What's the latest Atari related thing(s) you've bought on ebay?

[Nebulon]

An Atari 400.

 

I've wanted one of these for over 14 years now.

 

I recall seeing the 800 in a store running Pac-Man and was BLOWN AWAY.

 

Then later in 1979, I was at a friend's house and he had a shiny new Atari 400. Needless to say, it left a strong impression on me. The case design is shweeeeeet!

 

Interestingly, the flat keyboard works a lot better than I thought it would. I tried typing on it and it was actually not that bad. I wouldn't want to try to write an essay on it, but it's workable (especially considering that they were initially thinking of not including a keyboard on the 400). I'm amazed by how much computer people got for the price when the 400 and 800 first arrived on the scene. These are real technological marvels.

[+DrVenkman]

An Atari 400.

 

(SNIP)

 

Interestingly, the flat keyboard works a lot better than I thought it would. I tried typing on it and it was actually not that bad.

 

First, congratulations! A 400 was my first Atari, circa 1982.

Second, I spent FAR too many hours back in the day typing in DATA statements for BASIC programs published in Antic and Analog magazine. That keyboard is fine for a few words but it gets ... old ... after awhile!

[+Stephen]

 

First, congratulations! A 400 was my first Atari, circa 1982.

Second, I spent FAR too many hours back in the day typing in DATA statements for BASIC programs published in Antic and Analog magazine. That keyboard is fine for a few words but it gets ... old ... after awhile!

I was very fortunate - when my folks got me my 1st computer, a 400 back in 1982, it has the B-Key upgrade. A few months later, my dad & I spent days typing in and debugging Compute's "Caves of Ice", we realized it needed 48kB. Good memories.

[+DrVenkman]

I was very fortunate - when my folks got me my 1st computer, a 400 back in 1982, it has the B-Key upgrade. A few months later, my dad & I spent days typing in and debugging Compute's "Caves of Ice", we realized it needed 48kB. Good memories.

 

GREAT memories! I loved my 400. I have two of them now, both working (tho' one of them needs a new hinge spring and the other one has a glitchy door switch). Both minor issues, and both easily fixable - heck, I may do some surgery and get one fully intact and leave the other as a "hanger queen" for donor parts.

 

Anyway, congrats on your purchase and enjoy!

[Nebulon]

I was very fortunate - when my folks got me my 1st computer, a 400 back in 1982, it has the B-Key upgrade. A few months later, my dad & I spent days typing in and debugging Compute's "Caves of Ice", we realized it needed 48kB. Good memories.

Back in the day, I had to settle for a 64K Color Computer 2. I was big into graphics and sound so maybe the TRS-80 wasn't the right choice. A buddy of mine was a hardcore robotics programmer; I think he got a lot more out of the CoCo than I did. Anyway, your story reminds me of when I decided to make the 'ultimate' text adventure in BASIC (yeah, I know -- wrong choice of programming language) and I soon hit the 32K BASIC memory limit. So much for the super-awesome dungeon adventure.... I always had this nagging feeling that the Atari 8-bit was the machine I was meant to use.

[+slx]

An Atari 400.

 

Needless to say, it left a strong impression on me. The case design is shweeeeeet!

 

Interestingly, the flat keyboard works a lot better than I thought it would.

The design is really quite cool and the keyboard gives it that extra touch of colour that the 800 misses. Apart from the colour the keyboard is well....drool-proof.... I especially like that overall wedge shape.

 

I recently bought a 400 myself but still wait for parts to replace those that were smashed in transit. That upper grille is quite brittle and needs loving handling.

 

(I was really lucky to get an 800/810 combo as a teenager and by now - a parent of three myself - I realize how totally out of proportion that Christmas was. I don't know what I would say if my teenage sons asked for a present the value of a nice used car.....) Now I'm lucky that my wife tolerates my Atari hoarding if I don't overdo it....

[+Allan]

Here's some of the stuff I picked up recently.

 

This one cost a lot but now it will be available to everyone.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151350820932?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Still waiting for these. A nice catch.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Computing-Atari-APX-Lot-Atari-Program-Exchange-Floppy-Disk-Software-/161355560248?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=BjVzlDV7AYpAglg5d3r4rKF7rRY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

 

The manuals of these are all scanned. Waiting to get my Windows XP running again to put them on Atarimania.com. Once I get my SIO2PC driver working I will copy the disks as well.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Atari-Learning-System-Lot-for-Atari-400-800-RISWALS-/301227337024?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=BjVzlDV7AYpAglg5d3r4rKF7rRY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

 

This is scanned and disk copied. Just waiting for the same as above.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Atari-400-800-Flags-of-Europe-Educational-Disk-Sealed-a-bit-squished-/380934701225?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=BjVzlDV7AYpAglg5d3r4rKF7rRY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

 

Plus I picked up some other stuff from Bravo Sierra. A couple of books that need to be scanned one page at a time. Arrg! Plus a couple of other manuals that are all scanned.

 

Allan

[galax]

Not eBay, but I bought my first 8-bit Atari locally on Kijiji- $40 for a 65XE with 1050 drive, all seems to work perfectly. I know that the earlier models tend to get more love, but part of the appeal for me is that it looks like a mini ST.

 

The only 8-bit Atari I've ever seen before was my 2nd cousin's 400, the 8 bit Atari micros weren't to popular in my area of the UK- it was all BBCs, Spectrums, C64s, and Amstrads.

[bbking67]

Not eBay, but I bought my first 8-bit Atari locally on Kijiji- $40 for a 65XE with 1050 drive, all seems to work perfectly. I know that the earlier models tend to get more love, but part of the appeal for me is that it looks like a mini ST.

 

The only 8-bit Atari I've ever seen before was my 2nd cousin's 400, the 8 bit Atari micros weren't to popular in my area of the UK- it was all BBCs, Spectrums, C64s, and Amstrads.

65XE is a fine machine... some even have the ECI (parallel bus). Good video output compared to a stock 800XL or 1200XL (which suck unless they are modded).

[Nebulon]

The design is really quite cool and the keyboard gives it that extra touch of colour that the 800 misses. Apart from the colour the keyboard is well....drool-proof.... I especially like that overall wedge shape.

 

I recently bought a 400 myself but still wait for parts to replace those that were smashed in transit. That upper grille is quite brittle and needs loving handling.

 

 

It's really too bad about the brittleness of the plastic. I spent the first evening feeding crazy glue into the hairline cracks on the 400. Apparently the guy who designed the case (Doug Hardy) holds the patent to it. I wonder if anyone will ever approach him to make a new run of Atari 400 cases (assuming it doesn't cost a fortune to manufacture them).

[dashv]

Just picked up Solaris and Moon Patrol.

[BillC]

It's really too bad about the brittleness of the plastic. I spent the first evening feeding crazy glue into the hairline cracks on the 400. Apparently the guy who designed the case (Doug Hardy) holds the patent to it. I wonder if anyone will ever approach him to make a new run of Atari 400 cases (assuming it doesn't cost a fortune to manufacture them).

Don't design patents expire after only 14 or 15 years, in which case patents on the 400/800 case design would have expired 20 years ago.

[Atari8bitCarts]

It's really too bad about the brittleness of the plastic. I spent the first evening feeding crazy glue into the hairline cracks on the 400. Apparently the guy who designed the case (Doug Hardy) holds the patent to it. I wonder if anyone will ever approach him to make a new run of Atari 400 cases (assuming it doesn't cost a fortune to manufacture them).

That would be weird. Atari would hold the patent, and that would have been an asset to be transferred when they were sold. I've never heard of a person, let alone the designer, owning rights to a piece like that.

Even if it was freelance work-for-hire stuff, Atari would own something that important.

Edited July 18, 2014 by chrislynn5

[Wiffleplop]

Picked up Pac-man and Asteroids on cart, plus an original 2600 joystick off eBay the other day and had an enjoyable blast on Asteroids once I'd worked out the key-presses. I don't know what it is about Asteroids, but I always have to own a copy on any computer system I get

 

I also got an SIO2SD board from Lothartek, totally forgetting I needed an SIO cable... now I'm on the hunt for one

[Nebulon]

That would be weird. Atari would hold the patent, and that would have been an asset to be transferred when they were sold. I've never heard of a person, let alone the designer, owning rights to a piece like that.

Even if it was freelance work-for-hire stuff, Atari would own something that important.

You'd think it would fall under the 'work for hire' category and fall back to the employer -- as you mentioned.

 

Personally, I dunno. I'm just basing it on the quote on page 462 of the book, "Atari Inc.: Business is fun"

 

http://books.google.ca/books?id=3FwGMtRafrAC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false

[Atari8bitCarts]

You'd think it would fall under the 'work for hire' category and fall back to the employer -- as you mentioned.

 

Personally, I dunno. I'm just basing it on the quote on page 462 of the book, "Atari Inc.: Business is fun"

 

http://books.google.ca/books?id=3FwGMtRafrAC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false

weirder things have happened I guess but Atari letting that go seems very unlikely. maybe someone will stumble on this and shed some light.

[Wiffleplop]

A SIO cable for my SIO2SD card, and a couple of cartridges - Donkey Kong and Space Invaders :D

[jacobus]

Finally found an 8K memory cartridge to go with the empty box I've had for years!

[gozar]

Pacman Fever on 8-track. :-)

[Darth Link]

Found a 2600 at a yard sale with a joystick, keypad, and 16 games, which include:

 

Asteroids

Blackjack

Centipede

Cosmic Ark

Donkey Kong

E.T. The Extra Terrestrial

Enduro

Human Cannonball

Pac-Man

Phoenix

Pitfall

River Raid

Space War

Star Raider

Swordquest Fireworld

Vanguard

 

Got the lot for $20, all in all not a bad set of results considering how dry the entire realm was, flea markets, thrift stores, and yard sales, not even crappy sports games...

[Atari8bitCarts]

Pacman Fever on 8-track. :-)

do you have a pic? I've never seen it on 8track. I have the album.

[+Stephen]

Pacman Fever on 8-track. :-)

 

do you have a pic? I've never seen it on 8track. I have the album.

 

Same here - the album is cool, I like the level "maps" for PacMan. I did not know an 8-track existed.

[Atari8bitCarts]

New auction items.

Second Lifespan (reversed label).

Diamond mine yellow shell

Video Easel (mint - NIB)

800 protective cover - NIB

 

 

[tregare]

another indus gt to replace my 2nd one that seems to have vanished.

[AtariGeezer]

Some new carts for my collection:

 

New Manuals:

 

My first Black Box:

 

Another 1200XL

 

Atari 800 (Parts Unit) Majority of the yellow plungers are cracked