DiscoDr.Bones

I appreciate all the responses here. I like the idea as posed by Goochman, where I have at least a few games on one cart that they can put in and have access to with minimal configuration. That can be “their cart” while I’m doing whatever I want with other carts/disks/peripherals. I wonder about the SIO2PC unit though… do I need it + the programmer kit + the cart? It looks like I can do all this with the programmer kit and a cart alone (so a grand total of around $100 instead of $160), but I’m no longer sure enough now that I have heard what you have to say. Also, randomly but also related, the guy gave me a 400 with 48k that he has been using since ‘80, so I’m going from having nothing to having two separate models. How worthwhile is that 400? Are most era games/software going to play on it? Keep it as a backup? It came with a couple games, but no OS/BASIC/other software I am aware of, and the XEGS has only what was included in the box. Thanks again for you time and responses. --SilvaHaloOne

Thanks for the responses. The reason I am going with the XEGS is because one has been offered to me new in box for a very reasonable price by someone who had it sitting in storage. So for me, it is being considered a starting point, I may take Goochman's advice on alternate computers at a later date when I am further into the Atari ecosystem. The main reason that I'm looking for a solution similar to the Harmony Cart but for the XEGS is because others in my family who love to play classic games are not quite so technically inclined, like enough so that they can use the Harmony or other similar devices without any problem, but a Windows computer running MAME confuses them if it doesn’t work exactly as expected, so I’m trying to simplify it as much as possible. When I look at the videos for the AtariMax MyIDE, it looks like something I could set up initially, give them some instruction as it does seem more complex, and then take it out as needed when I want to explore additional peripherals and software, such as the floppy drive, etc… Does this sound like a fair assertion? Along that same line, I am actually looking to get a Floppy Drive for it eventually (I have serious nostalgia for the 5¼ disks), is the 1050 my only choice with an XEGS?

Hi There, This is my first post, even though I have followed this community as my interest in collecting various classic Atari consoles and computers has allowed. Right now, I am eyeing an XEGS (I have nothing Atari 8-Bit) and am also considering getting the disk drive to open up the amount of software potentially available to me. As I understand it from some research, my only option in going this route with the XEGS is the 1050 5¼ disk drive… is this correct? I’m also curious about the device called “Atarimax MyIDE-II CompactFlash Interface w/ MyBIOS.” In some posts, I see it recommended over getting one of the disk drives. Is this device comparable in functionality to the Harmony Cartridge for the 2600? Thank you for your responses. --SilvaHaloOne