ajlynx

Yup - I emailed you - ajlynx

Honestly they all feel pricey to me too, but I'm not seeing anything better ... there's a "tested and working" 800XL w/power cord (nothing else) for $200, but that doesn't feel like a better deal. The Rambo one is non-negotiable - that's the buy it now price and I already tried for a deal and got told it won't go any lower :(. I'll bite - where can I pick up an 800XL in the 80 dollar range?! That would be amazing!

Honestly they all feel pricey to me too, but I'm not seeing anything better ... there's a "tested and working" 800XL w/power cord (nothing else) for $200, but that doesn't feel like a better deal. The Rambo one is non-negotiable - that's the buy it now price and I already tried for a deal and got told it won't go any lower :(. If you know of somewhere cheaper to get what I want I'm all ears.

OK since y'all know waaaaay more than I do, help me make this decision. Here are my top contenders - which should I get? 1) $325 (w/shipping) for old Atari 800XL and Atari 1050 disk drive. Comes with all of the cables (power cables, connector cable, video output cable), 2 joysticks, and 3 games! Some really fun classic games: Donkey Kong by Nintendo, Pac-Man by Bally Midway / Namco, and K-razy Shoot-Out by K-Byte. I hooked it up to my HD TV and it is working great (use channel 3 on your TV) 2) $280 for Atari 800XL Computer w/ Rambo 256K & UAV S-Video/RCA Video/Audio, Dual OS +MORE+. NEW keyboard mylar installed and keyboard fully tested (this keyboard is in great working and cosmetic condition). Computer is in excellent working condition and good cosmetic condition (review all photos for item's cosmetic condition). The computer has been thoroughly cleaned inside and out. This computer provides excellent picture quality when using either S-Video or RCA connections. This computer is in excellent working condition. You must use either S-Video connections or RCA connections (Channel 3/4 output does not work). This computer provides very good picture quality on modern LCD TV's with either S-Video or RCA/Composite audio-video inputs. Includes 12ft S-Video cable, 12ft RCA Audio & Video Cable, Atari 800XL Computer with the following upgrades: Rambo 256K memory. UAVS-Video/RCA composite Video Mod. New keyboard mylar installed. Dual OS OmniView & Basic with selector switch. But NO controllers 3) $225-295 (depending on bids v buy it now) for Atari 800XL computer with video, OS, and memory upgrades. This computer has the UAV-D video upgrade. This upgrade bypasses the stock Atari video and provides a sharper image with brighter colors. The Video output has Luma/Chroma connectors and a Composite video (video or CVBS) output. The computer also has the OmniviewXL/XE 80 column Operating System in addition to the standard Atari XL/XE operating system. The OS is selected by using the channel select switch in the back of the computer. The memory has been upgraded from 64K to 256K with the NEWELL 256KXL memory upgrade. This memory upgrade also has a switch in the back that allows the user to switch from the Atari 130XE memory banking configuration to a configuration that matches the capabilities of the RAMBO and Wiztronics memory upgrades. With the computer in the Omniview mode and the 130XE mode, the user can utilize a modified version of Atari Writer Plus in the 80 column mode. Two of the screen shots show this being utilized. The computer has all systems working. The motherboard is fully socketed. The combination of modifications on this computer is extremely rare. This is only the 3rd computer that I have found that has the Newell upgrade. This computer comes with a video cable and a HOMEBREW power supply. And again, NO controllers. So which one would you get in my place? I already bought a Qix cartridge and it should be here by the end of the month so now I need to make sure I'll have something to play it with. I'm intrigued by the SD card to get more games eventually - especially if it'll get me Moon Patrol at a better deal, cause the carts seem to be pricey :p. And since this is a high-end purchase (for me) I'd like whatever I get to work well for a good long while without having to put more money into it (unless I decide to go down the rabbit hole :p). It sounds like controllers are fairly easy to find cheap, so not a deciding factor? Could use some advice on tracking those down too if I go with one that doesn't come w/controllers and the ones I have w/the 2600 turn out not to be working (guess I could go try to test them again - will do that shortly).

Good to know on both counts. I'll try flipping reset and see if it works. If the controllers are good then I'll be able to use them on the 800XL I'll hopefully be acquiring soon too, right?

Interesting to know, thanks. There's an Atari joystick on eBay for about $26. And actually the 2600 I have right now has 2 controllers, but I'm not sure they work. When I turned on the system I got a picture on screen of a game seeming to happen, but the controllers didn't do anything - not sure whether it was controller error or user error ;p. Was also considering checking the "need something" thread to find out if that's a better way to source controllers.

Do 2600 game cartridges work in the 800XL?

Do controllers count as "something" he can get or is that thread just for components when messing around inside the machines?

Newbie here, remember? ? not sure what an SIO2SD is - is that what I need to be able to use an SD card? I haven't seen mention of that in any of the descriptions I'm looking at right now. The best options so far seem to be the 800XL & 1050, which comes with 2 controllers and all the cables and is potentially gonna cost me $325. Or I just found this one Atari 800XL Computer with the following upgrades: Rambo 256K memory. UAVS-Video/RCA composite Video Mod. New keyboard mylar installed. Dual OS OmniView & Basic with selector switch. It comes with 12ft S-Video cable and 12ft RCA Audio & Video Cable too. I don't know enough to know what all those upgrades mean though - are they a good thing? Is this something that would be worth paying $280 for plus probably another $26 for a controller (since it doesn't come with any)? It does say the computer is in excellent condition and has been thoroughly cleaned, which seems like a good thing - as someone mentioned above, since I mostly want to play my games (at least to start with) it's a good idea to get one I know will work well. Oh yeah, there's this one too - I'm including the whole description cause I'm not sure what most of it means: Atari 800XL computer with video, OS, and memory upgrades. This computer has the UAV-D video upgrade. This upgrade bypasses the stock Atari video and provides a sharper image with brighter colors. The Video output has Luma/Chroma connectors and a Composite video (video or CVBS) output. The computer also has the OmniviewXL/XE 80 column Operating System in addition to the standard Atari XL/XE operating system. The OS is selected by using the channel select switch in the back of the computer. The memory has been upgraded from 64K to 256K with the NEWELL 256KXL memory upgrade. This memory upgrade also has a switch in the back that allows the user to switch from the Atari 130XE memory banking configuration to a configuration that matches the capabilities of the RAMBO and Wiztronics memory upgrades. With the computer in the Omniview mode and the 130XE mode, the user can utilize a modified version of Atari Writer Plus in the 80 column mode. Two of the screen shots show this being utilized. The computer has all systems working. The motherboard is fully socketed. The combination of modifications on this computer is extremely rare. This is only the 3rd computer that I have found that has the Newell upgrade. This computer comes with a video cable and a HOMEBREW power supply. Either way I'm going to have buy games - the "vintage" offer comes w/3 games but they're not the ones I'm jonesing for :).

Thanks, that's helpful - and good point about not piling up. This is probably when I should mention that I'm the wife - my husband's much more into modern gaming systems than vintage ;p. I didn't think I was interested in all the modding and upgrading and cannibalizing to make systems work stuff, but the more time I spend reading all these descriptions of the extra memory already installed etc the more intrigued I'm becoming the idea of learning to make an atari do cool stuff and be able to play games using an SD card and all that ? - I may be acquiring a new hobby here in spite of myself...

Honestly I was just looking for one that works and will let me play the games. i have no idea what will happen after I get comfy, so hard to gauge based on that ... :(. I'm not seeing anything mint being offered, so that's a bit moot. My main options right now are: 1) a tested & working 800XL & 1050, 2) a working 800 w/a few keyboard issues, 3) an 800XL & 2600 w/just controllers that doesn't specify whether it's tested, but says "used" for the condition 4) a bundle w/2 800XL, description says one is probably only good for parts and the other should work but is untested. This bundle also includes One 1050 Disk Drive, One 410 Cassette Tape Drive, One XM 301 Modem, One MPP 1000 Modem, One Touch Tablet, One CX852 Memory Module 8K RAM, Two Joysticks, Atari 800XL Cartridges are Assembler Editor, Qix, Pac Man, E.T. Phone Home, Smart Terminal, Atariartist, Atari 2600 games are Combat, Starship, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Missile Command, Space Invaders, Video Pinball, Adventure, Flag Capture, Various cables, power supplies (pictured) Which one would you go for if you were a newbie w/zero confidence in being able to make a machine work if it arrives not functioning? Though I am able to follow directions, so could probably learn if it's not too complicated and I had help, but don't want to be out hundreds of dollars and still not able to play my games.

lol knew I was in over my head here ;p. I want to play Qix, probably Moon Patrol, and now that I've been reminded of their existence possibly Breakout and Donkey Kong. I'm not really a collector or super tech, just a nostalgic gamer *blush*. It sounds like cool things are possible with expansions and tweaking and such and maybe someday my kids or I will get into that, but I don't know enough right now to know whether that'll happen. I'm looking on eBay and have ascertained that a 1200XL isn't happening, so I'm trying to figure out whether I should go for the 800 bundle I found or the 800XL in 2 different scenarios: a) if the price is about the same b) if I can get the 800 for significantly less - and if so, how much of a price difference is worth getting the 800 over the 800XL

Good to know, thanks. Is there a significant different between an 800 and an 800XL?

Thanks! I'm sure I can find a monitor cable somewhere. I actually have a 2600 that I found in my Grandma's garage and got it connected to our TV w/an adapter, but the controllers don't seem to be working. I honestly never used the computer features - is it better to just get a straight console (ie 5200) or are there benefits to having an 800?

I've recently decided I want to indulge my nostalgia and play Qix on Atari like I did as a kid. However, I've now realized I have no clue what I'm doing. I figured out what we used to have was an Atari 1200XL and that those are hard to find now. So here are my (doubtless way too basic for this forum) questions: 1) Does the 1200XL use the same controllers as the 800? (because the only 1200XL I found on ebay doesn't have controllers and the controllers I found only say they're for 800) 2) Does the 800 - or 800XL play Qix and Moon Patrol the same way the 1200XL did? If so am I better off just getting an 800 since those seem to be more available? 3) Any other advice or things I should know? Thanks