The Atari 800XE was announced (not by name at the time) in March 1987 in West
Germany, and shipped later that year as a regional (West Germany, Austria,
Switzerland) complement to the Atari 65XE and 130XE. The 800XE name was
selected in a marketing attempt to capitalize on the recent and surprisingly
swift final sellout of available inventory of new 800XL units. (The 800XE was
never introduced in the U.S.)
The 800XE is identical to the common PAL B version of the 65XE, utilizing the
same PAL 130XE motherboard with Enhanced Cartridge Interface (ECI).
The 800XE offers 64KiB RAM, and has the Atari XL OS and Atari BASIC on ROM.
System initialization types supported:
- Atari BASIC: Turn on computer with no cartridge inserted and no powered
disk drive #1.
- Self Test program: Hold down [Option] while turning on the computer with no
cartridge inserted and no powered disk drive #1.
- Cartridge: Turn on computer with cartridge inserted. (disables BASIC)
- Cassette boot: (boot cassette may or may not require BASIC or cartridge)
1. - With BASIC or with cartridge (cartridge disables BASIC):
Hold down [Start] while turning on the computer.
- With no cartridge and without BASIC:
Hold down both [Start] and [Option] while turning on the computer.
(system buzzer sounds)
2. Press [PLAY] on the program recorder with boot cassette inserted.
3. Press [Return] on the computer.
- Disk boot: (boot disk may or may not require BASIC or cartridge inserted)
- With BASIC or with cartridge (cartridge disables BASIC):
Turn on computer with boot disk inserted in powered disk drive #1.
- With no cartridge and without BASIC:
Hold down [Option] while turning on computer with boot disk inserted
in powered disk drive #1.
Versions of the Atari 800XE:
o PAL versions for PAL B/G television (Europe)
- PAL 130XE motherboard (including ECI, but only 64KiB RAM)
- 6502 MPU (Atari SALLY), C014806
- ANTIC PAL 'B' version, C021698
- GTIA PAL version, C014889
- 14KiB Operating System ROM: XL OS Rev.3, C300717
- Atari BASIC Rev. C (8KiB ROM), C024947
- Monitor port is Atari 5-pin
- Television Jack for RF output
- TV Channel Select Switch: Either not present, or has no effect
- TV output: RF channel 4 (PAL B version) or 36 (PAL G version)
- TV Video Cable supplied with computer
Some images of the 800XE: http://www.silicium.org/oldskool/atari/800xe.htm
Jindrich Kubec writes, "The problematic Chinese 800XEs with GTIA problems were
manufactured in 1992."
The 800XE was made in Taiwan (common) and China (late production). |