Sugarland Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Black-Case-Atari-800-Computer-Used-In-House-Home-Computer-Division-HCD/123978280457 $999.99 - insane price imo. I see something different (??) on the power supply board through the grille. Quote This is a very rare Atari 800 with a black plastic top case used at Atari's own Home Computer Division (H.C.D.) Engineering Lab. This is NOT a painted case. The plastic is black all the way through. Its texture is smooth suggesting this is a sample case. Inside, it is a stand GTIA NTSC 800 with 48K RAM. The Atari 800 computer works without the top cartridge cover suggesting that it was was by Atari engineers to easily install and remove cartridges. ... I think this computer was used quite a bit for testing at Atari's Engineering Lab. The OS and RAM motherboard connections feel loose. A couple time during testing, the computer cam up with continuous beeping. After a power down, a quick wiggle of the OS or RAM cards stopped the beeps. Pay double the top mint price for an 800 with a unique black top half of the case.. No thank you. Interesting though. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 The contrast against the black makes the console keys look so much better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mclaneinc Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 (edited) Far too rich for me, thought the white sticker was too white but other photo's show its silver...1K for sold as is...seriously? Edited November 17, 2019 by Mclaneinc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGB1718 Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 Think its time to get a 3D printer and some Black filament (who would know) LOL :)) 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mclaneinc Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 It would certainly be a nicer job than that top case, its got divots and everything, does not work with the rest of it which is a shame.. Probably smashed by some tester playing Defender Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E474 Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 Would it be worth seeing which version of the OS it's got, just in case it's an early version? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGB1718 Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 Can't you get the date from the serial number label in the photo, can't remember how to, you would then know if it's early or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarland Posted November 17, 2019 Author Share Posted November 17, 2019 32 minutes ago, E474 said: Would it be worth seeing which version of the OS it's got, just in case it's an early version? Looks like a retail box. Stamp code looks like 10th week of '82 so very likely it has an OS B. Were 800 boxes stamped "48K RAM" in March '82? If not then that's an inconsistency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter83 Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 Asset tag is around the same time as mine . Mine got dated to 1982 by an atari employee. So that should be an indication to age the later serial number also speaks to a much later system. 1982 to 83. My atari hcd system tag had a system date code 6th week of 1980 but the tag was from 1982. So it's been at atari a long time. It's an interesting system but I dont think 1000.00 interesting 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griff3125 Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 (edited) Waaaaay too much, just get a can of Krylon spray paint and have a field day. Edited November 17, 2019 by griff3125 9 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E474 Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 Hi, Was wondering if it was manufactured early in the product lifecycle as I would guess the earliest models would have stayed in Atari, and not been sent out via the retail channels at a later date as they would have been obviously used by then. 1k$ is a bit pricey, though not if you are Hotblack Desiato, who I can imagine it appealing to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarland Posted November 17, 2019 Author Share Posted November 17, 2019 8 minutes ago, E474 said: Hi, Was wondering if it was manufactured early in the product lifecycle as I would guess the earliest models would have stayed in Atari, and not been sent out via the retail channels at a later date as they would have been obviously used by then. 1k$ is a bit pricey, though not if you are Hotblack Desiato, who I can imagine it appealing to. The top half of the case does look like a prototype or test run or something along those lines yes, but not the rest of the computer imo. The dimples are not from someone banging on it, but look to be from the injection mold process. Could be from an injection mold machine that Atari had in house to test their plastics for design/development purposes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xrbrevin Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 unrealistic ebay pricing has great comedy value ? 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGB1718 Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 the really funny thing is the shipping cost to the UK is another $116.00 on top of that ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mclaneinc Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 2 hours ago, Sugarland said: The dimples are not from someone banging on it, but look to be from the injection mold process. Could be from an injection mold machine that Atari had in house to test their plastics for design/development purposes. Yah the dimples are from the mold, I was joking that it needed a new top from someone getting angry from Defender and breaking the original case... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mclaneinc Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 33 minutes ago, TGB1718 said: the really funny thing is the shipping cost to the UK is another $116.00 on top of that ? If you were willing to pay 1K for it then I doubt you would grumble about 116.00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faicuai Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 (edited) 3 hours ago, Sugarland said: The top half of the case does look like a prototype or test run or something along those lines yes, but not the rest of the computer imo. The dimples are not from someone banging on it, but look to be from the injection mold process. Could be from an injection mold machine that Atari had in house to test their plastics for design/development purposes. Ding, ding, ding! It seems that we've got a winner, here... Seems like a mid-run production unit, based on date and bottom-shelf, box and manuals... But why would it have by (82) a weird-looking black-top case? Was this a one piece unit, or a later re-built / put-together Frankenstein? I would like to inspect any molded / engraved marks and production signatures underneath the black shelf... Too much uncertainty for $1,000.00.... Edited November 17, 2019 by Faicuai 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xrbrevin Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 it could be bogus. how can something like that be authenticated? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam242 Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 9 hours ago, griff3125 said: Waaaaay too much, just get a can of Krylon spray paint and have a field day. Somewhere, someone is softly crying over what you did to that 800. I think it looks great! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarland Posted November 18, 2019 Author Share Posted November 18, 2019 (edited) 5 hours ago, adam242 said: Somewhere, someone is softly crying over what you did to that 800. I think it looks great! Aesthetics aside, the paint could be preserving the plastic better than without. Likely slows light, oxygen and other reactives getting to the plastic. Edited November 18, 2019 by Sugarland 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 Can we get emulation support in Altirra for this? 1 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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