+DarkLord Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Does anyone have any pictures, docs, links or anything at all about the setup Atari Corps used back in the day when they ran a multi-line BBS with Michtron BBS software and some kind of mult-serial port board? I found this, but it's not the setup I'm talking about: http://www.atarimagazines.com/v5n10/ataribulletinboard.html Thanks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted January 5, 2017 Author Share Posted January 5, 2017 Okay, small update..... Lonny was kind enough to provide a link. It looks right, it was a cartridge called "DC-Port". Here's the link for anyone who wants to read about it: http://www.megalextoria.com/usenet-archive/news107f1/b130/comp/sys/atari/st/00017988.html Now if we could get some pictures and some comments from someone who actually had one of these boards and used it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariGeezer Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 (edited) The term "DC" reminded me of Double Click Software, a further search found this link: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/40038-atari-st-bbs/?do=findComment&comment=479622 Also found some more discussion here: http://www.verycomputer.com/10_1ebdd259df062e25_1.htm Edited January 5, 2017 by AtariGeezer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted January 5, 2017 Author Share Posted January 5, 2017 Thanks for the links. I had already seen the top one but not the bottom one. Would love to see that ad from DC. Wonder if the ST Express mag for June/July of '89 is online somewhere? A googling I go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted January 6, 2017 Author Share Posted January 6, 2017 Guys, I got a response from "Plee". He's going to send me anything that he has left. I'll post everything here just as soon as I get it. <excited> 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tillek Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 Guys, I got a response from "Plee". He's going to send me anything that he has left. I'll post everything here just as soon as I get it. <excited> Like information or..... hardware? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted January 6, 2017 Author Share Posted January 6, 2017 Like information or..... hardware? Pictures I think. At this point in time, given the lack of information, an actual working cartridge would probably be way too much to hope for.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted January 6, 2017 Author Share Posted January 6, 2017 Okay, Plee has sent some pictures (prototypes): I asked him if he could find a picture of an assembled/production unit. Just have to wait and see... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 Plee is searching, he's going to try another source, but he said not to hold my breath. Apparently, only 20-30 of the units were ever sold and they were hand soldered, made for each order individually. Interesting stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gozar Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Does anyone have any pictures, docs, links or anything at all about the setup Atari Corps used back in the day when they ran a multi-line BBS with Michtron BBS software and some kind of mult-serial port board? I found this, but it's not the setup I'm talking about: http://www.atarimagazines.com/v5n10/ataribulletinboard.html Thanks. Interesting angle, pushing the STs for telecommunication services. I wonder how Atari would have gone if they pushed that angle, maybe using the MIDI ports for networking between the nodes. Not as fast as Apple's AppleTalk, but a lot cheaper. In '85 a 520ST was a quarter the price of the Mac 512. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 There was actually a 3rd party MIDI networking solution available at one time... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tillek Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 There was actually a 3rd party MIDI networking solution available at one time... Did it allow for file sharing? I'll have to double check my old archives of stuff... but I could really use something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted January 8, 2017 Author Share Posted January 8, 2017 I'm pretty sure it did... MidiNet, PowerNet, LittleNet? I think were some of the different brands at one time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor_x Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Wow... I am usually a guy who considers himself all things BBS for all Ataris.. Never heard of this... Thanks for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted January 14, 2017 Author Share Posted January 14, 2017 Update: Mike and Paul have sent some more pictures. These are the actual production units, not prototypes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul92706 Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 that has got to be rarer than hen's teeth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triads Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 I know it would take a miracle to have something like this replicated, but what about the software that drove it? For archival purposes, even a manual scan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted January 16, 2017 Author Share Posted January 16, 2017 From what Mike and Paul have indicated, only about 20-30 units were ever made and sold. That's another problem alright. They are looking for the original software and as far as an original manual? <shrugs>. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariGeezer Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 Besides the Atari Corp. BBS, I remember a couple Pirate boards that used those too. If a file exists, it's in a MSA format archive. I still need to backup all my ST floppies which might have it, not positive though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted January 16, 2017 Author Share Posted January 16, 2017 That would be awesome. Keep us informed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lp060 Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 Gerber files or a schematic would be nice if anything like that has survived. I'd gladly host the software and/or documentation at devdocs if anything turns up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tillek Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 From what Mike and Paul have indicated, only about 20-30 units were ever made and sold. That's another problem alright. They are looking for the original software and as far as an original manual? <shrugs>. Are you talking about MichTron 3? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triads Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 Tilleks probably right, Forem Elite Multi Line never made it out of beta, same with octoous. So im sure Atari and anyone else using the cart wanted production ready BBS software. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted January 17, 2017 Author Share Posted January 17, 2017 Gerber files or a schematic would be nice if anything like that has survived. I'd gladly host the software and/or documentation at devdocs if anything turns up. Thanks Lonny. We'll just have to wait and see what turns up, I reckon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted January 17, 2017 Author Share Posted January 17, 2017 Are you talking about MichTron 3? Nah. Michtron BBS v3.0 is still out there (I think?). I was referring to an original manual to the DC Port device itself. Love to get my hands on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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