The Longest Project Ever to Run in MAKE Magazine

Atari 2600PC from MAKE Volume 02

Atari 2600PC from MAKE Volume 02

Atari 2600PC from MAKE Volume 02

Out of the 30 volumes of MAKE we’ve produced over the years, which project holds the record for taking up the most number of pages? The Atari 2600PC by Joe Grand, which spanned a jaw-dropping 35 pages back in Volume 02 (2005). Having worked on MAKE since the beginning, this project is legendary in my mind. Why did Joe decide to build it?

From his intro:

From an engineering perspective, the design of the Atari 2600 hardware is both simple and complex — yin and yang, so to speak — and it has enticed me for many years. The goal of this project is to cram a full-featured PC system into a retro Atari 2600 videogame case. Not only is this a real challenge, but it’s extremely rewarding. Since I want to retain as much of the original look and feel of the Atari system as I can, I will be using part of the original Atari circuitry and the original game controllers.

Wanna check it out? Here’s a PDF of the full project for your viewing pleasure.

We still have some copies of Volume 02 in the Shed if you need them for your collection.

MAKE Volume 02

4 thoughts on “The Longest Project Ever to Run in MAKE Magazine

  1. MAKE | 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things About Joe Grand says:

    […] San Francisco-based electrical engineer Joe Grand has spent the last two decades finding security flaws in hardware devices and educating engineers on how to increase the security of their designs. He specializes in inventing, designing, and licensing products and modules for electronics hobbyists. Joe has been on the MAKE technical advisory board since the first issue, and is the author of the longest project (35 pages) to ever run on the pages of MAKE: the Atari 2600PC. […]

  2. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things About Joe Grand - IT Clips says:

    […] San Francisco-based electrical engineer Joe Grand has spent the last two decades finding security flaws in hardware devices and educating engineers on how to increase the security of their designs. He specializes in inventing, designing, and licensing products and modules for electronics hobbyists. Joe has been on the MAKE technical advisory board since the first issue, and is the author of the longest project (35 pages) to ever run on the pages of MAKE: the Atari 2600PC. […]

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I'm a word nerd who loves to geek out on how emerging technology affects the lexicon. I was an editor on the first 40 volumes of MAKE, and I love shining light on the incredible makers in our community. In particular, covering art is my passion — after all, art is the first thing most of us ever made. When not fawning over perfect word choices, I can be found on the nearest mountain, looking for untouched powder fields and ideal alpine lakes.

Contact me at snowgoli@gmail.com or via @snowgoli.

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