[continued from previous message]
George Nishiura, Mike Barall, David Owen Sovey, Peter R. Atesian, John Hinman, George Kulcher, John Honig, Michael Wooding, Songly Mu, Randy Hoopai, Gary Rubio.
July 11: Tramel Technology, Ltd. filed a Certificate of Amendment to its Articles of Incorporation changing the corporate name to: Atari, Corp.
July 23: Business week reported, "In just two weeks [Tramiel] has fired 700 people at Atari's Sunnyvale offices and has axed several of Atari's current products, including the 7800 video game system and the $150 600XL home computer." (This was incorrect, Atari had just initiated a new production run of the 600XL NTSC version at Atari Taiwan Manufacturing Corp. (ATMC).)
July/August?: In the UK Atari shipped: The Pay-Off
August 3: Atari engineers had commenced work on both an "800XL CR" (cost- reduced primarily via fewer custom chips, using new KERI and MUFFY chip) and a new "900XL" computer as well as a 3.5" Microdisk Drive for Atari XL computers.
August 7: Tandon Corp. announced it had reached agreement in principle for the sale of up to $130.5 million in floppy disk drive and subsystem products to Atari Corp. Deliveries, which were subject to definitive purchase orders from Atari, had begun and were scheduled to continue through the first half of calendar 1985.
August 25-26: TariCon '84, the first Atari-only computer fair, was held at Southfield Civic Centre near Detroit Michigan. Sponsored and organized by two User Groups - CHAOS (Ike Hudson of the Capitol Hill Atari Owners Society) and MACE (Mike Lechkun of the Michigan Atari Computer Enthusiasts). About 1800 attended. (Atari did not attend.)
August 27: Atari, Corp. stated, "Atari plans to manufacture and supply the Atari 800XL family computer, satisfying the overwhelming and increased demand for that product with aggressive, competitive pricing through the end of
1984." Atari said that it had already lowered the wholesale price for the 800XL (without providing specifics).
Summer/Fall?: The Atari Adventure at the Northwest Plaza in St. Ann MO was closed.
September 1: The new US retail price for the 800XL was $179. (AP 11/13; WashPost 11/13)
September 1: In the UK, Atari cut all prices, including the 600XL by 60
pounds, from 159.99 pounds to 99.99 pounds, and the 800XL by 50 pounds, from 249.99 pounds to 199.99 pounds. (PopularComputingWeekly 8/16; TheTimes
8/21p17; The Guardian (London) 9/6) In France, Atari would reduce the 800XL
by 1 000 F to 2 199 F.
September 6: UK Media report that Atari 600XL (PAL/UK) was discontinued. (PopularComputingWeekly 9/6)
September 11: Atari Games, Inc. (the former Atari, Inc.) was awarded U.S. patent 4,471,463 for 6 claims by inventors Steven T. Mayer, Jay G. Miner, Douglas G. Neubauer, and Joseph C. Decuir regarding their "Data processing system with programmable graphics generator" (the Atari 400/800 hardware platform).
September 11: Atari Games, Inc. (the former Atari, Inc.) was awarded U.S. patent 4,471,464 for 15 claims by inventors Steven T. Mayer, Jay G. Miner, Douglas G. Neubauer, and Joseph C. Decuir regarding their "Data processing system with programmable graphics generator" (the Atari 400/800 hardware platform).
September: Atari discontinued production of the 600XL computer.
September: Atari engineers completed the "800XLF" motherboard design, to be used in new-production 800XL computers (PAL version). The new 800XL machines would include the new FREDDIE memory management chip (previously developed at Atari, Inc.), the new Revision C of Atari BASIC, and a reinstated chrominance video signal on the Monitor port (missing on the 1200XL/600XL/800XL produced
by Atari, Inc.). ("800XLF" = "800XL CR" without KERI and MUFFY chips)
http://ataricomputers.altervista.org/Foto/800XL_AT84224114_05_FULL.jpg
September 25: Rather than halt production of Atari's 800XL home computer and its 2600 video-game player, as many had expected, Atari has significantly expanded production of the two products, Sam Tramiel said (interviewed in Taipei by the Dow Jones Service). "In January, Atari will introduce a second low-priced computer that will run games and software made for the predecessor product." (The Globe and Mail (Canada))
September/October: Atari software engineer Michael Barall (XL operating systems) departed the company.
October 9: Date of Atari internal draft specification document for a "900XLA" computer (65XEM). The document contrasted the "900XLA" with the forthcoming "900XL" computer (would be introduced as: 65XE).
October 26: In the UK Atari now offered the 800XL for 169 pounds.
(TheTimes 10/26p9)
November 1: In Canada, Irwin Toy ended its role as exclusive distributor of Atari computers, having been supplanted in the role by the newly-established Atari (Canada) Corp. The price of the 800XL was being cut to below C$200 (previously: C$400; the 600XL was to be priced at under C$100 (previously: C$250-C$300). (Winnipeg Free Press November 16, 1984)
November 3?: John Skruch would be Atari software product manager, 8-bit computers.
November 13: Atari held a press conference proclaiming "The New Atari Corp."
at company headquarters in Sunnyvale, CA. The company currently offered the 800XL computer, price now reduced from $179 to $119. Two new 8-bit computers, compatible with the 800XL, were to be introduced at the January 1985 CES.
November: In France, P.E.C.F. Atari shipped the 800XL SECAM version (2 499 F). Also remaining available: 800XL PAL version (2 199 F), 600XL PAL version
(1 599 F). (L'Atarien #5 p19; L'Atarien #7 p33 for date)
November 19: In the U.S., Atari had launched a print campaign in major market newspapers to support holiday price cuts on the 800XL. Full-page ads carried the theme, "The powerful personal computer so affordable even Scrooge would have given it." (AdWeek 11/19/84)
November/December: Ongoing production of the Atari 1050 disk drive was shifted from Atari-PCI Enterprises Pte. Ltd. in Singapore to Atari-Wong Co. in Hong Kong. (AWC had been inactive since June 1984.)
December 6: Atari had held an early December press conference in Frankfurt, West Germany proclaiming "The New Atari Corp." to the UK and Europe. Atari announced the price of its 800XL home computer in West Germany was reduced
from DM 648 to DM 499, with similar cuts in the UK (from 169 pounds to 129 pounds) and across Europe. The new Atari product line was to include four 8- bit models: a 65XE (to be equivalent to the 800XL which would be discontinued; the 600XL would also be discontinued), a 128K version of the 65XE (would ship as: 130XE), a "strong music" version of the 65XE (65XEM; never introduced),
and a version of the 65XE with built-in floppy disk drive and monitor (65XEP; never shipped).
December 8: Atari participated in the Children's Holiday Celebration, a fund raising event for the Scholarship Fund of the Children's Health Council (CHC). Atari loaned 24 800XL computers to the event's coordinators. The systems were then rented to participants, proceeds to the Scholarship Fund. Two of the 800XLs and 1,000 T-shirts were donated by Atari to the organization.
December: Atari engineers completed the prototype "900XLF" motherboard design, to be used in the forthcoming "900XL" computer. (would be introduced as: 65XE)
"The 800XL has sold almost 500,000 units through 1984" --Atari's Sigmund Hartmann, Atari Explorer magazine, Summer 1985, p. 33.
"By the end of 1984, the Atari 800XL will have sold more than 600,000 units since its introduction more than a year ago, according to Kenneth Lim of Dataquest, a market research firm in San Jose." InfoWorld January 7/14, 1985
1985
January 5-8: At the International Winter Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in
Las Vegas Atari introduced the 130XE computer ("well under $200") and the 65XE computer ("under $120"), and previewed the 65XEP computer ("under $400"; never shipped). (Pre-announced before the show but not at the show: 65XEM computer ("under $200").) The XE computers would run the Atari OS as found in the
Atari 800XL which would now be phased out. Atari introduced: XC1411 color monitor (never shipped), XM128 monochrome monitor (never shipped), XTM201 printer (never shipped), XTC201 printer (never shipped), XMM801 printer,
XDM121 printer, XM301 modem. Previewed: XF521 5.25" disk drive (130KiB; never shipped) with DOS 2.5. New software by Atari would include: Infinity (by Matrix Software; never shipped), Silent Butler (by Atari/Silent Butler Software), Shopkeeper (never shipped), AtariWriter Plus, Song Painter (by Atari/Carousel Software; would ship as: Music Painter), Atari Tutorial (never shipped), and several titles previously introduced by Atari, Inc.: The
Learning Phone (access software for the PLATO Homelink Service), Proofreader, Crystal Castles, Mario Bros., Moon Patrol, Millipede, Sky Writer, Final
Legacy, Track & Field, AtariLab Light Module. Bryan Kerr was Atari product marketing manager and user group liaison.
Winter: In France, P.E.C.F. Atari released La Chasse aux Fautes et La Course aux Hapax, and released Calcul Algebrique.
February 1: In the US, the suggested retail price for the Atari 800XL was reduced to $99 (previously: $119). (WSJ 2/19/95)
February?: With the conclusion of a production run of the Atari 1050 disk drive, the Atari-Wong Co. (AWC) joint manufacturing venture with Wong's Electronics Co., Limited in Hong Kong was discontinued.
February: Retail prices from Atari France: 800XL SECAM: 1 700 F ;
1050: 2 600 F ; 1027: 2 600 F
March 5: At the San Leandro Computer Club, Atari pledged the XE would ship in April. Regarding the 65XEP, Atari had "postponed plans to produce an 8-bit portable computer, due to lack of interest." Regarding the 65XEM, "plans for an XEM 8-bit music computer have been postponed indefinitely due to problems with finalizing the AMY sound chip." (CN, Apr85, p. 19; SPACE Apr85)
March 30: At the first meeting of the Atari Worldwide User Network (WUN), held at the office of Antic magazine in San Francisco, Atari announced that the 130XE had just shipped in the U.S. ($149), the 65XE was currently being
shipped in Canada, and that DOS 2.5 (OSS) was now shipping with 1050 disk drives (replacing DOS 3) and would be also be distributed as freeware.
John Skruch was Atari XE software development director.
March 30-April 2: At the 10th West Coast Computer Faire at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, The San Leandro Computer Club (SLCC) and the Atari Bay Area User's Computer Society (ABACUS) both displayed 130XE units supplied by Atari, their first showing to the general public.
April: Atari released DOS 2.5 as freeware via the CompuServe Atari SIG.
April: Atari discontinued production of the 800XL computer.
April 17-24: Atari introduced the 130XE to West Germany and featured the 800XL at the Hannover Messe (Hanover Trade Fair). (No 65XE or 65XEM were shown.) Also featured: the XMM801 and XDM121 printers.
April 19: Atari Holdings, Inc. (the former Atari, Inc.) transferred ownership of the four U.S. Patents 4,296,476, 4,435,779, 4,471,463, 4,471,464 (collectively, the Atari 400/800 hardware platform) to Atari, Corp.
April 22: Atari shipped the 130XE in the UK (169.90 pounds). (NewsBytes for date; PopularComputingWeekly 4/25 for price)
Spring?: For the XL/XE, in the UK and Europe, Atari shipped the 1029 printer.
Spring: In France, using the Atarisoft label, Atari released: Nostradamus, L'Enigme du Triangle
May 6-9: At the Spring COMDEX show at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta GA, Atari said the 800XL and 130XE were available for mass retailers and that they expected the 800XL to sell widely through toy retailers for Christmas 1985.
May: First issue of the U.K.'s Atari User magazine, published by Database Publications.
May 30: In Italy, Atari Italia S.p.A. launched the 130XE (L. 380.000), and
also offered the 600XL (L. 149.000) and 800XL (L. 299.000).
(see also: MCmicrocomputer #42p105)
June 2-5: At the Summer CES in Chicago, Atari featured the XM301 modem, introduced The Professional (VIP Software; never shipped), GEM Desktop (VIP Software; never shipped), and Home Astronomer (by Atari/Deltron; would ship
as: Atari Planetarium), and featured AtariWriter Plus and Silent Butler.
June: Atari France retail price for the 130XE SECAM: 1 990 F
Months?: In the UK, using the Atarisoft label, the Atari Software Products Division released on diskette: Software Pack (The Home Filing Manager + The Pay-Off / Paint), and re-released on cassette: The Lone Raider, Chess, Eastern Front (1941), European Countries and Capitals, An Invitation to Programming
July 11/17: Atari's XE computer range included the 130XE, available in the UK, Europe, and North America, and the 65XE, available in Canada. (PopularComputingWeekly p5)
Summer: For the XL/XE Atari had released: Millipede, Moon Patrol, Sky Writer, Final Legacy, Track & Field (with Arcade Controller), AtariLab Light Module (inventories from 1984). (AtariExplorer Sum85 p41)
Summer: Atari announced (all never shipped): CodeWriter, AdventureWriter, FileWriter, MenuWriter, ReportWriter, Small Business Inventory, Home Integrator, Retail Invoice, Accounts Receivable / Payable, Salesman's
Expenses, Star Voyager (AtariExplorer Sum85 p41)
Summer: In France, using the Atarisoft label, Atari released: Cameleon, Promoteur
September 4: Atari introduced the 130XE to the UK at the Personal Computer World (PCW) show in London.
October?: A new production run of the Atari 1050 disk drive commenced in Singapore by Atari-PCI Enterprises Pte. Ltd. (This instead of Atari producing the announced XF521.)
November: Atari shipped AtariWriter Plus, which was designed and programmed from scratch by William Robinson (the core word processor), Ron Rosen (Mail Merge module), and R. Stanley Kistler (Proofreader module) for Micro Fantasy, for Atari. Manual by Jeffrey D. Bass. Package included a version for 48KiB/64KiB Atari computers as well as a version supporting the 128KiB RAM of the 130XE.
November 20-24: At the 7th annual Computer Dealers Exposition (COMDEX/Fall) in Las Vegas, Atari exhibited the 130XE. Notably, Atari presented a display consisting of an Atari 520ST, a Commodore Amiga, an Apple Macintosh, and an Atari 130XE, all running versions of the famous Amiga Boing Ball demo program. Atari promoted: the XM301 modem, The Learning Phone, AtariWriter Plus, Proofreader, Silent Butler, Music Painter (previously: Song Painter)
December: Atari shipped the XM301 modem.
December?: Production of the Atari 1050 disk drive ended, and the Atari-PCI Enterprises Pte. Ltd. joint manufacturing venture in Singapore was discontinued.
Atari's 8-bit user base in the UK has now reached 400,000...close to 100,000
of the [discontinued 800XL] are believed to have been sold during the run up
to Christmas alone. (Atari User Feb 1986 p.9)
1986
January 9: At the Winter CES in Las Vegas Atari announced (but did not show) the XC11 program recorder, previewed Star Raiders II (disk), and featured: Silent Butler, Music Painter, Home Astronomer (to ship as: Atari Planetarium), AtariWriter Plus. Also, both the 130XE and 65XE were to be marketed in the
U.S. in bundles; the $399 130XE bundle would include: mouse (STM1), printer (1027), disk drive (1050) and five software titles: Silent Butler, Star Raiders, Music Painter, Paint, AtariWriter.
Winter: Atari shipped The Learning Phone (Access Software cartridge for the PLATO Homelink Service from Control Data Corporation), designed at Atari by Vincent Wu. The Atari PLATO project had been in development at Atari, Inc. since 1981.
Winter: In the UK Atari shipped the XC11 program recorder. (Atari User 3/86
p7)
February: Cover date of Issue #10, the final issue of L'Atarien magazine from Atari France.
February: Atari France retail prices: 130XE SECAM: 1 490 F; 1010: 490 F;
1050: 1 490 F; 1029: 1 490 F
March 7-9: At the (first) Atari Computer Show (ACE) sponsored by Atari User magazine at the Novotel, Hammersmith, London (the first Atari-specific exhibition to be held anywhere in the world), Atari previewed an "80-column adapter" (would ship as: XEP80) and introduced the XC11 program recorder.
March 12-19: At CeBIT '86 in Hanover, West Germany (this was the first year that CeBIT was held separately from the Hannover Messe (Hanover Trade Fair), Atari again previewed an 80 column card (XEP80), previewed a 3.5" floppy disk drive (XF351; never shipped), and previewed a new DOS (later: ADOS; would ship as: DOS XE).
March: Atari shipped the 65XE (U.S. release; $99.95) and shipped: Proofreader, Silent Butler (Ted A. Goldstone; shipped with order form for Silent Butler Checkholder from Silent Butler Software), Music Painter
April 28-May 1: At the Spring COMDEX show in Atlanta Atari showed the XMM801 printer, again previewed an 80 column card (XEP80), again previewed a 3.5" floppy disk drive (XF351), and showed software including Star Raiders II.
Atari also previewed a 1200 bit/s modem for XE or ST (would ship as: SX212).
Spring: Atari shipped the XMM801 printer and Atari Planetarium.
June 1: Atari announced that David H. Ahl was the new editor of Atari Explorer magazine.
June 1-4: At the Summer CES in Chicago Atari introduced the XEP80 interface, introduced Star Raiders II, and also featured the XMM801 printer, Atari Planetarium, and Silent Butler.
Atari also announced/showed a Hayes-compatible 1200 bit/s modem for ST/PC/XE ("XM 1200"?; would ship as: SX212) to ship by late summer 1986.
(InfoWorld June 16 p.22)
July: Atari shipped Star Raiders II.
Summer: Atari shipped the XC12 program recorder (UK/Europe).
August: Hi Tech Expressions announced that they and Atari were teaming up to provide computers and software in pediatric wards of hospitals in 10 US cities for Christmas 1986. Atari would donate 28 Atari 130XE computers, along with printers and joysticks, while Hi Tech Expressions would provide its complete line of greeting-card and novelty software, including PartyWare, HeartWare,
and Jingle Disks. (NewsBytes)
September 3-7: At the 9th Personal Computer World Show in London, Atari introduced the XEP80 and Star Raiders II to the UK.
September 12: Atari, Corp. filed a certificate of amendment to its articles of incorporation changing the corporate name to: Atari Corporation
Sept/Oct: First issue of Atari Explorer magazine produced by the new subsidiary, Atari Explorer Publications Corp. of Mendham, NJ, headed by David H. Ahl, founder and former editor of Creative Computing magazine.
October: Atari director of hardware product marketing Bryan Kerr departed the company (to Blue Chip).
October 27: John Skruch, previously Atari XE software development director,
had become Atari associate director for computer software (XE/ST).
November 10-14: At the Fall COMDEX in Las Vegas Atari introduced the SX212 modem (ST/XE/PC) and featured the XEP80.
November 24: Atari was testing a 30-second TV commercial in Boston and Philadelphia for its lower-price XE line of computers, using the new theme: "Technology so advanced, it's affordable" (AdvertisingAge)
November 28-30: At the Atari Christmas Show at the Royal Horticultural Hall, London, Atari featured the XEP80.
German Atari chairman Alwin Stumpf reported at CeBit 1987 in Hannover that Atari was surprised to sell 92,000 Atari XL computers in West Germany in 1986. (Happy Computer - 2. Atari XL/XE Sonderheft, p. 3, as quoted/translated by Andreas Koch)
1987
January 8-11: At the Winter CES in Las Vegas Atari previewed the XE game system, again previewed a 3.5" disk drive (XF351) and showed the XC11 program recorder.
January: Alex Leavens joined Atari as Technical Support Manager (online support). His assignments would specifically include support for the 8-bit computers.
February: Atari committed to releasing the XE game system. Atari associate software director John Skruch would be software product manager for the XE
Game System. (CN Dec87/Jan88 p17)
February 15-18: Atari introduced the XE game system at the American International TOY FAIR in New York. The system would include console, keyboard, joystick (CX40), and video gun (XG-1 light gun), and would be
bundled with "a sophisticated computer game requiring keyboard interaction" (Flight Simulator II), "a fast-action arcade-style game" (Missile Command),
and "a new shooting game for the video gun" (Troubleshooter; later: Blast 'Em; would ship as: Bug Hunt)
March 4-7: At CeBIT '87 in Hanover, West Germany, Atari introduced the XE
video game system to Europe, announced BattleZone XE (previously announced/previewed by Atari, Inc. in 1983), and also announced a new XE- styled replacement for the recently fast-selling-out 800XL (would ship as: 800XE).
March 24: Atari announced that technical support manager Alex Leavens was no longer with the company.
April 24-26: At the Atari Computer Show, Champagne Suite & Exhibition Centre, Novotel, Hammersmith, London, Atari introduced the XE game system to the UK (console: 80 pounds; keyboard: 40 pounds).
May: According to Atari, AtariWriter 80 (80-column XEP80 version of
AtariWriter Plus) was to ship in June 1987 along with the XEP80 itself, and a new 80-column XEP80 version of Silent Butler (Silent Butler 80; never shipped) was to ship soon after that.
May 29: Atari announced the appointment of Clifford Slobod as director of national sales for its entertainment division. Slobod's experience included
13 years with Mattel. Slobod would be responsible for domestic sales of video game systems and software, and would manage the introduction of the new Atari XE game system.
May 30-June 2: At the Summer CES in Chicago Atari announced that, in addition to keyboard, joystick, and video gun (light gun), the XE game system would be bundled with Flight Simulator II (previously released by SubLOGIC), Missile Command (previously released on cartridge), and Blast 'Em (previously: Bug Hunt; before that: Troubleshooter; would ship as: Bug Hunt). Atari introduced 14 XE cartridges: Hardball! (previously released by Accolade), Fight Night (previously released by Accolade), Touchdown Football (previously released by Electronic arts; XE cartridge never shipped), One-on-One Basketball
(previously released by Electronic Arts), Archon (by Free Fall Associates; previously released by Electronic Arts), Ballblazer (by Lucasfilm; previously released by Epyx), Rescue on Fractalus! (by Lucasfilm; previously released by Epyx), Lode Runner (previously released by Broderbund), Blue Max (by Broderbund; previously released by Synapse), David's Midnight Magic
(previously released by Broderbund), Crossbow (title by Exidy), plus Atari's own Food Fight, BattleZone, and Star Raiders II (previously released on disk). Atari said they were additionally developing "two new shooting games" as well (would ship as: Barnyard Blaster, Crime Buster). Further titles announced for later release: Desert Falcon, Choplifter! (previously released by Broderbund), Commando (title by Capcom; never shipped), GATO (title by Spectrum Holobyte). Also, Atari introduced the XF551 disk drive with ADOS (would ship as: DOS XE), featured the SX212 and introduced/announced SX Express!, featured the XEP80, and featured Atari Planetarium. (CN Jul/Aug87 p13-14)
Summer: Atari shipped the XDM121 printer.
August: Newspaper wire story on Las Vegas attractions: Atari Adventure Center, Caesars Palace and Riviera Hotels. Designed for the hotels by Atari and featuring more than 50 games...charge for most games. Atari 800 computers may be played at no charge for those who want to test geography and spelling skills. Open 24 hours daily.
September: Atari shipped the SX212 modem.
September 16-21: At SMAU 87 (Salone Macchine e Attrezzature per l'Ufficio, or Office Machinery and Equipment Exhibition) in Milan, Italy, Atari featured the 130XE (L. 259.000) and XE 4002 (XE System/XC12 package) (L. 320.000).
September/October: Atari shipped the XEP80 interface.
September/October: Atari shipped the XE game system in late September, and it reached most dealer shelves by mid-October, retail price $150. XES4001
package included: Missile Command and Atari BASIC on ROM, keyboard, Joystick (CX40), Light Gun (XG-1), Bug Hunt (previously: Blast 'Em) cartridge, Flight Simulator II cartridge.
October 23: Nintendo of America Inc. requested a preliminary injunction
against Atari Corporation in U.S. District Court, protesting that two Atari television commercials were false and misleading. The first commercial
claimed the XE played hundreds of games while Nintendo's NES played only 80. Nintendo said the Atari claim was inflated because it was based in part on older games now hard to find. The second commercial stated the XE played both disk and cartridge games while the Nintendo played only cartridge games.
While the commercial acknowledged the disk drive for the XE must be purchased separately, Nintendo said the claim was misleading because the disk drive was expensive and hard to find.
October 24-25: Atarifest '87 at Fairfax High School, Vairfax VA.
(CN Dec87 p14-17)
Fall: For the XE Atari shipped: Lode Runner (Chuck Peavey) (CE 12/87 p11), Archon
December 15: The Honorable Robert P. Aguilar, United States District Judge, Northern District of California, denied the October 23, 1987 request by Nintendo of America for a preliminary injunction against the Atari television ads comparing Atari's XE game system with the Nintendo Entertainment System. The court ruled that the advertisements did not violate the Lanham Act.
December: Atari shipped: Rescue on Fractalus!, Ballblazer, Star Raiders II, Blue Max (Sculptured Software), David's Midnight Magic, Hardball! (Sculptured Software), Barnyard Blaster (K-Byte) (CE 1/88 p14)
December?: Atari shipped the XF551 disk drive (with DOS 2.5).
December 31: From the Atari Annual Report: "In Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, and Poland the Atari 800XE and 65XE computers have gained brand dominance and are among the most popular systems being sold in these countries."
Atari sold 100,000 XE game systems in the U.S. at Christmas and did
not meet demand (Antic magazine, May 1988, p. 39)
Atari "claims more than 2 million XE game systems sold in 1987."
(Compute! magazine, May 1988)
1988
January: Atari shipped: BattleZone (Ken Rose) (CE 1/88 p14)
January: Optimized Systems Software (OSS) was merged into ICD.
February 8-17: Atari featured the 2600, 7800 and XE video game systems at the 85th American International Toy Fair in New York City.
March: For the XE Atari shipped: Fight Night (Sculptured Software), One-on-One Basketball (Sculptured Software) (CE 5/88 p9)
Winter/Spring: For the XE Atari shipped: Lode Runner (Chuck Peavey), Archon (see manual printing dates)
April: Atari shipped: GATO (Xanth F/X) (CE 5/88 p9)
Spring: Atari shipped the SX Express! disk software package for use with the SX212.
June 4-7: At the Summer CES in Chicago (booth 9405) Atari featured the XE ($149.95) game system. New XE titles ("more than 19") would include: Necromancer (by Bill Williams; previously released by Synapse), Desert Falcon, Food Fight, Ace of Aces (previously released by Accolade), Commando (never released), Crossbow, Crystal Castles, Mario Bros., Choplifter!, Into the Eagle's Nest (by Pandora), Karateka (previously released by Broderbund), Crime Buster, Mean 18 Ultimate Golf (title by Accolade; never released), Summer
Games (previously released by Epyx), Airball (by MicroDeal), Dark Chambers, Jinks (by Softgold; never released), Nebulus (Hewson; never released), F-16 Fighting Falcon (title by Nexa; never shipped), Ultimate Driving (later: Fatal Run; never shipped). (Atari featured no computers at the show.)
June 21: Date of "Specification for Super XE Game Machine" document by Atari and Ricoh. VP advanced technology Shiraz M. Shivji signed for Atari. (
http://atariage.com/forums/topic/287546-super-xe-game-machine/)
(This project did not lead to any product announcement.)
October 1, 1988 through September 30, 1989: "Atari Advantage" promotion
program by Atari (U.S.) for the 2600, 7800, and XE. Collect 5 cartridges for
a free Atari T-shirt; 15 cartridges for a free cartridge; or 25 cartridges for a 7800 for $25 or for an XE game system or XE disk drive for $50, and "enter
an essay writing contest to win an expense-paid 7-day/6-night trip for you and a guest to California. Visit some of California's top tourist attractions including a day at Atari headquarters (near San Francisco) to see how video games are designed."
October?: Atari published the XE "Atari Advantage" catalog/poster. "Coming Soon": Crystal Castles, Thunderfox, Crossbow, Into the Eagle's Next
November: Final issue of the U.K.'s Atari User magazine. The name would be sold to rival U.K. magazine publisher Page 6.
November: Atari (U.S.) announced the availability of the XES2001 Light Gun + Bug Hunt package.
November/December: Atari (U.S.) offered a $50 consumer rebate on the purchase of the XE game system.
December 31: From the Atari Annual Report: "Our XE line of 8-bit computer systems is extremely popular throughout Eastern Europe, and most recently, has begun to appear on retail shelves in the Soviet Union."
Atari sold 500,000 Atari 800XL units in West Germany in 1988.
(Bajtek 2/1989, p.7; thanks Tomasz Krasuski)
1989
January 7-10: Atari's Entertainment division exhibited in a suite of rooms at the Dunes Hotel near the Winter CES in Las Vegas. (ST World Feb89) Atari announced 6 new titles planned, including: Commando (never shipped), Into the Eagle's Nest, Airball. This would bring the total library to 41 "active" game cartridge titles. (CN Mar89p13)
January: Atari shipped DOS XE (earlier name: ADOS). New production XF551 disk drives would also ship with DOS XE (replacing DOS 2.5).
February/March: New name for Page 6 magazine: Page 6 Atari User
February-March: Atari (U.S.) offered the XE game system for $99 (normal:
$149). (CN 3/89 p13)
March 8-15: At CeBIT '89 in Hanover, West Germany, Atari announced that the 7800 would ship in West Germany in June 1989 (to replace the XE game system).
March: For the XE Atari shipped: Ace of Aces, Food Fight (The Softworks Factory), Necromancer (CE 3/89 p14)
April 3: Date of Atari U.S. 1989 Distributor Price List, in which Atari announced or again promised: Deflektor (August; never shipped), MIDI Maze (by Xanth F/X) (Sept.; never shipped), Commando (Sept.; never shipped), Super Football (Sept.; never shipped), Tower Toppler (previously: Nebulus; title by U.S. Gold) (Sept.; never shipped), Xenophobe (title by Bally Midway) (Sept.; never shipped)
April: For the XE Atari shipped: Crossbow (Sculptured Software), Dark Chambers (Sculptured Software) (CE 5/89)
Spring?: For the XE Atari shipped: Crystal Castles (The Softworks Factory), Desert Falcon (Ken Rose), Mario Bros. (Sculptured Software), Choplifter! (Sculptured Software), Crime Buster, Karateka (Sculptured Software),
Summer Games, Airball (The Softworks Factory), Thunderfox
May: For the XE Atari shipped: Into the Eagle's Nest (CE 6/89)
May: Atari shipped AtariWriter 80, programmed by William Robinson and Ron
Rosen for Micro Fantasy. The package included Proofreader (programmed by
R. Stanley Kistler) and Mail Merge modules, and required the XEP80 interface. Like AtariWriter Plus, the package included a version for 48KiB/64KiB Atari computers as well as a version supporting the 128KiB RAM of the 130XE.
This would be the last release by Atari for the XE.
May/June: Premier issue of Atarian magazine, "the official magazine of the Atarian Video Game Club sponsored by Atari (U.S.) Corp." Published by Atari Explorer Publications, David H. Ahl, Publisher/Editor, in support of the 2600, 7800, and XE game systems.
June 3-6: At the Summer CES in Chicago, for the XE Atari introduced/again promised: Deflektor (never shipped), Commando (never shipped), Super Football
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