Ben Heckendorn's Atari 800 laptop

Ben Heckendorn, master of stuffing old gaming consoles into portable packaging (see: NES Micro, N64p, PPS2, Phoenix 2600), has just revealed what is arguably his most intricate project yet, a homemade laptop filled with Atari 800 guts. This throwback to the early days of video games sports an 8-inch TFT screen, dual speakers, full QWERTY keyboard, 2-player controls, cursor control knob, CompactFlash "disk drive," and two joystick ports. Even better, Heckendorn included an error reference list right next to the display, which would be super-handy to have on regular laptops, except that a list of Windows error codes would probably require a 500-foot tall screen.

[Thanks, Jeffler]

[http:picard.ytmnd.com @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Amazing.

[djSyndrome @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

"a homemade laptop filled with Atari 2600 guts."

Why would it be filled with 2600 guts when the 2600 and 400/800/5200 are completely incompatible?

[Tim @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Time for a folding at home update maybe? ajimas hit 100000

[madc0w @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

DAMNIT!
ben said: One thing, don't distribute this photo beyond these forums until the official announcement Wednesday, thanks. I want the full story up before people see it.
DAMNIT JEFFLER!! also, its an atari 800!!! not a 2600!!!

[Chris King @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I have one of Ben's 2600 handheld units, and the thing is amazing! It gets more looks than even my PSP, especially when people see the cartridge sticking out the top...runs forever on it's Sony camcorder li-ion battery, too...

[TheLGfaud @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

are you sure its an atari 2600 and not a atari 800 personal computer inside of it?

[clicclic @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

That space game for the 400/800 was the coolest game I ever played. I can't remember the name of it (a grid and you went from grid to grid, then flew through space shooting stuff).

[ela2 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Fu*king amazing. I'm in awe!!!!
I got my working 800 in my closet along with a working 810 drive.

[ela2 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Space Raiders

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

btw, he's got it sitting on top of the same Compaq laptop I'm typing this on. That thing's gotta be pretty small, judging from the relative sizes of the two.

[Mike @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Did you guys read this part???

"One thing, don't distribute this photo beyond these forums until the official announcement Wednesday, thanks. I want the full story up before people see it."

[Fungus @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

STAR Raiders

[dudeInAmerica @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Cool!
Why?

[EK @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

#7, the game was STAR RAIDERS.

I got an Atari 800 for Xmas when I was 10...that thing was sweet...and built like a tank! If it wasn't for that computer, I don't know what I'd be doing today. I learned BASIC, LOGO....and ran it all off cartridges and my bad-azz tape-recorder! And when I got my 5.25" floppy (the Indus GT), I was the king of the neighborhood!

So many good memories.

[Ando @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

way to go jeff you are a fool a bonafide fool ben asked you not to show anyone and you cross him and by the way its a damn atari 800 not a 2600 get it right damn it

[triton @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

jeff submited this befor eben had posted that notice, while it still was a bit foolish he didnt just disregard Bens request, he DIDNT SEE IT, it had not yet been posted, please lay off him ok?

[warriorpear @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

clicclic,

did the game use two controllers (one for flying, one for firing). There is one called "space dungeon" that sounds like the one you are talking about... awesome game.

-pear

[vaylen @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Star Raiders was a great game (the hardware was pretty much optimized to do what that game needed, kinda like Mario 64 did for the N64). But it's a shame he made it of an Atari XE instead of an Atari 800. You need FOUR joystick ports if you are going to play a proper game of MULE on that thing... Maybe next time he'll get it right.

[Edward @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

#19
No doubt, M.U.L.E Rulez!!!

I still have my Atari 400 hacked to an 800 with percom SSSD floppy. Really got to move M.U.L.E, Jumpman and others to some more permanent medium.

[Tim @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

This is damn cool, if he'd only make a mouse that looked like the old atari joysticks... then were talkin!

[Conroy Martin @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I have the translator disk and too many lzh'd squashed and compacted files to mention. It is likely that I have almost everything that was ever written for the Arati 8-bit. I once sold all the 8-bit hardware from a pirate BBS, and kept the software. Brings back many good memories.

[Gerry @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

now that is a spacebar to be admired!

[M @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Nice Burl wuud!

[MAJIN @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Jeff you shit, I hope ur f'n banned..

[madc0w @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

i retract my statement, if you read his post, he sent it in AFTER ben edited it with the warning, its NOT his fault, just like triton said.

[T1K1 F1SH @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I love that wood with the color scheme its freakin awesome, if anyone made a laptop with those looks I'd buy it.

[w00master @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Freaking awesome. Now, if he could just make an Apple IIgs laptop/portable....

[David Schreiber @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I would love to buy one! Any chance of that?

[tony @ Dec 31st 2005 8:29PM]

the game with the grid graphics was called "Tempest" and it used vector graphics (plotting lines on the CRT) rather than raster graphics. That is why the original arcade game looked so bright. Another cool game was called "Gyrus" with beethovens Toccata as an audio track... way cool.