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Harmony Cart 7800


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However, the AtariMax carts are the reason why I haven't done anything for these systems. I'd rather look into platforms with no current menu multicarts available than compete with something that's still being produced.

 

There's no multi-cart or flash cart available for the TI-99/4a. Just sayin... :)

Edited by Hatta
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  • 2 weeks later...

... and if you guys ever consider the Colecovision as a potential target... :)

In the meantime, at least we have this:

 

http://atarimax.com/usbcoleco/documentation/

Coleco and the 5200 initially looked like a good fit given that nearly all games are 32k or less, so the same MCU and much of the existing firmware could be reused. However, the AtariMax carts are the reason why I haven't done anything for these systems. I'd rather look into platforms with no current menu multicarts available than compete with something that's still being produced.

 

On the recommendation of the fine membership here, I've ordered the coleco AtariMax cart... now don't go and release a Coleco Harmony! ;)

 

I know the subject is more about the 7800 but I just wanted to reiterate that after messing some more with the Harmony, I can't wait to see what you guys come up with next. I sure as heck sales have been good and that you guys feel motivated to put out a 7800 Harmony, which I will surely buy.

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I think they gotta give the 2600 Harmony more time for more sales of it to at least break even on the developers investment, and hopefully they can turn a profit for all their excellent work. :) Then a 7800 could be seriously considered probably.

 

So, I will have to order some more 2600 Harmonies to do my part in making this a successful venture for them and help the 7800 Harmony project get off the ground. :)

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I think they gotta give the 2600 Harmony more time for more sales of it to at least break even on the developers investment, and hopefully they can turn a profit for all their excellent work. :) Then a 7800 could be seriously considered probably.

 

So, I will have to order some more 2600 Harmonies to do my part in making this a successful venture for them and help the 7800 Harmony project get off the ground. :)

 

I'll order another 2600 Harmony if that will get the 7800 version out! :-)

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I am in for sure. Guess it's a good thing for me I didn't buy a Harmony yet? ;)

Not really... If too many people choose not to buy a Harmony because of this thread, Harmony 2 might not come to be at all. Projects like this require substantial investments. In the case of Harmony, my personal investment was well into the five figure range before any production carts were sold. Before I make another big investment, I need to at least break even on Harmony, and that hasn't happened yet!

 

.. :o and another :o !

 

Tell me it ain't so!

 

Falcon_

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I am in for sure. Guess it's a good thing for me I didn't buy a Harmony yet? ;)

Not really... If too many people choose not to buy a Harmony because of this thread, Harmony 2 might not come to be at all. Projects like this require substantial investments. In the case of Harmony, my personal investment was well into the five figure range before any production carts were sold. Before I make another big investment, I need to at least break even on Harmony, and that hasn't happened yet!

 

.. :o and another :o !

 

Tell me it ain't so!

 

Falcon_

Yep, it's true.

 

With Harmony, the main board is professionally assembled so you have to buy all PCBs, all parts and pay for assembly all at once.

 

Other flash carts were done in small runs, which have a high unit cost but smaller overall investment. With Harmony, we did one big run and hope to have enough for a while. This is also part of the reason we could sell them for what we do (which is cheaper than just about any other flash cart.) I think Harmony will break even eventually, but it's definitely still in the red right now.

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However, the AtariMax carts are the reason why I haven't done anything for these systems. I'd rather look into platforms with no current menu multicarts available than compete with something that's still being produced.

 

There's no multi-cart or flash cart available for the TI-99/4a. Just sayin... :)

 

somebody did make a Compact Flash hard drive device for it though, same for the Apple IIGS. there is a yahoo group for the TI-99 where you can get info on it.

 

of course there is the monster VIC-20 cart with everything already on it and several cool devices for the C64. There is also a really cool SD card device with an LCD menu that emulates the 8-bit Atari computer disk drives and gives you like 4 disk drives to load disk images from an sd card. I got it from ebay for pretty cheap

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I am in for sure. Guess it's a good thing for me I didn't buy a Harmony yet? ;)

Not really... If too many people choose not to buy a Harmony because of this thread, Harmony 2 might not come to be at all. Projects like this require substantial investments. In the case of Harmony, my personal investment was well into the five figure range before any production carts were sold. Before I make another big investment, I need to at least break even on Harmony, and that hasn't happened yet!

 

.. :o and another :o !

 

Tell me it ain't so!

 

Falcon_

Yep, it's true.

 

With Harmony, the main board is professionally assembled so you have to buy all PCBs, all parts and pay for assembly all at once.

 

Other flash carts were done in small runs, which have a high unit cost but smaller overall investment. With Harmony, we did one big run and hope to have enough for a while. This is also part of the reason we could sell them for what we do (which is cheaper than just about any other flash cart.) I think Harmony will break even eventually, but it's definitely still in the red right now.

 

Wow... I'm shocked you sold them for $50.. I would have bought one at $100 (just saying).. :-) If I can get a 7800 version I'll buy another for $100. :-P

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I guess I'm going to have to buy a Harmony cart to contribute to the cause. I don't have a 2600 but they will play 2600 games on a 7800, right? I'm dying for a 7800 flash cart but just can't justify the cost of a CC2. My real desire is to hack 7800 games and have a flash cart for playing them with. I love the 7800 for it's graphics but loath it for it's sound. My plan is to start adding pokey sound to my favorite games. Will probably start with DK and DK Jr.

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Wow... I'm shocked you sold them for $50.. I would have bought one at $100 (just saying).. :-) If I can get a 7800 version I'll buy another for $100. :-P

 

$100 is a lot for many other people. I have yet to get mine (can't seem to stop with this stuff) and I certainly can't go $100 on it. I presume a 7800 device would necessarily be more complex and therefore expensive, not to mention the relative (to 2600, of course) obscurity of the 7800 itself would probably mean a smaller market (and production run) which I can only imagine would contribute to higher cost too.... just ignorant speculation, mind you.

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Wow... I'm shocked you sold them for $50.. I would have bought one at $100 (just saying).. :-) If I can get a 7800 version I'll buy another for $100. :-P

 

Actually @ $100 I would not consider it and just be happy using my CC2.

 

at $50, I am considering making projects and buying multiple units and FB2+. If he has hundreds if not a thousand or more, I can see it would eventually reach the black. He would just have to float the cost upfront. In a couple of years when is stock is depleted, I could see a 7800 version coming out. I would just hope I would have sold the CC2 before he announces it. If that day comes and there is a 7800 version of the FB, I could see myself buying lots of units of both.

 

Personally, I do not think the 7800 and most other Atari systems are large enough markets to mass produce a few hundred to a thousand units to get the scale discount. The closest Atari system I see this could happen for is the 8bit computer and there is already solutions that come close to Harmony in price and is convenient enough that people may not jump to get a 8bit Harmony.

Edited by Almost Rice
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I think a bundling of Harmony cart with either a 2600 A/V modded for superior video (and a couple joysticks) or a with a modded (cart slot) Flashback 2/2+ could possibly make a compelling purchase. It's a bit of work to buy and set up either one, and rich people might take out their checkbooks for it.

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At $50 I was very pleased to get it. At $100, I would have been thinking, "That is cool, but I'll skip it for now" and used my Superchargers to play the 4K games and been happy. Now that I got it, and realize how much nicer it is, I am very glad I got it. I would like another one for a couple of reasons, but I'm holding off for now.

Assuming a 7800 one did exist and it was perfect, handled all games, saved hiscore, whatever, I would probably not be that interested in it unless it was as cheap as the 2600 one. There is not that many games I want to try on the 7800, if I want to play better games than the 2600, I will play something MUCH better. The 2600 is all the classic console I need and want. And I don't think I will be that interested in programming or trying homebrews for the 7800. I might start getting some of the homebrews for the 2600, as well as writing my own. (I'm working on 2 now thanks to Batari Basic!)

Anyway, the $50 price point was perfect for me, if it was more, I probably wouldn't have bit on it, and would have not known what I was missing.

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Well, for an opinion the other way, after seeing what the Krokodile Cart does and from the description of the Harmony Cart, I would have bought one even if it was $200. I did buy one at the current ~$50 price. I'm not into the 7800, but if I were, I think any price $200 or less would be more than reasonable.

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Well, for an opinion the other way, after seeing what the Krokodile Cart does and from the description of the Harmony Cart, I would have bought one even if it was $200. I did buy one at the current ~$50 price. I'm not into the 7800, but if I were, I think any price $200 or less would be more than reasonable.

I agree compaired to the alternatives, but then again, I didn't buy one of them either. I almost bit on a Cuttle Cart back in the day...

I think that to many, maybe even most, it would still sell at a higher price, but I might not have bit. I still might by a second one though!

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Even with the deluxe package, the Harmony rolls in at about $50 cheaper than all the other flash carts for systems. That made it attractively priced, especially since I want to play the games I made on a real machine. At $100 (or $120 for the deluxe) I probably would have still bought it, but I would have thought about it more. As it is though, I am thoroughly happy with my product and the people who have seen it so far have really been impressed. One enough so that he may buy a 2600 just to be able to use the cart and some old joysticks.

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I'm really hoping for a 7800 Harmony so I don't have to play with carts out of my collection. I like the idea of one cart sitting in the machine that has all the games on it so I can leave my 7800 set in it's display.

 

Also in regards to pricing I would have no issue paying $100 USD for a 7800 Harmony and I'm a poor bastard. It would be 100 bucks well spent IMO.

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Well, for an opinion the other way, after seeing what the Krokodile Cart does and from the description of the Harmony Cart, I would have bought one even if it was $200. I did buy one at the current ~$50 price. I'm not into the 7800, but if I were, I think any price $200 or less would be more than reasonable.

 

Even with the deluxe package, the Harmony rolls in at about $50 cheaper than all the other flash carts for systems. That made it attractively priced, especially since I want to play the games I made on a real machine. At $100 (or $120 for the deluxe) I probably would have still bought it, but I would have thought about it more. As it is though, I am thoroughly happy with my product and the people who have seen it so far have really been impressed. One enough so that he may buy a 2600 just to be able to use the cart and some old joysticks.

 

 

What's important is not how much "I" would have paid for one, because that only constitutes one sale. I'm sure we could find someone who'd pay $700 for ONE. "How much will a lot of people pay for one" being the relevant question. I hope a lot of people buy them, and I think at $50 they are going to continue to sell for some time. I think that's a great price. As someone commented earlier, hats off to the developer. I'm not into the 7800 either (yet) but the way my interests are going (retro) I keep saying I want a new system (360, PS3, etc) but I keep buying old ones. If one were available for the 7800, it would certainly pique my interest in the system, like the 1541 Ultimate did for the Commodore 64 and SIO2PC got me back into 8-bit Atari.

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I am in for sure. Guess it's a good thing for me I didn't buy a Harmony yet? ;)

Not really... If too many people choose not to buy a Harmony because of this thread, Harmony 2 might not come to be at all. Projects like this require substantial investments. In the case of Harmony, my personal investment was well into the five figure range before any production carts were sold. Before I make another big investment, I need to at least break even on Harmony, and that hasn't happened yet!

 

.. :o and another :o !

 

Tell me it ain't so!

 

Falcon_

Yep, it's true.

 

With Harmony, the main board is professionally assembled so you have to buy all PCBs, all parts and pay for assembly all at once.

 

Other flash carts were done in small runs, which have a high unit cost but smaller overall investment. With Harmony, we did one big run and hope to have enough for a while. This is also part of the reason we could sell them for what we do (which is cheaper than just about any other flash cart.) I think Harmony will break even eventually, but it's definitely still in the red right now.

 

I kind of wish I would have read this before ordering my cart last week. I only ordered the standard package, but would have easily ordered the deluxe had I known.

 

Maybe it's time to subscribe to the site :-)

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