Ben Heck and his credentials in video game console hacks are beyond question, there’s no way he has left a reason to impress us. His mods are sublime, we just know that, and this latest portable Atari 800 laptop he’s built is perhaps the best we think we’ve seen from him (hard to compare though, coz all of them are just so greatly built).
Ben has had two takes on the Atari 800 previously, but this third revision is a result that lives the real spirit of the original 8-bit machine the best. The design is just identical to the Atari classic 800 with the most detailing in the lovely vintage Atari keyboard. The modified laptop doesn’t support the original Atari 800 hardware or storage on cassette tape or floppy disk but is good to play the Lucasfilm Games’ 1984 classic Ballblaze.
As per Ben’s website the laptop includes:
* Base unit is Atari XEGS motherboard, as usual.
* XE 130 RAM expansion built-in.
* Uses MyIDE circuitry and custom OS ROM to use a 2.5″ PATA hard drive.
* Large 15″ screen, similar to the C64 laptop but this one is better looking and shinier (obviously important)
* Uses original, new-old-stock Atari 800 keyboard. This is probably the best keyboard in the history of computing, so it was worth including, despite the complications.
* Flush-mount cartridge slot.
