krisjohn Posted July 29, 2002 Share Posted July 29, 2002 Is the Warp+ OS upgrade compatible with the XEGS? Also, what are people's thoughts on APE? The software looks interesting, but I'm worried about the price in two places -- the cable and the 98 vs XP split. Over A$100 for the serial cable is mighty expensive. Also, while I have an aging Win98SE system at the moment, I'm looking at building up an XP system in the near future. So, if I get something now, the upgrade later will cost another A$60. Because of excessive shipping costs from the US to Australia, I'd be wanting to get a bundle of useful stuff all at the same time, but APE, plus cable, plus Warp+ will cost A$300 - A$360 (depending on what I do about my pending OS upgrade). Any thoughts? Any alternatives? Since APE + cable will cost at least US$95, I'd be just as interested if someone has a USB 5.25" floppy drive designed to read and write 8-bit formatted floppies (especially if it can do C64 as well). TIA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oesii Posted July 29, 2002 Share Posted July 29, 2002 I've never used the APE software so someone with more experience may be able to tell us why its better than the SIO2PC program that I use which I think works great and is a lot cheaper. The serial cable can be had on ebay or directly from a trustworthy atari dealer in Poland who ships worldwide. The cable is usually $12-20 US and its called a sio2pc cable. The software by Nick Kennedy is unrestriced/non-crippled shareware which I think does everything that you could want in a PC-Atari program. So you are looking at a much smaller $ investment. If you are attached to Windows98, then you are in luck as sio2pc is a dos program that runs especially well if you boot to dos and I've gotten it to work from Windows98. Of course because I use it so much for my atari I have a old P133 dedicated to running dos and sio2pc. If you need some links or more information let me know and I can write them out. Sorry I don't know about the Warp OS for the xegs even though I have one. -O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisjohn Posted July 29, 2002 Author Share Posted July 29, 2002 This is the guy? http://strony.wp.pl/wp/j131atari/ And this is the software? http://www.tcainternet.com/wa5bdu/sio2pc.htm Prices sure do look more sane. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oesii Posted July 29, 2002 Share Posted July 29, 2002 This is the guy? http://strony.wp.pl/wp/j131atari/ And this is the software? http://www.tcainternet.com/wa5bdu/sio2pc.htm Prices sure do look more sane. Thanks. Exactly right on the links. He has excellent Ebay feedback and you can also search the atari.8bit newsgroup for good references. I ordered a cable from him last year and it arrived in the US in about 4 days, faster than most domestic ebayers. It has performed flawlessly. Again, you may want more information on the benefits of Ape vs. Sio2pc, the only one I can think of offhand is that Ape will work natively in XP and other windows versions. But you mentioned getting a new computer and a good option would be to keep your old computer or even an inexpensive 486 running DOS to run with your Atari computer. And finally, the sio2pc cable works both with Ape and sio2pc so you can always get that first and then decide on what software to use. good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEBRO Posted July 29, 2002 Share Posted July 29, 2002 So what's wrong with using http://www.horus.com/~hias/atari/ and a 5.25 floppy drive (if you still have one )? I've never used it but wondered if anyone here has tried it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oesii Posted July 29, 2002 Share Posted July 29, 2002 So what's wrong with using http://www.horus.com/~hias/atari/ and a 5.25 floppy drive (if you still have one )? I've never used it but wondered if anyone here has tried it. I don't think there's anything wrong with using that if you have a real floppy drive and want to go back to 5.25 disks but once you've aped or sio2pc it's hard to go back Nothing beats having practically everything that has ever been put out for the atari 8-bits on one speedy hard drive while backed up on Cd's. Much more permanent and handy. And with a nice program like sio2pc you can find a great use for an old 486 or Pentium computer/laptop. I haven't used that AtarDsk program but I've had no problems with creating virtual floppies with sio2pc for data disks, etc. Another program that may work well for managing atari disk images with a sio2pc cable is at: http://www.bitsofthepast.com/atari/atari810.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetboot Jack Posted July 29, 2002 Share Posted July 29, 2002 I've not used teh generic SIO2PC cables and software, but I have used APE for many years - and am currently using it under XP... APE is a great solution, very reliable, and easy to use. It makes mounting ATR images or fooling the Atari into believing a PC HD partition is a normal DD very easy. My 130 XE boots spartados from an ATR image on boot up and then has a 16MB HD partition for program data as a default setting for my programming environment - each time I asm a new file to test I just load it up thru DOS off the HD - sweet... I regularly use a boot menu and a partition full of exe files to play almost every game I've ever seen too sTeVE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunstar Posted July 29, 2002 Share Posted July 29, 2002 I've not used teh generic SIO2PC cables and software, but I have used APE for many years - and am currently using it under XP... APE is a great solution, very reliable, and easy to use. It makes mounting ATR images or fooling the Atari into believing a PC HD partition is a normal DD very easy. My 130 XE boots spartados from an ATR image on boot up and then has a 16MB HD partition for program data as a default setting for my programming environment - each time I asm a new file to test I just load it up thru DOS off the HD - sweet... I regularly use a boot menu and a partition full of exe files to play almost every game I've ever seen too sTeVE DITTO. Except I use Atos windows environment with an ST mouse on top of SpartaDOS, and it handles all of my files and games; it can hide itself and run just about any atari game or program like normal, if it's not made for Atos, and then all you do is reset when your done and it goes back to Atos. Wonderful, like having a ST/MAC/AMIGAjr. With all the advantages of Atos/Spartados/Ape/sio2pc and all my PC's drives and modem&printer. i can run an Atari game directly off a cdr in my PC's cdrom through APE/SPARTADOS/Atos, for example. At high speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunstar Posted July 29, 2002 Share Posted July 29, 2002 I've not used teh generic SIO2PC cables and software, but I have used APE for many years - and am currently using it under XP... APE is a great solution, very reliable, and easy to use. It makes mounting ATR images or fooling the Atari into believing a PC HD partition is a normal DD very easy. My 130 XE boots spartados from an ATR image on boot up and then has a 16MB HD partition for program data as a default setting for my programming environment - each time I asm a new file to test I just load it up thru DOS off the HD - sweet... I regularly use a boot menu and a partition full of exe files to play almost every game I've ever seen too sTeVE DITTO. Except I use Atos windows environment with an ST mouse on top of SpartaDOS, and it handles all of my files and games; it can hide itself and run just about any atari game or program like normal, if it's not made for Atos, and then all you do is reset when your done and it goes back to Atos. Wonderful, like having a ST/MAC/AMIGAjr. With all the advantages of Atos/Spartados/Ape/sio2pc and all my PC's drives and modem&printer. i can run an Atari game directly off a cdr in my PC's cdrom through APE/SPARTADOS/Atos, for example. At high speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oesii Posted July 29, 2002 Share Posted July 29, 2002 DITTO. Except I use Atos windows environment with an ST mouse on top of SpartaDOS, and it handles all of my files and games; it can hide itself and run just about any atari game or program like normal, if it's not made for Atos, and then all you do is reset when your done and it goes back to Atos. This sounds great I haven't personally used it but I plan to try it out soon, seems like it would be fun to also use with a tracball. I found this website to download the software and a manual (http://cth.dtdns.net/atos/) but do you have any other webpages bookmarked as a good Atos resource? I'm mainly asking because searching for Atos brings up mainly references to the German Atos magazine and not the software. thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunstar Posted July 30, 2002 Share Posted July 30, 2002 here's where I got it, from the source, but this address isn't loading for me, so give it a shot. But, if you do a search for the "Closer to home atari 8-bit" it may give you a better link. This one is/was direct to the Atos page. http://cth.dtdns.net/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunstar Posted July 30, 2002 Share Posted July 30, 2002 It worked for me once I clicked on it in my last post...?!?!? So that's a good link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetboot Jack Posted July 30, 2002 Share Posted July 30, 2002 Can't get to Atos with either link guys.... Just error 502... sTeVE - sad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisjohn Posted July 30, 2002 Author Share Posted July 30, 2002 I use Atos windows environment with an ST mouse on top of SpartaDOS Sounds funky. I picked up an ST mouse a number of months back. Don't know if it works, but this sounds like a funky way to find out. Meanwhile, sod the XEGS, why didn't anyone tell me that it and the 800XL are basically the same computer, but the 800XL has socketed chips and an expansion port So, what's the Black Box and The Ultra Speed Plus OS like? And what RAM upgrades are still available? TIA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Sauron Posted July 30, 2002 Share Posted July 30, 2002 Man, hearing all of this is making me wish I had my old 130XE! I'd find a perfect use for an old PC I have sitting in my closet right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetboot Jack Posted July 30, 2002 Share Posted July 30, 2002 Dunno why no one told you the entire 8bit line is just the same computer tweaked every few years, maybe you never asked Not all 800XL's are socketed BTW.... As for RAM upgrades - there are several for both 800xl and XEGS - best electronics or B&C would be good places to start... sTeVE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oesii Posted July 30, 2002 Share Posted July 30, 2002 this link worked for me an hour ago and two minutes ago: http://cth.dtdns.net/atos/ its the direct page for the AtOS If its still down for you guys I can email you the .atr with the entire OS system and instructions, its close to 3mb though. edit: whoops, if you want to download Atos you can also find a direct link here in case the homepage is down for you: ftp://ftp.spudster.org/pub/Atari/CTH/Cth_...Shareware/ATOS/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisjohn Posted July 30, 2002 Author Share Posted July 30, 2002 Not all 800XL's are socketed BTW.... Thanks, I'll pop the shielding off before I order any chips then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisjohn Posted July 30, 2002 Author Share Posted July 30, 2002 As for RAM upgrades - there are several for both 800xl and XEGS - best electronics or B&C would be good places to start... All I've found at Best Electronics is the "800XL Wizztronics 256K / XE Upgrade" on page: http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/800xl.htm Is this the only RAM upgrade they offer offer? Any opinions on it? MyAtari.com don't appear to have anything suitable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisjohn Posted July 30, 2002 Author Share Posted July 30, 2002 Not all 800XL's are socketed BTW.... Thanks, I'll pop the shielding off before I order any chips then. "Pop" was the wrong word, but they're all socketed. I guess I shouldn't have to order a kit for an upgrade, if I can just find some plans and source some RAM locally. Anyone got a helpful URL for an 800XL RAM upgrade that just replaces chips and maybe has a couple of extra wires to solder in? TIA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetboot Jack Posted July 30, 2002 Share Posted July 30, 2002 800xl RAM upgrade try: http://trident.mcs.kent.edu/~clisowsk/8bit.../800xl256K.html and then: http://trident.mcs.kent.edu/~clisowsk/8bit.../800xl512K.html sTeVE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisjohn Posted July 30, 2002 Author Share Posted July 30, 2002 800xl RAM upgrade try: http://trident.mcs.kent.edu/~clisowsk/8bit.../800xl256K.html and then: http://trident.mcs.kent.edu/~clisowsk/8bit.../800xl512K.html sTeVE Anyone got a diagram for these? I'm sure I'll get there eventually, but I'm a visual person. Also, can someone who knows what they're doing confirm that the first link actually contains the full instructions that I need. It references an article and doesn't appear to, for example, tell me whether I'm swapping RAM or adding RAM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classics Posted July 31, 2002 Share Posted July 31, 2002 Yes the Warp+ OS can be installed on the XEGS, you just have to e-mail and ask for the XEGS installation instructions. The XEGS has a strange combination ROM set that uses the MMU to bank switch it, so the installation requires different wiring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisjohn Posted July 31, 2002 Author Share Posted July 31, 2002 Yes the Warp+ OS can be installed on the XEGS, you just have to e-mail and ask for the XEGS installation instructions. Thanks. I've decided to upgrade the 800XL instead -- which should make things easier. Have you used the Warp+ OS? Given the choice between a disk-based OS, a ROM-based OS and a cart-based OS, is something like Warp+ a good option? Or perhaps the Ultra Speed Plus OS by CSS. If I get the Black Box anyway, postage might make USP just as cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetboot Jack Posted July 31, 2002 Share Posted July 31, 2002 I hafta say that I wouldn't bother with the black box or MIO solutions - RAM up yer 800xl and get APE - you've then got the most powerful 8bit system you could imagine sTeVE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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