Happy New Year... XM shipping this month

[+sixersfan105]

So since Curt shipped out the first batch of XMs way back in January 2018, how is everyone enjoying it? ? I do have questions as to how he could make that post and then a year and eight months later still have no product to get behind. Unexpected delays or not, that's pretty horrendous. Did he take people's money in pre-orders 10 years ago (or whenever the pre-orders were handled)? Hope not.

[+Stephen]

1 hour ago, sixersfan105 said:

So since Curt shipped out the first batch of XMs way back in January 2018, how is everyone enjoying it? ? I do have questions as to how he could make that post and then a year and eight months later still have no product to get behind. Unexpected delays or not, that's pretty horrendous. Did he take people's money in pre-orders 10 years ago (or whenever the pre-orders were handled)? Hope not.

Yes - money was collected to start the project (I think it paid for the plastics).

 

[+mytek]

I think the intentions have always been to deliver, but life and unexpected problems just continued to get in the way for Curt. And based on the pre-order fees that were collected, the project costs were in my opinion way under estimated, with money only sufficient to cover the manufacturing cost of the enclosures (Curt feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about this). So in other words the rest of the cost will likely get eaten by Curt due to this unfortunate oversight. Still that is not the fault of anyone who pre-ordered, and they will obviously expect to receive what was promised... a complete working XM.

 

Anyway this is the way things go sometimes in a hobby based market, good intentions or not. It's also best to remember that this isn't being manufactured and sold by a big corporate entity like the original Warner/Atari or Tramiel/Atari, whereas this project is definitely being executed on a shoestring budget with a considerably smaller staff.

 

This all kind of takes me back to FTE (Fine Tooned Engineering) and Mike Hohman with the MARS8 project for the Atari 800XL. Mike also took pre-orders, although no where near the amount that the XM has experienced, and he failed to deliver this on the schedule he had anticipated, due in large part to unexpected operating costs and problems encountered during development. it was very ambitious in nature, truly reaching for the moon in what was possible in early to mid 90's technology. I also had a pony in that race, but when things started to look bad for the future of FTE, Mike made good and we did a fair trade of other products to make up for it. Last time I spoke with Mike was about 2 years ago, and he said that other than myself he had taken very few pre-orders BITD, unlike the rumors that had spread over the years of him owing thousands upon thousands of $$$. As to whether that is true??? I feel what he told me was probably more accurate, but you know how rumors get a life of their own.

 

Mike did eventually complete a working MARS8, but by this time his reputation in the Atari community deserved or not was so bad that it was hardly worth producing it. And Mike had really gotten all of the ambition to do so beaten out of him over the years. Also other technology such as the U1MB had surpassed it many years ago, with the U1MB allowing OS and Languages to be flash programmed, whereas the MARS8 was based on EPROMS.

 

Here is a picture of the MARS8 that Mike finally got into a completed form (it's the large board to the right of the cartridge port).

 

 

FTE 1995 Newsletter (I think this was the last one he published): FTE_Newsletter_Vol_1_No_2.pdf

 

Unlike the ill fated MARS8, the XM still has tremendous momentum and a genuine desire by Curt to see it through. I truly believe that Curt will make sure that happens no matter what. Getting pissed off at him or spreading negative feedback will likely do absolutely nothing to make this happen any quicker. Because we're all getting to be old farts, and we just don't move any faster even when other people want us to .

 

Edit: LOL I just realized the board hanging off the ribbon cable over on the left side of that picture is one of my original 1990 era TransKey boards. Mike must have been using it so that he didn't have to keep dealing with the original keyboard and its fragile connection to the motherboard while conducting experiments on his MARS8.

 

[+Allan]

1 hour ago, mytek said:

 

 

FTE 1995 Newsletter (I think this was the last one he published): FTE_Newsletter_Vol_1_No_2.pdf

 

 

Thanks for scanning this. If you have any more issues could you possible scan them as well?

 

Allan

 

[Shawn]

6 hours ago, sixersfan105 said:

So since Curt shipped out the first batch of XMs way back in January 2018, how is everyone enjoying it? ? I do have questions as to how he could make that post and then a year and eight months later still have no product to get behind. Unexpected delays or not, that's pretty horrendous. Did he take people's money in pre-orders 10 years ago (or whenever the pre-orders were handled)? Hope not.

 

 Yep, we are toying with the term decade in regards to the XM now, you are correct. It was in Jan 2018 he came in with the "shipping this month!" bit which turned out to be another waft of hot air cause here we are half way through August 2019 with nothing. There is absolutely no reason this project should not be completed and done with YEARS AGO. I mean exactly how many man hours have (and are) being solely dedicated to work on finishing the XM? It can't be a whole hell of a lot or it would be done with right? 

 

How I wish there where good things to talk about in regards to any or all of this but there just isn't. When you have to beg, plead and question to even get a notion of what the hell is going on? That doesn't leave you feeling positive about any aspect of it. And we haven't even got that much of a status report in months!

 

EDIT: Shipping notifications for completed working units would be about the only thing to brighten up this darkness anymore.

[Tickled_Pink]

Yeah, I remember Mike Hohman. I didn't pre-order the Mars8, but I did pre-order the MIO II off him. I was a hard-up student at the time working on my own Atari 8-bit projects, which never got finished for one reason or another - so I know what can happen to projects.

It remains the only Atari item I've ever pre-ordered. I think it kind of put me off but, then again, although I love my Atari systems I've never really been much of a collector of upgrades. I have one machine with several upgrades to it but it came to me like that.

[Shawn]

Just highlighted Curt's user name to see the last time he was on AA. Low and behold he was logged in Saturday August 10th, 2019. What in the actual cheeseburger is going on here!  Thanks for the update!

 

[+mytek]

2 hours ago, Shawn said:

Just highlighted Curt's user name to see the last time he was on AA. Low and behold he was logged in Saturday August 10th, 2019. What in the actual cheeseburger is going on here!  Thanks for the update!

 

As the saying goes "You'll catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar".

 

I don't know what you are trying to accomplish by berating Curt and pointing out what you think he should, or should not be doing. Bottom line is... if there were good news and or progress to report he would have done so. No new posting would just suggest that things are unchanged since the last report. Nothing really mysterious about that .

 

3 hours ago, Tickled_Pink said:

Yeah, I remember Mike Hohman. I didn't pre-order the Mars8, but I did pre-order the MIO II off him. I was a hard-up student at the time working on my own Atari 8-bit projects, which never got finished for one reason or another - so I know what can happen to projects.

Yeah BITD the MARS8 was going to be so cool! But it probably also suffered from a bit of feature creep, just like the XM likely has as well. I know just from my own experience developing the 1088 series motherboards (XEL and XLD), that stuff you never originally thought of pops into your mind and if it's worthwhile it gets integrated into the design before release. Yes that delays things, but often times it either provides something that is well worth it, or prevents a future problem from occurring. And if you've never tried developing a sophisticated piece of computer tech, it's easy to think that it's not such a big deal, whereas the reality is rarely ever simple.

 

[Albert]

5 minutes ago, mytek said:

I don't know what you are trying to accomplish by berating Curt and pointing out what you think he should, or should not be doing. Bottom line is... if there were good news and or progress to report he would have done so. No new posting would just suggest that things are unchanged since the last report. Nothing really mysterious about that .

I agree, and if it continues I will start kicking (more) people from this thread. 

 

  ..Al

[+mytek]

16 hours ago, Allan said:

Thanks for scanning this. If you have any more issues could you possible scan them as well?

 

Allan

 

I'll check to see if I do, but I kinda doubt it. But whatever I find I'll definitely pass it your way .

 

[edweird13]

Guess dracisback wont be getting his XM. Coming up on 9 years since preorders were taken. It is so annoying. RIP drac

[+DrVenkman]

10 minutes ago, edweird13 said:

Guess dracisback wont be getting his XM. Coming up on 9 years since preorders were taken. It is so annoying. RIP drac

That's really sad news. Thanks for sharing it.

[TrekMD]

That is sad news.  RIP drac.

[Tidus79001]

Thanks for the update Curt.  Family and work obligations come first.  I eagerly and patiently await the next update on this project.

 

 

Edited August 30, 2019 by Tidus79001

[CPUWIZ]

Farting around with the VCF show, the day Drac died, whilst logged into AA (on his last day on earth!), without ever getting him a beta unit?  Super busy!  I know I said I was done with this shitshow, now I really am. ?

 

Thanks for the non-update for those other people, who might not make it.

[Zonie]

It'll happen. I look at it this way. I have not used my 7800 in over a year. When the XM comes out, I'll be buying something to run on it... Probably DKXM. that'll be like Christmas 1978 all over again.

[CPUWIZ]

Look, I want to be clear about something, Curt was asked months before Drac passed away, to get him a beta unit, so he could play DKXM.  He should know better, with his own conditions.  It just saddens me.  Each to their own, I guess.

 

Anyone want to to put in a pre-order, for the most insane 7800 attachment, ever?  It most likely won't happen though, I have serious health issues myself.  Who knows though, maybe in 1 to 5 years, if I get that last LED to come on.

 

Nah, it mostly already works, 92 binaries, off of SD (not random shit from the internet) and WiFi upload capability, only thing not finished is the direct download from a secured server, directly into the cart. All controlled from a browser, on any device.

 

I'll keep that to myself.

[CPUWIZ]

I also want to add, this is not AtariAge's opinion, but my own!

[tep392]

10 hours ago, CPUWIZ said:

Anyone want to to put in a pre-order, for the most insane 7800 attachment, ever?  It most likely won't happen though, I have serious health issues myself.  Who knows though, maybe in 1 to 5 years, if I get that last LED to come on.

 

Nah, it mostly already works, 92 binaries, off of SD (not random shit from the internet) and WiFi upload capability, only thing not finished is the direct download from a secured server, directly into the cart. All controlled from a browser, on any device.

 

I'll keep that to myself.

If you offer it, I'm in!

[+sramirez2008]

2 hours ago, tep392 said:

If you offer it, I'm in!

Ditto!

[+DrVenkman]

2 hours ago, tep392 said:

If you offer it, I'm in!

 

4 minutes ago, sramirez2008 said:

Ditto!

Thirded.  

[iesposta]

14 hours ago, CPUWIZ said:

...

 

Anyone want to to put in a pre-order, for the most insane 7800 attachment, ever?  ...

I’ll buy it!

[+groundtrooper]

Same here. I would take my chances on a CPUWIZ product. 

 

I wasn't around for the XM pre-order but if I would have been I would have dropped the cash and would be playing this waiting game also. 

[+sramirez2008]

14 hours ago, CPUWIZ said:

Anyone want to to put in a pre-order, for the most insane 7800 attachment, ever?  It most likely won't happen though, I have serious health issues myself.  Who knows though, maybe in 1 to 5 years, if I get that last LED to come on.

 

Nah, it mostly already works, 92 binaries, off of SD (not random shit from the internet) and WiFi upload capability, only thing not finished is the direct download from a secured server, directly into the cart. All controlled from a browser, on any device.

 

I'll keep that to myself.

Looks like you have five pre-orders so far...?

[Gandor]

Looks like you have five pre-orders so far...[emoji4]

make that six


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