Atari's “The Book” (1980) [pdf] | Hacker News Reader

Atari's “The Book” (1980) [pdf]

pdf.textfiles.com

150 pointsmindcrime15 comments

Also Atari related, for those that don't know this resource.

http://www.atariarchives.org/

Full of great books about programming the Atari home computers and a time window for the youngsters how we used to code.

Very nice. Also http://www.atarimagazines.com/ - classic scans of Analog, Antic, creative computing, Compute! ...

What a blast from the past.

I use to write game reviews for a few of these magazines for fun.

I also wrote this feature length article for STart magazine when I was 18: http://www.atarimagazines.com/startv2n3/hownottoshop.html

Did they know how to write a good manual back then. You've got your soldering primer, guides on how to use test equipment... heck, you can probably apply some of the mechanical knowledge to fix your kitchen sink.

Not only that but it has detailed exploded diagrams of levers, trackballs, steering wheels, gear shifts etc. that include how and where the potentiometers and momentary switches are connected. This is a goldmine for anyone looking to home brew arcade controls.

Most of the trouble-shooting techniques also apply to cars and computers. It's incredible how large a chunk of this manual is totally non-specific to Atari stuff but just general solid information on the technology used in those days and how to maintain it and repair it.

It says in the preface that 'the book' will not turn you into a technician but I've seen some 'technician course materials' that couldn't hold a candle to this one publication.

Very nice to see this preserved.

Is this one of the manuals recently salvaged?

I don't think so. Jason/textfiles only scanned a few single manuals and the Last-Modified HTTP Header says "Wed, 02 Apr 2003 20:20:24 GMT", of course - that doesn't have to be indicative of the actual modification time.. but still.

Thanks for posting this; very cool!

The thing that always impresses me with the early game developers was their knowledge of the hardware, and not just the software. They were so close to the metal that it would have been difficult to develop a game without knowing the capabilities and details of the hardware.

Fast-forward to today, and we have really nice APIs that facilitate game development. For example, most of us don't need to have detailed knowledge of iOS hardware (or most any modern platform, really) to create a game.

Of course, that's a big win for how technology has progressed, but I can't help but hold those early game development pioneers in high-esteem.

If you are into classic arcade games, visit FunSpot in Laconia NH:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAtdvWpnzIw

They have everything. I remember playing Bosconian there when I was a kid and took my kids there this year.

ZOMG! I remember this; I had a copy when I was 13 years old and I have no idea what happened to it. I learned soldering with this. Thanks!

Who needs an EE degree when you've got this.

Oh, just those who want to do magnetics, motors, radio, radar, batteries, robotics, sensors, electrostatics and so on. Pretty much anything beyond become a television repair technician.

Truth. On the flip side, if you're intimidated by working with all of the physical objects that are part and parcel of basic electronics technology, this book does a really good job of demystifying a bunch of it.

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100322141436A...

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