What's the coolest new thing that you've found for the Atari?

[Stefan Both]

Well, the german community is not so strictly separated

as it may appear. I guess, the developer is member of abbuc too.

Most of the commodore fans are at least visitors of the abbuc

forum.

I can not explain, why the 'Forum64' got such a wide range of

other 'computers devisions'. It just happened over the years,

when other sites/forums gave up.

The founder was a friend of mine. He retired two years ago.

(healthy reasons).

 

Stefan

[pixelmischief]

The coolest "new" thing I've found for the Atari is just how much I like the "old" things. I've had all the gadgets: Ultimate 1MB, VBXE, Antonia, Sophia, SIO2SD, MyIDE II, Ultimate Cart, etc., etc., etc. Recently, however, I started feeling a little bored with it all; apathetic. I had to spend some time in sober reflection about what it is I really wanted from my retro experience. I came up with three things that make the retro experience satisfying for me: physical interactivity, slow pace, low complexity. I realized that I had lost those things amidst the modern improvements that offer the always-on, on-demand, all-of-everything experience. So, I dialed everything back to just a stock 130XE and a stock XF551. And, except for the unavoidable convenience of an SIO2SD to transfer images back to 5 1/4" floppy, I have gotten back to the basics. I love duplicating a floppy using Disk Wizard II. I love loading a file game from MyDOS. The beep and patter of it all simply sooth me. I know that the harsh ring of a lightning-fast SIO2SD is impressive. But for me - for the reasons I am there - it just can't give me what I need.

[Gunstar]

The coolest "new" thing I've found for the Atari is just how much I like the "old" things. I've had all the gadgets: Ultimate 1MB, VBXE, Antonia, Sophia, SIO2SD, MyIDE II, Ultimate Cart, etc., etc., etc. Recently, however, I started feeling a little bored with it all; apathetic. I had to spend some time in sober reflection about what it is I really wanted from my retro experience. I came up with three things that make the retro experience satisfying for me: physical interactivity, slow pace, low complexity. I realized that I had lost those things amidst the modern improvements that offer the always-on, on-demand, all-of-everything experience. So, I dialed everything back to just a stock 130XE and a stock XF551. And, except for the unavoidable convenience of an SIO2SD to transfer images back to 5 1/4" floppy, I have gotten back to the basics. I love duplicating a floppy using Disk Wizard II. I love loading a file game from MyDOS. The beep and patter of it all simply sooth me. I know that the harsh ring of a lightning-fast SIO2SD is impressive. But for me - for the reasons I am there - it just can't give me what I need.

Exactly, right on mate! For me, there is no nostalgic Atari experience without the hardware, if my hardware is ever lost to me, my hobby ends, I have no use for emulation. The experience of it all is two parts that cannot be separated from my experience, the actual physical hardware, and then the software to use it. Once the hardware is gone, the software means little more to me than software on any system, vintage or new. I know for some it's all about the software, and emulators are fine for them, but for me hardware and software go hand-in-hand for my experience and joy.

 

So while I totally like all the new hardware which expands my experience, and can make it faster when I wish, my experience still MUST include ALL the hardware, the tape decks and drives and printers and all other peripherals, I have just as much fun using my 1010 tape deck, the waiting as much a part of the nostalgic experience as pressing the 1010's buttons and inserting and ejecting real tapes, and all the tactile feedback and experience with it all. Just like how in the movie Star Trek First Contact, where Picard just had to touch the first ever warp-drive ship physically, to get a full appreciation for it, so too, I must touch and use and enjoy all the vintage hardware too. Without the hardware, the rest leaves me as flat as a pancake nostalgically.

 

I need the real computer, real disk drive, real tapes, real floppy disks, or the vast majority of my hobby is lost, to the point of not hardly caring. I doubt I'll ever use emulation as more than a tool to help enhance my experience with the real hardware, like pitting two Chess games against each other, one on emulation, the other on my Atari, or just using it to check out something real quick without transferring it to tape or disk for my real Atari. But emulation alone other than a tool for my real hardware just like a disk drive or SIO2SD drive? No thanks.

 

I don't expect all Atari fans to be like me, for some, it is only the software that brings them back, emulated or not, but for me, a tinkerer of hardware, I have to have the real, physical machines to use the software or I don't care.

Edited July 9, 2018 by Gunstar

[manterola]

The two things that got me back to the Atari 8-bits where:

The real hardware: I really love to see a 600xl with a 1050 beside it. Then you can unscrew the 600xl and see the chips with the atari name and year (like 1981) printed on them, and finally hearing the 1050 sounds purrs and burps (sorry, sometimes sound like that). I have never has the opportunity to have anything from the XL line, but I always wanted to. So now just having the opportunity to play

with it and see the great design of the XL line it is just great. So I totally agree with pixelmischief and Gunstar. However, it is really convenient, for example, to be checking this forum with my smartphone and then in less than 10 second, have my real computer boot a new game posted (via SIO2BT), or tried Diamond OS, sparta or just play frogger, by inserting the UnoCart.

 

The second thing: It it like a dream to pick the soldering iron, the wire cutter and a breadboard and do something that work (or talk) with the Atari. That has become my favorite hobby.

Edited July 9, 2018 by manterola

[adam242]

Personally, I don't see myself living long enough to worry about having only emulators (assuming that the same people who make and update emulators will still be around to do it many years in the future-for the latest "PC's" of that day to come), My real Atari has made it 36 years so far, and with my care, hopefully another 30 or until the end of my life, which ever comes first. But my point is, most of us are already 40 or 50 something years old, with probably less days ahead than there are behind us. And after we are gone, I think even emulators will just be museum pieces or a foot-note in history and virtually no one will care after our generation (mostly gen X's) are gone. How many of our generation have hobby pursuits from the generation previous to us? Emulation, just like original hardware, is for here and now, there is no future beyond us; Millennial's will be worried about preserving and emulating machines of their youth, like Xbox's and Playstations, not our crusty old 8-bits. Our generation and hobbies will be forgotten, just like our parent's generation and all the old HAM-radio hobbyists that are dead and gone and the old radio-sets merely museum pieces today, those that have survived.

 

Well said. I can't literally say I 'like' this post because I find it a bit depressing, but I think you're right on. I don't expect my nonexistant grandchildren to have any interest in this era of home computing. Witness the number of times a new member will appear on AtariAge, and their first post will read basically like this:

 

"Hi there! I found this bunch of stuff in my father's/ grandfather's/ uncle's attic/ garage/ storage unit after he passed away and was hoping you guys could help me get an idea what it's all worth so I can triple your numbers and make a fortune on eBay. Thanks in advance!"

 

 

So while I totally like all the new hardware which expands my experience, and can make it faster when I wish, my experience still MUST include ALL the hardware, the tape decks and drives and printers and all other peripherals, I have just as much fun using my 1010 tape deck, the waiting as much a part of the nostalgic experience as pressing the 1010's buttons and inserting and ejecting real tapes, and all the tactile feedback and experience with it all. Just like how in the movie Star Trek First Contact, where Picard just had to touch the first ever warp-drive ship physically, to get a full appreciation for it, so too, I must touch and use and enjoy all the vintage hardware too. Without the hardware, the rest leaves me as flat as a pancake nostalgically.

 

I need the real computer, real disk drive, real tapes, real floppy disks, or the vast majority of my hobby is lost, to the point of not hardly caring.

 

Don't forget a proper CRT monitor. The gentle glowing phosphors, visible scanlines and artifact colors are a big part of the experience.

[+DrVenkman]

The second thing: It it like a dream to pick the soldering iron, the wire cutter and a breadboard and do something that work (or talk) with the Atari. That has become my favorite hobby.

 

This is a big part of the whole "retro" experience for me lately as well. My most rewarding hobbyist accomplishments in the last few years have all involved digging in with a soldering iron, removing and parts and rescuing old machines that were discarded as "broken." And having the opportunity to build up a working modern version of the classic A8 computer platform from a bare PCB has been amazing.

[kiwilove]

Maybe one day an organisation will come together under a 'Donate an Atari' slogan - in which broken Atari's are sent to - and they become recycled back into working hardware - and new homes are given to - that people can have them (these rebuilt machines) - and they just donate what they can - and when they become neglected get sent back - for new owners/users to enjoy.

And on the flip side - new software will be created - that eventually the most wanted missing titles will eventually be made. Though some titles may remain - Missing Not in Action - or Missing Work in Progress - in which a demo of it - remains just that - unfinished and never completed...

 

Emulators do play their part - proving particularly useful for development purposes - or simply to educate the Android tablet generation - the living history of the Atari 400/800 etc hardware - that these videogames remain playable and fun - just like they did back in the day.

 

Harvey

[+Nezgar]

The real hardware: I really love to see a 600xl with a 1050 beside it. Then you can unscrew the 600xl and see the chips with the atari name and year (like 1981) printed on them, and finally hearing the 1050 sounds purrs and burps (sorry, sometimes sound like that).

Hehe, but the 1050 always purrs compared to the 810... I've been able to 'muffle' most 1050's with lubrication and adjustments, but the darned 810 is just a noisy beast. Noisy motor, and don't try to read a disk with a bad sector or without a disk inserted.

[+Nezgar]

 

The second thing: It it like a dream to pick the soldering iron, the wire cutter and a breadboard and do something that work (or talk) with the Atari. That has become my favorite hobby.

This resonates with me.. I have memories as a teenager in high school fascinated watching my dad just pick up a soldering iron, and wire wrap wire and go at upgrading his, and later my own 130XE with switchable OS, 320K RAM, led indicator lights, and upgrading our happy and us doubler drives with write protect switches, and bi-colour led just by following his 'book' of mods. This always inspired me and kept me interested in soldering type jobs.

 

it's been neat all these years later finally re-tracing his footsteps so to speak, re-creating these mods in atari's myself. Buring the eproms, putting in switches and such. He even handed off to me his collection of old switches of various types scavenged from old telco equipment back in the day, and wire wrap wire. Back when apparently he could scavenge 6810 SRAM chips from electronic phones that were being decomissioned, that he used to homebrew my USDoubler

 

Been fun learning all the soldering tips here and on various youtube videos, slowly adding mods to my real hardware that I would have loved to have back in the day... stereo sound especially!

[pixelmischief]

it's been neat all these years later finally re-tracing his footsteps so to speak...

 

This. So dearly, this.

[manterola]

The two things that got me back to the Atari 8-bits where:

The real hardware: I really love to see a 600xl with a 1050 beside it.

 

This picture is not a 600XL, it is from the 1050 user guide. I really think the beauty of these machines is beyond Apple ones and obviously superior to any IBM clone

Edited July 10, 2018 by manterola

[+x=usr(1536)]

 

This picture is not a 600XL, it is from the 1050 user guide. I really think the beauty of these machines is beyond Apple ones and obviously superior to any IBM clone

 

This photo was the exact one that sprang to mind for me when Microsoft heralded Plug & Play as one of Windows 95's selling points. We'd been doing this for 16 years by then; it honestly made me laugh when I heard about it.

 

Note that I'd been using Windows 3.1 for a couple of years by then, so I get how much of an advancement it was in that context - but I do have to admit to feeling slightly smug about having a sense of 'been there, done that' over the concept

[+Nezgar]

 

This photo was the exact one that sprang to mind for me when Microsoft heralded Plug & Play as one of Windows 95's selling points. We'd been doing this for 16 years by then; it honestly made me laugh when I heard about it.

 

Especially for the case of the 850 and P:R:Connection, where the handler would download from the device itself! Were there any other peripherals that did something like this?

 

The only remotely similar thing I can think of was similar trick used by the Speedy 1050 to either boot a sector copier or BiboDOS when no disk was present, or Turbo 1050 where it would load a high-speed disk handler with no disk present, but that's really just booting virtual disks, not loading a handler.

Edited July 11, 2018 by Nezgar

[+DrVenkman]

 

Especially for the case of the 850 and P:R:Connection, where the handler would download from the device itself! Were there any other peripherals that did something like this?

 

The T: handler for the 1030 modem did the same, as I recall.

[80s_Atari_Guy]

 

 

or simply to educate the Android tablet generation - the living history of the Atari 400/800 etc hardware - that these videogames remain playable and fun - just like they did back in the day.

 

But it doesn't educate them of the following.

Memories.

The feel and feedback you get from real hardware.

The feel of using the joysticks we were using.

The feel of the keyboard.

What is inside the machine, and plugging in a 1010/1050, or a cartridge.

 

Most teens I know think the tablet itself is running the game, natively, not a software emulator. If you try to explain what Altirra is actually doing, they look at me as if I'm talking in Chinese. They have no idea what a 6502 is, Pokey, a PIA, or Antic. Most simply don't care. I have even been asked if a 6502 is a early Intel CPU, and how many cores did it have.

If my mate sits his own kids down infront of a CRT, a C64 or Atari 800XL, a 1010 or a 1050, a Competition Pro joystick, and sits in the background watching them. They are fascinated by the hardware. He has to intervene, now and then, because they need to be told how to load a tape or disk, but they learn quick and are soon doing it all on their own. Back in the 80s, both me and my mate typed in a Vic-20 game called City Crusher. So last November, we setup a Vic-20 and a sd2iec and got them to load up the game we typed out back in the early 80s. They loved it, and had to keep playing until they landed the plane. When we sat round a table for some lunch, his kids were buzzing. They kept saying, "Did you really make that game from a magazine?" - I don't think they quite understood what, typing out a listing, actually meant. But the connection they made had me and my mate close to tears. They don't even mind the time it takes to load a tape because they either watch the visual border effects you get from a tape loading, or they read the tape inlay.

[Gunstar]

The coolest thing I've "found" for my Atari recently is my California Access CA-2001 disk drive, an Indus GT clone with CP/M ability built in, a great substitute for an ATR-8000 that I've never been able to afford. The CA-2001 only cost me about $200 (thanks to Brenski's "Atari friend" discount, whom I bought it from), ATR-8000's I've seen go for much, much more. Of course it was discolored and ugly looking, so I painted it to match the rest of my XL system.

 

http://atari.boards.net/thread/2282/california-access-ca2001-super-general

Edited July 11, 2018 by Gunstar

[256 colors]

Community and very helpful people

Blaster never knew there was prototype for the 8 bit

 

Most uncool thing about Atari sometime selfish greedy eBay pricks with over inflated prices for common as muck Atari items

[80s_Atari_Guy]

 

Most uncool thing about Atari sometime selfish greedy eBay pricks with over inflated prices for common as muck Atari items

 

Yep. Particularly Atari (And C64) Disk-based games. I see, even now, C64 disk games going for hundreds of pounds, 2 - 3x the price of the actual hardware. I regularly see Atari disk games go for anything upto £100 ($132). Nuts.

Stick "Rare", after everything, and you can magically inflate the price.

 

And, I still don't get why Secam Rose motherboards go for much higher prices than a normal atari board. What do they do different from a normal regular board ?

[Gunstar]

 

Yep. Particularly Atari (And C64) Disk-based games. I see, even now, C64 disk games going for hundreds of pounds, 2 - 3x the price of the actual hardware. I regularly see Atari disk games go for anything upto £100 ($132). Nuts.

Stick "Rare", after everything, and you can magically inflate the price.

 

And, I still don't get why Secam Rose motherboards go for much higher prices than a normal atari board. What do they do different from a normal regular board ?

I agree, it's insane. I stopped collecting for my Jaguar and started collecting more for my 8-bit because Jaguar pricing became insane, now the same thing is happening to 8-bits! I know this stuff is getting older, some even on the verge of antique status, but the inflation is still far beyond what it should be, there isn't enough demand to warrant this ridiculous pricing!

 

I've been wanting to collect original Infocom games, but the Atari versions prices are insane, so I've started buying the IBM PC versions for a fraction of the cost, then re-formatting the disks and writing the Atari versions to them, that way I get all the original boxes and manuals, and even disks with proper labels for a fraction of the cost. I don't care if the box has an IBM sticker on it!

Edited July 11, 2018 by Gunstar

[80s_Atari_Guy]

Back in the spring, I saw a Atari disk version of Koronis Rift going for £75 (about $100), and the pictures clearly showed lots of mould on the disk. When I asked him if it worked, he said he didn't know - i.e. He tested it, it didn't work, so he pretends not to understand what he has. It reminds me of THE most annoying ebay thing, and that is this. "Untested". Because, untested means it didn't work. Also, "I lost the power supply", or "I lost the tv cables". Some are genuine, because they move into a house and find these things left in the roof space.

 

I suspect most here are clued up now on what to spot. But there are many who are now just getting back into retro, and it's these I feel sorry for.

 

Another annoying thing being sold on ebay is this. Empty Boxes. I see empty boxes from systems that, a few years ago, came with everything - Box, System, PSU, Cables, Games. Not today. I wouldn't mind if the prices were what they should be, but they're mental prices.

Just as a example, look at this listing, it's just nuts.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nintendo-Game-Boy-Advance-SP-Tribal-Limited-Edition-Silver-Empty-Box/332716787703?epid=110620675&hash=item4d777747f7:g:i9gAAOSwWV9bRdTq

 

I can't believe they actually have the balls to post that. Hopefully, nobody pays that for a empty box. I got my tribal for half that, boxed, and with the manuals, charger, and the SP.

 

 

 

I've been wanting to collect original Infocom games, but the Atari versions prices are insane

 

Ha, yes, same here. I want them on Disk, but the prices are nuts. I have nearly 50 disks, and some of mine go for absolutely mental prices, especially the Datasoft/ USGold Disk titles.

Edited July 11, 2018 by 80s_Atari_Guy

[xrbrevin]

The CA-2001 in XL colours looks great!

[pixelmischief]

I can understand the outrage over price. I really can. But the reality is that the fair market price of anything is what another is willing to pay for it. People set these prices with the hopes of selling them at that price. There must be some evidence to make them believe that is a realistic proposition. And, if not, they don't sell. That's called fair market.

[256 colors]

Just pure outright greed

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-M-U-L-E-Atari-400-800-Disk-Game-SEALED-Rare-NOT-FOR-RESALE-Version-mule/141743317022?epid=56258869&hash=item21008f601e:g:7fMAAOSwDNdVysS6

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M-U-L-E-MULE-EA-album-box-BOX-ONLY-Atari-400-800-XL-XE-XEGS-computer/401563055366?hash=item5d7f05f506:g:ZxsAAOSwi3tbFgGD

[_The Doctor__]

Nope there is a concerted effort and price fixing that goes on, which by the way in some countries there are laws against....

terapeak and ebay have an unholy alliance in that respect. That is why I try to deal directly with your everyday Atarian. I don't subscribe to the belief that anything a person does is fair if the other person submits to it. Have you seen the number of fake sales to get the prices up?

Many people are misled in this day and age also, yet you hear the he was willing to pay for it arguments.. you know that prototype that isn't one at all but rather a reproduction of a prototype... or the serial number claims that if you know anything about how the serial numbers are set up, really aren't early at all etc.

That's just the tip of what people do in order to part good unknowing people from their money. There are good sellers on ebay... but they are far and few between. After the endless tutorials on how to swindle on ebay were printed and sold on television and web sites such as ebay itself... there is little on ebay anymore... but you sure can get stuff from China for cheap... though if you Ali Baba it may be cheaper still....

 

Your best bet is to buy from good people, thrift stores, message boards, yard sales, flea markets, cork boards in shops, stores, laundromats, miscellaneous papers etc.... like local are rags and treasure hunt leaflet style sale and swap books....you know the things that list yard sales, community and church sales. estate sales, with buy and sell adds for everything....

 

ebay = shark tank.... conversely, there are some good sellers that will use it as a way to get customers to their own websites or shops though... you buy something and the info is in the box with the product when it arrives

Edited July 11, 2018 by _The Doctor__

[Gunstar]

 

Your best bet is to buy from good people, thrift stores, message boards, yard sales, flea markets, cork boards in shops, stores, laundromats, miscellaneous papers etc.... like local are rags and treasure hunt leaflet style sale and swap books....you know the things that list yard sales, community and church sales. estate sales, with buy and sell adds for everything....

 

 

This is a good idea in concept, unfortunately you find very little in the way of vintage electronics at any of these places anymore, because most people know they can sell it on ebay for much more. Even goodwills and thrift stores I used to find deals at have started pricing stuff according to what they sell for on ebay. "Thrift" is a misnomer anymore, especiallly with electronics and tools.