Your Atari is now about 30 years old, so don't expect that all it work flawless

[ParanoidLittleMan]

Yes, it can be even 34 years old - first STs, or some 26 years for latest Falcons ? Don't know was there production in 1993 anymore ?

And that's pretty much time for electronic devices. Things are not as in some Sci-Fi. Hero spots some 5000 years old computer in some abandoned place, presses switch and it works like charm ?  Even with much more advanced technology that's hardly possible.

It is known that electronic components degrade by time. Electrolyte capacitors are what degrades most, especially when machine is not powered on for longer time (few years are enough for significant capacity loss) . But chips degrade too, mostly because plastic case lets thru some moisture, oxygen.

And of course there are other factors which lead to problems.

I getting in last years many of e-mails about non working game adaptations, problems with hard disk driver SW, and similar,  and it will be just worse, as aging goes on.

Things are simpler when it broke completely and works not at all. But when it starts, people usually think that everything is OK. Some components may be near to edge of correct work, and when some complexer SW runs, there is more load on PSU, it may start to perform some operations incorrect.

Of course, mechanical part is even worse, so more and more people need to replace their floppy drives, hard disks. But that's better known problem.

All in all, I just wanted to point here that should be aware about aging related problems, and not to blame always running SW.  Surely, there is lot of poorly written and not well tested SW, we know about TOS version compatibility problems and like. Myself fixed many games for higher TOS versions, fixed some bugs, and fixed even some TOS problems. I even have some list of troublesome games, releases (what some found as bad idea - really ?). So, at least part of such problems is published. Could be better if there was support of idea to make database of Atari SW with known problems for diverse releases, but it is still just idea.

Yes, old Ataris can still be fun, but we need more care and being smarter than in past. I'm talking from own experience. My Mega ST was with diverse add-ons. Like IDE port, 4 MB RAM expansion, Flash TOS with TOS switch ... And it started to be unreliable few years ago. I needed to remove add-ons to be able to diagnose problem. After fixing I was not in mood to put them back. More load - more chances for problems. So, it is now almost as came from factory, and works, but not always 100% well. I guess, there will be soon need for some repair again ...

[Wally1]

We are all growing old.

 

[+cjherr]

Help! I've fallen in the park and I can't get up!

[ParanoidLittleMan]

This is how it goes. You try to point on some things what not everyone may be aware. And smartheads must mocking ...

Thank you for your very useful posts ...  What about complete useless threads here ? Some sensational discoveries with double exclamation marked titles, and then - all it appears as shallow, untested something . 

 

 

[+cjherr]

My apologies. I did not mean to offend.

[tjlazer]

Humor can be a good thing for health

[ParanoidLittleMan]

This thread was started with intention to point to people on something, to avoid false SW accusations and like.

So, please, if you have nothing to say about topic, try with some showman carrier ?