How many of us have real A8 Machines?

[flashjazzcat]

21 minutes ago, Stephen said:

Am I making up false memories again?  Maybe it wasn't about multi-tasking, but I swear there was a lot of conversation about windowing, various methods for rectangle based redraws, determining "dirty" areas for the drawing, and it ramped up when the 6809 board was being worked on.

My memory can be vague too, so I'm not saying it didn't happen.  The primary influence on the redesign on the window manager and the main 'consultant' when it came to the multi-tasking micro-kernel, however, was Jorn Mika (@Prodatron); I don't really know much about Liber809, but I was under the impression it didn't have a Graphical UI. Perhaps there was some flow of information in the other direction... I dunno. I was just curious to look back on any such discussions.

[Keatah]

Most folks here know I'm big into emulation, if not, now you do.

 

I owned both a 400 & 800 back in the day. Along with other popular micros. Including the Apple II.

 

I stuck with collecting and curating for the Apple II since I had so much "invested" into it as a kid. All the other micros I enjoy through emulation. I got into emulation in the mid-1990's. At first it was super nostalgic playing the select few games that had been dumped - on emulators that were barely making the grade. But thankfully their accuracy had steadily improved over the next decades to what we have today.

 

If it wasn't for emulation I wouldn't be re-enjoying all the vintage machines. And some emulators are good enough to behave like the hypothetical version of a given computer we dreamed about as kids. Like having a sharp flatscreen monitor. Or turbo-mode. Switching back and forth between NTSC/PAL. And especially the ability to store and access a complete vintage library instantly - if so desired.

 

 

[+Stephen]

1 hour ago, flashjazzcat said:

My memory can be vague too, so I'm not saying it didn't happen.  The primary influence on the redesign on the window manager and the main 'consultant' when it came to the multi-tasking micro-kernel, however, was Jorn Mika (@Prodatron); I don't really know much about Liber809, but I was under the impression it didn't have a Graphical UI. Perhaps there was some flow of information in the other direction... I dunno. I was just curious to look back on any such discussions.

I believe all the talks were related to Nitros-9, perhaps in this thread:

Seeing that was from 2012, I don't feel bad for having hazy recollection.

[flashjazzcat]

18 minutes ago, Stephen said:

I believe all the talks were related to Nitros-9, perhaps in this thread:

Yeah: I made four posts, in whcih I speculated about putting the existing GUI on top of Nitros-9 and downloaded the source (which I probably looked at once and then forgot about). Back in 2012 my GUI had no multi-tasking capabilities whatsoever which is probably why the idea seemed superficially appealing. I think I wrote the mutli-tasking kernel during a two week coding binge in 2014.  I would like a bottle of whatever I was on in those days.

Edited February 2, 2021 by flashjazzcat

[Mazzspeed]

6 hours ago, Mrarkus said:

And by the way, A1200 bus is 32-bit in theory only, as Chip RAM access still requires 2 cycles just like OCS/ECS. AGA is not the greatest design...

Chip ram is only for the custom chipset in the case fast ram is fitted and software is coded correctly, so technically because I'm using the same accelerator with 128MB of very fast onboard fast ram in both cases it's a moot point. The 16bit bus is a limitation, switch to the 32bit bus and there's absolutely no problem. AGA was a slight disappointment at the time, but Commodore were trying to maintain some backwards compatibility with OCS/ECS and were drowning financially.

 

This isn't some slight slowdown, this is really slow. But only in certain situations when software hits the custom chipset in a certain way (possibly software coded to use chipram for CPU storage as opposed to fastram).

 

Due to the fact many are using real C64's with 1541 UII+'s, I don't know whether turbo mode will be as popular as the REU - However I do hope it gets some love.

Edited February 2, 2021 by Mazzspeed

[VinsCool]

I currently own 2 Atari 800xl machines.

Both were incredible deals from Ebay sellers.

 

By pure luck, I even own both a PAL and NTSC machine, because the PAL seller assumed it was defective, so I managed to snag it for really cheap, and it turned to be in really good condition, and never disassembled as well!

 

The only downside is that I currently have no way to load any program on them, or even own any cartridges, so I feel a little limited, but it's just a matter of time, there is a AVGCART coming in the mail, hopefully Canada Post won't be in limbo forever

 

 

 

[777ismyname]

9 hours ago, Keatah said:

...Or turbo-mode. Switching back and forth between NTSC/PAL....

 

 

Two of my top reasons for using Altirra. Man oh man do I miss the Altirra’s F1 turbo function on the real machines sometimes  

 

I’ve got a problem that I need to go to the other AA (Atari Anonymous) for: buying Atari stuff. If I were a wealthy man it would be crazy at how much old 8 bit stuff I’d have. This year I’ve picked up two 600XL, an 800XL, disk drives, miscellaneous upgrade stuff, etc. There will definitely be a couple or three more machines in the next few weeks. Time for me to get the extra room cleaned up and converted into a small 8 bit Heaven

 

 

[Matej]

9x Atari 130XE

4x Atari 65XE

2x Atari 600

;);)

[Wilheim]

1 400

1 800

1 1200xl

2 600xl

3 800xl

2 65xe

2 130xe

 

Ntsc all of them.

[eegad]

1 16k 400

1 48k 800

2 64k 800xl

1 256k 800xl

 

[777ismyname]

Another 130XE and 800XL arrived today. My Atari problem worsens  

[Mazzspeed]

Can we add an option someone can tick to sell me a PAL A8 for a price unlike the overinflated silliness on EBay and the like? ?

 

Then I can join in too... ?

Edited February 6, 2021 by Mazzspeed

[JGRAHAM2]

I have 38 8 bit Atari Computers and 2 working motherboards.

[Sinjinhawke]

I just bought an Atari 600xl while waiting for a train at a crossing.  I also bought a TI-99/4a the same day.   Still trying to come up with a reason why.  I’m sure it will be a good one.  

[Heaven/TQA]

for me carts are the new black...

me got severl 800 XLs, 800 PAL, 130XE with 576kb RAM Cart, 65XE with VBXE and I am sure I forgot tons of other hardware like Turbo Freezer XE, S!C Cart, AtariMax8mbit etc.

[OxC0FFEE]

I have my childhood 130XE and my dad’s 800, both modded a little back in the day (his with more memory and mine with a joystick built into the case. I’ve got a Fujinet on my 130xe and it’s great!

[Mclaneinc]

I've an XL with U1MB, an 800 which needs key plungers but otherwise works, a manky looking 130XE that works and 2 1050's. Newer hardware wise I have an SIO modded AVG (brilliant item), a Sophia 2 and an SD-Max..

 

C64, I have 2 breadbins and an Ultimate 1541++ (again a brilliant bit of hardware).

 

But for all this like Mark I miss the F1 turbo on the real machines so do emulate a lot of the time..

Edited April 2, 2021 by Mclaneinc

[spamh8r]

As far as I can recall, my current collection of machines

 

1x 400 (UAV mod)

5x 800 (one soon to have Incognito installed)

3x 1200XL (one with UAV, Ultimate 1MB- soon to have Sophia2)

1x 600XL

2x 800XL

1x 130XE

 

and a number of printers/drives/accessories

[joeatari1]

800 XL that's been in the family since new

800 XL that I acquired from a co-worker

130 XE that I purchased from Best Electronics

XEGS that I purchased from a member here

 

[BIGHMW]

1 65XE (NOS Atari Mexico purchased on eBay from user ID "myatari"/B & C ComputerVisions)

1 XEGS (I bought on eBay from a user outside of Vancouver, B.C.)

Edited April 3, 2021 by BIGHMW

[nadir]

Just recently got my first.  Atari 600XL w/64K RAM upgrade.  Would LOVE to buy new cart games for it.  I've been very impressed with what I've seen from it so far as far as capability, but just disappointed that I'm not finding much software for it.  Seems like a great platform!

[mimo]

1 hour ago, nadir said:

Just recently got my first.  Atari 600XL w/64K RAM upgrade.  Would LOVE to buy new cart games for it.  I've been very impressed with what I've seen from it so far as far as capability, but just disappointed that I'm not finding much software for it.  Seems like a great platform!

A multicart like the AVG cart or an sio device like fujinet or sdrive would open up your Atari world for the price of a couple of retail games 

[Mazzspeed]

I've got a 600XL, I'll post more shots when it's received it's upgrades and in a state I determine to be completed. I had a couple of opportunities to buy an XEGS, but the design just doesn't really appeal to me.

 

That's not an attempt to knock people with an XEGS, it's just not my cup of tea. I still appreciate what others have done with their XEGS machines.

[Tuxon86]

I’ve a 130XE and that’s enough. It lives side by side with a C64.

[Mclaneinc]

On 4/5/2021 at 12:35 PM, Tuxon86 said:

I’ve a 130XE and that’s enough. It lives side by side with a C64.

As does my 800XL (well its on top of it)

 

Not a sign of preference, it just happens that my desk is too small and having access to the 1541 Ultimate needed them stacked that way..