Nebulon

So, how well does the SIO2SD interface work? Is it easy to send data from a PC to the Atari and run it (without needing a disk drive)? For example, what would be the process for getting a program through the interface from the PC to an Atari 800XL and then run it? Thanks in advance!

I continually see debate focusing on Tramiel, Gould, Atari, and Commodore. Personally, I prefer to trace the paths of the designers of the machines. IMHO, the Amiga is the actual next step in the evolution of the Atari 8-bit machines. Hence, I regard the Amiga as more of an Atari computer than a Commodore computer. Commodore didn't design the Amiga -- they acquired it. And the Amiga design is built on the backbone of the Atari 8-bit machines. As for the ST/TT series, they've always struck me as a detour or a different direction for the purposes of offering an inexpensive machine with similar features. Generally speaking, if you take the features of the Atari 8-bit machines and double them and add a few optimizations and enhancements, you get an Amiga: - 8-bit data paths become 16-bit. - 16-bit data paths become 32-bit. - upgrade the custom chips - add a Blitter - cycle-interleave the CPU with the Blitter - give separate RAM to the custom chips - double the horizontal and vertical pixel resolutions - sprite texture width of 8 becomes texture width or 16 - 1 background bitmap layer becomes 2 And this reveals the irony of the Atari-Amiga 'war'. The Amiga is technically just a continuation of the Atari line of computers. It just happened to end up under the umbrella of a different company. And vice-versa with the ST line of machines being spearheaded by ex-Commodore people. So, to me, the lineage is: Atari 2600 -> Atari 8-bit series -> Amiga.

Has anyone tried the SIO2USB connector on an 800XL? Is it any good? I'm wondering if is actually is possible to send a program over the USB cable (e.g. a game) and have it run on the Atari, without the need of a disk drive or cassette recorder.