SIO2PC cable, now what?

[krisjohn]

I received my SIO2PC cable yesterday and I have a couple of Qs

 

I've got the APE demo and the SIO MSDOS app.

 

* I downloaded the Mega Games sets on Holmes and only about half of the games I try to run actually load (on both my 800XL and XEGS). Is there a PAL v's NTSC issue? Is there any other reason why some might load fine but others crash in the same way every time?

 

* Is the Atari supposed to click/beep/buzz as it's loading from the emulated disk drives?

 

* Any general recommendations of cool stuff to try?

 

* Any good source of DD 5.25" disks in Australia?

 

TIA.

[oesii]

Not all the games from the megaimages work on my XEGS either, if you can list a few of them that don't work maybe we can verify that they are bad dumps or may need an XL translator since you only have an 800xl and xegs. Also, are you disabling basic by holding down the option key while booting? That should get a few more working correctly.

 

I use the sio2pc dos program and it does make those clicking noises by default. In the readme their is an unmenued toggle to turn off this sound, I think it's 'S'.

 

I don't have any good recommendations for fun stuff, as I only got my sio2pc cable a year ago and I'm still reliving my childhood gaming career and having actually having fun with all the cheezy word processing, database, and other applications that I used in the 80's. I get a kick out of making lists with the atari home filing manager so I know I have a problem. You probably know that Holmes now has applications/utilities on his site too. I'll let you know in the future if I try any cool things with my cable.

 

-O

 

 

p.s. I sent your package airmail earlier this week, let me know when you get it.

[krisjohn]

Thanks for all the info. I'll try some titles. So far I recall that Atlantis doesn't work, nor Dig Dug. I'll post this post then I'll try running the software (might drop my connection...)

 

p.s. I sent your package airmail earlier this week, let me know when you get it.

 

Yours only got sent off yesterday. Sorry about the delay. No car, 9-5 job and no post office within walking distance of work. A friend posted it in the end.

[krisjohn]

Also, are you disabling basic by holding down the option key while booting?  That should get a few more working correctly.

Am now and it does. Thanks!

 

Atlantis still not interested in working though.

[oesii]

No problems about the post, I know about the 9-5 situation, luckily I have a secretary who can ship things for me

 

I looked up Atlantis on Holmes' site and its listed as requiring OS-A or B, which are the original os's on the old atari 800. So for it to run on the XL or XE you need to run a translator disk first. I always used Translator XL or XE but others can recommend their favorite. If you haven't used one before it simply a disk swapping thing, you load up the Trans, then swap in the program disk, should work on a real floppy drive or through sio2pc.

 

Holding option will probably make most games work and if you pan down the list of games on Holmes and note the ones labeled os-ab then you can see which ones need the translator. Also some games require you not to hold down the option key because they use basic to boot up, and people think Windows is complicated

 

good luck.

[krisjohn]

Thanks for your help. Looks like I've got everything running how it should be. Now I have to decide if the mega games packs are enough to screw around with or if I should attempt a RAM upgrade and start playing around with some of the OS stuff.

 

I got the terminal stuff working last night. I wish I still had a shell account somewhere.