1200XL M.U.L.E.

Embedded DOS! I didn't even think of that. Of course, SynCalc needs to know how to read and write files, list directories, etc. It doesn't know how to do that by itself but DOS does. So, DOS has to be embedded with the program. How is DOS embedded in there? I don't know what is inside that blob. (Binary Large Object Block?) Is a disk image with stand alone with its own DOS.SYS, DUP.SYS, and AUTORUN.SYS files? Can it be replaced with something like DOS 2.5 to enable enhanced density disks?

@Nezgar Last night I tried converting some CSV files exported from Google Sheets but had mixed results. A single column of values failed conversion. Two column CSV files converted but SynCalc was unable to read it. I'm going to try again tonight. That Wiki page is pretty cool! @DjayBee Thanks for the link to your thread! I had no idea you cracked SynCalc. ? In the past I have been running one of the ATX files through AtariMax's APE and SIO2USB. Tonight I will try to make a bootable floppy from that ATR! @Gunstar Maybe all that extra memory gives more working space for creating the sheet, like copying/pasting, but when saved the file will be smaller? Just guessing here. I only have 64kB in my 1200XL and I haven't practically approached the limit. At the same time, I think the largest sheet is limited to 128 columns by 256 rows so there's only so much we stuff into one file. Would that theoretical maximum ever exceed 90kB? I do agree with you that the 90kB limit is goofy from today's point of view ... but this was 1985. ?

Yes, the AtariMax APE drivers can work on a Win10 machine. After installing APE and the drivers from the CD, reboot your computer. Open the Device Manager and locate the SIO2USB drivers. On my computer it will be under the "AtariMax USB Devices" but it may be under a different heading on your machine. I right-clicked on the device and then clicked on "Properties". Go to the "Driver" tab. Click on "Update Driver". You should have an option to specify the location of the drivers (vs. having Windows search for it). Point to specific location and let Windows do its magic. At least that worked for me.

Something to do with a ST floppy drive? 520 STFM mit Adapterplatine zum Laufwerk - was macht die? (atari-home.de)

Is anyone here using Texel? I'm trying to create a chart in Texel and could use some help. Suppose I create a list of dates in column A, from 01 Jan 1990 to 10 Jan 1990, with cell A1 being the text string "Date". Suppose I create a list of numbers in column B, between 1 and 2, with cell B1 being the text string "Val1". I select the whole lot of that, click on Insert->Chart, work through the selections, and I can never get the OK button to be enabled. What is the critical step I may be missing? Is my data invalid to start with? Thanks!

Is there a way to import (small) CSV files into SynCalc? Something tells me "no" but I've learned to never underestimate the infinite determination and creativity of the Atari community. Thanks!

I tried using SynGraph to plot some summary financial data but found it very rough to use. It doesn't integrate very well with SynCalc - or at least not as well as I had thought it would. What other plot/graphing programs should I try? I am looking to make X-Y plots and pie charts. Thanks!

I looked through the PDF of ST Format but could not see instructions on how to insert columns and rows. Can K-Spread only do that by manually moving whole sections of the spreadsheet around? I found Texel on "that other forum". It looks like the source code was recently released into the public domain and the community there is compiling the code into an executable package. The program is huge and won't fit on a floppy. When running Texel I got an error saying my system doesn't have any printer dialog routines and I should install WDIALOG V2. A quick Google search says this is part of something called NVDI that should be installed first. Texel seems a bit complicated to get up and running. I'll have to think about this one.

@zzip Thanks for the explanation. Yes, it makes sense. Co-processors free up the 68000 to do other things and the DAC based audio gives much higher quality audio output. I did wonder why Atari did not add co-processors in all ST and STe machines like the 8-bit line of machines. Commodore did it right away, I think, with audio and video co-processors. Was the 68000 considered to be fast enough without them? Seems like we can never have anything "fast enough" today. @calimero Who knows ... maybe he really did add 4GB of RAM. Magic exists in places we least expect it to.

@Mr. Undo Thanks for the link! I am downloading the PDF now. It's going very slowly, but it's going. @8bitguy1 Thanks for the tip! I did a quick Google search and I think I found it. It's a German language software package, yes? Unfortunately, I don't know German so it would be very difficult for me to use. Was there ever an English translation made available?

@Almerian Thanks for this! I thought the Blitter was not present in the ST series even though the motherboard has a space for it. I read about the existence of the expansion slot but what cards were made for it? I did a quick Google search for upgrading the RAM in a 520 STm and it's a serious job! It's certainly beyond my confidence level with a soldering iron.

The first big application I am trying to run on my STe is a spreadsheet program. I had a very good experience with LDW 2.00 and I want to compare it to something called K-Spread. My experience with K-Spread is very rough right now because I do not not understand how to use it. For example, how do I perform basic manipulations like inserting rows and columns? Is there an online copy of the user manual or any sort of documentation describing how it works? Thanks!

Sure ... I can understand the 1+1=3 analogy a little bit. It’s not just about the raw capability by itself but all the possibilities it opens in conjunction with other capabilities.

@mytek My experiences agree with yours. I also make a table/list and Brad responds to each item. It’s perfect. 1-2-3 ... 1-2-3. Brad’s A-OK in my book.

@DarkLord Yes, of course! Kind of ironic I forgot about this since I had a hard time finding an audio cable in my box of loose cables. ? Since I cannot edit my original message to include this, here is my updated text. ----------------- The ST family includes the ST, STm, STf, STfm, and Mega models. There normally is no Blitter, maximum TOS seems to be 1.40, and RAM is typically made up of DIP chips. The single channel audio is generated through an FM based synthesizer. It seems like a 520 STfm upgraded to 1MB or a stock 1040 STfm are the ideal machines here. RAM upgrades to 4MB in the STf and STfm are possible whereas something like the 520 STm is stuck at 512 kB. I did not see much extra capability in a Mega, Mega 2, or Mega 4 ST model except that is has more RAM from the factory and a different form factor. The STe family includes the STe and Mega STe machines. TOS starts at version 1.60 and the last official version is 2.06. Audio capabilities were upgraded and the STe has stereo digital audio. The graphics capabilities of 320x200x16 and 640x200x4 in the STe are a carry over from the ST. However, the palette of available colors increased from 512 to 4096. A 520 STe or 1040 STe seems ideal here. They can easily be upgraded to 4MB. The Mega models have a higher capacity floppy disk drive, a hard drive, and a faster clock rate @ 16 MHz. I'm not sure how important a high capacity floppy drive would be. Same with the hard drive. There are many solid state options available. Then again, I have to confess I run my 1200XL with as much real media as possible. Floppy disks can be fun to play with. A faster clock rate is nice but with so much software (games?) written around an 8 MHz clock I don't know if that clock would create more problems than it solves. I wish Atari had expanded their graphics capabilities rather than increase the clock rate. 640x200x4 feels rough.

I recently added a 520 STe to my Atari workbench. It has the UK version of TOS 1.60 and a UK keyboard. I wanted a STe machine because it is easy to upgrade the RAM but the compromise is slight incompatibility with some original ST software. Acquiring the STe made me think of how one would decide which machine to get. Here are my thoughts. I think there is a "ST" family and a "STe" family. The ST family includes the ST, STm, STf, STfm, and Mega models. There normally is no Blitter, maximum TOS seems to be 1.40, and RAM is typically made up of DIP chips. It seems like a 520 STfm or 1040 STfm are the ideal machines here. RAM upgrades are possible whereas something like the 520 STm is stuck at 512 kB. I did not see much extra capability in a Mega, Mega 2, or Mega 4 ST model except that is has more RAM and different form factor. The STe family includes the STe and Mega STe machines. A 520 STe or 1040 STe seems ideal here. The Mega models have a higher capacity floppy disk drive, a hard drive, and a faster clock rate @ 16 MHz. I'm not sure how important a high capacity floppy drive would be. Same with the hard drive. There are many solid state options available. Then again, I have to confess I run my 1200XL with as much real media as possible. Floppy disks can be fun to play with too. A faster clock rate is nice but with so much software (games?) written around an 8 MHz clock I don't know if that clock would create more problems than it solves. I wish Atari had expanded their graphics capabilities rather than increase the clock rate. 640x200x4 feels rough. Am I missing something? Any thoughts on how/why someone would choose one model over another?

Is there a list somewhere that catalogs the games and applications that take advantage of or require 64kB or more of RAM? It would be interesting to try them.

Side question : why do you regret changing the power supply?

I understand. I would still leave the PAL version alone and get a NTSC machine from eBay. As others have said, leave the PAL version for specific games, apps, and demos that wouldn't run on a NTSC machine. With two machines you would have practically 100% coverage of software compatibility ... past, present, and future. The compromise would be needing a converter box. That's not bad though. A good box will give you very, very clean output.

@ratwell Just curious ... what is your motivation for converting from PAL to NTSC?

@_The Doctor__ Thank you for the well rounded perspective! You are right - a lot of us don't know Brad. He may be a spy young man full of strength and vigor or an elderly man battling health issues. Maybe he has a brood of kids, grandkids, and great grandkids or maybe he is alone and lonely. We don't know the stresses he has and doesn't have. I never had this perspective until my own life fell apart and began to understand it can happen to others. When you see something a little rough my suggestion would be not to make it about you or about the other person. It could be some undue stress or pressure you could never imagine. Be compassionate. Or ... it could be that's just the way Brad is. He is his own person and he has every right to be who he wants to be and how, just like you. And trust me, you're not always a lump of sugar all the time either despite what you may think. In another thread on the 2600 sub-forum I mentioned his three item limit. That frustrates some people but I can totally understand it. Imagine someone discovers Brad and Best-Electronics and decides to order hundreds of everything. Order all remaining A800 keyboard, SIO cables, power supplies, ROM chips, etc. It would be hoarding. Then owning it all that person could raise the price to whatever they want and sell it for much, much more than Brad's current prices. That could make the inventory inaccessible to the Atari community. I say the three item limit is plenty fine. Order what you need, not necessarily what you want.

Ahh, that's pretty clever! With the socket plastic out you can individually remove the socket pins one by one without worrying about freeing them all at once. Good work! I'll have to keep that in mind. Never know when something like this could be useful.

@cathrynm Careful here. Sometimes he limits your order to 3 items or less and you can't submit 3-item orders every day. ? So, pace yourself with a monthly plan or something.

Brad's ears must be burning red. There's another thread about him in the 8-bit section. Like I said there, I've ordered from Brad in the past and haven't had any issues with him or the order. OK ... his website is a throwback to the 90s. But, it seems to be regularly updated and is accurate. If I have a question then I email him and he answers promptly. His packages are sturdy and filled with lots of packing peanuts to protect the hardware. In my emails to him I always state what I would like to order along with the part number and quantity. He responds with a shipping quote and I follow up with payment. Never had a problem. He updates the subject line by adding the word "More" to the front of it. If I start my email to him with "RFQ for Atari Gizmo" then his final email to me to confirm shipment will be something like "More More More More RFQ for Atari Gizmo". I guess that's an easy way to count four emails exchanged? ?

I followed up on an idea from @Nezgar to add some SIP socks to the 24-pin ROM sockets to make them 28-pin sockets. It worked out really well! First, snip off 2-pin socket segments from a 40-pin row. Second, file off a bit of the plastic from the 2-pin socket so it can sit flush next to the 24-pin ROM socket. Third, install the 2-pin socket segments onto a 28-pin IC. Fourth, insert the 28-pin IC with the 2-pin socket segments installed into the 24-pin socket. The 2-pin socket segments will go straight into the extra holes in the motherboard. Fifth, turn the motherboard over and solder the 2-pin socket segments to the motherboard. You can now remove the 28-pin IC. Six, and finally, install the original ROM chips back in. Just goes to show there's no need to remove the 24-pin socket. Thanks again to @Nezgar for the idea!