Atari 65XE

The Atari 65XE, launched in 1985, gave the long-running 8-bit range a fashionable new look, restyled to echo the sleek, angular lines of the brand-new 16-bit Atari ST. The clothes were new, but underneath sat the same proven, capable 8-bit architecture that had served Atari so well.

The XE range repositioned that veteran platform as a budget option, keeping it alive and selling a little further into an era increasingly dominated by 16-bit machines. It was a sensible way to wring more value from a mature design while the world's attention turned to flashier hardware.

For loyal Atari users it offered an affordable, smartly styled route into a deep back catalogue of games and software. The 65XE was never going to set the world alight, but it carried the 8-bit torch with dignity into the late 1980s, a familiar friend in fresh packaging.