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Number of VBXE installations

gozar

By gozar
in Atari 8-Bit Computers

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VBXE usage  

64 members have voted

  1. 1. What is your usage of the VBXE?

    • I have a VBXE installed in a machine.
      25
    • I have a VBXE but it isn't installed.
      8
    • I do not have a VBXE.
      31

  2. 2. If you have multiple VBXE installations, how many do you have?

    • 0
      36
    • 1
      18
    • 2
      7
    • 3
      1
    • 4
      2
    • 5 or more
      0
  • Please sign in to vote in this poll.

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Gunstar Quadrunner

Gunstar

Posted
Posted (edited)

Not planning to get one. I don't feel that it ads any new ATARI experience/touch/joy to me.

I suppose that makes sense if you are an ATARI only guy. But otherwise why does it have to be added ATARI experience? Why can't it be a new experience built into an ATARI? Especially if you have more than one 8-bit ATARI. But actually a Blitter chip is an ATARI experience, just not an 8-bit experience. RGB out is an ATARI experience, just not an 8-bit one, I could go on an on. Anyway, your reason is fine and good, as long as all you are interested in is an ATARI 8-bit experience and aren't interested in any other computers or systems. Plenty of other valid reasons for not wanting one too, that make sense, including just plain not being interested in the tech, but there's nothing stopping you from still having an ATARI experience, and more with a VBXE installed.

 

I only plan on having one 8-bit out of my 3 with a VBXE. So I'll have fun with a new 16/32-bit system inside my 8-bit system, and in combination, and also still have pure ATARI 8-bit fun when not using the VBXE in it or on one of my other machines. It's cheaper than a Falcon and more powerful than an ST...almost Amiga like...huh...And to think, the Amiga was almost an ATARI, Designed by practically the same team that designed the ATARI 400/800.

Edited by Gunstar
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davidcalgary29 Quadrunner

+davidcalgary29

Posted
Posted

No VBXE here and do not want one.

No 65816 here and also do not want one.

No U1MB here and do not want one.

 

Just a happy 6502C PAL A8 owner.

 

Yes, but PAL is like a super upgrade in itself. If you have an NTSC machine, you're going to end up with upgrades just to make up for the fact that you can't play half of the modern A8 library. :)

 

Also: with U1MB I was finally able to play Crownland. Yay for me! (I'm not sure about its memory requirements, but it didn't work on my memory expanded XL)

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Stephen Quadrunner

+Stephen

Posted
Posted

One installed (to be) in a PAL 1088XEL, one to be installed in an NTSC 1200XL.

 

Biggest benefit for me, is the improved 80 column support present throughout SDX, and also John's excellent Last Word word processor. Also, the ability to have proper text attributes led Joe Z to implement a colour ANSI terminal.

 

Can I already do 99% of this stock, yeah. Why shouldn't I do it faster and better?

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Gunstar Quadrunner

Gunstar

Posted
Posted (edited)

 

Yes, but PAL is like a super upgrade in itself. If you have an NTSC machine, you're going to end up with upgrades just to make up for the fact that you can't play half of the modern A8 library. :)

 

Also: with U1MB I was finally able to play Crownland. Yay for me! (I'm not sure about its memory requirements, but it didn't work on my memory expanded XL)

If you have the right monitor (and a socketed ANTIC), a simple NTSC to PAL ANTIC swap will give you most of the PAL library, and still play NTSC. I used a Commodore 1084S for my hybrid. Then I decided to go full PAL upgrade on my hybrid when my 1084S went belly-up. It will get repaired though, and one of my two NTSC's when fixed, will be a hybrid with the 1084 again. I have an LCD monitor now, that can handle 50/60Hz, so I can use both NTSC or PAL, but unlike the 1084, it can't handle the hybrid signal.

Edited by Gunstar
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_The Doctor__ Quadrunner

_The Doctor__

Posted
Posted (edited)

What became the Amiga was an Atari computer, designed and pretty much paid for.... that's a war fought over and over... but whatever...

 

I'm not against the VBXE, in fact it's not far from actual Atari design on some Arcade machines.... which would allow their conversion to the Atari much more easily.... I like that!

 

blitters and shifters aren't non Atari either... they were used and added to more than one platform.... The only problem is when you don't get a full force conversion for both... and that's what I'm after... great pains were taken to make things compatible either in hardware or with software.. following the same architecture so as not to impact the developers.... you can see it all the way up to Loraine and to an almost non existant extent the ST(thanks tram) line as it tried to steer to sanity with TT030 and Falcon030, albeit in true fashion they crippled the Falcon, could have stacked the TT and came out ahead. First thing I did with the Falcon was double the clock, drop in math co processor, and add memory at un-boxing.

 

The 8 bit was originally designed with expansion and updates in mind... those slots hidden or in the open were there for a reason...

Edited by _The Doctor__
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CharlieChaplin River Patroller

+CharlieChaplin

Posted
Posted

 

Yes, but PAL is like a super upgrade in itself. If you have an NTSC machine, you're going to end up with upgrades just to make up for the fact that you can't play half of the modern A8 library. :)

 

Also: with U1MB I was finally able to play Crownland. Yay for me! (I'm not sure about its memory requirements, but it didn't work on my memory expanded XL)

 

Oh, I do have a RAM upgrade, in fact I had two 800XL with U1MB and two 800XL with 512k SRAM (576k total memory). In the end I kept only the 576k Ataris, since I don't use SDX, RTC, four different OS, etc., etc. and I did not want to update the firmware again and again. If there was a 1MB upgrade without all these extras, just the extra RAM, I would surely buy it. Lotharek showed such an 1MB upgrade here some years ago but then went the U1MB route... http://atariage.com/forums/topic/153659-1-mb-simm-expansion-for-65xe130-xe-final-solution/?hl=1mb&do=findComment&comment=1881004

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Madi Moonsweeper

Madi

Posted
Posted (edited)

I suppose that makes sense if you are an ATARI only guy. But otherwise why does it have to be added ATARI experience? Why can't it be a new experience built into an ATARI? Especially if you have more than one 8-bit ATARI. But actually a Blitter chip is an ATARI experience, just not an 8-bit experience. RGB out is an ATARI experience, just not an 8-bit one, I could go on an on. Anyway, your reason is fine and good, as long as all you are interested in is an ATARI 8-bit experience and aren't interested in any other computers or systems. Plenty of other valid reasons for not wanting one too, that make sense, including just plain not being interested in the tech, but there's nothing stopping you from still having an ATARI experience, and more with a VBXE installed.

 

I only plan on having one 8-bit out of my 3 with a VBXE. So I'll have fun with a new 16/32-bit system inside my 8-bit system, and in combination, and also still have pure ATARI 8-bit fun when not using the VBXE in it or on one of my other machines. It's cheaper than a Falcon and more powerful than an ST...almost Amiga like...huh...And to think, the Amiga was almost an ATARI, Designed by practically the same team that designed the ATARI 400/800.

Gunstar, You are quite right. I never owned any computer other than Atari 800XL (1982 until 1995). So, the word “computer” is always meant Atari 8-bit machines to me.

 

I only recently heard about Blitter chip which many old Atarians (8bit) never heard of and is not part of their experience. On the contrary I defiantly, enjoying my U1MB that is installed on my 800XL. Although not utilizing all its rich features, but with it I can feel the joy of the extra ram and the other OSs I had in my original 800 XL in the back days (Terminator 512K and RAMROD/Omniview/omnimon XL roms).

 

Of course I examined some featured of the VBXE under Altirra, but did not have that much of like to it. It did not give me the impression of being using classic Atari 8-bit except, for having the thoughts of installing an alien hardware inside Atari which only absorbs/wastes its power (sorry for that).

Edited by Madi
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Level42 River Patroller

Level42

Posted
Posted (edited)

Yes, but PAL is like a super upgrade in itself. If you have an NTSC machine, you're going to end up with upgrades just to make up for the fact that you can't play half of the modern A8 library. :)

 

Somewhere in the year 2018, we will not have to make a choice between PAL or NTSC ANTIC in our beloved A8 machines anymore, I promise. Edited by Level42
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DrVenkman Quadrunner

+DrVenkman

Posted
Posted

I will start building a 1088XEL in a few weeks. It will be my tinkering/"toy" A8 system in the coming months. I have every intention of buying the board and parts to build an internal CF card drive, building out a case to house it all, etc. If I were to ever add a VBXE to my systems, this will be the one. Until then, I don't have much desire to put one in my current daily-driver 1200XL or 800XL machines. I like CRTs too much and chroma/luma works just fine for me.

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gozar Stargunner

gozar

Posted
  • Author
Posted

The poll should have options of "I plan to buy and install a VBXE" and "I have no interest in a VBXE" to be meaningful.

 

This poll was to get an idea of who currently has a VBXE, nothing more.

 

For those planning on buying on, they can vote in the poll once they buy it/install it.

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