Even in the relatively primitive days of early video game consoles like the Atari VCS, there have always been promises that these machines could be turned into bona fide computers. These promises transformed the ColecoVision into the Adam computer, and landed Mattel Electronics in hot water for not delivering a promised Intellivision computer peripheral on time. For the Atari VCS, however, there were no fewer than three accessories that could supposedly turn the machine into a personal computer, and Spectravideo's Compumate was one of them.
Connecting to the Atari VCS cartridge slot, the Compumate is a keyboard with several built-in functions, including a drawing program, a rudimentary BASIC programming language, and a music program. Compared to the other Atari VCS computer-in-a-box attempts (Atari's own Graduate keyboard and the Color Piggyback Computer by Entex), Compumate sported a sleek, futuristic appearance thanks to its flat membrane keyboard (similar to that of the Odyssey 2), but sensitivity was an issue for the BASIC programming applications that required a lot of typing). No further expansions or applications were released for the Compumate after its initial release -- and the Atari VCS still never really made the jump to personal computer.