50 Best Tech Products - 2600 is 13th

[+SpiceWare]

The 50 Best Tech Products of All Time

13. Atari VCS/2600 (1977)

 

You can't underestimate the importance of the original Atari, which made home gaming what it is today. All modern game consoles owe some part of their heritage to this machine of simple design (not to mention awesome wood-grain paneling). The VCS (later renamed the 2600) was a cool curiosity (until Space Invaders arrived in 1980), with sales hitting 8 million units in 1982 alone. The 2600 eventually sold about 40 million units, and paved the way for all manner of competitors and imitators. Along with the original Pong, it remains the only truly important product that Atari ever released.

You can also vote for the one you think is best.

[Deteacher]

C'mon everyone! Let's get the Atari 2600 up to the top of that list. Vote vote VOTE!

[Dauber]

I actually think the 7800 is better, but the 2600 is probably the best of all the specific options they have...

[PressureCooker2600]

I voted atari but DAMN....have we got a ways to go to beat the Apple II.

[Cybergoth]

C'mon everyone! Let's get the Atari 2600 up to the top of that list. Vote vote VOTE!

 

I just voted for the Amiga

[almightytodd]

It looks like Id software DOOM is in the lead with the most votes

[Vic George 2K3]

id Software's Doom is #19, a few notches down from the Atari 2600.

[+Nathan Strum]

The poll doesn't affect the outcome of the list. The list order was determined already by PC World. The poll is just there to show if people agree with it or not.

[Deteacher]

The items aren't in a leaderboard order. You have to look at the bar and number of votes. Yeah, The Atari is way behind right now. The Apple II wasn't that great, IMO. Ok, maybe I'm a little biased.

[mos6507]

I am shocked that a mag like PCWorld would keep this list as broad as it is rather than loading it up with IBM PC-related entries.

[Dino]

I'm suprised the original IBM PC is not there, nor is the commodore 64.

[PressureCooker2600]

I'm suprised the original IBM PC is not there, nor is the commodore 64.

 

and yet Doom is.....

[supercat]

I actually think the 7800 is better, but the 2600 is probably the best of all the specific options they have...

 

Almost all modern video gaming can trace its roots to the 2600. Can anything trace its roots to the 7800?

 

There were a lot of unfortunate decisions made in the development and marketing of the 7800. By contrast, the design of the 2600 involved many decisions where the seemingly-logical choice would have been disastrous, and yet was somehow avoided. For example, the TIA could have been simplified considerably if the CPU had been run at chroma/4 instead of chroma/3 (yielding 57 cycles per line instead of 76). With suitable coding, this would probably not have particularly impacted any of the original games planned for the system, but it would have severely limited what people could have done with it later. Likewise, triggering the "vertical delay" latches off horizontal sync rather than criss-crossing the GRPx writes would have been logical, but it would have prevented the vdel-sprite trick.

 

The 2600 hardware, even just using a straight 4K cart, can manage many things its competition couldn't even dream of, despite its incredible simplicity. The 7800, by contrast, was in significant ways already outclassed the moment it debuted.

[mos6507]

The 2600 hardware, even just using a straight 4K cart, can manage many things its competition couldn't even dream of, despite its incredible simplicity. The 7800, by contrast, was in significant ways already outclassed the moment it debuted.

 

The Amiga is already on the list and is a more appropriate choice.

[thomasholzer]

I agree with most except the TiVo and the NES. But I guess the NES-crazy USA'ers must have it in there.

[Gregory DG]

I'm surprised there's so much software in the Top 10. When I think of "Tech Products" Lotus 1-2-3 isn't what springs to my mind...

Edited April 4, 2007 by Gregory DG

[AtariDude]

I saw the article the other day. It was interesting to see the list that they compiled. Some of the items that they listed I sort of expected but there were a few that I was not expecting. Glad to see that the Atari 2600 was included on the list.

[G.Whiz]

I think what is missing is the tech product that was the first computer most people owned -- the calculator. Sure, their a dime a dozen now (almost literally) but back in the day it was quite new.

 

And of course, Douglas Adams would have been sad to find that digital watches are no longer a neat enough idea to get onto this list...

 

~G

[Urchlay]

I think what is missing is the tech product that was the first computer most people owned -- the calculator. Sure, their a dime a dozen now (almost literally) but back in the day it was quite new.

 

And of course, Douglas Adams would have been sad to find that digital watches are no longer a neat enough idea to get onto this list...

 

It seems like more of a "best PC and gaming related tech" list... If they'd included the calculator and the digital watch, they would have also had to include the microwave oven. All 3 of these have more impact on the average person's daily life than most of what's on that list.

 

I'm surprised that they listed the Northgate Omnikey keyboard instead of the IBM Model M keyboard.