"Original Boxes" for Atari 400 - how many variations

[+wood_jl]

How many varations of the original box for the Atari 400 were there?

 

Many times (lots) on Ebay, you'll see an A400 "with original box" and it's one of those "The Entertainer" or "The Programmer" boxes. At first, I thought these sellers were in error, as my memory of that time (I was a kid of course) was that the A400 came in "its own" box, and those "The Entertainer" and "The Programmer" [Q: how many of those types of packages were there?] was just a big box of air, with a couple large original 400/800 cartridge boxes and manuals or joysticks, etc.

 

I've seen so many auctions that imply "The ******er" box is the orignal box, that I am starting to think indeed they must have put A400s in some of them. Here is an example of what I am talking about, and it's "The Entertainer" box:

 

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 280448310411

 

Here is one with "The Basic Computer" box. This is obviously an original A400 box:

 

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 380193777485

 

Here is one with (my guess) the LAST box - with the big color 400 picture and "ATARI" under it.

 

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 110476249858

 

This one has "The Programmer" box with it (separate) and also a 410 in the box. Question: Does the 410 go inside "The Programmer" as a part of it, or was it separate?

 

I don't remember my original A400 box saying "The Basic Computer" on it - I am under the impression that moniker was dreamed up later. But I could be wrong as I was 10 years old. This was 8k and CTIA so it was fairly early, I think it was 1980 or 1981. What did the A400 launch box look like?

[Ransom]

My recollection agrees with yours. They were big boxes o' air. My parents bought me "The Basic Computer", "The Entertainer," "The Educator," and "The Programmer" originally. I don't think they bought me four computers.

[Tempest]

My parents got my the Educator when I was a wee lad. It came with the 410 and States and Capitals IIRC. We might have also had the Programmer as we got Basic with that huge honking manual from somewhere. I thought the Entertainer only included two games and joysticks not the 400 itself?

 

I think there's one variation you're missing. The original box for the 400 (from 79) was either plain brown cardboard or white cardboard of some sort. Curt may be able to fill in some info on that one.

 

Tempest

[Ransom]

My parents got my the Educator when I was a wee lad. It came with the 410 and States and Capitals IIRC. We might have also had the Programmer as we got Basic with that huge honking manual from somewhere. I thought the Entertainer only included two games and joysticks not the 400 itself?

 

Exactly! I think The Entertainer was Pac-Man and Star Raiders when my parents bought it for me. It may have had other combinations at other times.

[+kheller2]

My parents got my the Educator when I was a wee lad. It came with the 410 and States and Capitals IIRC. We might have also had the Programmer as we got Basic with that huge honking manual from somewhere. I thought the Entertainer only included two games and joysticks not the 400 itself?

 

Exactly! I think The Entertainer was Pac-Man and Star Raiders when my parents bought it for me. It may have had other combinations at other times.

 

http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/text/Atari/Atari.Catalog.1984.102646187.pdf Page 29.

 

Those are the "XL" style packages, which were mostly just renamed 400/800 packages. BTW, there was at least one known 600XL "kit" that came with a 1027.

[Mirage]

What I want to know is why did that second one go for $107?!?! Is one of those carts rare? Or is a boxed 400 worth more than I thought?

[video game addict]

What I want to know is why did that second one go for $107?!?! Is one of those carts rare? Or is a boxed 400 worth more than I thought?

 

I think two of those were rare Intellivision versions Sea Dragon was of course sold for the 8-bits, but without pictures, I'd guess the others were for the INTV, not Atari. $107 is kind of high for a 400, but it's hard to find nice boxes for these old computers, especially the larger boxes. Boxed 800s rarely go under $100. I think $150-200 could still be acceptable on an 800. So IMO it's not totally out of line to see a 400 sell at that price. About double what I would pay personally, but if you've been searching for a nice boxed system and keep finding these entertainer boxes being passed off as the whole system box, you my drop a $100 bid too.

[Mirage]

LOL, yeah, I didn't even really look at the cart titles... I believe you're right about the 2 INTV I hope they didn't try to shove into the cart slot on the 400!

 

I guess I can see that... I just don't follow prices of stuff like this too much lately. Thanks for the input.

[Ransom]

http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/text/Atari/Atari.Catalog.1984.102646187.pdf Page 29.

 

Those are the "XL" style packages, which were mostly just renamed 400/800 packages. BTW, there was at least one known 600XL "kit" that came with a 1027.

 

Thanks for that. I don't have any of the later XL-era catalogs, just 400/800 and 1200XL era ones (I'd switched to Apple ][ by the time the 600XL/800XL line came out). It was interesting to see the marketing for them.

[opcode]

I know of at least 3 different boxes for the 400, with possibly a 4th variation as Tempest mentioned (brown cardboard or white).

The 3 variations I know are:

1) The Basic Computer - 400 is just a small outline on the left side, has large ATARI logo sideways on the right side. I believe this is from 81 or early 82

2) Huge 400 picture in the top with small Atari logo in the bottom. I believe this is from 82

3) Same as (2) but 400 picture and Atari logo are about the same size. I believe this is the final box, from 83

 

As about the kits, here are the ones I know (because I have them or have seen them):

 

CX418 The Home Manager Kit -BOX

(Personal Financial Management, Home Filing Manager (possibly NR)

-or- Family Finances, The Home Filing Manager)

CX419 The Bookkeeper Kit/Atari Accountant -BOX

(The Bookkeeper disk, CX85 keypad)

CX481 The Entertainer -BOX

(Star Raiders, (Missile Command or Pac-Man),2 joysticks)

CX482 The Educator -BOX

(410, BASIC cart., States & Capitals cassette)

CX483 The Programmer -BOX

(BASIC, BASIC Ref. Manual, BASIC Self-Teaching Guide)

CX484 The Communicator

(850, 830, TeleLink I cart.)

CX488 The Communicator II -BOX

(835, TeleLink II cart.)

 

XL Series----------

KX7099 The BASIC Tutor I (Inside Atari BASIC bk,Invitation to Programming 2&3) -BOX

KX7102 The Arcade Champ (Pac-Man, Qix, 2 joysticks, cartridge storage case) -BOX

KX7110 The Atariwriter System (600XL,AtariWriter, 1027, book) -BOX

KX7114 The Programming System (600XL, 1010, Invitation, books) -BOX

 

And here are some rummored kits, but almost certainly never released:

KX7111 Entertainment System (600XL, 2 joysticks, Ms Pac, DK, book) (NR) -BOX

KX7098 Atari Accountant (same as Bookkeeper Kit) (NR) -BOX