rpiguy9907

Just realized you were the Tilting at Windmills guy despite it being right there in your signature. Your work is amazing and will inspire me to explore the TI-99/4 one day, although likely through an emulator as I have zero room left for another system.

PS/2 to Amiga adaptors are cheap and plentiful on eBay. If you have a very early Model M with the AT connector then you need an AT to PS/2 adaptor and the Amiga adaptor.

I am restoring a 1040STf and upon disassembly I noticed that the inside of the power supply shield is slightly blackened. I see no evidence of a blown capacitor or other damage to the power supply. Is this normal? I haven't tried firing it up yet and am wondering if there is harm in trying the old power supply or if I should have it refurbished. Looks like the machine had never been opened.

20 bucks each, 5 available here: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F132650627600

20 bucks each... 5 available. https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F132650627600

In 1984 instead of releasing the Plus/4 they should have just released a Commodore 64 with BASIC 3.5 and fast loading disk routines. These would be defeatable with a GO64 command for backwards compatibility. They should have released a RAM expansion around this time, not several years later. Would have sold like hotcakes. The 1571 was a great idea, particularly if Commodore would have stopped making the 1541 and forced everyone to the 1571. Alas since they did not do that DSDD was never widely adopted and games continued to be released on flippy disks.

Noooo I just dropped off three C128 power supplies to recycling. Grrr...

Color Computer didnt have hardware sprites, right? They were software sprites, which any system could implement.

I had an Atari 2600 as a kid and the graphics were simpler than even the Color Computer. The VIC 20 may been better for games (more color and sound), but it had a horrible 22 column text display. At least the Color Computer did 32 columns at the time. My comment about the graphics was aimed solely at the game Wildcatting. I know the CoCo 3 is capable of some impressive games, I've seen some of the modern ports that use the RAM expansion on YouTube.

According to our profiles all in our 40s.

The only cart I have for it is the game Wildcatting. Very interesting economic simulation of oil drilling. Why RadioShack thought would be a good game is beyond me. And the graphics were very simple.

Hi all, I've been lurking for a long time and have been a Commodore/Apple guy for many years. I tried to get into the Color Computer scene, but I think because it didn't hit me with same nostalgia as the Commodore/Apple computers that I own, I was unable to get hooked. In fact I am selling the rig I put together (CoCo 3 + dual mini-disk) on the Marketplace. My impression of the platform is really bipolar. It feels like a much more sophisticated computer than a Commodore or an Apple, but this feeling is ruined by some of the decisions made by Tandy. From little things like the hideous font and green screen that you have to learn to change or load another OS to get rid of... to big things like sticking with so many legacy peripherals from the TRS-80 Model I/III/IV line. Sticking with the same basic case design as the Coco2 really did an injustice to the Coco3. Even Commodore finally ditched the breadbin. The Coco 3 in particular feels like it should have shipped with a 3.5 floppy or a hard disk, it is a really powerful machine I was shocked at what it could do. Also, the community is really friendly compared to some others. All together it feels like a missed opportunity for Radio Shack.

I tried but just couldn't get into the Coco 3 scene, so I am selling my rig. Sorry for the potato quality screenshots but the Dell monitor really does not do the Coco composite display justice. Coco 3 works beautifully, it is stock and the keyboard is crisp. It comes with the Color Computer Mini-disk interface and the dual mini-disk unit. Drive 1 works well, Drive 0 is unreliable and will generate I/O errors most of the time (I have used it successfully, but usually it will stop reading or formatting a disk half way through, whereas Drive 1 works every time). Not sure what the issue is. I would like to sell it for $200 + shipping. ******************** Heads up that next week I should be selling a 1040ST. I finally have an STE coming and will need to sell an ST to cover the costs. What does an NTSC 1040ST, no mouse, go for these days?

It cannot be understated how HUGE of a difference the extra 128K video ram makes in the TX, TL and TL/2. See the attached benchmarks - the speed difference is amazing on the order of 3X to 4X speed increase. Tandy Graphics simply stole too much bandwidth from the processor. Games that were previously unplayable on Tandy graphics run at reasonable speed.

Don't care if it is repairable or if the CRT is hosed. Looking for a low price, as the shipping will be absurd on such a heavy item. Or local pickup in NJ. Preferably a 4016, 4032, 8032 with the useable keyboard.

True Commodore would have wanted to recoup their investment in Amiga. I think that represents the difference in thinking between Tramiel and "real" management. Tramiel would have written off the R&D costs, much in the same way he made MOS fab chips for practically nothing (MOS probably would have made more money selling chips to outside companies). You are probably correct with the chip packaging technology they had in 1985 (limited to 48 pins) they couldn't have taken out too much cost. The daughterboard I think stands as a real example of one thing that should have gotten the axe. Sell a model with one less CIA and drop the serial port, delete the disk drive and add a cartridge port, reduce the number of PLA and connecting logic. But yes if they did this they should also have an expandable model to compliment it. Ideally they would have launched with both a low cost model they could sell mass market, and an expandable one, but they just couldn't afford it at the time with the Z-machine, LCD machine, Commodore 128 and all the other projects going on.

I have recently taken apart and refurbished an Amiga 1000, Commodore 128, and a Commodore 1571. I am baffled at why the Amiga 1000 was so much more expensive ($1295) than the Commodore 128+1571 combo ($700 often discounted further even at intro). I know they had the Amiga 1000 manufactured in Japan instead of Hong Kong and yields on the Amiga chips were initially poor... but the IC count is higher on the Commodore 128+1571 combo and the number of custom chips is about the same (VIC-II, SID, VDC) and the VDC also had terrible yields. The C128 system even had three CPUs (if you count the one in the 1571). The mother board of the A1000 is needlessly complex and the daughterboard for the Kickstart ROM completely unecessary (why not just give the thing a cartridge port and let people upgrade ROM that way?) Memory wasn't even that expensive in 1985, the RAM price spike of the 80s was two years away. ***** On the other side of the equation, maybe it would have benefited from even higher premium pricing? A comparable IBM AT with a PGA or Orchid 4096 color card was at least 4x as expensive, and the Macintosh was 2x-3x as expensive and was B&W only. ***** So I am torn, I can't decide if Commodore should have been more thrifty in producing the A1000 and introducing it at $799 or if they should have doubled the price.

The TX was a 286 bolted to an XT with enhanced PC Jr. graphics. Quite a strange but very nice machine! You probably need an XT IDE adapter for a CF card, which are readily available on eBay. Yes a standard 720K floppy should work. Just check the cable some earlier Tandies didnt use the twisted cable to identify the first drive. Yes a Gotek will work.

Darn I guess if you need space you aren't interested in trading? I was going to say I have a CoCo 3, Atari ST1040, Atari 130XE w/320K mod, and some other stuff that will shortly be going up on eBay.

I had planned to take the day off but could not. Probably would have filled the SUV (a big one)... Oh well at least I don't have to explain it to the wife!

Do you know what Rev motherboard is in the A2000?

Pictures added to original post, thanks!

80 Dollars for a Tatung Einstein 256! Wow the people who can make it to the Auction are getting things for a steal! I imagine some of this will quickly turn up on eBay. Wish I could have been there.

$50 Dollars plus $10 dollars shipping US/Canada, will have to get a quote for anyone outside the US. Good condition, working Atari Portfolio with the tutorial ROM cart. No charger. EXTREMELY STIFF HINGE - it is amazing the hinge has not broken, but it is still 100% in tact. If you buy it, please remember to open the portfolio slowly. You might be able to lubricate the hinge somehow, I did not want to try and take it apart as 30 year old plastic breaks too easily.

Someone made a 6809 CPU board for them, but it was not a commercial product. Same for the 65C816 accelerators.