130XE or 800XE Research

[+Muddyfunster]

Hi all,

 

I've been looking to get an A8 machine for my collection for some time. I've been researching these options (130XE or 800XE/65XE) . I'm not very knowledgeable on A8 machines (2600 I can do all day long..) hence my ponderous research.

 

I'm UK based and I have the option to pick up an expanded 130XE PAL machine with extra memory and QMEG or an 800XE PAL machine with the 320XE/576 ram expansion.

 

I want to basically hook up some sort of mass storage device like an SIO2SD card solution (unless there is advice on something else) and play games, demos and tinker with homebrew.

 

Am I missing something by taking one machine over the other? My understanding is that the 800XE is basically an Eastern European branded 65XE with ECI and a different badge? (So basically a 130XE without the extra 64kb?). Having the 320XE would effectively turn the machine into a 130XE with more memory? Is there any overt advantage to one or the other?

 

Any hints or advice on pitfalls from the more knowledgeable folks would be really appreciated.

 

Cheers,

Edited May 28, 2019 by Muddyfunster

[Rybags]

800XE will probably have the faulty GTIA so go the 130XE.

[+Muddyfunster]

800XE will probably have the faulty GTIA so go the 130XE.

It's been tested and has a good GTIA.

[+slx]

If you take the 800xe (which might be a bit rarer) you wont have the QMEG OS. Theres only a tiny number of programs that wont work on a RAM expanded 130XE or 800xe with the 320XE RAM expansion. If you take the 800XE it should be upgradeable to 130XE Standard as well. Some 320/576XE RAM expansions come with a COVOX and/or vertical cartridge connector built in, that would be a little bonus.

[+Muddyfunster]

If you take the 800xe (which might be a bit rarer) you wont have the QMEG OS. Theres only a tiny number of programs that wont work on a RAM expanded 130XE or 800xe with the 320XE RAM expansion. If you take the 800XE it should be upgradeable to 130XE Standard as well. Some 320/576XE RAM expansions come with a COVOX and/or vertical cartridge connector built in, that would be a little bonus.

 

Thanks SLX, the 800xe with the 320XE does have the pass through and covox audio which is nice I watched a couple of videos of a machine playing tracker tunes with a covox audio and was pretty impressed.