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Extremely rare Atari 1400XL prototype, measuring approximately 14.75˝ x 12.5˝ x 2.75˝, featuring a piece of masking tape affixed to the rear, marked "3." The computer is in pristine cosmetic condition and includes form-fitting styrofoam packaging material from an Atari 1200, marked "2," "Failed" [struck through], and "Long-term storage." The unit is untested but appears complete, with marked ports on the side for two controllers, and unmarked ports on the rear for power in, peripheral, expansion connector, phone, line, monitor, channel switch, and switch box. The computer boasts a built-in standard QWERTY keyboard, with function buttons and an "Atari 1400XL" badge above.
The Atari 1400XL was introduced by Atari, Inc. alongside the 600XL, 800XL, and 1450XLD at the June 1983 Summer Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, but was ultimately never released—making any surviving examples, all of which are considered prototypes, extremely rare. The computer was a more advanced version of the 800XL, offering the same sound and graphics capabilities plus a built-in 300 baud modem with ModemLink software and a built-in speech synthesizer (Votrax SC-01).
This example originates from the collection of West Shell, former Director of Marketing at Atari. He writes: "From 1983 to 1985, I served as Director of Marketing for Atari, where I was responsible for launching 17 top video games, including Ms. Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Mario Bros, Joust, Pole Position, Centipede, Millipede, and many others. I also oversaw the marketing of the Atari 5200 and the ill-fated launch of the Atari 7800 Pro system.
In July 1984, Jack Tramiel and his rag-tag team from Commodore, acquired Atari from Time Warner for essentially cheap warrants. At its peak in 1982, the company had 12,000 employees, but after massive layoffs, that number had dwindled to just 1,400 (NEWCO Atari)—and within 2 weeks after Tramiel arrived fewer than 200. During this short turbulent period, I was tasked with running both the video game and computer divisions.
The Atari 1400XL was meant to be a flagship product that would help restore the company’s greatness. However, it was never officially launched. Tramiel, who built his reputation selling low-cost computers like the Commodore 64 “by the pound,” failed to grasp the shift toward more advanced consumer electronics, particularly the revolution sparked by the Apple Macintosh. He underestimated the growing importance of superior graphics, powerful computing capabilities, and high-end user interfaces—ultimately driving Atari into decline.
This particular 1400XL was given to me by senior management as a token of appreciation for staying with the company through those challenging times. It has never been used and remains a pristine example of cutting-edge computer science from the early days of Silicon Valley."
