Cap5750 Posted August 21, 2002 Share Posted August 21, 2002 Okay, we all know about the word Atari and where it comes from and we all know about the Atari logo and what it represents.... But what about 2600? Where did that come from? I know that is was VCS (Video Computer System) etc, but couldn't find (or at least overlooked) on how they decided upon 2600. For example, the Commodore 64 was "64" because it had 64k bytes.... Cap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hackmann Posted August 21, 2002 Share Posted August 21, 2002 AFAIK they picked 2600 because it was a well-known fact among phreakers that you could get free long-distance calls by calling an 800 number, then using a tone generator to play a 2600 Hz signal into the phone line, making the 800 phone line's computers think you had hung up while keeping you connected to their line. (Don't bother trying this nowadays, because it's detectable and traceable, so the most you'll get for your efforts is a law enforcement agent knocking at your door.) Could just be a coincidence, though I sort of doubt it because at the time most of the Atari engineers probably would have known what the number 2600 was associated with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.