Sales of the various Atari 8-bit Computers?

[+Larry]

This has probably been covered here before, but I can't find it.  I also did internet searches, and the sales figures found are (to me) quite unbelievable. What got me thinking was the probable sales differences between 400 and 800 computers.  And the differences between the 400/800 line and the XL series, and finally how the XE line fared.  Atari was a publicly traded company (or a division of one) for much of its existence, so I would think there would have been reasonably accurate sales figures for that time.  Has anyone seen figures that seem logical and believable?

[TGB1718]

Have a look at this, been discussed before

 

[jfalcon]

I was just discussing this in another retrocomputing forum, there was an ARS reporter that did an article back in 2005 to try and calculate how the 8-Bits fared.  While it doesn't call out each specific model, if you go by when each series was on sale for purchase (not when it was announced as usually such was hyped), you should be able to work backwards and figure out sales for each series as once a model is out for a while, it will tend to settle because the hype buyers are already in and the bargain shoppers will try to pick up older models when the new model arrives.  

https://arstechnica.com/features/2005/12/total-share/3

 

Also keep in mind that the "demoscene" is in fact "growing": even here in the USA. 

So, while the OEM may be gone, there will likely be "compatible/clones" being made of these systems trying to use the original silicon where possible but likely FPGA to push the envelope of the platform.

 

[Rybags]

The graphs show A8 sales trailing off to nothing when ST arrives.  I've got real doubts about that.

They were strong in Eastern Europe for a time.   It would probably be fair to assume 83-84 could have been the best sales years.  But it's probably also fair to assume that in the 7 years that followed they would have sold at least close to their best year in total.

 

I've said before that 2.25 million total A8 sales would have to be a minimum figure.  The actual maybe anywhere from 2.5 to 4 million.

C64 probably 18 million on the low side, 27-28 at the most, including 2-4 million 128 sales.

 

And that there just goes to show the poor marketing.  C= were able to practically match 12 years sales in about 3 from a machine that was released when 8-bit computers were all but obsolete.

[+Larry]

My focus is the sales of the various Atari 8-bits.  My opinion is that the 400 and 600XL were poor sellers, and the 800XL was the best seller, followed by the XE.  The 1200XL and the XEGS were special cases that had relatively short lives.  I remember reading that one of Atari's stated sales goals was to sell a million XL's during the holiday season after the Tramiels bought Atari.