54 replies to this topic

[calfranklin]

Does anyone have the Reeves Diamond GOS on disk for the 8-bit?

[Fox-1 / mnx]

 Diamond GOS.zip   163.35K   92 downloads

Diamond GOS (1988), Diamond GOS Utilities, Diamond GOS PD disk 1 and Diamond GOS Develope Disk


edit:

 Diamond GOS.zip   163.35K   92 downloads

Diamond GOS docs (Manual, News Station, Develope)



(I have no idea why the 1st attachment is listed twice.  It isn't when editing this post)

Attached Files

•  Diamond GOS docs.zip   42.22K   68 downloads

Edited by Fox-1 / mnx, Sun Feb 12, 2012 9:16 PM.

[flashjazzcat]

Don't forget there's a patched version on the SDX download site too.

[Gunstar]

I downloaded that and tried it and it seems like a beta, lots of stuff doesn't work, the icons are different and paint app is incomplete and write doesn't do much at all either. I only ever owned version 2.x and 3.x on supercart. I wish I still had it, I lost it somewhere in life. I still have the original manuals though.

[flashjazzcat]

I'd like to see if the fabled version 3 was more usable than its predecessors. Not even correspondence with Alan Reeve yielded a copy.

[MrFish]

Gunstar, on Mon Feb 13, 2012 7:04 PM, said:

I only ever owned version 2.x and 3.x on supercart. I wish I still had it, I lost it somewhere in life. I still have the original manuals though.

I also owned version 2 on cart when it originally came out. I've only seen the manuals online in text form, although, of course, I had them when I bought the original software. You may want to, if you have the equipment, make a digital copy of them.

Do you by any chance have any of the packaging that the software came in, if there was any (I can't even recall exactly)? There was a call out, not too long ago, from Atarimania requesting a copy of the packaging if anybody had it.

[bf2k+]

I have a cart but cannot tell what version it is - the copyright date is 1989.

[MrFish]

bf2k+, on Mon Feb 13, 2012 8:11 PM, said:

I have a cart but cannot tell what version it is - the copyright date is 1989.

Go to the "Desk" menu, and click on "Info...", then it will display the version number.

[bf2k+]

MrFish, on Mon Feb 13, 2012 8:24 PM, said:

bf2k+, on Mon Feb 13, 2012 8:11 PM, said:

I have a cart but cannot tell what version it is - the copyright date is 1989.

Go to the "Desk" menu, and click on "Info...", then it will display the version number.

No it doesn't... that's where I got the date from.

[MrFish]

bf2k+, on Mon Feb 13, 2012 8:28 PM, said:

MrFish, on Mon Feb 13, 2012 8:24 PM, said:

bf2k+, on Mon Feb 13, 2012 8:11 PM, said:

I have a cart but cannot tell what version it is - the copyright date is 1989.

Go to the "Desk" menu, and click on "Info...", then it will display the version number.

No it doesn't... that's where I got the date from.

That's how you get the version info for version 2, which is dated 1989. I don't have the version 1 anymore, so I forget what's displayed for it.

[bf2k+]

MrFish, on Mon Feb 13, 2012 8:40 PM, said:

That's how you get the version info for version 2, which is dated 1989. I don't have the version 1 anymore, so I forget what's displayed for it.

Sounds like mine must be v1 since nothing but the date is displayed.

[Gunstar]

V1 only came out on disk, V2 and V3 came out on "supercart." I bought V2 and about six months later recieved a letter from Alan Reeve saying the improved V3 was released and for a discounted price I sent back just the chip and he replaced it with V3.

The picture on the left is the V2 manual on the right V3. I don't know if there's a difference between V1 and V2 manuals.

By the way, I used to live in Wheaton, IL. at the time, about 5 miles away from Alan Reeve in Warrenville IL. My little brother went to Warrenville High school. Just a bit of personal trivia, I never met him in person, only talked on the phone.

Attached Thumbnails

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Edited by Gunstar, Tue Feb 14, 2012 8:34 AM.

[MrFish]

Thanks for the scans. I definitely remember having the manual on the left, with the "ST Junior" printed on it. I've never seen version 3 myself. Several people claim to have it, but nobody has made a dump available. I'd like to check it out at some point.

Atarimania says that the disk version was a demo and that version 1 was available on cart: Atarimania GUIs

There is also this picture which shows a date of 1988: Diamond GOS Cart


I downloaded a ROM which shows this on the Info screen. It looks like what bf2k+ is describing:




This is a shot of the Diamond v2 ROM info screen:

[Gunstar]

MrFish, on Tue Feb 14, 2012 11:04 AM, said:

Atarimania says that the disk version was a demo and that version 1 was available on cart: Atarimania GUIs

That may be true, if that first pic is from a rom image, but I know for a fact that originally, a finished V1 was sold on disk. I have an ad for it in one of my magazines, I'll find it and scan it. There was also a review of the disk based version. These were in either Analog or Antic magazines.


I really wish I hadn't lost my V3 cart, I lost ALL my Atari carts in a move from Wisconsin to California back in '96.

Edited by Gunstar, Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:06 PM.

[MrFish]

Gunstar, on Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:03 PM, said:

MrFish, on Tue Feb 14, 2012 11:04 AM, said:

Atarimania says that the disk version was a demo and that version 1 was available on cart: Atarimania GUIs

That may be true, if that first pic is from a rom image, but I know for a fact that originally, a finished V1 was sold on disk. I have an ad for it in one of my magazines, I'll find it and scan it. There was also a review of the disk based version. These were in either Analog or Antic magazines.

The OS itself on the disk version posted here seems to be fully functioning, but the Paint app has a lot of non-functioning toolbox items, and Write doesn't seem to be able to edit a document at all.

I remember when I received my version 2 package, the Write app was not very stable or functional (same as the version that's available online). I called to complain about it and was promised that an updated version would soon be available and I would receive a copy upon it's completion. I don't remember ever receiving an update though.

[flashjazzcat]

We need to get to the bottom of this v3 business. I spoke to Alan at length about Diamond a couple of years ago and he said he was going to dig out the version 3 sources and send them across so I could develop it. Apparently his disks were in storage. Well, after that I never heard from him again. IIRC, his general gist was that v3 didn't actually get a general release, so the fact there's a v3 chip floating around is quite exciting. I've NEVER seen any evidence of v3 existing. I even downloaded a v3 ROM after a lengthy search and it was just a misnamed version 2.

Edited by flashjazzcat, Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:06 PM.

[MrFish]

flashjazzcat, on Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:05 PM, said:

I've NEVER seen any evidence of v3 existing.

What about the second scan that Gunstar posted? It looks like pretty good evidence to me. It's dated 1991 and looks completely different from the version 2 manual, which is dated 1989. The first manual is definitely the one I received with my copy of version 2.

[MrFish]

flashjazzcat, on Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:05 PM, said:

We need to get to the bottom of this v3 business.

Curt Vendel was supposed to post a copy sometime back, but I don't think he's had time, with his other projects -- Either that or he just forgot about. But, yes, I'd like to finally see a dump of this version.

[flashjazzcat]

Well - I'll be gladly convinced when there's a ROM posted. I tried and failed...

[MrFish]

flashjazzcat, on Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:31 PM, said:

Well - I'll be gladly convinced when there's a ROM posted. I tried and failed...

I wonder if the people over at Atarimania have a copy and just haven't gotten around to posting it up yet, since they talk about it's existance?

[flashjazzcat]

I found this from my correspondence with Alan:

Quote

As for versions, yes... I *think* there was a version 3 ROM. I don't really recall all of the versions... just that first there was a disk version and then the cartridge...

[MrFish]

flashjazzcat, on Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:39 PM, said:

I found this from my correspondence with Alan:

Quote

As for versions, yes... I *think* there was a version 3 ROM. I don't really recall all of the versions... just that first there was a disk version and then the cartridge...

I think Alan would just as soon forget about the whole thing at this point, since it was a somewhat failed business venture of his -- Not that he had everything to do with it's failure.

[Gunstar]

flashjazzcat, on Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:05 PM, said:

We need to get to the bottom of this v3 business. I spoke to Alan at length about Diamond a couple of years ago and he said he was going to dig out the version 3 sources and send them across so I could develop it. Apparently his disks were in storage. Well, after that I never heard from him again. IIRC, his general gist was that v3 didn't actually get a general release, so the fact there's a v3 chip floating around is quite exciting. I've NEVER seen any evidence of v3 existing. I even downloaded a v3 ROM after a lengthy search and it was just a misnamed version 2.

As I stated, I got an upgrade V3 chip to install in my Diamond cart directly from Alan Reeve, ordered it over the phone from him. I think he sent out a newsletter to current V2 owners letting them know they could upgrade. Maybe the V3 never made it beyond that stage and only a very few V2 owners ever upgraded. I know for a fact I had V3 though, and my manual for it it evidence of that fact. Unfortunately the manual doesn't refer to the verison in it at all, but the cover shows the original copyright date of '88 and latest version copyright of 1991. It's not a bound manual like V2, it looks like a laser printer printed it and was hand stapled.

Edited by Gunstar, Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:54 PM.

[flashjazzcat]

MrFish, on Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:45 PM, said:

I think Alan would just as soon forget about the whole thing at this point, since it was a somewhat failed business venture of his -- Not that he had everything to do with it's failure.

This would seem to be the case. The conversations date from September 2009, and my last enquiry went without a response.

Gunstar, on Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:53 PM, said:

As I stated, I got an upgrade V3 chip to install in my Diamond cart directly from Alan Reeve, ordered it over the phone from him. I think he sent out a newsletter to current V2 owners letting them know they could upgrade. Maybe the V3 never made it beyond that stage and only a very few V2 owners ever upgraded. I know for a fact I had V3 though, and my manual for it it evidence of that fact. Unfortunately the manual doesn't refer to the verison in it at all, but the cover shows the original copyright date of '88 and latest version copyright of 1991. It's not a bound manual like V2, it looks like a laser printer printed it and was hand stapled.

Well, hopefully we can track it down. Docs would be great too. This is an important part of the lineage of GUIs on the A8.

Edited by flashjazzcat, Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:59 PM.

[MrFish]

Gunstar, on Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:53 PM, said:

As I stated, I got an upgrade V3 chip to install in my Diamond cart directly from Alan Reeve, ordered it over the phone from him. I think he sent out a newsletter to current V2 owners letting them know they could upgrade. Maybe the V3 never made it beyond that stage and only a very few V2 owners ever upgraded.

I don't recall ever getting a notice about the upgrade. I most likely would have gone for it, since I regularly used his Paint app for development graphics.