917k

Just exactly what I need! My EclaireXL already loads cartridge images from a menu.

Hopefully she will re-offer these boards when the XEL is released.

That's cool, whatever floats your boat.

I would have purchased an XF551SDriveXEL but i did not want to pay in advance and tie up my money for something so iffy and open-ended. Why didn't you do it like everybody else does and take pre-order commitments from people for these items then collect the money when you are ready to actually make the product? I will still buy a XF551XEL Basic, XF551XEL Advanced, or a XF551SDriveXEL if you ever decide to make them.

The first thing I thought of was an Android Box with the Atari Greatest Hits app installed.

Interesting, I watched that video and did not find it funny at all. I guess I must not be a big fan of puppet humor. I do think Snicklin is probably right on about it begin a cultural thing.

Five apps I recall using quite a bit back in the 80s in no particular order... 1. Homepak 2. Atari BASIC 3. Disk Wizard II 4. Character Editor 5. Turbo BASIC

I love the game Bruce Lee and I thought the video was pretty funny.

I have the WASD vector files completed for two keyboards so far. Here are some mock-ups to show basically what they look like... Atari 400 inspired... Atari XE inspired... I am working on the Atari 800 and Atari XL style designs next. I will have to wait a bit before getting these made into actual keyboards until some additional keyboard functions are added to the EclaireXL core.

I have been trying to figure out how to do this myself for use with my ECLAIREXL so I am absolutely in for 3-4 of these.

Yes, I do understand that... my current designs are made using the WASD ISO template... however, at least here in the USA, the companies I have contacted that do inexpensive (<$40 each) full-color keyboard printing use the American style keyboards... not something I have control over. ISO keyboards in general are not exactly common in the USA. Deja Vu!

I have a couple of designs finished including a full-color one styled after the Atari 400. I am also looking into some options that are less expensive than the WASD option. I have been in contact with some reasonably priced sources that do full-color keyboard printing and do have a template from them to work with but so far it is the American-style keyboard which unfortunately Eclaire does not work with very well. I'm not sure if WASD still does full-color keycap printing but I am awaiting their reply to my email asking if they do. One way or another, I am going to have some keyboards (or keycaps) made. I do plan to make my designs available to everybody at some point.

Terrific, thank you.

Any word on when the next batch will be available?

So is the drive out of an actual 551 disk drive the only drive that will work with this?

Finding a place to plug in the keyboard might be a bit of a problem...

I have a v2.0 prototype of the EclaireXL and it is also an amazing machine.

Then there is this video of a Spectrum emulator (Z80 @ 3.5 MHz) running on an A8 using a Rapidus (65C816 @ 20 MHz) & VBXE...

So how about letting us do a a bare PCB buy right now? I'd be in for at least two... I personally don't need to wait for a kit to be put together or somebody else to build it for me. Let's get this show on the road.

I am in for two!

Anybody from the U.S. received theirs yet? It has been 20 days en route and unfortunately no tracking number is available.

Searching around the interwebs, there seem to already be VIC-II FPGA cores (with scandoublers for VGA) out there that could probably be ported such as... http://www.syntiac.com/fpga64.html and http://en.pudn.com/downloads169/sourcecode/game/detail779632_en.html Not sure what the license situation for these are but if somebody is interested in doing a project like this then it might be worthwhile to contact the authors as a lot of the work for this may already be done.

If you are interested, click the link I left in the first post and let her know.

Very cool, thank you for the info!

I spoke with Heather (SkydivinGir) through Amibay and she said she would consider doing another run of the Vic-20 Final Expansion cartridge if enough people were interested. She said she has 5 people on a waiting list but needs 15 total to make it financially doable... Here is a link to the last offering... http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?87848-Pre-Orders-Final-Expansion-3-Rev-11&highlight=final+expansion Some info... • Built-In Menu System. • A Built-in SD2IEC drive capable of running the latest SD2IEC firmware. • SD2IEC EEPROM File System (Beta). Allows you to store some files in the SD2IEC without using an SD card. See SD2IEC documentation for usage. • Diskloader to access files on the SD2IEC from the menu system. • Battery Backed Real Time Clock (RTC) for accurate Time/Date stamps on SD2IEC. • 512KB configurable memory expansion. • 512KB Programmable ROM. Flash your programs to ROM directly from your VIC-20. • FE3 DOS Wedge with SJLoad (JiffyDOS Compatible Load/Save). • Dual Reset Buttons – Resets current running configuration or back to menu. Final Expansion WIKI: http://sleepingelephant.com/denial/w...inal_Expansion Final Expansion Manual: http://koti.kapsi.fi/~jvaltane/vic20...r%20Manual.pdf The Final Expansion 3 Rev 11 has the following changes: • Dual IEC Headers allow you to use standard IEC cables as well as connect other IEC devices to your VIC-20 at the same time. • IEC cables can still be soldered directly to the PCB in place of the IEC headers if you prefer. Strain relief holes are provided on the PCB to allow for this type of assembly. • Component changes to allow for easier sourcing of parts and assembly of the kit. • Tactile switches allow for easier case mounting and removal of the case when replacing the Battery. • Downloadable 3D case designed by COREi64. (See Below) • One of three labels to match the case mounting option of your choice: Standard VIC-20 case without IEC Headers (cable directly wired), Standard VIC-20 case with IEC headers (top case cut to accommodate IEC Headers), or COREi64 designed case. • EEPROM pre-programmed with games by Jeffrey Daniels of the VIC-20 DENIAL Website. Cheers 917k