[continued from previous message]
Weakon, National Flags, Dog Daze Deluxe
Winter: Atari shipped the Touch Tablet (CX77; with AtariArtist), Tennis, Pole Position, Ms. Pac-Man (see 1/1/84 price list)
Winter: Keith Schaefer, previously Atari Products Co. SVP sales (computer hardware), was promoted to EVP sales & distribution. Shortly thereafter, Schaefer departed the company (to NEC Home Electronics (USA)), as did VP computer software sales Ken Wirt (to Cognitive Systems).
Winter?: Mark Cator was promoted to Atari Manager, Users' Group Support (replacing Earl Rice in the role; Rice would remain with customer support).
February 7: Atari Products Co. had re-launched 1450XLD development; Phil Suen was project manager. (
http://TinyURL.com/y8zep9e7)
February: Atari shipped Football. (VGU 3/84)
February: Atari Products Co. manager, operating systems software Joe Miller departed the company (to Koala technologies).
February: Atari Products Co. VP product development and Atari Fellow
Steve Bristow departed the company (to Technicom Advanced Design Center). VP engineering Computer division Dave Stubben would receive an Atari Fellow recognition. (Fun p792 for Stubben business card)
February 16: Phil Suen was Atari Products Co. 1450XLD project manager; Thea Cain (marketing) was product manager. (
http://TinyURL.com/y8zep9e7)
March 6: Atari, Inc. was awarded U.S. patent 4,435,779 for 13 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).
March 11-18: At the Festival International du Son et de l'Image, held at the CNIT (Center of New Industries and Technologies) in La Defense in Paris, France, P.E.C.F. Atari launched the 600XL and 800XL in France. PAL versions were available immediately (2 200 F / 3 200 F); 600XL SECAM version (2 500 F; never shipped) and 800XL SECAM version (3 500 F; would be shipped by Atari, Corp. 11/84) were due to ship in June 1984. (L'Atarien #2; L'Ordinateur Individuel #58 Apr84 p81; L'Atarien #4 p18 for prices)
March?: Atari shipped the 800XL UK version (249.99 pounds) and 800XL PAL version for Europe.
March: For Atari home computers Atari released: Donkey Kong Junior, Pengo (VGU 4/84)
March: Atari Products Co. applications software and telecommunications
products group manager Sherwin Gooch was 1450XLD project manager. (CreativeComputing Jul84 p206) (having replacing Phil Suen in the role. Thea Cain remained product manager.)
March: APX director Fred Thorlin departed the company. Thorlin's role would
be assumed by VP software marketing John Peeke-Vout.
March 22-25: At the 9th West Coast Computer Faire, San Francisco Civic Auditorium and Brooks Hall, Atari showed/again promised the light pen, the Plato System cartridge, and many games. Atari introduced APX Bumpomov's Dogs, while confirming that APX was being discontinued, with the top 20 APX titles
to be absorbed into the "main line" of products. A new, final production run of 15,000 850 interfaces had just been manufactured. Atari again promised the 1450XL (previously known as: 1450XLD). At Atari: Thea Cain was 1450XL product manager; Dave Wilson had been promoted to director of Customer Relations, replacing VP Consumer Product Service Jon Ebbs who had departed the company; Earl Rice remained Manager, Users' Group Support; Bill Bartlett remained manager of Product Support for Customer Relations.
March 31: James Morgan, CEO of Atari, said shipments of his company's home computers in the first three months of this year were 35 per cent lower than
in the first quarter of 1983. (The Globe and Mail (Canada) 6/1/84)
April 2: Internally, Atari Products Co. EVP Ted Hoff announced the promotion
of Jan Dekema to manager, Research Administration (assistant to Hoff in the administration of the entire Atari R&D and Product Development organization) (Dekema was previously administrative manager for the Atari Sunnyvale Research Laboratory, and would also retain that role). Hoff also announced the promotion of Chris Jeffers (previously: manager of administration for
Corporate Research) to VP Product Development, also reporting directly to Hoff (Update) (replacing the departed Steve Bristow).
April 2: Programmer Michael Barall joined Atari (hired to develop DOS IV).
April 5: John Peeke-Vout was Atari Products Co. VP computer software
marketing. (
https://archive.org/details/APX_Programmer_Correspondence)
April: Harry Jenkins, previously Atari Products Co. manager of corporate
design research, would be promoted to director of research and development (reporting to EVP R&D/product development Ted Hoff), replacing VP/chief scientist and Atari Fellow Alan Kay who departed the company. (InfoWorld 6/11/84 for timing)
April: Atari National Educational Sales Manager and director of the Atari Institute for Education Research Alfred Moye had departed the company (to Hewlett-Packard).
Spring: I/O Issue Five turned out to be the final issue of Input/Output, the magazine of the Atari Home Computer Club (Atari International (U.K.)).
Spring: Atari shipped: CX75 Light Pen with AtariGraphics, Sky Writer,
AtariLab Starter Set with Temperature Module, SynCalc, SynFile+, SynTrend,
Moon Patrol
Spring: West Shell, previously an Atari Products Co. entertainment software product manager, became computer hardware product marketing director,
replacing Thea Cain who departed the company.
May 1: "Hearing on Computer Education" held before the Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary, and Vocational Education of the Committee on Education and Labor, U.S. House of Representatives, included testimony by Atari Learning Systems VP product development Dorothy Deringer.
May 8: At the Lucasfilm Ranch in Marin County California, Lucasfilm Ltd. and Atari Inc. introduced Ballblazer and Rescue on Fractalus!, both developed by the Lucasfilm Computer Division Games Group (Peter Langston was Games Group Leader, David Levine was Ballblazer project leader, David Fox was Rescue on Fractalus! project leader), to be published by Atari and marketed under the
new Atari/Lucasfilm logo on cartridge for Atari home computers (summer). (PR)
May 14-19: At the special SICOB show held at CNIT in France, Atari featured
the 600XL/800XL product line. (L'Atarien #4 p21)
May: Atari Products Co. Applications Software and Telecommunications Products Group manager Sherwin Gooch departed the company. Earl Rice, previously Manager, Users' Group Support, became 1450XL project manager (replacing Gooch in the role). Mark Cator was promoted to Atari Manager, Users' Group Support (replacing Rice in the role).
May 30: Atari confirmed plans to withdraw from its joint venture with Wong's Electronics Co. and close the Atari-Wong Co. consumer products manufacturing plant in Hong Kong. Production was to be moved to Atari's wholly owned plant in Taiwan.
June 3-6: At the Summer CES in Chicago, for the 600XL, 800XL, and 1450XLD (again promised), Atari introduced the 1090 XL Expansion System (previously: Expansion Box; never shipped) with XL 64K RAM Card (never shipped). Introduced/featured: Ballblazer, Rescue on Fractalus!, Mario Bros., Millipede, Jr. Pac-Man (title by Bally-Midway; never shipped), Crystal Castles, Donkey Kong Junior, Elevator Action (title by Taito; never shipped), Garfield on the Run (Atari Advanced Games Group; never shipped), Track & Field (with Arcade Controller; title by Konami; would be shipped by Atari, Corp.), Final Legacy (previously: The Legacy), This Is Ground Control (Futuremakers series; never shipped), Through the Star Bridge (Futuremakers series; never shipped), Word Tutor (never shipped), Letter Tutor (never shipped), Sky Writer, SynCalc, SynFile+, SynTrend, AtariWriter, Proofreader (previously released via APX as: Atspeller for AtariWriter; would be shipped by Atari, Corp. in 1986). Hardware featured: Touch Tablet with AtariArtist, Light Pen with AtariGraphics, 1050 disk drive with DOS 3. Also announced/again promised: Captain Hook's Revenge, Pole Position II (title by Namco; never shipped), Moon Patrol, Hobgoblin
(Atari Advanced Games Group; never shipped), Gremlins (never shipped), The
Last Starfighter (never shipped)
Atari Learning Systems published a New Products Bulletin, and introduced: Find It! (never shipped), Green Globs (never shipped), Yaacov Agam's Interactive Painting (never shipped), First Aid... The ABC of CPR (never shipped), Simulated Computer II (never shipped), Telly Turtle (never shipped), Wheeler Dealer (never shipped), LabMate Home Edition Ages 9-13 (book for AtariLab Starter Set; never shipped), LabMate Home Edition Ages 14-15 (book for
AtariLab Starter Set; never shipped), LabMate School Edition Elementary (books for AtariLab Starter Set; never shipped), LabMate School Edition Jr. High (books for AtariLab Starter Set; never shipped), LabMate School Edition High School (books for AtariLab Starter Set; never shipped), The Learning Phone (previously: Atari PLATO; would be shipped by Atari, Corp. in 1986), Escape ("interpreting graphs the fun way"; never shipped). Also featured: Atari
Logo.
The 600XL computer (NTSC) had been officially discontinued. (VGU 7/84 p61)
Atari announced they had "begun developing ties with independent firms to create software for a new high-end computer for introduction in the second
half of 1984." ("1650XLD" project; never shipped) The new machine, previewed privately to software developers, was to include 64K RAM, built-in 300 bps modem, built-in double-sided, dual-density disk drive that stores 352
kilobytes of RAM and operates fives times faster than current Atari disk drives, and built-in software to allow access to the Atari Grapevine, a new data base for consumers the company was establishing. Thea Cain, former
1450XL product manager, had departed the company. Dave Ruckert was Atari's head of marketing. (WSJ 11/4)
Month?: Exidy released the Max-A-Flex coin-operated arcade conversion system, along with four games for the system, all developed by First Star Software: Astro Chase, Boulder Dash, Bristles, Flip and Flop. The Exidy Max-A-Flex utilized an embedded Atari 600XL system. (MyAtari Magazine, January 2003.)
July 1-August 25: Third and final year of Atari Computer Camps. Camps were scheduled and held at 2 locations: "Camp Atari--New England" at the Stoneleigh-Burnham School in Greenfield MA, and "Camp Atari--Poconos" at East Stroudsburg State College in PA.
July 2: Warner Communications Inc. and Tramel Technology, Ltd. (statement by chairman Jack Tramiel) jointly announced the acquisition by Tramel Technology of the Atari, Inc. home video game and computer businesses.
The transaction included an inventory of 100,000 XL computers. (Current Notes Sept84p10)
July 5-6: Tramel Technology hired approximately 300 of the existing Atari,
Inc. domestic consumer and home computer division employees. (InfoWorld July 30) Among key marketing and advertising executives, the lone holdovers were expected to be West Shell III (previously: computer hardware product marketing director at Atari, Inc.) and Bryan Kerr (previously: entertainment hardware product marketing manager at Atari, Inc.). (AdWeek, July 9, 1984) John Skruch, previously Atari, Inc. Operations Manager, Atarisoft Product Line, would be a software product manager. Engineers and technicians included Jim Tittsler, Lane Winner, and Jose Valdes, plus: Phil Suen (XL line engineering director), Vincent H. Wu (1450XL/900XL project manager, see CreativeComputing 1/85 p190), 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."
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 1000 F to 2199 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 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))
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 $200 (previously: $400; the 600XL was to be priced at under $100 (previously: $250- $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). (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 formally announced), 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 Winter 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). (A 65XEM computer had been pre-announced just before the show, but was neither shown nor announced at the show itself.) Atari previewed/announced: XC1411 monitor (never shipped), XM128 monitor (never shipped), XF521 5.25" disk drive
(130KiB; never shipped) with DOS 2.5, XTM201 printer (never shipped), XTC201 printer (never shipped), XMM801 printer, XDM121 printer, XM301 modem. The 130XE/65XE/65XEP would run the Atari OS as found in the Atari 800XL which
would now be phased out. 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. Also featured: AtariLab Light Module, Sky
Writer, Millipede, Moon Patrol, Track & Field, Final Legacy. 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: 1700 FRF ;
1050: 2600 FRF ; 1027: 2600 FRF
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 23: Atari launched the Atari BBS. David Duberman had recently joined Atari (U.S.) Corp. as User Group Coordinator (new position; role assumed from Atari product marketing manager Bryan Kerr); Duberman was system operator of the new the Atari BBS.
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.
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: 1990 FRF
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: Atari had released: Track & Field (with Arcade Controller), AtariLab Light Module, Millipede, Final Legacy (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: 1490 FRF ; 1010: 490 FRF ; 1050: 1490 FRF ; 1029: 1490 FRF
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 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 specificially 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,
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