KC-ACE Reboot Blog

I realize this post is almost a year old now but your post brought back a ton of memories.   I remember going into the Computer Room and looking at all the Atari stuff as a kid.  In fact -- my father and I went there (I think it was an evening after the store closed) and Larry did a workshop with us and several other people to install a 256KB upgrades into our Atari 800XLs.   I was pretty young maybe 10 - 12 at the time -- but I think that was the first time I was introduced to the concept of a Ramdisk.   I definitely remember this store and the proprietor (though I had forgotten both the store name and his until I found your post!).   

 

I remember going to several Atari user group meetings as a kid too -- but I want to say it was maybe a different group.  We lived north of the river (by Worlds of Fun) and I think there was a North Kansas City group.   I wasn't super involved -- and most of the members were adults so I don't think I went to many of these (my parents weren't into the computer at all -- it was just me).   

 

I'm just now getting back into the Atari (I bought one about a year or so ago -- sadly my machine from back then is no where to be found) but hadn't had much time to dig into it.  I'm starting to teach myself 8 bit programming (I'm decent enough with modern languages and platforms -- but it's a lot of fun digging into the machine that started it all for me).

 

In any case thanks for your post coming up on search when I was trying to remember this place.  Did you end up getting a KC-ACE going (I expect this was a tough year to get anything like that moving though).

No worries...THANKS for reaching out and I'm glad there is someone else to share the awesomeness that was The Computer Room.  I haven't really done much yet, as you noticed, but that is really more my own fault. I got my old hardware back from my kid days...a 400 and an 800XL just recently and have only begun to use them again. 

 

I lived away from KC for over 25 years and only recently moved back..I live in Overland Park now.  Do you still live in the KC Metro?

Indeed it is cool to meet a fellow Kansas City Atari Enthusiast!  I imagine there are some more on here who just haven't found this thread and were part of the scene back then and knew all about the Computer Room.   If I recall, (and I was just a kid so who knows if this is right) it was the only real Atari place.  You could, of course, go to the big box stores and get the equipment -- but if you wanted to talk to someone who knew it you had to go there in KC (again maybe there were other places too -- but that's where we always went).   

 

Getting back into this stuff brings back such nostalgia.   I've had a ton of fun over the last several days just typing in program listings from old copies of books and learning (and in some cases re-learning) stuff that I forgot from back then.   

 

In any case great to make contact!

 

Edit:  almost forgot to answer your question.  I'm still here in KC -- been in Raymore (near Belton) for the last 20 years or so.

Edited April 20, 2021 by l0gden

On 4/20/2021 at 2:21 PM, l0gden said:

Indeed it is cool to meet a fellow Kansas City Atari Enthusiast!  I imagine there are some more on here who just haven't found this thread and were part of the scene back then and knew all about the Computer Room.   If I recall, (and I was just a kid so who knows if this is right) it was the only real Atari place.  You could, of course, go to the big box stores and get the equipment -- but if you wanted to talk to someone who knew it you had to go there in KC (again maybe there were other places too -- but that's where we always went).   

 

Getting back into this stuff brings back such nostalgia.   I've had a ton of fun over the last several days just typing in program listings from old copies of books and learning (and in some cases re-learning) stuff that I forgot from back then.   

 

In any case great to make contact!

 

Edit:  almost forgot to answer your question.  I'm still here in KC -- been in Raymore (near Belton) for the last 20 years or so.

Sorry..I JUST saw this response....or perhaps I saw it and messaged you long ago and forgot.  I'm getting to that age

 

Your memory is spot on. The Computer Room was THE Atari resource in the KC metro area.  You could go to the Radio Shack/Tandy stores, or Toys R Us, or Sears or whatever and see C-64, some Atari, and some PC stuff...but The Computer Room was ALL Atari all the time and the local Atari computing community really seemed to build around it.    There was also a place at Oak Park Mall over here in OP called Video Concepts. It was a national(or at the very least KS/MO/regional chain) that we bought our Atari 400 from in 1979 and got various Atari things at before then. 

 

When my dad got us the 800XL in 83, we had been to The Computer Room a few times.  He found out about it from a guy he worked with who was REALLY into Atari computers..had like every peripheral and all.  Interestingly, the dude was insane! and an alcoholic to boot.  When the guy offered to copy and entire briefcase full of games/programs for us, when we went to pick it up, he was living in a disheveled home and sleeping on a couch in the basement and there was foil everywhere and he told us how the government was beaming a radio signal to his fillings in his teeth and he was trying to block it.  I thought we were going to die in that basement, honestly...LOL.  I always felt sorry for him as my dad told me he got divorced and was having problems, clearly.  

 

Even when I didn't have money to buy things I'd spend some weekend afternoons hanging out at The Computer Room because you could learn so much from Larry and his right hand man(forgot his name) and from all the regulars who would come in.  

 

Did you grow up in Raytown?  I had a few friends from Soccer over that way.  We are probably about the same age, I graduated from high school in '89 over here in OP.  

 

Sorry took so long for me to notice/respond to this...but enjoy the conversation and wondering what gear you have and what you are doing with your machines?

Just reaching out again to stay in touch. Wasn't sure how often you log on and if you got my last.  I know when I first found AA, I only logged on every few months...now it's every day