Vintage Atari 800XL computer ad w/Alan Alda, 1984

[HypnoToad72]

Cool commercial. I asked mine, and they told me to save my money. I should have listened to Alan Alda better... :) Even then, parents did - there's no money in art and music.

[KHayes666]

If Alan Alda's not the kids father.....may I ask what the hell he was doing in that kid's house? I mean I love Hawkeye but why was he undressed in a teenage boys house?

Now if it was a girl's house, makes perfect sense lol

[MIKESOWELL]

@KHayes666 Maybe he's his mentor? 

[timeroosh]

Atari had the greatest computers, and don't forget Sega. Sega also had a few computers as well. Too bad I use complicated software, otherwise I would only have an od school Atari for all my computing needs.

Oh well, maybe when I etire, I'll retreat to the old school.

[mccarrpo]

That fat kid's acting career never really went anywhere after this commercial. This was probably the height of his acting career. No oscar or emmy, just a lame ass commercial that is only shown on You-Tube.

[fjccommish]

@mccarrpo The "fat kid's" name is Brad Pitt.

[simonwedege]

256 colors... Didn't Bill Gates at some point say that colors were useless on a computer? :-D

[ferociousgumby]

I used to find these ads VERY intimidating. I was struggling along trying to learn basics, completely on my own. My first computer was a Tandy (called Jessica, get it?), and I used her and used her until one day she just collapsed like an old cart horse. She had a daisy-wheel printer and used that cool paper with the holes on the sides (and you had to pull it apart and it was all circular like gift wrap - not as bad as fax paper however - FAXING - and dial-up, not being able to use the phone -

[TheDutchGame]

What a nerd.

[MattTheSaiyan]

Atari's range of home computers are underrated! Commodore, Apple and Sinclair are nice, but that's no reason to forget Atari made computers too!

[njllllljon]

Its my birthday! ...not...but one of these would be nice....