PC Server in an Atari 800 Case

[NovaXpress]

Check out this project, he even turned a Star Raiders cart into an optical mouse.

http://members.cox.net/ofs_labs/atari.htm

[video game addict]

That's pretty cool! It's ashame he couldn't make the original keyboard work with it. Then it'd really be awesome. Kind of like that PC NES from last year, only it used the actual nes ports.

[Albert]

He's added a note to the page stating that he's going to try and get the original keyboard working at some point. Although it's not really the original keyboard, as he took one from an Atari 800XL and swapped it, since the original 800 keyboard took too much space in the case.

 

..Al

[Rob Mitchell]

Does anyone know how to get in touch with Andy Hutson .. who made this thing? I want to ask him for a key off his scrapped Atari 800 keyboard.

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[Albert]

Does anyone know how to get in touch with Andy Hutson .. who made this thing?  I want to ask him for a key off his scrapped Atari 800 keyboard.

 

Yes, follow this link and then look at the bottom of the page. There's an (obfuscated) email link.

 

..Al

[emkay]

This is horrible in every way...

[herr professor]

At least he tried to make it clear that it was a DEAD 800. It would be a pisser to see him gut a good one...

 

 

This guy here killed a perfectly good working sx-64....

 

http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/sx64/

 

At least he kept the sid chip....

[Rob Mitchell]

Yes, follow this link ...

 

Thanks ..

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[andylama]

At least he tried to make it clear that it was a DEAD 800. It would be a pisser to see him gut a good one...

 

I am the guilty one...and I deserve to live...put down the swords!

 

Danke schoen, Herr Professor, for pointing out that it was a DEAD 800. I literally rescued it from a trash pile. I have my 'sacred' 800 that I would never defile!! OTOH, the Star Raiders cart was perfectly good, but I also have my 'sacred' copy of that too.

 

I'd also like to emphasize that this project was not gratuitous--it had an intended purpose: to be an APE/SIO2PC server and software library server for my REAL 8-bit machines. It works beautifully in that respect.

 

This article was recently 'slashdotted' (featured on slashdot.com) and I'm surprised at the range of responses that I got: anywhere from "very clever, and nice job" to "you suck and you should die, you worthless loser!".

 

Astonishing really. I am a nice person, and am saddened and disappointed to get DEATH THREATS over a stupid obsolete computer (that I happen to LOVE DEEPLY) People can be so awful...especially when they are afforded the anonymity of the internet.

 

Most people that contacted me directly were kind, and had useful advice about how to make the keyboard actually work. I WILL make it work, but because of the inconvenient layout of the case interior, it is going to require major surgery. I expect that the keyboard alone will take as much effort as the whole rest of the project.

 

Bottom line: I had fun. I did it for myself. If you offered compliments, then THANK YOU. If you hate it and think I'm an a$$h0le, then that's your problem, and you probably need a hug.

 

Andy

[Goochman]

So,

 

How much do you want for someone to take it off your hands

[emkay]

 

 

Bottom line:  I had fun.  I did it for myself.  If you offered compliments, then THANK YOU.  If you hate it and think I'm an a$$h0le, then that's your problem, and you probably need a hug.    

 

Andy

 

 

I neither hate you nor do I think something worse about your person...

But, I would never consider to:

 

1. -cut off a fully intact ATARI 800 case (where was taken the XL keyboard from?) Maybe there is a functional 800 with a broken case...

2. -exchange the once most powerfull hardware with the worsest crap around the actual PC hardware.

3. -use PC Hardware without electricial emission protection

(In Europe the usage of PC Hardware without such an e.-emission protection is against law)

 

 

... and so on...

[andylama]

But, I would never consider to:

 

1. -cut off a fully intact ATARI 800 case (where was taken the XL keyboard from?) Maybe there is a functional 800 with a broken case...  

2. -exchange the once most powerfull hardware with the worsest crap around the actual PC hardware.

3. -use PC Hardware without electricial emission protection

 (In Europe the usage of PC Hardware without such an e.-emission protection is against law)

 

1. "Maybe there is a functional 800 with a broken case..."

Yes, maybe. But I don't have it. I have one other 800, and it is perfect. Totally moot point. I am NOT on a crusade to repair other people's Ataris. (and neither are you, correct?)

 

2. Ich verstand nicht. What do you mean? The Atari 800 was very powerful for its time. Today it is little more than a novelty for games and such. The PC is utilitarian, but VERY useful. It benefits from the retro-stylish 800 case, and now it SERVES my actual 800's and 800XL's. Beauty and functionality in one package. Let's be honest with ourselves: to call the modern PC "the worst crap" (or whatever) really flies in the face of almost everyone's current reality. The PC, love it or hate it, is reponsible for more true technological innovation than the entire Atari 8-bit line all combined. I still love my 800, but it is what it always was, and no more. Or did I completely misunderstand your comment?

 

3. Good point. The rule of law reigns supreme--I shall submit myself to the proper authorities immediately. Please write me when I'm in prison.

 

This whole thing is so silly, why am I even responding?! I don;t come into your homes and pontificate about the relative merits of the fancy stereo you put in your car... "NO! proper stereos belong in listening parlors ONLY!" I think not.

 

I'm done.

 

Regards to all.

[Albert]

This whole thing is so silly, why am I even responding?!  I don;t come into your homes and pontificate about the relative merits of the fancy stereo you put in your car... "NO!  proper stereos belong in listening parlors ONLY!"  I think not.

 

I'm a huge 8-bit fan and I think what you've done is pretty cool, and I even posted news about it here. I also made a point to state that you used a dead system as the donor machine, knowing some people would probably gripe otherwise.

 

Hope you're able to get the keyboard working!

 

..Al

[emkay]

Andylama wrote:

 

>I am NOT on a crusade to repair other people's Ataris. (and neither are you, correct?)

 

You are not on the right way. Ofcourse I would/do repair other people's ATARIs, because I repair computers and build PCs ... it's my hobby.

 

 

>Ich verstand nicht. What do you mean?

 

Your german is as bad as my english

I mean that the ATARI was once a very powerfull and reliable machine.

Because it is my hobby to build PCs I know very well what a crap a VIA chipset is (it's a part of the EPIA). The chipset has more bugs than patentings.

 

The third point I mentioned was to explain, why I never would consider to do things like that... nothing else

[Retro Rogue]

I don't have a problem with doing that to a dead Atari 800. I do disagree about it's usefullness and desireability compared to a PC. One of the things that still attracts me to the old 8 bits (including brands other than Atari) is that the computers of that age have CHARACTER that is sorely lacking in todays bland pc/windows and mac market. You could tell a computer just by seeing it's graphics or even hearing it's sound. There are also plenty of Atari 8 bits and 16 bits still in use today in manufacturing operations and science. Likewise regarding the contributions - I completely disagree. The research hardware wise done for the Atari 8 bits directly lead to todays GPU's, DSP's, and USB.

 

Now, as for another project I saw on that site - the Commodore 64-SX conversion - that guy should be drawn and quartered. Taking a perfectly good SX and gutting it, something that's uncommon and prized after by collectors, that makes no sense.

[Bryan]

The thing that makes the 8-bit fun for me is kinda like the comparison between painting and photography. What give you the most accurate representation? Photography. Why paint? Because creating things within the limitations of your medium can be a lot more fun and expressive than snapping a photo (of course, there's an art to photography too).

 

Today's PCs can create just about any audio visual experience. It's not a matter of if, but when someone does it (with a multi-million dollar budget, probably). Working on the 8-bit is more suited to individuals or small groups. The project is contained by specs of the system, so adding more and more people rarely helps the situation.

 

If the PC is a Large Deep-dish Supreme, then the 8-bit is a Personal Pan Pizza. Sometimes, it's all you need, and satisfying too. Now I'm hungry... see ya later!

 

-Bry

 

P.S. Why doesn't someone hack a Macinstosh into a TI99/4A case and see what we all think of that.

[andylama]

Now, as for another project I saw on that site - the Commodore 64-SX conversion - that guy should be drawn and quartered.  Taking a perfectly good SX and gutting it, something that's uncommon and prized after by collectors, that makes no sense.

 

Now, there's something I totally agree with. If The Atari 800 was as rare as the 64SX, I would never dream of doing such a crazy and wasteful thing. That would be tantamount to me using a Bounty Bob Strikes Back cart for my optical mouse. --You'd all be justified in pummeling me to death for such a crime against computing history!

[andylama]

This whole thing is so silly, why am I even responding?!  I don;t come into your homes and pontificate about the relative merits of the fancy stereo you put in your car... "NO!  proper stereos belong in listening parlors ONLY!"  I think not.

 

I'm a huge 8-bit fan and I think what you've done is pretty cool, and I even posted news about it here. I also made a point to state that you used a dead system as the donor machine, knowing some people would probably gripe otherwise.

 

Hope you're able to get the keyboard working!

 

..Al

 

Thanks Albert.

 

I do plan to get that keyboard working...eventually! Then I will have to post a news update to Mini-ITX.com, and maybe all the flamebaiters at slashdot will get off my case! (semi-kidding)

[Jetboot Jack]

I think this is awesome, I'm impressed -- I'd be VERY KEEN to know if/when you can get the keyboard working too, then I could have an uber 800, running all OS and RAM configs, plus VGA output

 

I was planning on trying to fit the same type of system into an old MPC 810 case for fun, DVD drive included, ideal for a media PC

 

sTeVE

[andylama]

Andylama wrote:

 

>I am NOT on a crusade to repair other people's Ataris. (and neither are you, correct?)

 

You are not on the right way. Ofcourse I would/do repair other people's ATARIs, because I repair computers and build PCs ... it's my hobby.

 

 

>Ich verstand nicht. What do you mean?

 

Your german is as bad as my english

I mean  that the ATARI was once a very powerfull and reliable machine.  

Because it is my hobby to build PCs I know very well what a crap a VIA chipset is (it's a part of the EPIA). The chipset has more bugs than patentings.

 

The third point I mentioned was to explain, why I never would consider to do things like that... nothing else

 

 

emkay,

 

> I repair computers and build PCs ... it's my hobby

 

Fair enough. Sorry for my bad assumption. It's just that I also did that for many years, and it nearly drove me crazy. If you fix someone's computer ONCE, you basically become responsible for its proper operation for the rest of your life. NO THANKS!

 

> Your german is as bad as my english

 

Wrong. My German is far WORSE than your English! I studied it in high school, but that was 20 years ago. I don't remember very much, though I do still remember my grammatical cases (der, die, das, dem, den, des....)

 

Andy

[emkay]

Andylama wrote:

 

 

>If you fix someone's computer ONCE, you basically become responsible for its proper operation for the rest of your life. NO THANKS!

 

To prevent from that, you can do two things:

 

1. Use most stable hardware (Information is all )

2. Tell the people that a computer is a machine that could be defective at any time... (a true fact)

 

So... until today I have no prob. with that, and I am doing that for about 18 years until today...

 

 

Belonging to my english... The most I learned at School, but I never went to a Highschool or else. Oh... I see it is about 20 years ago too... as time goes by

[SmileyDude]

I have no problem with this -- pretty nifty, IMO

 

Personally, if I did something like this, I wouldn't be satisfied until I had the keyboard working But, nonetheless, this is very cool stuff

 

And, btw, I think that most people getting choked up over 1 less Atari 800 should be more upset at the people who just throw them away without even thinking about giving it to the local thrift store. I'm sure more 800's (and other Atari hardware) have been thrown away in perfectly usable condition than anyone cares to know

[Shawn Jefferson]

I'm sure more 800's (and other Atari hardware) have been thrown away in perfectly usable condition than anyone cares to know

 

 

Lalalalalalalalaa! I can't hear you! Lalalalalala I'm not listening! lalalalalalalaalalala!