Compumate Keyboard / Homecomputer extension

[simonsunnyboy]

How much is this worth for real?

I suspect I got this one fairly cheap

 

http://cgi.ebay.de/ATARI-Unviversum-Heimco...7QQcmdZViewItem

 

Any comments?

[Shawn]

You got it for a fair price. It's worth $50 USD for sure. Nice grab!

[ATARIPITBULL]

How much is this worth for real?

I suspect I got this one fairly cheap

 

http://cgi.ebay.de/ATARI-Unviversum-Heimco...7QQcmdZViewItem

 

Any comments?

 

You got that one for a cheap price, I paid $125.00 for my NTSC Compumate new in the box.

 

[Godzilla]

i dont know if mine is ntsc or pal but i got it on epay CIB for $30 a few years ago.

[+Wonder007]

Remember, the NTSC version is more expensive than the PAL version..... I would say $50 vs. $150 (average)....

[moycon]

Can you do much with this thing?

Or is it like....

 

10 print "ATARI";

20 goto 10

run

 

ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI (continue forever)

[nathanallan]

Yeah, you got it at a great price.

[panamajoe]

Can you do much with this thing?

Or is it like....

 

10 print "ATARI";

20 goto 10

run

 

ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI ATARI (continue forever)

 

I´m not even sure if it can do that.

IMHO the keyboard is completly useless...

[+doctorclu]

Back when the official Atari computer module was said to be 32K I always dreamed of running a BBS on a 2600 just to say I did.

[simonsunnyboy]

The Compumate arrived today and I got it working.

 

I agree that it is almost useless but a nice gimmick. And considering the TIA abilities I wonder how the text display is maybe (code wise)

 

Some pictures in my Blog:

• Compumate itself http://www.final-memory.org/?page_id=309&a...840#picture_nav
  
• Box front http://www.final-memory.org/?page_id=309&a...838#picture_nav
  
• Box back http://www.final-memory.org/?page_id=309&a...839#picture_nav
  

 

I tried snapping a screenshot from my TV but it didn't work reliably...

all in all I'm happy with a more rare buy

[nathanallan]

Do you have a light sixer to make it look just like the box picture?

 

Are you sure it's not practical for anything?? Surely there is a spelling game or hang man or something out there.

[Alison DeMeyer]

Try finding Picturemate:

http://www.atarimania.com/detail_soft.php?...ERSION_ID=21006

(Atarimania lists this as a demo, but I believe it's a full game program)

 

And the Compumate, 16K Basic, something could be programmed with it, surely beats the Atari VCS Basic cartridge.

Edited November 30, 2008 by Alison DeMeyer

[holgibo]

The real problems are the limitations of the graphic (40x40 pixels, 8 colors) and the small RAM (1750 Byte). But some small progams can be done, here on AtariAge you can view some listings:

 

Some basic listings

 

 

I remember an article in a german Telematch magazine. They wrote a program, saved it and tried to load it again - which was impossible. Maybe they used not the right cable or something.

A least it's a very small computer like the ZX81 (This one had only 1K RAM). Even with this very small computer they did a lot of funny games, so this should be possible with the Compumate.

 

<Twinkle, twinkle, little star...>

 

Holger

[Rom Hunter]

Try finding Picturemate:

http://www.atarimania.com/detail_soft.php?...ERSION_ID=21006

(Atarimania lists this as a demo, but I believe it's a full game program)

Nope.

 

It's a demo.

 

[Foxsolo2000]

Were any games ever released for this thing?

[simonsunnyboy]

Do you have a light sixer to make it look just like the box picture?

 

Nope, I only have a 2600jr but it still works. One just cannot put the keyboard on top.

Are you sure it's not practical for anything?? Surely there is a spelling game or hang man or something out there.

 

For Hangman some string processing functions are needed but from what I oversee it does not have any functions for this.

Simple number guessing stuff seems possible though - or dice games. The machine has no PEEK, POKE, no arrays either so you are limited to 16 variables and an RND() function. You can use string variables too but without functions to access characters (LEFT$, MID$, RIGHT$) the string variables are almost of no use.

 

I personally tried saving to tape today but it didn't work. I conencted my PC (ehem) and tried to record the tape data into some WAV but i couldn't make it work. Maybe I have to try again with better settings.

 

Actually I agree, it is pretty much like a ZX81 in some aspects. However the ZX81 allows screen control from within its BASIC which the Compumate does not support. It has one ncie thing which makes the small text screen (12x10 chars) less annoying. Keywords are displayed as special characters. so instead of PRINT taking 5 chars on a line there is simply a single "PRN" symbol on screen which occupies one character space.

Edited November 30, 2008 by simonsunnyboy

[mos6507]

Will someone finally dump the NTSC ROM image?

[holgibo]

Do you have a light sixer to make it look just like the box picture?

 

Nope, I only have a 2600jr but it still works. One just cannot put the keyboard on top.

Are you sure it's not practical for anything?? Surely there is a spelling game or hang man or something out there.

 

For Hangman some string processing functions are needed but from what I oversee it does not have any functions for this.

Simple number guessing stuff seems possible though - or dice games. The machine has no PEEK, POKE, no arrays either so you are limited to 16 variables and an RND() function. You can use string variables too but without functions to access characters (LEFT$, MID$, RIGHT$) the string variables are almost of no use.

 

I personally tried saving to tape today but it didn't work. I conencted my PC (ehem) and tried to record the tape data into some WAV but i couldn't make it work. Maybe I have to try again with better settings.

 

Actually I agree, it is pretty much like a ZX81 in some aspects. However the ZX81 allows screen control from within its BASIC which the Compumate does not support. It has one ncie thing which makes the small text screen (12x10 chars) less annoying. Keywords are displayed as special characters. so instead of PRINT taking 5 chars on a line there is simply a single "PRN" symbol on screen which occupies one character space.

 

I didn't think that it is SO limited. Without String processing functions, Peek&Poke, missing screen control - there is not much of a real Basic dialect left....

Maybe I should try to write a basic program on my 800XL without using these things and then make a real game program - In short time this would be very frustrating....

 

The text screen with 12x10 chars is not better then the one from the VCS basic programming cartridge...

[Godzilla]

"many friendly animals are waiting to make friend with you."

 

ahem... that scares me.