Atari 8 Bit Computers - real world business use examples?

[SINGLE TOOTH]

Unsurprisingly, the Atari wasn't used much for business. I suppose that's what makes it interesting (and rare) to learn of such an occasion.

 

In the mid-1980s, my local (at the time) Atari dealer used an 800XL to record sales and print receipts, etc. The receipts were printed on an Atari 825 printer. The system was used for several years, until they folded sometime in the very early 1990s. That's the only occurence of an Atari used for *actual business* that I ever remember seeing.

 

(Of course, many used our Ataris personally for a few things other than gaming, but since that wasn't the point of the thread, mentioning word processing, spreadsheet, etc. at home is irrelevant.)

Well I guess I would like to hear about all legitimate uses for them, excluding gaming. Even if it was only home use.

[JamesD]

I've never personally seen an Atari 8 bit used for any type of business use.
Not saying there weren't any around, I just never saw any.

[matosimi]

i remember Atari XL (not sure if 800 or other) with 3,5" diskdrive in one of Jackie Chan's movies, i believe it was one movie from Police Story trilogy.

Jackie sneaked to "computer room" with Atari running Syncalc and he stole secret data on floppy.

[Tempest]

I saw a bunch of Apples being used for business back in the day, but no Atari's. By the mid 80's all the businesses I saw were using PC's.

[Fres]

My dad had a company that trained people to prepare to take exams to get licensed in insurance sales. The exams were taken on some sort of proprietary computer. He had a simulator that ran on an Atari 800 (just to get people comfortable with taking electronic exams). This would have been in the mid to late 80s.

[luckybuck]

Some impressions...

 

I am searching for myself, I do not have them. Any hint is very(!) welcome... :-)

 

But this is software, which has existed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best regards

[Drummerboy]

I think, the reason about Atari not was used for Businnes issues, its becouse the name ATARI is related to games and that was hard to separate. Maybe the people always saw any ATARI Computer just like video game machine.

 

Anyway, many Atari 8Bit users people were smarter and gave varied uses beyond video games.

[Caterpiggle]

The only time, I saw 3 times in video store , the owner used to running Atari 800XL in Rhode Island when I was there. I think the owner using on 800XL for inventories list for all names of VHS movies. I don't remember if it was DVD release in that time. I don't remember what year was that. I will check it later when I was in R.I. state.

[Subby]

The only time, I saw 3 times in video store , the owner used to running Atari 800XL in Rhode Island when I was there. I think the owner using on 800XL for inventories list for all names of VHS movies. I don't remember if it was DVD release in that time. I don't remember what year was that. I will check it later when I was in R.I. state.

Hmm, Rhode Island? Probably coincidence but about a year ago a local guy was cleaning out his basement and gave me his Atari equipment. Going through the floppies it appears he ran a video strore up east somewhere. I'll have to look and see if I can figure out where.

 

About 2003 company I worked for was bought by a very large company, Fortune 25 type. Our new IT boss told me they had just retired their Atari 800 that ran a huge paper sorter/folder.

 

And I'm pretty sure several airports used Ataris for displaying flight schedules.

[luckybuck]

I think, the reason about Atari not was used for Businnes issues, its becouse the name ATARI is related to games and that was hard to separate. Maybe the people always saw any ATARI Computer just like video game machine.

 

Anyway, many Atari 8Bit users people were smarter and gave varied uses beyond video games.

Yes, Drummerboy, indeed, you put everything together, you had an office at home just without PowerPoint. There was an external keyboard, a color monitor/tv, a color printer and so one. But Atari didn't got it. In the movie Blade Runner, which plays in 2019, you can see an Atari sign, that could have happened, if "some" guys from the management would have left Atari a little bit earlier...

[Caterpiggle]

Hello Subby,

 

It was in Newport, RI when I was there. Somewhere on Thomas St ( I think). The year, hard to say, I think it was 1997 or 1996.

[Britishcar]

How about a non-game, non-home usage today? I'm a teacher and just outside of my classroom I have a CRT hooked up to an Atari 130XE that I use to type in upcoming events -- think Memo Pad on an 800. The 130XE rotates the screen colors, etc. to keep it lively and stop screen burn in. It's a snap to simply type in new dates, events, etc. and the large (for today) 40-column text (or GR.1 or 2 if needed) keeps it easy to see and read.

 

On special occasions, I'll do a scroll or etc. in GR.1 or GR.2. to really catch attention. I leave the 130XE running 24/7 since I often don't want to re-type, but just edit my changes. I occasionally have an Indus GT hooked up to it but I find that just using BASIC like the 800's Memo Pad works the best. As long as you move your margins with POKE 82,0 and don't hit RETURN, it's a great solution.

 

Occasionally, such as on a back-to-school night, a parent will recognize the font (the 130XE itself is tucked away) -- some think it might be a C64, but true Atari people from way back recognize the font and the "attract mode" screen color roations. The look on their faces is always interesting.

[SINGLE TOOTH]

How about a non-game, non-home usage today? I'm a teacher and just outside of my classroom I have a CRT hooked up to an Atari 130XE that I use to type in upcoming events -- think Memo Pad on an 800. The 130XE rotates the screen colors, etc. to keep it lively and stop screen burn in. It's a snap to simply type in new dates, events, etc. and the large (for today) 40-column text (or GR.1 or 2 if needed) keeps it easy to see and read.

 

On special occasions, I'll do a scroll or etc. in GR.1 or GR.2. to really catch attention. I leave the 130XE running 24/7 since I often don't want to re-type, but just edit my changes. I occasionally have an Indus GT hooked up to it but I find that just using BASIC like the 800's Memo Pad works the best. As long as you move your margins with POKE 82,0 and don't hit RETURN, it's a great solution.

 

Occasionally, such as on a back-to-school night, a parent will recognize the font (the 130XE itself is tucked away) -- some think it might be a C64, but true Atari people from way back recognize the font and the "attract mode" screen color roations. The look on their faces is always interesting.

 

You have a picture of that or something? I would like to see it

[RodCastler]

Atari retailers had a strategy strongly focused in education back in my days. Several schools owned complete Atari labs for teaching the basics with LOGO.

 

Also, I know a guy who was a pro DJ and adapted an Atari to control the disco lights. That was cool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSHYewl8QzY

Edited November 3, 2013 by RodCastler

[ilaskey]

I find this thread a bit odd - back in the day I knew many people that used their Atari's for non game/business stuff. I had a friend that ran his double glazing business on an Atari 800 - database, spreadsheets, accounts etc. He printed his stationary/letterheads using Printshop and a 24pin printer of some sort. Word processing was on AtariWriter too. I probably used mine for games only 50% of the time I used it as a database, name/address book. Printed all my Xmas card labels on it. I labelled video cassettes, audio cassettes and did the inlays etc although mine was only an Atari 1029 initially (with extra ROM) then a Star NLQ dot matrix of some sort that was built like a tank. I also used to write lots of Basic and sometimes assembler progs for particular tasks/needs. Plus I used the Conversational German and French cassette systems.

 

I had another friend that used a beta of an online banking system in 1985 in the UK that used Prestel graphics type interface via one of those split baud rate modems that some systems used.

Edited November 3, 2013 by ilaskey

[luckybuck]

Have given a presentation about that in April this year in Munich:

 

http://atariwiki.de/wiki/attach/AtariCalculator-VCFe14/Vortrag_Wassenberg.pdf

 

From slide 16 on...

 

Best regards

[russg]

Have given a presentation about that in April this year in Munich:

 

http://atariwiki.de/wiki/attach/AtariCalculator-VCFe14/Vortrag_Wassenberg.pdf

 

From slide 16 on...

 

Best regards

 

Some impressions...

 

I am searching for myself, I do not have them. Any hint is very(!) welcome... :-)

 

But this is software, which has existed.

 

General Accounting System 1.jpg

 

1.jpg

 

Personal Financial Management System CX406-1.jpg

 

Personal Financial Management System CX406-2.jpg

 

Personal Finance Management.jpg

 

The Atari Accountant.jpg

 

Best regards

Peach Tree accounting is a complex accounting system available for the A8.

Visicalc is a very good spreadsheet, I'd say world class even on the A8.

I used Visicalc to keep my grade book, post spreadsheets of test scores (with numeric/private IDs selected at random and printed for each student). I was a professor.

I use Microsoft excel for spreadsheet now, mostly because I don't have a printer setup for my A8s any more. The A8 was my first computer and was used

for a lot of things. I am not a gamer, other than Sargon III and Crash Dive. Bigger screens and 138 chars per line, streaming color graphics, a way to connect to the internet

stop me from the A8 now. But I still do some programming on the A8. My experience with programming Atari BASIC and a little assembler and ACTION!

gave me the confidence to do some Microsoft Visual BASIC PC programming. I got started on the DOS PC with Procomm telecom software, which allowed

going to Cleveland Freenet in 80 columns. The use of better and better transfer protocols (Y-G/Zmodem) also migrated me from A8.

Personal Ancestral File, PC File data base and Word Writer PC word processor were upgrades from the Atari.

Edited November 4, 2013 by russg

[luckybuck]

Dear russg!

 

Well, if you use an emulator, you have both! :-)

 

Including the printing of the old Visicalc tables... :-)

 

Best regards

[Britishcar]

I've never thought about taking a photo...it's just a CRT sitting on a small desk on the inside of a classroom alcove. I'll see if I can take a shot at some point.

[sack-c0s]

Being from the UK it'd be normal to see a BBC computer around here being used for those kind of things - I remember seeing them driving train station displays and the BBC themselves used them for TV (props, titling and their main intended purpose of teaching people computing).

 

I also remember seeing an impressive amount of expansion hanging out of the back of ZX Spectrums, but I think the logic there was that there were so many kicking around they had enough to blow one up every couple of days and still not run out before the universe succumbs to heat death - I don't think it was down to any actual attachment or preference for the machine.

[russg]

I've never thought about taking a photo...it's just a CRT sitting on a small desk on the inside of a classroom alcove. I'll see if I can take a shot at some point.

If you run it in an emulator, you can make a screen shot png. MY AA ID photo is a screen shot of Compy Shop demo. That would be a lot better than trying to take a camera picture of a TV screen.

I know Atari800winplus has this feature, I imagine Altirra has it also. However, single tooth could write his own program with emulator to do GRAPHICS 1 or 2 text.

Edited November 4, 2013 by russg

[russg]

Dear russg!

 

Well, if you use an emulator, you have both! :-)

 

Including the printing of the old Visicalc tables... :-)

 

Best regards

Thanks, luckybuck. I use atari800winplus 4 and Altirra 2.4 frequently. Those and APE help me with the real thing.