Atari8bitCarts Posted February 27, 2012 Author Share Posted February 27, 2012 (edited) I didn't find the paperwork I thought I saw at one time for Checkbook (but I've moved a couple times since then). I did find the box that had the cart, here are a few documents from the box. Edited February 27, 2012 by chrislynn5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ransom Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 The tech ref notes are standard stuff, but I haven't seen the preliminary DOS manual before. Pretty cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Scan! Scan! Scan! Scan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.atarimania.com Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 We'll gladly host this if you scan it! So this is DOS 1.0, right? -- Atari Frog http://www.atarimania.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari8bitCarts Posted February 27, 2012 Author Share Posted February 27, 2012 (edited) The document is huge, you want me to scan it What is the significance of the document? "Preliminary" on it, and original. The box I received had some board in it, but I think they were replacement, etc. Wouldn't DOS 1.0 be before 1980? When was the timeline? Edited February 27, 2012 by chrislynn5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fox-1 / mnx Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Where can I get it? http://mixinc.net/atari/download_a8/dosdisk.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari8bitCarts Posted February 27, 2012 Author Share Posted February 27, 2012 Where can I get it? http://mixinc.net/at..._a8/dosdisk.htm Thanx! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari8bitCarts Posted February 27, 2012 Author Share Posted February 27, 2012 (edited) Well, I just picked up (shipping) three financial software packages (Family Finances, TimeWise, Home File Manager) in hopes that their data disks, etc might be useful or at least help me understand what they might have been thinking at the time. There isn't a lot of documentation out there on Personal Finance. Edited February 27, 2012 by chrislynn5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari8bitCarts Posted February 27, 2012 Author Share Posted February 27, 2012 (edited) The best I can tell is that Personal Finance software was created with DOS and a data disk in mind. Most of the literature I find talks about options that set-up the data disk. Most before using the software. I'm thinking that the cartridge is trying to do that but can't; wrong DOS version, hardware, etc. I've attached a couple manual illustrations showing disk creation for Personal Finance line software. I'm sure there is more out there. Edited February 27, 2012 by chrislynn5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Jefferson Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 How about DOS 1? Tried that. At $140x in both DOS 1.0 and DOS 2.0 is a copy of the disk directory. No code there, so these DOSes are either not the DOS it's trying to jump to, or code was meant to be loaded in at that address instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+hunmanik Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I have a DOS 1 manual. Even though the title page on my copy has the identical C015200 rev. 1 marking, it is in fact a different title page. All of the text after "...errors or omissions." on this "preliminary" version title page is not present on my copy. So yes, you might have something rather unique in that version of the DOS 1 manual. The tech ref notes are standard stuff, but I haven't seen the preliminary DOS manual before. Pretty cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari8bitCarts Posted February 28, 2012 Author Share Posted February 28, 2012 This probably doesn't matter but I saw somewhere the use of the 850 device. Would that be needed at some level?I can't see how or why, other than printing maybe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Strong Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 The 850 would only be needed to load the handler. THFM is the only old package there. TimeWise and Family Finances were years later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Strong Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 From the Tramiel era, things like the 1985 CES had a 130XE (which was a cheapened 800XL modified with a FREDDIE from the 1450 project) running an XC1411 monitor...there were a bunch of XC1411's at the show, but they never made it into production. Atari had actually built prototypes of a 128K 800XL before the Tramiels came in (I've seen one), and they were using Freddie in late model XL's as well. The XF551 was at least partially developed under Warner as the 1050CR. So most of the XE stuff was simply stuff that was sitting on the shelf when Jack took over and he wrapped it all in new gray plastic. Oh yeah, the 1450XLD, both Tong and Non-Tong, have a Freddie. It existed under Warner; all the XL machines were Warner. The only thing I don't know about is the XEP80, which is a weird kludge anyway. I have a prototype somewhere in my collection, I'll have to dig it out and see if I can find any revealing date codes. I imagine Tramiel's Atari developed the XC11 and XC12; they're cheap crap. The XE series printers were decent, but they were just repackaged Sanyo and Seikosha. I did not know about the 1050CR, though it does not surprise me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Strong Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Wouldn't DOS 1.0 be before 1980? When was the timeline? DOS 1 is also called "DOS 9/24/79". DOS II came out in 1980. They are fairly compatible as I recall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandor Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Well, I just picked up (shipping) three financial software packages (Family Finances, TimeWise, Home File Manager) in hopes that their data disks, etc might be useful or at least help me understand what they might have been thinking at the time. There isn't a lot of documentation out there on Personal Finance. I own Home File Manager and I think the second disk is just an empty disk with code CX8111 (see http://www.atarimani...-drives_22.html) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kr0tki Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I imagine Tramiel's Atari developed the XC11 and XC12; they're cheap crap. XC12 is actually a repackaged Phonemark PM-4401A, released in mid-1985 to replace the costly XC11 - at least the markings on the PCB indicate so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mclaneinc Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I hope you run it past Sikor before you start copying it I'd hate to see your embassy contacted... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Anything new on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari8bitCarts Posted March 16, 2012 Author Share Posted March 16, 2012 I wish there was. I've been going through the carts memory locations, etc in hopes to find a point to make a data disk. I still have not been able to go through all of my hunderd + disks to see if I have the data disk already. I've used the cart with Monkey Wrench II to diagnose etc and have started looking at more tools. The Atari guru's haven't gotten back to me either. The carts label is the most perplexing thing I've ever seen. Production quality, serial # series that doesn't exist! I'm reviewing later production released Family Finance software to get some insight. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 1,000 monkeys and 1,000 hex keypads. If you can't reverse-engineer it yourself I doubt anyone else can be bothered. The reward vs effort would probably be miniscule. If it's just some data prefix needed in a file then you might progress a bit. I think more likely you'd need to know the full data structure to get anywhere with it. And just hope that the thing doesn't rely on external files that have executable code. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari8bitCarts Posted March 16, 2012 Author Share Posted March 16, 2012 (edited) 1,000 monkeys and 1,000 hex keypads. If you can't reverse-engineer it yourself I doubt anyone else can be bothered. The reward vs effort would probably be miniscule. If it's just some data prefix needed in a file then you might progress a bit. I think more likely you'd need to know the full data structure to get anywhere with it. And just hope that the thing doesn't rely on external files that have executable code. I was really asking for information regarding where the cartridge came from. Like, why the label? Has Atari done thie before? why the series numbering? Was it used in a show? My hope was that someone would have worked on the project/program and knew what it was. Labeled Checkbook, but was Personal Finance. There must be some a good story behind it As for the workings of the cart, that will probably be a combination of dumb luck and intervention of a higher kind Edited March 16, 2012 by chrislynn5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Jefferson Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 (edited) And just hope that the thing doesn't rely on external files that have executable code. I think it's pretty obvious that it does rely on external files that have executable code. There's a jump to low ram pretty early in the startup sequence of the cartridge, and many more in the menu that we were able to find. Edited March 17, 2012 by Shawn Jefferson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari8bitCarts Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 (edited) Regarding the PFMS, I was able to get to it. It has a module called "checkbook balancer". One possibility I considered is that this was a "master cartridge" and it was to be used with disks for each module...sort of like the Educational Software, but I can't figure out why you would do that. Unless it was to cut down on RAM space and try to keep the whole program fitting into 8K or 16K. Here are some photos of the PFMS software. It makes its own data disks, I doubt these will help as they are normal DOS 2 formatted. There is a "checkbook" module, that fits in neatly with the theory of this cartridge... Any new insights? Were you able to get out your software/hardware. I'm really wondering now about the 815 disk reference you made. You have a screen shot of PF software requiring the 815. If I only had one. Could you get yours out and try the cartridge? I'm also wondering about cassette use. I can get the cassette start noise by pressing, I believe it was option, at one time or another. I've upgraded my 1050 to happy, but still no luck. I have not had the chance to go through all my disks. I really wish I kept the individuals information where I got this cart. They must have been an atari developer, I've found several prelimary manuals and unreleased stuff from that same person (in CAL). Thanx. Your checkbook balancer program above asks for a data disk, can I get that program from you, or a data disk copy? Edited March 26, 2012 by chrislynn5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari8bitCarts Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 Well, I found it. Thanx to Atarimania, which had a press release dated 1979. This cartridge was listed for $69.99!! Which was a lot. This is a piece of evolutionary history! The only cartridge slated with the 8000 series number. http://www.atarimania.com/documents/atari-400-800-launch-press-kit.pdf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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