Spectravideo’s Compumate Turns Your Atari 2600 Into a Computer

In the realm of suburban high tech, we find the Compumate, a device that stirred my youthful imagination. Armed with a membrane keyboard and furnished with a phone jack for compatibility with a standard tape connector, the Compumate was a curious addition to the technological landscape of its time. Was it a marvel of engineering? Not exactly. Yet, despite its limitations, I couldn't shake the desire to own one, primarily driven by the allure of the captivating DRAW program it housed.

Ah, the DRAW program! Its siren call beckoned with promises of creative expression. With this program at my disposal, I envisioned myself wielding a digital brush to craft masterpieces. While the animation capabilities were rudimentary, allowing a mere nine frames to cycle through, my youthful ambition soared as I daydreamed of becoming the next Walt Disney, capturing the hearts of audiences with my pixelated visions.

To provide a glimpse of the Compumate's capabilities, I offer this video. It showcases the device in action, unveiling its modest potential and hinting at the exciting possibilities it held for creative minds of the era. The Compumate may not have been a technological marvel, but it remains a nostalgic symbol of a bygone era, when the allure of even the simplest digital tools could kindle boundless inspiration and aspiration.