get my old source code from Atari 400 - > PC

[get my old source code from Atari 400 - > PC]

The answers to this post reminds me of the story (was this on Seinfeld?) when NASA developed a ball-point pen that could write upside down and in zero gravity and spent millions of dollars on it while the russians used a regular pencil. Or, maybe tape decks aren't that easy to come by these days. I feel old, I still have my Walkman. I don't know if it has a line out though.

[notable musicians who use Atari computers]

Swedish band Adolphson & Falk used the Atari ST. On their album "Över tid och rum" from 1984 they even had a recording of an Atari 8-bit program as the last track. This wasn't specified on the album, but was discovered by someone who recognized the sound of a loading tape on the Atari 8-bit. It was their recording engineer, I think that was an Atari 8-bit fan at the time, who put the track in.

[Top 10 Atari Moments]

1. My first encounter with a computer. It was a Z80 based computer widely used in schools in Sweden called the ABC80. We played breakout, a worm game and a racing game called Dot Race on it during recesses.

 

2. Writing my first Basic programs on this machine. One was a simple text adventure game.

 

3. Watching a friend's Vic 20 playing some Scramble type game. He also got one of his own games published. It was a text adventure game on cassette.

 

4. Seeing and playing Star Raiders on the 800 for the first time. This blew everything I'd seen to kingdom come. Knew I'd have to get an Atari then.

 

5. When my brother got an Atari 400 with a two cartridge game pack, Don't think Star Raiders was among them. The game I remember playing most was Missile Command.

 

6. When I bought a used Atari 800 and a cassette player. And later got the 1050 disk drive for it. And even later I sold the 800 (Doh!) and bought a 130 XE, which I still use today.

 

7. Getting into the 16 bit era with the ST and later also the Amiga.

 

8. Seeing Doom on a top of the line PC for the first time. By this time I'd already sold my 16 bit computers and built my own PC, which didn't go without a hitch.

 

9. Learning C, C++ on my Windows 3.1 PC. This got me a job as a programmer.

 

10. Just recently deciding to learn 6502 assembly on my trusty old 130 XE. I never programmed much on it back in the day; too many games to play and not enough time.

 

These are numbered in chronological order from 1981-now. My favorite moment though is number 4. I've since also bought a C64 to feed my need for 8-bit goodness. 8 bits is all I need to have fun.

[Easy Assembly tutorials?]

I've also started reading about assembly on the 6502. I started on this web site, http://skilldrick.github.io/easy6502/, which gives a quick introduction. It has java script 6502 simulators with a small bitmapped screen you practise on. Now I'm reading the Assembly Language Programming for the Atari Computers, working with the Ass/Editor and Basic. The next book I'll start on is to be Atari Roots, which has been recommended to me by many.

[Were/Are any Atari joysticks that had more than one button?]

I played Spy Hunter the other day, and the manual said something about the bottom and top button of the joystick. Did this game come with a special joystick, or what? The secondary weapons worked with the joy 2 button. I used my right foot for it.

[A gentleman never asks and a lady never tells]

I'm turning 50 in a couple of months. Got my first Atari (used) in late 83 (I was 20). It was an 800 with a cassette player. A couple of months later I got a used 810 disk drive. In 85 I sold the stuff and bought a new 130XE and a 1050 disk drive, all which I still use today.