is about $1100 per week. And inflation calculator I just visited suggests that the costs relative to inflation have stayed the same.

My high school computer science teacher (OK, he was just and interested math teacher) got an Atari 800 about a year before I bought mine. In fact, see its graphics abilities was what influenced me greatly. His classroom had several PETs. He just could not figure out a way to to get the computer to fit into his, er, program. I bought my 800 in December 1980. That means he bought (and returned) his 800 in the November/December 1979 time frame. It was definitely prior to Christmas break 1979/1980. This was in the middle of nowhere, in Western NY. (If ever there is a shining center to galaxy, we live in the city that is farthest from ....) My 800 has a hand written serial number which suggested an early November 1979 manufacture date, if I read it correctly.

To be honest, for my interview (Atari Computer Camps episode), I had considered using the SNL Shatner "get a life" quote. But I guess 80s humor is lost on folks who use 80s computers. I do wish I had used a different Shatner/Kirk quote, though. "It's been fun".

I also have the two other disks they gave the campers. (I was a TA.) Fun times. Paul

I am going to have someone try and recover my copy of "Pilot II". I have no estimate for the timeframe, however. Paul

I discovered really useful boxes about a year ago. the 0.7 liter box fits 5 cartridges. Another size sort of fits 5.25 disks (3 liter, and 6.7 liter for a longer version) and 1.6 liter fits 3.5 inch floppies, sort of. If you have a home depot or staples around, you could buy 1 or 2 just to see how they work. http://www.reallyusefulproducts.co.uk/usa/html/boxdetails.php Paul

I've put all the manuals into pdf. The disk, I don't want to risk messing with it until I am sure my computer works well enough to copy the disk over without screwing it up. Ahh, the joys of ancient tech. I will include the letterhead they gave us. I live in NY about as far from CT as you can get, so thanks but I won't be making it that way any time soon. (Most of the pdf's are more than 2 mb.) Atari_Letterhead.pdf Paul

I worked at Atari Camp for two summers. I've been scanning in some of the training manuals I acquired. I am uncertain as to whether I can/should upload them, as they contain copyright notice from Atari. Some of the manuals need programs from a disk. I am not sure if the disk still I have still functions. Paul Chesapeake 1983 New England 1984