Fletch

Just wanted to thank you guys for the tips on the light pen. I have finished my database and with the light pen the users can just point and press their way through the appropriate screens to retrieve the data they need. I guess touch screen has replaced the need for the pen, but this is one nifty little device. It seems a shame that Atari never really demonstrated the possible uses of the Light Pen. The software that comes with the Light Pen for drawing is pretty slick as well. For anyone who doesn't own one, I'd recommend picking one up. The Pens are only $20 new in box from B&C. Thanks again! Pete

I am a tad bias since I owned Atari's from the 400 through the Falcon, but I always prefered Atari's quality (Warner Days) over CBM. The 800 is literally built like a tank. The only reason the 800XL was produced IMHO was to try to fight CBM's cheap hardware. CBM's version of many games tended to be smoother in appearance, but slower in game play as far as I could tell at the time. My neighbor two doors down had a 64 and we would often play the same game's on each machine. One example was Summer Games. The Commodore version was surely prettier, but the Atari version had much more responsive game play. Plus the Lucasarts games seemed better on the Atari. Truth be told they were both very nice machines. I "upgraded" to my 400 from the 2600 so Atari already had me hooked. I miss those days. Pete

Thanks for the tips fellows. As for why I'm writing this program is pretty simple. I work in a light manufacturing environment that tends to get very greasy and dusty. The company I work for is very small and cost is always an issue. I can buy whole 8-bit systems for less than $100 and they just work. The fanless operation helps in the harsh environment and since the data being retrieved is pretty simple speed is not an issue. On the other hand, I have never been that great at programming. I admin a network of Mac/PCs, but networking and programming don't always mix. I was always fairly decent at simple Atari Basic programming so thats what I use when I can. The owner is happy because he doesn't need to spend big bucks on consultants and hardware and I'm happy because I get paid to screw around with my life long hobby. So, I wish my story was something cool like Nasa, but alas its just pretty boring. Thanks again for the info! Pete

I'm writing a simple database program in Atari Basic for my work. Ideally I would like to be able to use an Atari Light Pen to navigate the menus I have created to access the data. My problem is finding the commands in basic that allow me access to the light pen information. I assume I need to open a channel for the screen, but after that I'm not sure how to input the information from the Pen. Any input is appreciated. Thanks! Pete