Greetings, code-breakers and gatekeepers! In this installment of “Computer History Wednesdays,” we’re diving deep into the storied history of Atari and its influential role in shaping the home computing market.
History
Phase 1: Founding and Early Success (1972-1975)
The genesis of Atari is a tale entwined with the very fabric of Silicon Valley, a remarkable saga that began in the summer of 1972. Founded by the dynamic duo Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney, Atari was born in a crucible of innovation and imagination. Bushnell, an engineer and entrepreneur, and Dabney, a skilled electronics technician, had previously worked together at Ampex, a company renowned for its work in data storage.
Bushnell’s vision was to bring gaming out of the arcades and into living rooms, an idea conceived during his stint at the University of Utah, where he encountered Spacewar!, one of the earliest video games. This vision culminated in creating Atari’s first arcade game, Pong, which was launched to the public in November 1972.
Pong, designed by Al Alcorn, was an instant sensation heralding a new age of interactive entertainment. The deceptively simple two-dimensional table tennis simulation rapidly took the world by storm, turning arcades across the country into the social hubs of the digital age.
The success of Pong didn’t just mark the beginning of Atari’s meteoric rise but also the emergence of the video game industry. Atari dominated the nascent industry, and by 1975, Pong had become a household name, selling 150,000 units, a staggering number for the time.
Atari’s early success was marked by more than just Pong. The company was also creating a new market for coin-operated video games. Through clever design and intuitive gameplay, titles like Tank and Gran Trak 10 found massive popularity in arcades, further solidifying Atari’s position as a pioneer in the gaming industry.
One fascinating anecdote from this era involves a young Steve Jobs. In 1974, Jobs joined Atari as a technician, primarily working on the night shift due to his unconventional lifestyle and lack of adherence to regular bathing schedules, which was somewhat irritating to his coworkers. However, his time at Atari would prove critical for the future of home computing.
Atari was at the forefront of a seismic shift in the entertainment industry during this period. It opened up new leisure avenues and introduced technology and computing to a broader demographic. What was once the exclusive domain of government agencies and universities was now seeping into everyday life. Little did we know that this was only the prologue to a much grander saga that would see Atari leap from arcade cabinets to personal computing.
Phase 2: Venturing into Home Computing (1975-1982)
The advent of the mid-70s marked a significant shift for Atari, a transition from the arcade world into home computing. Building on the momentum of its early success in the gaming industry, Atari set out to revolutionize how we played and lived, turning its innovative gaze toward the untapped potential of the home computing market.
The first foray was the Atari 2600, launched in 1977. Known originally as the Atari VCS (Video Computer System), the The Atari 2600 was a groundbreaking creation that shifted the paradigm of home gaming. Unlike previous home consoles limited to a single built-in game, the 2600 allowed interchangeable ROM cartridges. This meant that users could enjoy a vast array of games on the same console, ushering in a new era of flexibility and choice in home entertainment.
While the 2600 was primarily a gaming console, its design embodied the ethos of home computing. Its architecture was a precursor to the personal computer, introducing many households to user-controlled software. The 2600 leveraged the MOS Technology 6507, a variant of the 6502 microprocessor, which would soon become ubiquitous in the home computer revolution.
Yet, it was in 1979 that Atari’s home computing vision truly materialized with the release of the Atari 400 and 800 models. These machines were no mere game consoles. Equipped with the more powerful MOS 6502 processor, a full keyboard ( membrane for the 400 and typewriter-style for the 800), and up to 48KB of RAM, they were bona fide personal computers.
The 400 and 800 models offered an attractive package for the aspiring home computer user. Not only could they play the vast library of games available on cartridges, but they also provided a user-friendly platform for programming, education, and productivity. With built-in BASIC, users could delve into the programming world, crafting their own software from their living room. The machines also supported peripherals such as printers and disk drives, adding to their utility.
An intriguing tidbit from this period involves the Atari 800’s designer, Jay Miner. Miner, known as the “father of the Amiga” implemented a system in the Atari 800 where three custom chips, ANTIC, CTIA/GTIA, and POKEY, worked in tandem to handle graphics and sound. This revolutionary design paved the way for the custom chipsets that would later define systems like the Amiga.
By the dawn of the 80s, Atari was firmly entrenched in the home computing landscape. From being a leader in the arcade Atari was a powerhouse of innovation in the gaming arena, setting standards for home consoles and personal computers. However, the journey had just begun, and the next phase would see Atari leverage its technological prowess to even greater heights.
Phase 3: Market Domination and Technological Prowess (1982-1985)
The period between 1982 and 1985 marked the zenith of Atari’s presence in the home computing market. During this time, Atari released some of its most influential and technically advanced systems, establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with in the burgeoning personal computer industry.
One of the defining products of this era was the Atari 5200, released in 1982. An upgrade from the 2600, the 5200 was intended to compete with more advanced systems like Coleco’s ColecoVision. Although marketed as a gaming console, the 5200 was based on the technology of the Atari 400 computer and represented another step toward the fusion of gaming and home computing.
However, the pinnacle of Atari’s home computing endeavors came in 1985 with the release of the Atari ST. The ‘ST’ stood for “Sixteen/Thirty-two,” representing the 16-bit internal data paths and 32-bit external buses of its Motorola 68000 CPU. It was a technical tour de force, boasting advanced graphics and sound capabilities, a graphical user interface based on Digital Research’s GEM, and built-in MIDI ports, a first for personal computers.
The Atari ST carved a niche for itself as a cost-effective alternative to other 16-bit computers of the era, like the Apple Macintosh and the Commodore Amiga. It became trendy among musicians due to its built-in MIDI capabilities, earning it the nickname “Jackintosh,” a nod to Atari CEO Jack Tramiel and the Apple Macintosh. The ST was used by numerous artists and music producers, including Fatboy Slim, who reportedly produced his album “You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby” entirely on an Atari ST.
One notable anecdote from this era involves the “demo scene,” a digital subculture centered on creating audio-visual presentations to showcase programming, artistic, and musical skills. With its advanced graphics and sound, the Atari ST was a popular platform for demo creation. Many demo scene participants honed their programming skills on the ST, developing innovative techniques to push the hardware to its limits. Some of these individuals would later become influential figures in the video game and cybersecurity industries.
Atari’s technological prowess during this period was wider than hardware. On the software front, the company made significant strides with the Atari ST’s TOS (The Operating System). TOS was one of the first operating systems to provide a fully functional graphical user interface in ROM, allowing quick boot time. Its interface, based on Digital Research’s GEM was a significant step in making personal computing more accessible and user-friendly.
As the mid-80s drew to a close, Atari had firmly established itself as a pioneer in the home computing market. Yet, the dynamics of the technology industry were rapidly changing, and Atari would soon find itself facing new challenges and a shifting landscape.
Phase 4: Decline, Rebirth, and Legacy (1985-Present)
Atari’s narrative takes a sharp turn as we round the corner into the latter half of the 80s. Despite its technological innovations and influential contributions to the home computing scene, Atari found itself on shaky ground due to a combination of internal turbulence and external market forces.
A major blow came from the Video Game Crash of 1983, caused by an oversaturated market and the advent of more advanced personal computers. Atari, still heavily invested in the console market, was significantly impacted. Moreover, the introduction of more sophisticated and business-oriented PCs, such as the IBM PC and Apple Macintosh, started to outshine Atari’s offerings.
In 1984, Warner Communications, which had bought Atari in 1976, decided to split the company into two separate entities: Atari Corporation, focusing on the consumer market, and Atari Games, focusing on arcade games. Jack Tramiel, the founder of Commodore International, took over Atari Corporation and led the charge into the 16-bit home computing era with the Atari ST series.
The ST series was well-received but struggled to compete against its main rivals, the Commodore Amiga and the Apple Macintosh. Market dynamics had shifted, and while the ST found a niche among musicians and artists, it couldn’t match the broader appeal of its rivals.
One of the more fascinating tales from this period involves Jez San and his company, Argonaut Games. A prodigious programmer, San developed a 3D graphics chip called the Argonaut RISC Core (ARC), which he pitched to various computer companies. Atari, under Tramiel’s leadership, declined the technology, a decision San later described as " short-sighted." That technology would go on to be the core of the Super FX chip, which powered the 3D graphics in Nintendo’s Star Fox game for the Super NES.
Despite declining fortunes in the home computer market, Atari’s legacy lived on in numerous ways. Many of today’s technology leaders, programmers, hackers, and digital artists cut their teeth on Atari systems. The machines’ open architecture and user-friendly programming environment fostered a generation of digital tinkerers, some of whom would make significant contributions to computer science, cybersecurity, and digital art.
In the decades that followed, Atari underwent several transformations, including a merger with disk drive manufacturer JTS and subsequent acquisition by Hasbro. Today, the Atari brand lives on, primarily as a publisher of video games and a licenser of its iconic properties.
Looking back on Atari’s journey through the annals of computer history, it’s clear that while its dominance in the home computing market may have been short-lived, its impact is far-reaching. The Atari name stands as a testament to a pivotal era in digital evolution, a beacon of innovation and creativity that continues to inspire today.
Cybersecurity
Atari, known for its gaming consoles, may not be the first name that springs to mind when discussing cybersecurity. However, its home computers have a surprising connection to the world of cybersecurity. The tale unfolds with the advent of the Atari 800.
In the late ’70s and early ’80s, many an aspiring hacker cut their teeth on an Atari 800. These machines had open architectures that allowed users to not only play games but also delve into the innards of their systems, learning valuable lessons about hardware and software. In a sense, the Atari 800 served as a stepping stone for many of today’s cybersecurity experts.
Furthermore, Atari systems, particularly the Atari ST, were key players in the demoscene, a subculture where programmers, artists, and musicians collaborate to produce demos—non-interactive multimedia presentations. These demos often required ingenious coding techniques and the exploitation of hardware and software loopholes to extract the maximum potential from the machines. Thus, the demoscene provided a fertile training ground for individuals who would later forge careers in cybersecurity, leveraging their understanding of system weaknesses to create more robust and safer digital environments.
Technical Tidbits
Venturing into the technical wilderness of Atari’s home computing systems, one encounters several intriguing feats of engineering:
Atari 800’s display system: One of the notable features of the Atari 800 was ANTIC, the Alpha-Numeric Television Interface Controller. ANTIC was a microprocessor dedicated to controlling the display. It was one of the first chips to enable manipulations like hardware scrolling, different graphics modes on the same screen, and more. The ANTIC was ahead of its time, paving the way for future graphical processing units (GPUs).
The Atari ST’s MIDI ports: The Atari ST was the first home computer to come with built-in MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) ports, making it a mainstay in music production studios for years. This innovation proved instrumental in merging the realms of music and digital technology.
The 6502 Processor: The Atari 800 utilized the MOS 6502 microprocessor, an 8-bit CPU at the heart of other major systems of the time, like the Apple II and Commodore 64. Its affordable price and powerful performance made it a popular choice and influenced the direction of the home computer revolution.
The TOS: The Atari ST was known for its TOS (The Operating System), featuring an early GUI (Graphical User Interface) based on Digital Research’s GEM. This was a crucial step in the evolution of modern graphical operating systems.
The Jaguar’s “Do The Math” Campaign: While not technically a home computer, the Atari Jaguar, a game console released in the 90s, boasted a 64-bit architecture. Its marketing slogan, “Do The Math,” is an iconic example of technical specifications used (arguably misleadingly) in consumer advertising.
Trivia
Now, let’s unearth some tantalizing tidbits about Atari’s journey in the home computing market:
Nolan Bushnell, one of the founders of Atari, also founded Chuck E. Cheese as a way to get more arcade games into the world.
The name “Atari” comes from the game Go and signals a state where a player’s stones are in danger of being captured, somewhat equivalent to “check” in chess.
The code name for the Atari 2600 was “Stella.” The engineers working on the project named it after one of their bicycles.
The Atari 5200 was designed to be a home computer as well as a gaming system, but the home computer version was never released.
The sound chip used in the Atari ST, the Yamaha YM2149, was also used in arcade machines and is known for its distinctive sound.
The Atari 400 and 800 were named after their intended memory sizes (4KB and 8KB), but by the time they were released, memory prices had dropped, and they shipped with 8KB and 16KB, respectively.
The game “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” for the Atari 2600 was famously rushed to market, and its commercial failure is often cited as a significant factor in Atari’s downfall. In 2014, a cache of thousands of unsold cartridges was unearthed from a landfill in New Mexico.
Steve Jobs worked at Atari before founding Apple. He was tasked with creating a circuit board for the game Breakout and was offered $100 per chip below 50 if he could keep the chip count under 50. He enlisted Steve Wozniak’s help, who managed to design it using just 42 chips, but Jobs only told Wozniak they were paid $700 and gave him half of that, keeping the rest.
The Atari Falcon, released in 1992, was the last of Atari’s computers. It had advanced features like a 16-bit digital signal processor and a true color graphics system, but it was too little too late in a market dominated by the likes of Apple and IBM.
Many early computer hackers honed their skills on Atari computers, including Adrian Lamo, who became infamous for breaking into several high-profile networks.
Conclusion
As we pull the plug on this Atari retrospective, it’s clear that the company’s legacy in the home computing market is vast and enduring. From the early dominance in the gaming industry to the pioneering foray into home computing, Atari not only shaped the landscape of home entertainment but also served as an influential training ground for many cyber mavens.
In the pixelated reflections of Atari’s history, we witness the nexus of gaming and home computing, the rise and fall of a digital titan, and the birth of countless hacktivist careers. From Pong to the ST, Atari’s imprint is indelibly etched in the annals of digital history, its influence pulsating through every bit and byte of our digital lives.
Until the next byte, fellow keyboard conquerors. Let’s continue to make history together. Keep hacking!