What do we have here?

[WizWor]

I am a social butterfly at work. My spacious office is on the way to the bathroom and no one knows exactly what I do. Just the same, people assume I do important stuff and I'm kind of smart, so, for 33 years, I have been able to come and go as I please and do what I want while in the building.

 

What I chose to do this week is bring an Atari XEGS to work. I brought computer, keyboard, a television, a couple AtariMax carts, a SIO2SD, and some joysticks and sega game controllers. I did not advertise the demonstration, but word of mouth is an amazing thing. After just three days, dozens of have stopped by to play a little Galaxian, Pac Man, Frogger...well, you guys know. It's been so much fun to talk to people about their 2600s and favorite games. The best part is explaining how there happens to be a SD card peripheral for a computer which went out of production in 1987.

 

 

[+Nezgar]

...computer which went out of production in 1987.

XEGS went into production 1987, discontinued 1992 apparently: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_XEGS

 

That sounds great though! I've been thinking about doing similar at my work, but since I'm in more of an open 'pod' type setup, I don't really want to leave it out or annoy others nearby if things get too chatty... and I'd also want a real CRT monitor, so wouldn't really want to haul it for just one day...

[Justin Payne]

I remember when I used to bring stuff to work just to start conversation. At one time, I was in a converted small meeting that was turned into an office for 4. We all had L shaped tables so I decided to bring in a 20 gallon freshwater planted tank with CO2 injection. I was about 27. Since my boss also had an aquarium, I thought this was completely normal. Then my contract ended so I had to pack up the tanks and take it home. The planted hated the substrate getting churned up and so they proceed to die from algae, which can happen if you stir up substrate. I decided from that point forward that I would try to keep that kind of large and complex stuff off my desk but from time to time I've considered bringing in a Timex Sinclair 1000 and just run a demo on it. Unfortunately, I now work in a place that would not allow gaming.
Have fun with doing that stuff now cuz as you get older you tend to dismiss ideas like that for many reasons, many practical but definitely not as fun.

[WizWor]

and I'd also want a real CRT monitor, so wouldn't really want to haul it for just one day...

 

A real CRT is great -- and necessary if you want to use the light gun -- but the XEGS has excellent composite out, so it works with most LCDs.

[WizWor]

Have fun with doing that stuff now cuz as you get older you tend to dismiss ideas like that for many reasons, many practical but definitely not as fun.

 

I'm 56, but no one expects me to grow up any time soon.

[Gunstar]

To hell with growing up! One life to lead, you are as young as you feel, etc., etc. I always imagined, when I was young that there would be some point as I aged, where I would lose interest in the things of youth, and that was a part of maturing into a proper adult, like my boring as hell parents were. I naturally thought this way because it had already happened when I was about 12 and I lost interest in the toys and games of my childhood, so I thought as I "grew up" my interests would change again, and yes, some did. But as I've gotten older, and wiser, I've realized that growing up into a mature adult isn't about discarding the things of youth, but in fact keeping them to relieve the stress of being a mature adult, and all being a mature adult means is being responsible and accountable. I'll be playing video games still when I'm 75, God willing.

Edited July 26, 2018 by Gunstar

[Mclaneinc]

Ah the old video game lure for the ladies...Did it work

 

(yes it was aimed one way, don't have the time or strength to write all the possible liaisons by modern day normal's...)

 

I can't keep up with the initials let alone the details!!

[ryanmercer]

You're doing god's work!