Starflight: How the PC and DOS Exploded Computer Gaming 1987-1994
No one saw it coming. At its launch in 1981, IBM’s original Personal Computer was an expensive business machine—not a gaming behemoth of the kind you saw from Apple, Atari, Commodore, and Tandy. But by 1990, the PC had trampled all its competitors and become the gaming juggernaut it remains to this day.
Attract Mode: The Rise and Fall of Coin-Op Arcade Games
From their haunts in the shadowy corner of a bar, front and center at a convenience store, or reigning over a massive mall installation bursting with light, sound, and action, arcade games have been thrilling and addicting quarter-bearers of all ages ever since Pong first lit up its paddles.
Faster Than Light: The Atari ST and the 16-Bit Revolution
“Power Without the Price.” Every Atari fan remembers that slogan from the 1980s as the rallying cry for 16-bit computing in the form of the Atari ST. This groundbreaking computer brought previously unimagined power to the home user for the first time—and transformed an industry or two along the way.
Adventure: The Atari 2600 at the Dawn of Console Gaming
The sprawl of Adventure. The addictiveness of Breakout. The intensity of Space Invaders. Once upon a time, you could only experience this kind of excitement at the arcade. But in 1977 that changed forever. You, and maybe a friend or a sibling, could instantly teleport from your own living room to a dazzling new world—with nothing more than a small plastic cartridge.
Breakout: How Atari 8-Bit Computers Defined a Generation
Atari 8-bit computers are the first machines that truly bridged the divide between video game players and home computer enthusiasts. The Atari 400 and 800 signaled the start of a new era in computing. Breakout: How Atari 8-Bit Computers Defined a Generation is the first book to cover what made Atari’s groundbreaking computer line great.
Bio
Jamie Lendino
Jamie Lendino is an author, editor, mix engineer, and technology enthusiast. In addition to his books about vintage computers and video games, he has written for PCMag, ExtremeTech, Popular Science, Electronic Musician, Consumer Reports, Sound and Vision, and CNET. Jamie has also appeared on CNBC, NPR’s All Things Considered, and other television and radio programs across the United States. He lives with his wife, daughter, and two bonkers cats in Collingswood, New Jersey.