Basic Cartridge and 800XL

[Sawdust]

So, is the Basic Cartridge for Atari computers completely superfluous for an Atari 800XL computer? If not, what does it do?

(And, perhaps more interestingly, if so, what happens if you try to use it anyway? )

 

As an Atari 800XL owner, BASIC was built-in to the computer and I've always assumed that the Basic cartridge was for the old (and ugly ) Atari 400.

[Bryan]

If you plug in the cartridge, you get BASIC. The only reason to do this is to run a different version which has merit since most XL's have the buggy rev B BASIC.

[+Stephen]

If you plug in the cartridge, you get BASIC. The only reason to do this is to run a different version which has merit since most XL's have the buggy rev B BASIC.

How many versions of Rev C BASIC actually made it to cart?

[AtariGeezer]

How many versions of Rev C BASIC actually made it to cart?

 

The silver label Basic carts are Rev C.

The newer XL's and XE's have Rev C too...

[+Stephen]

The silver label Basic carts are Rev C.

The newer XL's and XE's have Rev C too...

Just curious, as I have never ran across a Rev C cart. I did upgrade one of my 800XLs to internal Rev C a few years ago.

[AtariGeezer]

Just curious, as I have never ran across a Rev C cart. I did upgrade one of my 800XLs to internal Rev C a few years ago.

 

MyAtari has them on ebay for $20...

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 130887512812

[bbking67]

I don't think Atari ever made the Rev C cartridge... B&C seems to have cobbled these together themselves if you read the description of the auction.

[AtariGeezer]

Atari made them, they just never sold them, as in the case for the Basic Rev C manual that was to be sold with the 1200XL. But since the 1200XL got canceled, the Basic Rev C manual never made it to market either...

[BillC]

I don't think Atari ever made the Rev C cartridge... B&C seems to have cobbled these together themselves if you read the description of the auction.

This is from the September 1985 issue of ANTIC.

REVISION C

 

Atari BASIC Rev. C has been available since June; 1984. But it only began appearing in XL computers in late March 1985. At this writing, there are still many Rev. B computers being sold off the shelf. It is now possible to obtain Rev. C on cartridge directly from Atari. You can send $15 plus $2.50 for shipping) to:

Atari Corp.

Customer Relations Dept.

1196 Borregas Avenue

Sunnyvale, CA 94086

However, many Antic readers have found that delivery of this product is slow at best-5-week waits are not uncommon-and can be maddeningly inconsistent at times.

[bbking67]

Hmm... well from the B&C auction:

 

"Atari never sold Rev C Basic as a packaged cartridge but sold the chips in the parts department and built into them 65XE/130XE, XEGM and a few late 800XL computers."

 

I think that this is an admission that the carts are assembled by B&C from old Atari warehouse parts...

[+sm3]

Both B&C and Best Electronics purchased loads of old stock from the Atari warehouses when they were closed down. It's possible these were sitting in there with all the other stock they still have.

[bbking67]

I suppose... much like the unsold 1064 upgrades for the 600XL... still, given the history of B&C putting together unreleased games, etc,. it wouldn't surprise me. I have a rev C cartridge, but it's a hack job (regular brown label).

[thorfdbg]

So, is the Basic Cartridge for Atari computers completely superfluous for an Atari 800XL computer? If not, what does it do?

 

It is in so far superfluous as it does not add functionality. It may be used to replace a buggy rev B basic, but has one important drawback, namely the basic ROM cannot be disabled by PIA port B, i.e. smart programs like DOS XL (or, for that matter, DOS 2.++ of Os++) cannot use the RAM under the basic ROM. It's probably easier to remove a buggy rev B ROM chip from the mainboard and replace that by a rev C basic from such a cart.

[+CharlieChaplin]

So, is the Basic Cartridge for Atari computers completely superfluous for an Atari 800XL computer? If not, what does it do?

(And, perhaps more interestingly, if so, what happens if you try to use it anyway? )

 

As an Atari 800XL owner, BASIC was built-in to the computer and I've always assumed that the Basic cartridge was for the old (and ugly ) Atari 400.

 

 

Well,

 

if you want to play/use ALL programs on the A8, then the Basic cartridge may have some use even on the 800XL. Imagine the following: You download a game or application from atarimania that a) requires the old 400/800 OS and b) Basic Rev. A (yes, such programs do exist!).

 

As an 800XL owner you may boot the Translator disk, but the program will still not work, since 800XL computers do not have Basic Rev. A. So, you have to plug-in the Basic Rev. A cart. into the XL, then switch on the computer and boot the Translator disk with Basic (Rev. A) enabled, then load the program which should work then. (Instead of the translator disk, you may also install the 400/800 OS as an alternative OS inside the XL; then you just switch to the 400/800 OS, plug in the Basic Rev. A cart., power-on your XL and boot one of the rare programs that do require the old OS and Basic Rev. A.)

 

Last not least if you are programming a lot in Atari Basic and your XL computer has Rev. B Basic, you sooner or later want to get rid of those Rev. B bugs, especially the 16-Byte appending bug, when saving Basic programs. Thus Basic Rev. A or C cart. could be a good alternative for you and your XL computer with Rev. B...

 

-Andreas Koch.

Edited May 4, 2013 by CharlieChaplin

[+bf2k+]

How many versions of Rev C BASIC actually made it to cart?

 

I have one.

[+bf2k+]

Atari made them, they just never sold them, as in the case for the Basic Rev C manual that was to be sold with the 1200XL. But since the 1200XL got canceled, the Basic Rev C manual never made it to market either...

 

That's strange. I have had my Silver-labeled Rev C cart since the mid-80s. I cannot imagine that I did not buy it somewhere (but I don't remember where - definitely not from B&C).