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jukingeo

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  1. Hello All, It has been a while since I been to the AtariAge forum and usually when something comes up in my life that is Atari related, I come back. I finally got time to see the short movie Atari: Game Over in which they confirmed the urban legend that E.T. (among other cartridges) were buried in a Texas landfill. The game's creator was in the film among many other notaries. This lead to me to break out my Flashback 2 console and I was playing around with it a bit. I have heard they made a Flashback 3 and I was looking into it, but when I went on-line, I was amazed to see that they are now up to a Flashback 6 with 100 games loaded on to it. This of course is piquing my interest, but it also has me wondering how good are the new Flashback consoles. From what I understand, the version I have (2) can be hacked to add a cartridge slot to it since it has the exact architechture of the original Atari 2600 consoles. So that leads me to the next question: Which of the Flashback consoles is (or are) considered 'the best' to buy? Also, by now has someone created a modern equivalent to the 2600 in which it will directly play the old 2600 cartridges? From what I understand many of the old cartridges are still playable, but the Atari consoles themselves are now aging over 30 years since the last ones were produced and getting parts for them isn't so easy anymore. Furthermore the Atari consoles require an antenna input and that wouldn't work with today's modern digital TV's. Thank You, Geo
  2. Ok, guys pretty much I am shifting most of the conversation over to 68kmla.net in which I started up a thread there in regards to servicing issues that one may come across when looking for an old Mac. Here is a direct link to the thread: http://68kmla.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=12693 There were many issues that were brought up and some really cool info. Enjoy! Geo
  3. That is good to know that the Mac doesn't suffer that limitation like the older text based OS's did. CP/M was the first OS I took to because it supported 80 column. Initially in my school (I am going back to JR high school in about 1983 now), we had the Commodore PET computers which the main office couldn't use because of the 40 column limitation. The computer room had two Kaypro II computers and so did the office. We lucked out in the word processing classes because the district had a bunch of Word Star word processing computers donated to them and these used the "older" 8" floppy disks. By the time I got to high school, the old Word Star machines were replaced with Apple IIe computers and they handled most of the word processing from then on in. The Apple IIe system was much more compact than the old Word Star machines...and best of all they used the smaller 5.25" floppies. In my last year in high school we saw another shift in machines. The Apple IIe's were being replaced with the IBM PC JR. But only one classroom had them, the other classes still had the Apple IIe's. In the "Apple" room we had two MacIntosh computers set up. They were nearly impossible to book time on because everyone wanted to use them. So I never got a shot at the old Macs. True, we were told in Jr High that the Word Star system was obsolete, but still very functional and the Word Star program itself was still very current at the time. We only used the system for one year when the following year the word processing class had all new Apple IIe's. I liked the Apple IIe and it was the first machine I wanted when I got out of high school, but alas Apple computers were very expensive. I couldn't afford one. It was when Windows came out and with the lower prices of PC's was then I made my first computer purchase...that was in 1994. It is now after so many years, where my interest in the Mac was rekindled. I actually want two Macs now. I want an older classic machine such as the SE/30 and I want the Mac Pismo (a laptop) as well. Geo
  4. Oh! That is good to know. Yeah, I think I recall the Apple II's having the same problem...I think the Apple IIe had a card you could plug in for 80 columns. Come to think of it some of the older CBM line of Commodore computers had a feature like that too. But for the most part most of the 'newer' CBM 8032 and Apple IIe's did have the 80 column capability. The Apple IIe's were mostly used in the word processing class to replace the old Word Star machines. Remember those? With the 8" floppy disks? The Kaypro computers also ran Word Star. I remember when we printed using the old PET computers (or any 40 column computer) that the word wrap occurred right in the middle of the sheet of paper. Ahhh, the old technology. At least we DID have computers when I was in school...it sure beat using the typewriter and abacus. Geo
  5. Right. I was just trying to make the point that using classic Macs will probably require you in one way or another to adapt to things that we consider "unacceptable" today. The CRT in a Mac SE/30 might not ghost, but then again, it's only 9" (512x348) with a vertical scan rate of just 60.15 hz. My eyes turn bloodshot just thinking about that. Heh Heh, you got a point there. BUT this is one of the sacrifices I could live with. I remember I had a problem with my video card and my CRT screen was stuck in 60hz mode. I was able to cope with that for a while, but in the interim I got a flatscreen LCD monitor and these seem to handle the 60hz refresh rate better as it doesn't seem to flicker at all. Anyway, I got the video card problem fixed now. At any rate I think the smaller screen might be a help in this case. It is not like a 17" screen that is up in your face saying "Hey, I am running in 60hz mode". Speaking of the 512x384 resolution...wasn't there issues with that screen size when it came to printing full page (8.5" by 11") documents? I clearly remember us in school having a problem with the old Commodore PET computers. Most of our machines were of the 40x25 column jobs and if you printed with them, you only got your document on half a sheet of paper! The school eventually got the CBM 8032 machines...which as the model number states were a standard 80 columns by 32 rows. Naturally these were able to print on the full sheet of paper. It was funny though...that given the age of the Kaypro computers we had, those machines were 80 column. The CBM8032's and Kaypros were the "word processing" machines. In fact I think the Kaypro's ran Word Star. I know towards the latter part of my tenure in high school we did get a couple of Mac computers, but they were VERY hard to get some time on them, I never did get a chance to use them. Naturally, being the "new kid on the block" everyone wanted to use them. I mostly stuck with the Kaypros and Apple IIe's. I don't recall if the Macs were hooked up to any printers at all. Geo
  6. My criteria for a 'good' display is one that doesn't have a ghosting or mouse trailing problem. Many of these older displays (especially the color ones) have a problem with clear display of 'motion'. So if there is any appreciable movement when playing a game and you get that 'blur' then that is what bothers me and causes eye strain. It is that what I am trying to avoid. CRT computers don't have this problem. Probably something I wouldn't like, or perhaps it too exhibits the problem I mentioned. CRT's don't have the 'ghosting' problem. If you want the "classic" Mac experience, you're going to have to make some compromises, and IMO, ones involving displays are among the easiest to make. Yes, I am very well aware of the P3 not being a classic Mac and I just mentioned that if I was going for a 'laptop' Mac then probably that would be the one I would shoot for. It happened to come up when I was checking out what is in the lineup of older Macs in the 'portable' department. As I said to Chris above, I KNOW it isn't a classic Mac...I just happened to stumble across it. I was surprised to see that the computer has all those capabilites for a 10 year old machine. For one, I KNOW that it could just about everything I would like to do, and more so I believe many of my PC items would work with it. Certainly no problem I/O wise as it has both firewire AND usb. But it is true that I did come here to see what is in the older (preferably) monochrome department). Probably...I will probably get an SE/30 or Classic II first and then get the Pismo as well. Thanx, Geo
  7. Ahhh, would be nice if the SE/30 came in a Kaypro style package. Yeah, I missed that little tidbit about NEEDING the batteries to work in order for the AC to even operate. I also read that there are two versions, one with a backlit LCD and one without. The one without is harder to read in dim lit rooms and while the backlit one is better overall, it does shorten the battery life. Oh, well, I figured I tried to ask about it. I guess I probably would have run into a problem with the TFT display as well. I had to laugh when I read the wiki again...at the bottom it says that 17th worst tech product of all time. Where as the following model, the Macintosh Powerbook 100 laptop computer got voted the best tech/gadget (as of a 2005 writing). That's it, you just had to stop there. That is the main thing. I need to have a GOOD display, especially since I am willing to go smaller for a more 'portable' unit. Ok, point made. As I mentioned above about the Powerbook 100...I don't know why, but I just don't have a 'thing' for the early laptops even though I do prefer the trackball over that touchpad they use on the later models. However, I think that in terms of a Mac laptop I would probably go with a G3 Pismo. That era roughly coincides with the purchase of my wife's second IBM laptop which had a MUCH better LCD screen. Also...did you ever catch the rear panel on a G3 Pismo? Sheesh for an earlier machine that thing had everything, USB, Firewire, Modem, Ethernet. Certainly my I/O needs would be fulfilled with that one. Ok, so for now I have been looking into both an SE/30 or a Mac Classic II. I DO want the Superdrive because as it stands I am probably going to have to go on-line via my PC and transfer files via floppy to the Mac and I CAN do that with the Superdrive and not the earlier disks. Also since they still make 1.44mb floppies, I would be fine in terms of purchasable media. Thusfar I really have not found a good SE/30 yet. Guess I just have to wait some more. It would be great if I can find one on craigslist locally because then I can go out and see it. Anyway, thanx again for the input. Geo
  8. Hey guys quick question for you, I been doing more reading up on the early Mac's and I was curious as to your opinions on the Macintosh Portable. I know by most virtues this could be considered a laptop, but looking at the specs on it, it doesn't look to be a bad portable/luggable computer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_Portable It has a monochrome display, 1.44m Superdrive (standard) and it comes with 1meg ram (the shortcoming) but it is expandable to 5 meg. Being battery operated is not mandatory for me but it is a plus. My biggest quip about laptop computers when they age is that you can't get a battery for them. Soooo, what I found interesting is that this computer uses conventional lead acid batteries. That would mean they are pretty easy to replace. The downside though it does make the entire package pretty heavy at around 16lbs, definitely not a lap friendly weight, BUT it is still lighter than the Kaypro II. I looked on Ebay and suprisingly there are many parts still available for these computers. My only question mark is the display. It has an active matrix TFT which is the same display that my wife had on her IBM 701 Thinkpad (the Butterfly). I HATED that display...very hard on the eyes. I am not sure if the Macintosh Portable would have the same effects as it is monochrome to boot. It would be nice to see one in person. So wadjya think? Thanx, Geo
  9. Oh, ok. If they are THAT common, then I will just look out for that. Yeah, I don't know what is going on. I logged in via two different machines in two different locations. Granted the machine at work is protected to the teeth, but the one at home I don't have much on AND what I had on I turned off. So there were no pop up blockers, no anti-virus, no anti spam and I didn't receive any kind of email. I checked with my service provider and nothing has come through from 68kmla.org. So A) either the email WAS sent and was blocked because there is something malicious attached to it (not likely) or B) 68kmla simply didn't send the email due to a glitch on their end (most likely). Ok, will do. Thanx, Geo
  10. Wow! Ok this is an interesting thread. Time to put the thinking cap on. In order I HAD owned: 1) Atari 2600 2) Colecovision w/ Atari 2600 adapter 3) Commodore Vic 20 4) Commodore 128 5) Sega Genesis 6) Then I went PC and had no consoles for a while. What I still have: 1) Game Boy (I bought when I traded my Sega Genesis in) 2) Sega Portable 3) Sony Playstation (with mod chip) 4) 2 - Sony Playstation 2's (one is still currently used) My most recent purchases: 1) Atari Flashback 2 console 2) Xbox (which I intend to mode for Mame purposes).
  11. Edit: Oh, for some reason I STILL can't get on to 68Kmla's forums. I tried on my home computer last night using a different password and screen name and I was sure everything (AV, Spyware, filters and a partridge in a pear tree) was all turned off. NO email from 68k...so something is wrong on their end. Aftermac...you mentioned that you are in that forum a lot, is it possible if you could track one of the moderators down for me there to look into the problem as to why the activation email isn't being sent? Thanx, Geo
  12. Ahhh, that was the problem. Yeah, I was hitting the blue button. The thing is that with other forums once you click on multi-quote, it doesn't matter what reply button you hit you will get the multi-quote in your reply text box. Ok. But the Plus has the extra slots to go to 4meg, but you need the RAM card for the others to go to 4meg then, right? Oh Ok. Yeah the Classic II was one of the first ones on my list originally as well...until I found out about the SE/30. But I have a funny feeling that many others beat me to the punch and I gather that the SE/30 might be a difficult and/or expensive find, correct? Hmmmm, might it have something to do with the memory? LOL! That is what I thought. What I was thinking is perhaps I would go with something like a Classic II first and if I really fly with the Mac, then I can seek out an SE/30 UNLESS I get a good deal on that one. Well, like I said, color isn't mandatory. I was just curious if the color games would play on the older Macs (obviously in b/w though). One of the things that worries me about these older computers if the monitor goes. I am JUST learning to fix these and certainly a monochrome monitor would be easier to fix than a color one. Plus, as I said above, I am looking into something retro, so the monochrome monitor just adds to the look. The truth is that I always wanted one of these older Macs (but when they were newer), but they used to be extremely expensive. So I held off on buying a computer until Windows 3.1 was well under way. Well, it is no secret which company copied whom. But as I said, Macs were very expensive. If the Macs were more competitively priced back in the day, then I think that I probably would have been a Mac user. Lately though, my 'prized' ideals in Microsoft really have been dwindling as I am tired of the security issues and the constant forking over $100 (or more) every time a new OS comes out. My cousin-in-law has a Mac laptop computer and I saw what he can do with it. He doesn't use virus protection, nor pop up or spyware protection. He says he 'doesn't need it'. So slowly a '?' pops in my mind that perhaps it is time to switch. But now this is with the IIsi though... not the SE/30 Oh, so the SE/30 CAN do it then. Yeah, then I can see it being worth it because going full out on the SE/30's memory. You could probably fit quite a few programs into the ram drive and the computer should run nice and fast! Ok, that is something I will keep in mind in the event I do end up with a SE/30. So then, it is time to start looking for something. Now, in terms of looking for one of the machines mentioned above (SE/30, Classics) what should I look out for? Mostly if I find one with a problem, what are the easy fixes and what are the ones I should run from like the plague? Thanx, Geo
  13. Hello guys, Ok, once again, the multi-quote isn't working. I AM going to start to make multiple replies if they don't fix it. I can't stand it when forums don't work right. Anyway, moving on: Desiv: Yeah I been reading up on the Classic II and that was the one that I initially set my sights on. But then I heard about the SE/30 and that is the one to go with. So the next question is this: What is better the Plus or the Classic II. Also, how do you rate the classic colors? Can the color games play on the monochrome units (it may sound funny but I actually prefer a monochrome as it has a more of a 'classic' feel. Also the monitors are easier to fix). Tempest: That is a good point with the ram disk. Wish it could do that myself. I remember asking someone one time why they went to 8gig on their PC and that was the exact same answer...4gig was main memory and another 4gig for a ram drive. Aftermac: Thusfar the 68kmla has NOT sent me my activation. But I am at home now so I am going to make up a new screen name and see what happens tonight. It is strange that the site doesn't have someone to contact in case of issues like that. It's good to know that the classic Mac's can multi-task. I figured they would...after all where did Gates get the idea for Windows from? Ok so thusfar it looks like the order to find a classic Mac (monochrome) is: 1) SE/30 2) PLUS 3) Classic II At any rate, I have not seen any SE/30s up and around. One guy is TRYING to sell one on Ebay for $300. Naw, I don't think so. However there are some Pluses up there that I was checking out. Some have monitor issues though. I MAY be able to fix them. Anyway, I am going to try to give it another go with 68Kmla and see what happens. Thanx, Geo
  14. Ok, so then it is Classic I and II that have the restriction on 1M, so then for something like the Mac Plus that one is expandable to 4Meg. But in the case of the SE/30 you can go all the way to 128meg...on board? Personally I wouldn't know. Would there be something that uses that much memory? Can these old Macs multi-task? I am assuming so. So if you have 3 or 4 programs running, extra memory can come in handy. But I do understand what you are saying. So it would be better to put things into better perspective. Lets say you have a standard case scenario of 2 or 3 "typical" programs running (typical meaning the average size program of that era), what would you REALLY need in terms of memory? Would 16m be enough, 32m, or 64m? Or were there programs back then that would use the full 128m. It is hard to put it into context for me because I never had a Mac before. Today's memory on a PC usually runs around 2-4gig on the average, so I would think a machine with 8meg is quite out there as I don't know many applications that would use THAT much memory (now at least). Anyway, I tried to sign up for the 68k Mac Liberation Army forum today and I never got my activation email. I tried to 're-register' with my info, but it says my screen name is in use. So that means my information took...but I never got the confirmation email...and yes I checked anti-spam. I tried to get in contact with a forum moderator, but in order to PM, you have to sign on, so that is a catch-22. Bummer! I wanted to make some post today too. I guess I will try again later on my home machine. Geo
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