Atari Lynx
Prototypes/Vaporware

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I've had a hard time digging up prototype/vaporware equipment for the Lynx line.  I have found a few things, however, and they are listed below.

Lynx Joypad Prototype - For a period of time, Atari was considering making a removable plastic joystick that would screw into the center of the Lynx joypad.  If you look at the photo above, you will see that this Lynx prototype unit has a hole on the center of the joypad.   The joystick would have went in that hole.

Needless to say, Atari scrapped the idea, and it was never used on either the Lynx, or Lynx II units.

"Handy" Specifications/Programming manuals - Not exactly a prototype, but interesting nonetheless.  Originally, the Lynx was called "Handy."  This was the name that Epyx used while developing the unit.  The photos above show the specifications & programming manuals that were sent to developers that were interested in making games for the Lynx.

The pictures are kind of small, but if you look closely at the top line of text, and the center line of text in the top photo, you can see that this is one of the first printings of this manual, as Atari referres to the unit as the "Lynx," AND "Handy."   

This manual was part of the Lynx development kit.  It has 275 pages, and weights approx. 3 pounds.

"Howard" and "Howdy" -- The Lynx Development and Testing System - Underneath the mess of dust and wires in both photos are two important devices.  "Howard" was used for development and testing of Lynx games.  "Howard" was essentially a Lynx contained inside a PC case.

The preferred development device for the Lynx was the Commodore Amiga 2000.  (I'm sure that Atari just LOVED to do development work for Atari products on an Amiga.)  I'm sure that the Amiga was used because the two engineers that designed the Lynx were also on the Amiga design team.  The first blue cable on "Howard" is a data cable that interfaced directly with the Amiga.  

The second cable connects to what appears to be a Lynx unit.   In fact, it was not a Lynx at all.  It was the "Howdy" device.   "Howdy" was nothing more than a Lynx screen and some fire buttons.   All of the typical Lynx electronic guts had been removed from "Howdy," and replaced with a single board to connect the joypad, buttons, and screen to the "Howard."

In order to do playtesting, game code was written and compiled on the Amiga.  It would be downloaded and run directly from "Howard" using "Howdy" for the screen and fire buttons.