ExtremeTech: Atari 8-bit fans: this is your next read

[InfoMan]

Sounds like an interesting book. Has anyone seen it yet?

 

https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/246205-breakout-how-atari-8-bit-computers-defined-generation-800-400-xl-xe

[+DavidMil]

For those of us that were between 8 and 80 in the 1980's, this looks like a walk down memory lane. Was there ever a price

listed for the book?

 

David Milsop

[InfoMan]

Looks like it's about $18:

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0692851275/

[+DavidMil]

I may have to suggest that book to my wife (to tell my 42 year old son) that it would make a good

Fathers Day gift.

 

Thanks,

David

[+Philsan]

Ordered!

[Atari PAC-MAN Fan]

Looks cool! Wonder what juicy details we can find In that book.

[Stefan Both]

The publisher is Ziff Davis...

Ziff Davis...

I know, they publish computer books

, magazines since decades... but...

was there a file packer or a picture file

type developed by ZD too ?

I just can't remember, but the first thing

that came in my mind is something like

"reducing file size".

Sorry for the off topic - it just drives

me crazy.

 

Stefan

[+Stephen]

Ordered, should have copy before the weekend.

[Steve Mynott]

I bought a Kindle version last night after an internal struggle over the price and whether I'd learn anything.

 

I've only skimmed it so far but I've no regrets about buying it since it's very well written and informative.

 

Most of it probably isn't new to members of the forum but I personally found enough little nuggets of new information to have made the purchase worthwhile.

 

Highly recommended and my fear now is that I'll end up buying the hard copy too :-)

[Rybags]

That Kindle price is a friggen ripoff, a downloaded non-physical copy should cost 3 bucks, not simply be 3 bucks cheaper than the book.

 

Anyway, I've ordered the book. Thanks to the current shitty exchange rate and overseas shipping, comes in to just under $39.

[Mclaneinc]

Would be interested to see if its by an Atari fan with an understanding of what was going on at Atari over the years or just harvested info moulded in to a book....

 

So many books come out and they are littered with nonsense and inaccuracies that make them devoid of use, its a bit like Retro Gamer when they do Atari stories, they tend to be off by a way with the details, I wish they would let TMR does those bits rather than in house people who probably never owned an Atari and all the looking is done via emulators rather than real machines.

 

Its little things but they matter..

 

EDIT: Seems like it could be in safe hands, this is about the guy who wrote it..

 

http://www.8bitrocket.com/2011/08/26/jamie-lendino-of-pc-mag-admits-to-loving-the-atari-800/

Edited March 22, 2017 by Mclaneinc

[TangentAudio]

I should have my copy tomorrow. I hope it had a better editor than Atari Inc.: Business is Fun. I've been skimming through that book this week and it's littered with typos and spelling errors, which drives me absolutely nuts.

[Jetboot Jack]

Ordered, due tomorrow!

 

sTeVE

[+Philsan]

So many books come out and they are littered with nonsense and inaccuracies that make them devoid of use, its a bit like Retro Gamer when they do Atari stories, they tend to be off by a way with the details, I wish they would let TMR does those bits rather than in house people who probably never owned an Atari and all the looking is done via emulators rather than real machines.

 

I don't know if his articles are off with the details but Retro Gamer A8 articles are written by a person (not in-house) who knows A8 computers.

He has a youtube channel:

 

I hate inaccuracies too. I read book's author mentioned AtariAge A8 forum news so I think he should be qualified.

Moreover, he seems to understand the importance of Atari 800, a real milestone in 1979.

Can't wait to read the book.

[sanny]

That Kindle price is a friggen ripoff, a downloaded non-physical copy should cost 3 bucks, not simply be 3 bucks cheaper than the book.

 

100% agree

[MrFish]

He has a youtube channel:

 

That first comparison is rather silly, given an Exidy Max-A-Flex System is powered an actual 8-bit computer (600XL).

Edited March 22, 2017 by MrFish

[Mclaneinc]

I don't know if his articles are off with the details but Retro Gamer A8 articles are written by a person (not in-house) who knows A8 computers.

He has a youtube channel:

 

 

Ah, I've seen posts from this guy on another forum, probably the Retrogamer one and he comes across as a mamrmite guy on there, you either love him or hate him, very opinionated but a bit of jack of all trades..

 

I just remember when I brought the Atari book from the Retro gamer people as a PDF which was nice beautifully made but a few articles had errors, not major but when something is a paid for item you kind of hope its been fact checked and I seem to remember lots of people didn't agree with the scoring of the reviews BUT as I know, reviewing is personal but should always be 'technically' correct. I remember reading an Amiga game review in one of those multi format magazines and I think it was Robocop from memory, the reviewer noted the flip screen non scroll and said it was because the Amiga does not support fine scrolling in hardware which was wrong and not the reason the game didn't scroll which was because it was a horrible ST port by the then king of arcade / ST ports, Peter Johnson.

 

Little things like that niggle me, we all make mistakes but when you are getting paid and are supposed to offering a valued opinion it helps to not talk complete bo****ks

 

I of course do it for free and talk bo*/***ks

Edited March 23, 2017 by Mclaneinc