Xebec

OK First 7 scans are here - please let me know if OK enough quality (lighting not great). 6 of 7 are via an Android phone scanning app, the 7th (Atariwriter using EMX80FTE..) is via a MFC scanner. The Amdek manual I decided to throw in the sealed plastic since it looked like it was never opened. All are complete except the "atari next generation preview" - I suspect there's a good copy of this out there already somewhere, so I only scanned 4 pages .. let me know if I need to attempt a good scan of this manual. It shows and provides details of 1400XL, 1450XLD, etc... as well as software applications available as of ~ 1983 or so.. "First and Finest OS/A+" will be a lot of work to scan but I can do it. I have 2 others to scan as well that won't be too bad. a note regarding software Atari computers.pdfAMDEK color monitor model 300 operating guide.pdfArchon II_ Adept the Manual.pdfAtari next generation preview.pdfAtari Writer quick reference.pdfAtariwriter_Using_EMX80FT3_Printer_Driver.pdfPercom Data AT88SPD system drive manual.pdf

Just to check -- the Atari 800 (original) is supposed to be a bit yellow, and should not be retrobrighted, correct? I saw a pic of an 800 for sale that was rather white looking at it seemed wrong?

Perhaps it's time for a FAQ or a sticky post on the Atari vendors in general. It would have to be careful not to favor one provider over another, but it might be nice to have a post that is in a format like: PINNED - 2017 Atari Vendors - Read before discussing a Vendor - So you want to buy a new Atari product or repair an existing product? Well, there are still vendors supporting Atari 25-40 years later. This post serves as a list for currently known sellers, and developers of Atari products. As a reminder, because Atari has not been a major source of business for anyone in quite a long time, many of these vendors are very part time and you may not hear from them immediately on orders (i.e. days or weeks) or for requests for information. Please search the threads before posting such as "Where is my stuff" for examples of service. - Alphabetical List of Vendors (sell stuff), including website, location, and phone #. - Alphabetical list of those who make new things / developers. Website and/or Social media links. .... This all said I think the post should provide good ground rules for when to post about a vendor. If you have sent someone your money and haven't heard anything in 7-10 days.. I personally think that's reasonable...

These are excellent pics! I was lucky enough to have to go out to work occasionally to Sunnyvale and I drove by the Atari HQ quite a few times.. I didn't get out to Jobs place or the HP 'birthplace' though - love the pictures!!

If not too late, a few I'd be curious about -- - Was there ever any serious discussion on making a faster but still low cost 'ST compatible' (i.e. cheaper than Mega STE but providing 16 or 32 mhz?) Why or Why not? - What were some of the reasons TOS was developed/advanced so slowly? - What were the factors in the decision that lead to making the Mega STE? (I saw in some old mags Atari was asking dealers if there was demand at first), and what was the target market for this computer vs. the TT? - Were there any further revisions of the plain ST(e) up for discussion around the time of the Falcon? - In retrospect, what should have Atari done better/differently with the TT and Falcon?

One can hope in another few years home 3D Printers will be able to just print transistors at the size these chips were fabbed at 30-40 years ago..

That is very cool! I was just wondering if anyone ever moved from Syncalc to another computer platform and were able to convert the data format.. Nice that it's still usable!

I have the following manuals, most of which are copied/bootlegged apparently - curious if any of these need scanning or not? (If not I'd like to recycle the paper for the copied ones.. I will keep any original manuals of course). I would appreciate responses.. Paper copies: Syntrend and Synstat by Synapse software SynCalc manual (~ 150 pgs) Synfile+ Reference card and manual (115+ pgs) Syngraph - Hi res color graphing (~ 82 pgs) Reference manual for C/65 "a small c language compiler" including the "oops" errata page Reference manual for DUG/65 (an assembly langauge debugging program for use with 6502..) MAC/65 F-15 Strike Eagle (Microprose) Using an Epson printer with Atari Basic. Has hand written instructions for "to make a copy of the atariwriter disk with the "drivers" for double density, do the following". Mentions using an Atari 850 and Epson cable CR-92003. Timewise Flight Simulator II v1.05 manual - includes "Flight Physics and Aircraft Control with an introduction to aerobatics" book Atariwriter using various printers manual and accessories (i.e. 1027, 850, etc). includings instructions for: Atari 1020, 1027, Epson FX-80, MX-80, MX100.. Gemini, NEC, Graftrax, Prowriter-8510 and and several more. Original: Atari Service Contract including business reply card. Has coverage for 400, 800, 600XL, 800XL, and 1200XL, as well as peripherphals - prices listed. Atari Paint (150+ pages in a small wire bound book). First and Finest OS/A+ - systems software for apple and atari computers (~ 140 pgs) Atari Writer quick reference (1 laminate page) Atari - Inside Atari basic by Bill Carris. (~183 pgs) Silent Service manual AMDEK Color Display model 300 operating guide (monitor I have.. interestingly) EPYX Summer Games for Atari home computers instruction manual Archon II : The Adept manual Percom AT88SPD System Drive manual A note regarding software - time warner guideline talking about programs that violate Atari's guidelines for compatibility that may not work on XL computers.. 800XL owners manual Atari home computers the next generation (doesn't the 1200XL look so cool?)

Very cool background on the edge connector -- I assume it's never been used for any upgrades or modifications then?

So the SIDE 2 has a switch on the front, Down = boots into SD-X. Up = boots into it's own loader that lets you boot into it's own loader. I don't know which other DOSes can use the storage on the SIDE 2 directly, but I do know if you have a SIDE2 and U1MB there is some way to make the SIDE2 and U1MB mount multiple .ATR files, which may suit your BBS needs.. Around 3:45 it shows this functionality:

Hahaha very nice.. I just completed months of recovering old floppies, and then had a second wave of fooling around after upgrading some 1050's to USDoubler speed.. I'd like an 810 happy again some day..

I hear ya.. I still have a USB 3.5" for the PC, and of course Amiga and ST floppies.. I have extra mechanisms so I just thought it'd be neat to mess around with an Atari 3.5" drive.. The SIDE 2 handles everything I really care about though

I was curious if with a Percom upgraded to 3.5" floppy, could you format a floppy that is PC-compatible? (FAT12) and read that back on SpartaDOS-X?

Is the main advantage to this drive over a 1050 that you can put a 3.5' drive in and achieve higher capacities? (plus the printer port on the back)?

Good to know - thanks! My concern was based on things like camera flashes that disable raspberry pi's because of ICs being very light sensitive. I assumed the old EEPROMs were pretty easy to clear as well.

Wow.. Reading the PDF now -- very impressive.. I just wanted to say Thank You for sharing this with the community!

Looks like some soldering/wire work : http://atariage.com/forums/topic/212773-incognito-install-a-collectors-perspective/ Maybe Incognito 2 needs less? Also, does anyone know what the bus/edge connector on the back of the 800 main board is for ? the inaccessible one?

That's great! The desk salvage is actually really awesome, that adds a lot to the nostalgia feel as far as I'm concerned.. The most I can do there is build some stacking wood constructions like my Dad had for holding modems, disk boxes, drives, etc.. . I still need to find an Atari 810 drive with the 1/3rd size flip lid -- that's what I remember having as a kid (1 of that style, and one of the 'full door' style, but the 1/3rd had the happy upgrade.. I have 5 x 1050s, 3 of which are USDoublers now.. Lotharek said the incognito 2 is coming soon!.. Does that basically have all of the functionality of SIDE + U1MB together? and no soldering required? I thought I liked the 800XL form factor best, but after pulling these 800's out of the box.. that's not the case anymore. pun intended.

Yeah I'd say consider this closed for now.. Basically the 4 add-in boards from the SIO-damaged Atari 800 made another work.. So now I have: 2 Working Atari 800s, all original, 48KB, one with plastic covered cards and the other with 'bare boards'. Clean cases and keyboards. 1 non-working 800: damaged case (holes), damaged power supply board (broken SIO), bad ROM board, 3 x bad RAM boards, but good CPU add in card, and good main board. Dirty keyboard missing some keys .

Well this thing powers on but makes some rough noises.. This was never my drive so I'm not attached to it.. Any idea what this could fetch for sale as-is?

DrVenkman - great pics! I did try earlier -- The populated board didn't work, and I placed a 'missing chip' on the two other boards, and the same thing. There was some evidence the system was opened and worked on before -- one of the internal screws was missing. That's always possible a factory thing, but.. I'll assume it wasn't.. The RAM chips I'm having trouble identifying, each board seems to have a mixture of AM9016DPC 8243DEP chips (AMD) and B8244AG MM5290N-4 The second part lists as a 16kbit chip (2 kilobytes) which makes perfect sense.. I'm assuming the AMD chip is the same, do I do not believe any upgrades were done. The ROM board is the same revision as yours and looks good. I do nto see any burn marks, cuts or other stuff on these boards.. They simply do not work in this 800 or another 800 that I have that is good. The rest of the system seems OK - the cpu board, main board, and power supply all work. That's why this is a bit odd. I'll take a good look at this. I'm probably going to partially part out this 800 -- I have a case where someone screwed through the top stupidly.. I have a power supply board with the SIO port was broken off, and then I have these ROM/RAM boards that do not work. I do have 2 fully working 800s with all 48KB and nice cases, so .. I'll just keep the main board and CPU board as spares if needed. The RAM hopefully gets replaced with an incognito 2 in the future on at least one of them anyway...

It might work - the spec sheet for this '5' chip claims to have a side select capability..

So double density but limited to single sided? or could I get 720KB out of a 3.5" ?

Well my guess is this percom won't work anymore anyway.. the piece of tape fell off the EEPROM chip on the bottom left of the pics, so i'm sure the flash of the picture erased it.. WDC FD1795CL-02 (possibly FQ, but pretty sure FD)

http://atariage.com/forums/gallery/album/1984-percom-board/ The board is a real PITA to move around, but let me know if you need a pic of any other parts on it to figure out if it's DD