Marius

Hi! Thanks a lot! This is the tool indeed! I got no luck with installing it on my MyIDE until I found out that was MY OWN FAULT! The format Tool I wrote (version 2.0), had some serious bugs in the boot-sectors it wrote on the MyIDE partition. So thanks to this bootmanager, I found out my format tool was not 100% compatible... hehe. I just released version 2.1 and now the bootmanager of Atreju does work on MyIDE. Isn't that great It is very cool to have BeWeDOS AND SpartaDOS together on one partition, and thanks to this bootmanager you're able to chose whatever version you want to use! Thanks Marius

UPDATE!! MyFormat 2.1 Bug Fix: The bootsectors written by my previous released version (2.0) were not 100% compatible with the spartaDOS file format! When you did format your partition with version 2.0, and you are booting SpartaDOS 3.3a, or BeWeDOS 1.30... there is no problem. But: when you want to install another system-file to boot (like a bootmanager) in stead of the .DOS file of your choice, you may have had some troubles (like a non-booting partition) In this new version.... (2.1) this problem is fixed (I hope) Tested with: bootmanager written by Atreju. Sorry for any inconvenience. Please leave any feedback or questions here. Marius

Hi Folks, In the past I've seen a tool that makes it possible to chose the version of SpartaDOS in the Boot Sequence. So you boot your partition. You get a list of the different .DOS versions you have on your HD and then you chose one. The boot continues. I would like to use this tool, but I can't find it. Who knows which tool this is? I'm not sure but in my memory it was written by a fellow named ATREJU... but I'm not sure about that. Thanks for any help Marius

Thanks for your help. This is very interesting info. I will play around with it next days, and I'm sure I'll get more questions. If so... I'll post them here. Thanks again! Marius

Hi! Well... RMT is extremely COOL, but... it needs a PC (I have a PPC based Mac). And using my atari 8bit is the biggest part of the hobby, so I like to compose/arrange the music on the 8bit. If there was an atari-only version of RMT, that would be the best. I looked at your link. Found interesting stuff (even a spartados compatible MPT!), but I still would love to have some docs about MPT... but today I have played around with it, and i'm learning. Besides the topic: do you know if it takes lot of resources to playback MPT file WITH digitized effects? I guess it is almost impossible to play MPT + digi effects in the background of an interesting game or demo. Or am i wrong? thanks Marius

Hi folks, In the past I used the Chaos Music Composer. The choice was simple: I bought an original copy of it, and it came with docs. thanks to the Docs I was able to compose and arrange some nice music with it. I still like CMC very much, especially because I know how it works. But I have to admit... GOOD songs made with MPT and TMC do sound better..., even when no digitised effects are used. (However: I know some extremely good CMC songs either...) I would like to give MPT a try (or perhaps TMC)... but I don't have a manual. Who has DOCS in English or German (or Dutch wehehe). I don't understand Polish :s Thanks a lot Marius

My 2 absolute favorite 2 player games (1 vs 1) are: Dynakillers Blip but I don't know if these work through the net. I would like to know more 1 vs 1 games too. But the net-option is not in my interest. I want to beat my wife on the atari ))) Marius p.s. she hates blip, but loves dynakillers

Oh that's cool! Now you are able to run 3.3a. Make sure you only use the format tool on 65535 sector sized (double density) partitions. It is a non-intelligent routine, so it does not check your sector/density settings. Marius

Another question: Sio2USB (from Abbuc) will have Real Time Clock onboard. Does Sio2SD has this too? Thanks Marius

Hi Ray, The device you are naming is officialy not called 'sio2usb' ... The one of Steven Tucker (you told about) is a Sio2PC with USB connector (in stead of RS232) ... the REAL Sio2USB is the one from Frankfurter Devision of Abbuc. This is some kind of Sio2SD but then to boot from USB stick (is cool). The one from atarimax is impossible to build yourself, because it works (I guess) with some kind of micro-controller or flash rom. As long as you don't have the code, you are not able to build it yourself I guess. USB is not better than RS232 for our purpouses, so why not making a rs232 version yourself )) Have fun. Marius

Are you able to exchange that CPU with a working one? It's the Mexico CPU ... they are BAD anyway. It's a start. If that won't work, try the OS ROM... it's harder to replace... (if you are going to replace, place a socket in it...) I'm not thinking of ram in the first place. Most of time a bad ram gives more action than only a noise bar. Another little trick: try to start the Atari with a (simple) cartridge connected. BTW: isn't there any solder broke off and fell between some pins anywhere on the mainboard?? It might be an unwanted solderbridge to ofcourse. Perhaps you should tap and shake a little (careful!)? Good Luck, Marius p.s. I'm wondering: why do you have a XE with a basic chip dated 1979?? I thought those 1979 basics were only shipped in Rev. A XL systems? Or is it just the date, and does this XE has the rev. "C" basic?

Are you sure your power supply is still working? If you turn on the atari 0% happens or a little? Is the screen coloured? Like red? It could be: 1. Power Supply 2. Bad OS ROM 3. Bad RAM 4. Bad CPU And anything else of course. But these are my personal experiences with chips/hardware that fails first. Especially a faulty OS Rom or a bad Ram. Greetings Marius

Hi Larry, SpartaDOS needs the MyIDE OS eprom inside your Atari 8bit computer. It does not matter what kinds of MyIDE interface card you're using as long you did replace your Atari OS rom with some kind of MyIDE Eprom. If you don't have a MyIDE Eprom inside your atari: BeWe DOS is still a great choice, because it is Sparta Compatible. Good luck! Marius

I have to admit I did not read the thousands of replies about this subject in different topics, but there is one thing I don't understand about this. The only 'interesting' part for having a FlashBack 3 is there is brandnew hardware able running our so beloved a8 software. It's new, so the disadvantage of failing equipment (due to higher age) is gone. But... there is still SO MUCH original equipment available these days, on which there is so much possible. Al the thing people are asking for, are already possible on the available (2nd hand) atari 8bit computers. Brandnew XE computers are still available.... Ofcourse: I'm very excited by the idea there will be a new (a8) compatible machine available... but only for the idea it is brand new... The memory-stick option is still possible (Sio2USB) on real a8. Thanks Marius

Thanks for that. I'll post results soon (as soon as I get my Sio2IDE working again). by the way I also have the BlackBox. In My opinion THAT IS SOME INTERFACE! It's extremely fast and has lots of other nice built-in tools and stuff. Do you know it? I'm still interested: where can I buy the newest (4.4) Sio2IDE? Is it available on Ebay? Or in an online-shop somewhere? Thanks for your support! Marius

MyIDE is using parallel data transfer. This is always faster compared to any Sio speed. Ape does do a nice 3x SioSpeed, but some timing critical software is already incompatible with this speed. I've heard it is even possible to get higher than 3x SioSpeed, but MyIDE is about 10 x standard SIO speed. It is not fair comparing parallel devices with sio devices. I only have the first version of Sio2IDE, and no I did not do a real test to compare them, but I used logical sense I've never used SpartaDOS X. Only file versions. Ask Mr. Atari again for information. There is more info about his interface on http://www.atarimax.com (forum) My personal experience with Mr. Atari is that he is very helpful and generous, but... not really a spartados addict. By the way: how to get ready-to-use newest Sio2IDE interface? I'm interested in the newest interface of course. Thanks Marius

On my atari 8bit computer I connected an IDE drive on a SCSI port (BlackBOX) by using ACARD 7720IW (not available anymore). There are updates of this 7720 ... but I don't know of these newer cards still do the job. I can't imagine this won't work on Atari ST. check http://www.acard.com Greetings Marius

Perhaps... but I want to have the 'right' version (with Red fruits) on my REAL atari ) I'm using the Mac version of the atari 800 emulator (ported by Mark Grebe). This is wonderful port of the emulator. I will try to play with the pallette on that version to improve the results. If it satisfies, I'll make a screenshot and post that here. Greetz. Marius

Hi Doc, that is very nice, but I already have a bunch of these. A week ago I bought 9 of these on Ebay. they work great on MyIDE too. The only thing I needed to know was: what to do ON the CF card, but beetle explained it. I'll let you know when the BBS is reachable again. Things are already up and running, but I have to change and test things before I let people on it. Thanks Marius

Make one primary partition on the CF card. Format wth FAT32 under Windows (if using Win9x prefer DOS Mode). Formatting to FAT32 under Linux surprisingly didn't work for me. Formatting with FAT16 gave me problems from time to time, too. And don't use too small CF cards. I never got my 16MB and 48MB cards to run. All 256MB-1GB card i tested ran just fine, no matter if brand or no-name. Greetings, Beetle Somewhere I did read CF cards do only work on Sio2IDE 4.4 and hihger? I have an old version of Sio2IDE (from 2002), and besides that version, I'm 100% sure there is also a bug in that sio2ide. In my version of sio2ide al ATR's are 256 bytes larger than they are, so the atari get's terrible confused in case of a 65535 sector sized atr (actually it sees that one as 255 bytes) Is there an update for this Sio2IDE version, and if updated, does it support the CF card as you described? That would be cool Thanks Marius

This is not 100% true. SpartaDOS runs on MyIDE with the MyIDE OS in your Atari installed. It runs perfectly. when you do not want to install the MyIDE ROM in your atari you can run BeWeDOS, that's spartados file format compatible. And MyIDE is much faster as Sio2IDE ofcourse. Marius

Perhaps a little offtopic, But I have 2 sio2IDE's here... and never thought about connecting a CF card to it. (I did the same thing on MyIDE, but never thought of doing the same with Sio2IDE) Is there something special I should do with the CF card before it works with sio2IDE? Thanks Marius

Thanks for this. I see what you mean, but it is not the same red as what it should be. the red of the cherry is normally the same red as the "tie" (is this the right word???) Ms. Pacman wears. In NTSC is more something like purple. I'll take look in the file version. Perhaps I could find the colour register and change it... But I'm afraid it would not be that easy. thanks for helping Marius

Hi Folks, A few weeks ago I release my last version of MyFormat. This tool is able to format a 16MB MyIDE Partition into the SpartaDOS file format. This ATR comes with full documentation. The ATR includes: MyFORMAT 2.0 SpartaDOS 3.3a BeWeDOS 1.30 (for use with MyIDE versions without MyIDE OS ROM installed) MySwap 2.0 (tool to swap IDE partitions) MSDOS.COM (great Game/Demo loader for spartaDOS format partitions, made by BEWESOFT) Documentation Please leave any feedback here. Thanks Marius There is an UPDATE of this Software! Scroll down to find it! ( I leave version 2.0 here for people who want to use 2.0 )

Hi folks, A recent topic about Ms.Pacman woke my interest again in an old issue. I have two versions of Ms. Pac-Man on cartrdige. The one in which the cherry, strawberry and apple are GREEN, and the version in which these fruits are RED. Also I have a file version of this game with the GREEN color fruits. I'd love to have a file version of Ms. Pacman with a RED cherry, strawberry and apple. Does anyone have this file version available? Thanks a lot Marius