In 1982 Atari introduced a new replacement computer to its aging Atari 400/800 line.    The new system brought to Atari's computers a high-tech sleek low profile modern look.    The system also brought with it probably "THE" best keyboard for any Atari system.    The system featured new bells & whistles such as a built-in HELP key that programmers could add into future programs for on-line help.   4 Function keys were also added for custom programming by users or for inclusion of functions into future software packages, they would even be of benefit to programmers who needed macro's created for programming.    The cartridge port was located on the left side of the unit as well as the joystick ports and power switch, all other cabling came from the rear of the system, a benefit over the older 400/800 computers.   Then came some of the downsides: Atari system did away with 2 of the joystick ports since Atari deemed them unnecessary and wanted to use them for other internal functions.   The system had a fuzzier display then the Atari 800, the system had no provisions whatsoever for expansion of memory or external access to the system bus, this alone was a major minus to the system.   Even the most basic computer user wanted the ability to easily upgrade and modify their computers and this closed box design was not well received.    The system came with 64K, but the user could still only access roughly 31K once DOS and BASIC were running.   The extra memory was only for the built-in Diagnostics for the most part.     Then came two of the more criticized features of the 1200XL, it was incompatible with a large amount of software, even software written by Atari itself.  Adding to this incompatibility was the fact that the new cartridge port could not accept certain cartridges.    The second and most criticized part of the 1200XL was its closed box design, with no expansion capabilities whatsoever for memory, video and any other future possibilities the 1200XL just wasn't what consumers wanted.   Atari's new prodigy became its "Edsil", it was a marketing failure.     The introduction of the new 1200XL actually increased sales of the Atari 800.   Users began to buy 800's in fear that they would be stuck with a closed and incompatible system.
 

HISTORICAL NOTE:

        The Atari "1000" Series which is what the Atari 1200XL represents was originally intended by Atari's new computer division management to be an "Information Appliance", a closed box that Atari could sell like "popcorn" according to one inside Atari engineer.    Atari engineers in the computer division were eager to begin work on more high-end computers and wanted to do an open bus system and also to do what they called a "Memory Expander" for the Atari 800 series, giving it not only 256K, but the ability to fully access all that memory.   This whole idea was shot down by Atari's computer management, they didn't want to sell hobbyist systems, but consumer products and they felt the 1200XL was what the consumer wanted.   After the 1200XL's immediate failure, Atari's Home Computer management quickly rethought their positions and immediate replacements for the 1200XL were quickly designed by Gregg Squires in the WCI NY Atari lab and engineers in the Sunnyvale.   The new XL computer systems were called the 600 & 800 XL series.   A line of higher end XL computers called the 1400XL and 1450XLD were planned, however during a change in management at the top level in September of 1983, James Morgan, Atari's new CEO deemed the 1400XL and 1450XLD to not really bring anything new to the consumer that they couldn't already get by buying individual Atari computer components.   The Atari 1400XL was canceled, the 1450XLD was temporarily canceled but resumed.   An IBM clone system called the 1600XL was also canceled.