Magmavision2000 Posted April 4, 2020 Share Posted April 4, 2020 I got a 400 for Xmas last year, and the case was destroyed. How common is this? I'm not really familiar with 400s (or any 8-bit computer for that matter). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted April 4, 2020 Share Posted April 4, 2020 (edited) It's not to much the case but how they pack them for shipping, sorting equipment can drop a package almost 2 stories... anything not secured acts like a missile in the box, many people ship the power brick with the computer and it's loose, it acts as a wrecking ball in transit. Very little survives the trip. Firm styro or other foam around the computer and the brick or other missile in another box with the box all tight and firm and then cushioned all around is a solution that works... many people just ship them separate.. it has to be secure and cushioned... anything with the weight or the Atari computer and the weight of it's transformer power supplies are in need of special care in the material to ship them in. Think of the density of the packaging they shipped in originally... Edited April 4, 2020 by _The Doctor__ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamm Posted April 4, 2020 Share Posted April 4, 2020 To add a data point: the 400 I got recently was very clean and looks in great shape, but the case is very brittle - much more so than the 800 I have. I couple of bits broke during shipping and I broke one or two bits myself handling it. Luckily, they were all things I was able to put back together using epoxy and super glue, and it looks good now, but I'd say at least my 400 case is definitely very brittle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilsaluki Posted April 4, 2020 Share Posted April 4, 2020 I'm brittle too. 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+slx Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 Got one smashed by the power brick as well, wrapped in newspaper.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 9 hours ago, jamm said: To add a data point: the 400 I got recently was very clean and looks in great shape, but the case is very brittle - much more so than the 800 I have. I couple of bits broke during shipping and I broke one or two bits myself handling it. Luckily, they were all things I was able to put back together using epoxy and super glue, and it looks good now, but I'd say at least my 400 case is definitely very brittle. chances are fractures were created as the other more noticeable shipping damage was done, your just finishing off what was already started... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magmavision2000 Posted April 5, 2020 Author Share Posted April 5, 2020 (edited) Also on a semi unrelated note. I was told by the person who gifted it to me that bought seller she bought it from, said the 400 was used at a CES in the late 70s-early 80s and has 48K of RAM. So I decided to open it up and see for myself. I did find what I believe to be an extra RAM card by Intec Peripherals. But it and the chips are copyrighted 1981. Also, the silver lettering on the start says "ATARI / 072" so if anyone could tell me when this was made, I'd be very grateful (I'm assuming it was made in 1981 but I'm not sure). TL;DR I got scammed, but I'm curious on when the 400 was made. Edited April 5, 2020 by Magmavision2000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted April 6, 2020 Share Posted April 6, 2020 it could have been and then upgraded over time for subsequent uses... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magmavision2000 Posted April 6, 2020 Author Share Posted April 6, 2020 1 hour ago, _The Doctor__ said: it could have been and then upgraded over time for subsequent uses... That makes sense, but why would Atari use a third party RAM card for a promo computer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted April 6, 2020 Share Posted April 6, 2020 (edited) Quick fix if something went wrong? who knows what happened since then either... Edited April 6, 2020 by _The Doctor__ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamm Posted April 6, 2020 Share Posted April 6, 2020 22 minutes ago, Magmavision2000 said: That makes sense, but why would Atari use a third party RAM card for a promo computer? I don't think Atari would use an upgraded 400 as a promo - they would've used an 800. It's possible the machine was indeed at a CES show and was upgraded after it ended up in someone else's hands. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari_65XE Posted April 6, 2020 Share Posted April 6, 2020 On 4/4/2020 at 3:52 PM, _The Doctor__ said: It's not to much the case but how they pack them for shipping, sorting equipment can drop a package almost 2 stories... anything not secured acts like a missile in the box, many people ship the power brick with the computer and it's loose, it acts as a wrecking ball in transit. Very little survives the trip. I bought a large plastic scientific orchid grow chamber many years ago, pennies on the dollar from the original price (Ebay) and same issue. Idiot let the fluorescent ballast unsecured and it swung around, breaking the lights and scratching the hell out of Mylar coated internal panels. People don't understand how to secure shipping stuff. On a positive note, not computer related, but after replacing bulbs, we'd pick up plants stores gave away because they were dead and my wife and I'd bring them back life with this thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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