If you’re new to Atari, or returning after years away, you’re in good company. I stepped away for 30+ years myself before coming back to these machines, so a lot of this has been a learning process all over again.
Atari Insights is a free monthly newsletter that I started as a way to give back to the community. It’s my way of giving something back and sharing what I’ve been relearning along the way. These machines may look simple now, but they still make you slow down, think things through, and actually understand what’s happening on the screen.
The newsletter follows the things I’ve been poking at since coming back, like emulation, real hardware, BASIC programming, small experiments, and whatever else I happen to be working on at the time. In many cases, I’m learning right alongside the reader, revisiting ideas that trace back to how these computers were used in the 1980s and seeing how they still fit today.
The articles are designed to start simple, move slowly, and leave room to explore. Topics range from using emulators like Altirra, to working with Atari BASIC and OSS BASIC XL, to hands-on projects involving joysticks, sensors, and creative software. There’s also growing coverage of the Atari 400 Mini for people starting where many newcomers are today.
There’s no need to read it cover to cover or worry about order. Grab one article that sounds interesting, mess with it a bit, and come back later if you feel like it.
All of the current and older issues are up on the site, so you can wander through and start anywhere:
Whether you’re using real hardware, emulation, or just reading and learning, you’re welcome.
— John