Lathe26

It is a tape to save BASIC programs and BASIC data to (a snapshot of the program's variables). It could have some stuff saved on it. However, I have quite a few such tapes and none have anything saved on them. Odds are low that there is anything on it, but you never know. Overall, the tapes hold their data ok after all these years but not great. The data can be extracted but it requires a few days of manual effort by someone who knows how to fix the degraded parts. The bigger problem is that KC's tape drives are typically non-functional these days because the rubber belts and tires have gone bad.

I thought this video did a good job of enumerating some of the "controversy" points with the Amico. Most of the listed reasons are probably not news to the folks here, but it might be a handy video to share with some of the folks on the fence.

His videos are as successful as CED video discs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitance_Electronic_Disc

Is there a known list of printers that were officially compatible with the ECS? The ECS manual lists the Aquarius Printer is compatible. It also says the following on page 12: Other printers may be compatible with your Computer Module. To find out if your printer is compatible, call one of the Service/Information numbers list on page 92 of this book. Additionally, the ECS is compatible with the Manta Printer. However, there is a thin chance that there is a firmware difference between the 2 models that would make ASCII work fine but special Aquarius characters not print correctly (other printers in the era had firmware differences). This assumes that the Aquarius Printer itself also supports the full Aquarius character set.

What my mind envisions Extended BASIC looks like...

I know it would a lot of work, but it would be awesome if someone could create schematics for one or both of these boards. Alternatively, if someone created the net-list for these boards (i.e. a text list of what pin connects to what pin), then a schematic could be created. These designs should be preserved.

I've posted some early investigation work on making the ECS transmit and receive on AtariAge. However, the UART is half-duplex. It can send or receive but not at the same time. You have bang the registers to switch directions. Thus, XON and XOFF flow control won't work. I do plan to post an updated and more detailed write-up on the ECS UART at some point that includes some corrections from the above-mentioned post. Currently, I am working on some KC tapes and a color-measuring project for the Intellivision. For an example of the ECS receiving data, here's using a GPS with the ECS. A link to the AtariAge post is in the video's description.

Actually, the cart contains Sondra Devaux

I can offer as well. However, I charge extra if you want me to do it tastefully nude.

I'll take the opposite approach... Hear ye! Hear ye! Anyone who dresses as a clown next PRGE will have a free meal on me! 🤡🤡

Cool! Have any of those been dumped to compare to the normal versions?

... and for the curious, and because the screws were so easily accessible, here's the circuit board.

Recently picked up a press release version of The Dreadnaught Factor. While awesome, it is not a ROM variant. The has the same ROM code as the commercial version

Yeah, my knees just aren't what they used to be...