Nateo Posted July 21, 2001 Share Posted July 21, 2001 Hello! I'm 14 yrs-old and I adore vintage gaming, and I have ideas going through my head like my hormones. One day, while I was goofing around with Stell-a-sketch on my SuperCharger, I was wondering, why don't they make a computer using a SuperCharger and the VCS four port adapter that Ebivision wants to come out with. The keyboard controllers could be, well, the keyboard, and you could leave a port or two open for things like a printer or a joystick. I just thought that would be pretty cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ze_ro Posted July 21, 2001 Share Posted July 21, 2001 quote: Originally posted by Nateo: why don't they make a computer using a SuperCharger and the VCS four port adapter that Ebivision wants to come out with. SpectraVision actually sold a device called the "Compumate" that was a computer add-on. It's very rare though, but I saw one on eBay recently (It might still be there, but the price is probably astronomical now). As for your idea, I'm not sure how well the VCS could handle as a computer... especially when there's already tons of old computers readily available with much more power like the C-64 (These things are so common that I trip over them in the streets) and the like. I've also noticed that computers based on console don't usually end up working too well (remember the Adam?) (On the other hand though, you'd already have a tape drive (sort of), a keyboard (sort of), 6k of memory and a processor. Making a printer would be interesting though) --Zero Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nateo Posted May 14, 2002 Author Share Posted May 14, 2002 Hee hee... this was my first post. I still think that this would be a cool idea. Just to see that it could be done. (and yeah, I know about the Spectravision) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted May 14, 2002 Share Posted May 14, 2002 I think that a PC program that would play the Atari 2600 ROM's through a cable connected on a Atari 2600 in the cartridge port would be really great. You could play all the games like you do on your Emulator, then with a simple cable in your Atari 2600 cartridge port and the other end connected to a LPT Printer Port, you could actually play them all on your actual Atari 2600 system. Another nice additonal to the PC program would be tests that could examine your Atari 2600 and let you know of possiable problems. I'm not sure how difficulty it would be to make such a program and cable, but that will would make many things better. People who don't have a Cuttle Cart or Super Charger could do the same type of thing without the extra hardware. Anyone with writting Emulator programs up to the task to make such a program and cable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted May 14, 2002 Share Posted May 14, 2002 This has been brought up before. I don't believe that it's possible without a very high transfer rate (which in the end, would be spendier than a CC/SC). You are referring to a cable with NO RAM at either end, correct? Just a cable from computer to VCS, and the software does the rest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viso Posted May 14, 2002 Share Posted May 14, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Nukey Shay: This has been brought up before. I don't believe that it's possible without a very high transfer rate (which in the end, would be spendier than a CC/SC). You are referring to a cable with NO RAM at either end, correct? Just a cable from computer to VCS, and the software does the rest? The latency would likely prove to be a more constraining factor than data rate. If the device was connected by USB, for example, the data rate would be fast enough, but if the computer took too long to send back the correct response, all time sensitive operations, like graphics, would be screwed on the 2600. Furthermore, many people out there who would use this are running Windows 9x or ME. If their computers tried to multitask, the maximum latency time may be exceeded and kill the game on the 2600. It is the same problem CD writers have, but the nature of the game data prevents using the buffering that has helped out the CD writers. I did think briefly about trying to get something like Dallas Semiconductor's TINI module to emulate 2600/7800 cartridge RAM & ROM. TINI could load the data from an FTP or HTTP server over ethernet. It would even be possible to write 2600 & 7800 software to select the game. But I have no clue how to emulate the RAM & ROM, latency issues still need researching, and it would altogether be too difficult for me to consdier working on alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted May 14, 2002 Share Posted May 14, 2002 Thanks...I couldn't remember the details of that discussion. In any case, CC/SC seems to be the most viable option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atari70s Posted May 14, 2002 Share Posted May 14, 2002 If you could go to the local libary and look up a may 1983 issue of COMPUTE! im sure you can read up about a keyboard addon for the atari 2600 not the Spectravideo one. looks to be a different. i asked curt about this a year back or so told me they never made it and if theres any out there it would be a mockup one. curt correct me if im not remembering correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jahfish Posted May 14, 2002 Share Posted May 14, 2002 if anyone is looking for a boxed compumate then let me know ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyXB Posted May 14, 2002 Share Posted May 14, 2002 Maybe only the box. I have already a Compumate with manual. I need only the box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ze_ro Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 Speaking of the Compumate... (And changing the subject entirely) was there ever any actual software made for it? Or was it just a programmers toy like the Magicard? --Zero Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jobf Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 quoteSpeaking of the Compumate... (And changing the subject entirely) was there ever any actual software made for it? Or was it just a programmers toy like the Magicard? Yes there was software for it! I've seen tape software (iirc some sort of drawing program) on Ebay.au before! I think Marco is the person to ask - he won the auction I think! Steve [ 05-15-2002: Message edited by: Jobf ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thelen Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 what's a regular price for a compumate ?? thelen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eckhard Stolberg Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Ze_ro: Speaking of the Compumate... (And changing the subject entirely) was there ever any actual software made for it? Or was it just a programmers toy like the Magicard? The Compumate has three buil-in programs. A two channel music editor, a low-resolution paint program, and a textmode BASIC interpreter. The BASIC interpreter could only handle up to 99 lines of code. While all three programs could save data on tape, I don't think the system is flexible enough to allow really usefull application programs to be created for it. Ciao, Eckhard Stolberg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jahfish Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 quote: Originally posted by thelen: what's a regular price for a compumate ?? thelen the DP says 80$ for a loose PAL compumate. there has been a few more on ebay recently, so the average price dropped to 50$ in the last months ... a ntsc version is known to exist, but it seems damn rare ... the one i offered is pal with box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jobf Posted May 16, 2002 Share Posted May 16, 2002 quote: Speaking of the Compumate... (And changing the subject entirely) was there ever any actual software made for it? Or was it just a programmers toy like the Magicard? After a bit of digging on Google, I found reference to the Ebay auction I remembered. The tape included was PictureMate Animal World. Google Post I wonder if there are any others?? Steve Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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