U.S. Atari parts store still open after 41 years, has spent $100K+ designing new parts — last original Atari hardware launched 32 years ago
Atari parts and equipment store Best Electronics stands bravely defiant towards the march of time and expertise, persevering with to serve this more and more area of interest retro hardware market 41 years after it was arrange. As properly as supplying parts, it continues to supply and make new parts, present help, hints, and ideas, and claims to have spent $100,000+ in engineering improvement. In distinction, the long-lasting and progressive Atari Corp. behind all of the agency’s residence computer systems, and superior consoles just like the Lynx and Jaguar, went bankrupt in 1996, which is sort of 30 years ago.
Many readers, and a number of other writers right here on Tom’s Hardware, may have grown up with Atari computer systems and consoles. Thus, it’s admirable to see exclusive new and upgraded parts like rubber domes in your ST / STE / Falcon pc keyboard and all Gold PCB boards in your CX collection joysticks, plus plenty of different parts, proceed to be manufactured and provided to Atari followers. The retailer additionally shares “a lifetime supply,” of new-old merchandise in some classes. Interestingly, it reveals many of those had been warehoused from the (*32*) it purchased when Atari Sunnyvale was liquidated.
As a earlier proprietor of Atari ST, Falcon, Lynx and Jaguar hardware, trying by means of these merchandise is like searching by means of a treasure trove. Best Electronics says it lists 5,000+ Atari objects on its website. However, these are simply the preferred objects, so in case you are after one thing that seems to be absent from the intensive parts and parts lists it’s suggested to ship an e mail.
Alternatively, you possibly can actually return in retail time by ordering the Best Rev. 10 All Atari catalog. This is a paper catalog of over 220 pages, making it about half an inch thick and 1.4 kilos in weight. Helpfully, the catalog contains 330 photos of Atari bits, in addition to extras like prototype data, restore ideas and methods, a whole record of Atari customized chips and substitute ICs, and extra. Check out the two-page sample and extra data on the Best Electronics website.
We’ve coated retro hardware holdouts earlier than, with reviews on the surprisingly current demise of the floppy disk in Japan, German railway methods that still rely on MS-DOS and Windows 3.11, and even the Indiana bakery which still runs Commodore 64-powered cash registers. Nevertheless, Best Electronics dogged and intensive help for Atari followers still impresses.
The last original hardware from Atari Corp. was the Jaguar console, launched in 1993 and discontinued in 1996. That finish date coincides with the submitting for chapter by the long-lasting agency. Sadly, the Atari branded merchandise which arrived after this time had been simply rehashed and recycled wares designed to exploit the agency’s basic video video games IP with minimal innovation.
