Kyle22

Great new implementation of the Tetris concept. Beautiful game! I am still having a little trouble 'wrapping my mind around' the concept, it's so different. Very challenging, I think after I get out of the 'throw the [email protected]#$% joystick' frustration that I will spend some SERIOUS time with this one I do agree that a pause key would be nice. Thanks again! -K

Interesting..... I don't know for sure. I don't own a RAM320 (I'm a 1200XL guy). There must be some RAM320 owners who could say for certain. I just don't like the idea of having bad RAM in the machine, and 'covering up' the problem by using an external solution. -K

Hi Madi, I think you need to replace the RAM chips inside the computer. Depending on what version of the XE you have, there will be either 4 or 16 RAM chips. RAM is cheap (these days), the only thing you have to be careful of is the circuit board itsself. Atari went cheap on the XEs and the pads and traces will EASILY lift if you apply too much heat when desoldering / soldering. Any competent electronics tech should be able to help you. Also, if your power supply is part # C061982, ask the tech to use a voltmeter and check the output of your power supply. These are known to fail and go over 5 volts, and a common casualty is the RAM (usually along with buzzing sound, and distorted screen). Good luck, -Kyle

Thanks! That's the one I was thinking about, and I didn't know about the newer HD one. Now, I must go find it -Kyle P.S. Found it here http://atariage.com/forums/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_id=58998

Sorry, I didn't see the quantity thing. It looks like 100 minimum. Although, that's only $30, maybe ebay the excess? Anyway, the Normal Bias should be what you need. I don't think the Atari drives are biased for Chrome. -K

There are many places to get cheap cassettes, including here: http://www.cheap-batteries.com/p/C30.html and here http://tapeline.info/v2/blank-audio-cassettes.html?page=all

The ultimate thing would be to put some kind of FAST and COMPATIBLE IDE interface on it. Maybe U1MB built-in? 56K MODEM? I don't know, maybe keep it original, and let users add on what they want. I haven't decided. We *DO* have the technology to make the perfect Atari 8 bit (or 816) machine, and I WANT ONE Anyway, to complete the project, we need someone with a 3D Printer capable of producing 1450XLD plastics. The major problem I see is: How much would Mitsumi charge to make more keyboards? This would be a HUGE benefit to 1200XL / 1400XL users as well. -K

I'm not that good at C, but I remember using BDS-C on a Z80 running on a CP/M (compatible) OS, actually, a custom thing I did. I took 'Network-OS' from CBIS, Inc. and included the Z-System into it to create 'Network-NZ' for the multiuser TeleVideo systems. I forget his name now, but back in the day, some guy made a program for CP/M called 'Ataribus'. It is like SIO2PC or APE. I did all kinds of things to that program. Added UltraSpeed, Too many things to remember now. My point is, that BDS-C was a very popular C compiler for CP/M, and there is also a BDS-Z version specifically for the enhanced Z80 instruction set (IX, IY, and the alternates). It seemed to me anyway to perform VERY well. I wish I knew C better so I could have made better use of it. The Z80 is technically 8 bit, even though it has many 16 bit registers, isn't it? -Kyle

Bump... I *AM* Very much still interested. I don't forget about things like this I should be getting some extra money next month, so, I *MAY* even be able to pre-pay. -K

Hi Jon, I don't know if this is any help, but back in the day, I remember having a little proggie that would context switch with a key combination. I forget the name of it, and the key combo, but I do remember it poked GTIA in the process of the switch, so I could hear a short buzz while it switched. I found it quite useful. Switch between a WP and DaisyDot, for example. Hopefully, you or someone else knows the name of that prog. It almost works like Windows Alt-Tab. Hope this may help you in some way. -K

I emailed Steve a few days ago and have gotten no response yet...

If you only had the Heavy6 plastic case... -K

The startup speed is probably due to the 'dumbed down' Metro interface. You can download this http://www.iobit.com/iobit-winmetro.php for XP and 7. It is only 7.38 MEGAbytes in size! -K

A quick Google search indicates that you can dual boot XP and 8. It may be a little tricky, but it looks do-able. -K

Awesome site, thanks!

Check out this video I made of XP booting on a little 1Ghz machine. The hp logo is from the BIOS, before Windows starts loading. The little bar below the XP logo doesn't even make one full pass before it's gone. This is WES09, which is XP SP3, except I can totally customize it. How do you like my blue start button and 'shrooms? Sorry about poor quality, I used my phone and it's a little shaky and has some glare, but you get the idea. Notice the mouse pointer disappears at the end of the video. That is the last 'startup' program to load. It re-appears when you move the mouse. A handy program when you are displaying video, or running DOS programs that don't use a mouse. It's a little longer than 4-5 seconds, but imagine this on an i7. Windows 8.1 takes longer, too. -Kyle

Does anyone have a schematic of the XEGS MMU-ROM area? I think pin 27 of the ROM socket goes somewhere on the MMU. I want to wire my 1200XL that way to use the U1MB BASIC and Missile Command slots. I need this because I have only one socket available, as I have an Internal MyIDE (with ROM removed) in the other socket. Also, any suggestions on mounting location for U1MB in 1200XL? TIA -Kyle

2014 is no problem. Check out http://www.matrixgp.com/matrixgp-extendedxp/

Look at it like this: PAL Atari has more cpu cycles / frame available. NTSC has fewer. Just that small difference makes some games and demos unusable, or poorly usable on NTSC. Think of the possibilities if we had FOUR times as many CPU cycles per frame to use? Intricate DLI's, VBI routines, etc. With a FAST hard drive, maybe even paging banks of RAM in/out for Virtual Memory. This should only require a small addition to the interrupt routine, only requiring a few registers for bank#, a byte for Read/Write,CreateNew, DeleteOld, CopyTo, etc. whatever you need, and a small routine to calculate that bank's position in the pagefile. There should be plenty of CPU for that, especially if you use 816 mode. I know, PAL's run a little slower CPU rate, that is IRRELEVANT to this, I am talking about 7.xx MHz CPU on a 1.79 (or 1.77) ANTIC/GTIA. This should open up a new world for 'special' graphics modes like RastaConverter uses, How about the (I forget the name now) audio player for the GTIA speaker, or the Commie SID player? All of those technologies would GREATLY benefit from more CPU cycles. I believe the possibilities are almost endless. -K

Sure, why not?

MyIDE and others are good and fast, page swapping MAY be practical. Any thoughts?

I payed for APE, and it works fine for me. I don't care if it works with 8 or not because I will ALYAYS use XP. -K

Take it apart, clean and dry everything, spray it out with freon or compressed air. You never know..... Good luck. -K

Almost half way there

I messaged him on ebay, and he added a pic of the inside. It looks heavy inside. cast shield and such. the seller responded quickly, and was very polite. He also said he has the orig. controllers. I think this is legit. There is a Sears Refurb sticker on the bottom of it. They may have put heavy insides in a light case. -K