Alternative to Maria

[+darryl1970]

I recall an article about Maria's creation. There was a piece that stated some Atari engineers had started work on their own enhancement of the GTIA/Antic (I don't recall specifics). They stated that Atari management didn't even want to see their solution, and they chose to go with Maria.

 

I am not trying to fuel which would have, could have, might have been better or worse. I just want to find that article and information. I have scoured the Internet, and I cannot find it. I am curious if there's any information on what the engineers were working on. Just curious about what might have been. WHERE did I see that? I didn't dream it. lol.

 

Thanks.

[+slx]

Look for Rainbow on the 8-bit forum. Curt Vendel just posted a lot of docs or at least a preview.


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[+slx]

3 hours ago, darryl1970 said:

I recall an article about Maria's creation. ...

WHERE did I see that? I didn't dream it. lol.

 

Thanks.

 

[+darryl1970]

On 3/13/2020 at 5:50 PM, slx said:

 

Thanks. I'll check this out.

[Curt Vendel]

On 3/13/2020 at 2:09 PM, darryl1970 said:

I recall an article about Maria's creation. There was a piece that stated some Atari engineers had started work on their own enhancement of the GTIA/Antic (I don't recall specifics). They stated that Atari management didn't even want to see their solution, and they chose to go with Maria.

 

I am not trying to fuel which would have, could have, might have been better or worse. I just want to find that article and information. I have scoured the Internet, and I cannot find it. I am curious if there's any information on what the engineers were working on. Just curious about what might have been. WHERE did I see that? I didn't dream it. lol.

 

Thanks.

Yes...  but that was actually what they did - they put a TIA and and GTIA on the same board and were getting them to work together.  It was a kludge but it was to show something could be done.  The reason it was shot down was that management was tired to recycling the same old 4-7 year old technology.   The GCC design was a fresh new device and it worked.  Part of the issue was the Sunnyvale engineers didn't like that they had to work with an outside company.  This was a problem with a lot of project, they didn't want things from the WCI/NY Atari lab either and that was Atari itself and it was headed by Steve Mayer who was one of the founders of Cyan Engineering - Atari Grass Valley, where the TIA and the Colleen were created.   WCI/NY was where the designs for Janice (later renamed Jan) - the all in one combo 2600 chip, were started.   The original design for Elizabeth - (NY-LIZ) which was originally a 600 XL computer that would be able to more easily port 2600 games to it and enhance them... again, these all got rejected from Atari Sunnyvale...  if it wasn't done there, they felt it was beneath them.   Bad way to work.

 

[Curt Vendel]

On 3/13/2020 at 3:16 PM, slx said:

Look for Rainbow on the 8-bit forum. Curt Vendel just posted a lot of docs or at least a preview.


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There are some chip files and other technical docs.   I'm trying to see if any tape outs were done, possibly chip plots.   I'm working on reading the GDS II's from the Silver chip tapes now that are part of Rainbow (Silver & Gold)

 

[+darryl1970]

17 hours ago, Curt Vendel said:

Yes...  but that was actually what they did - they put a TIA and and GTIA on the same board and were getting them to work together.  It was a kludge but it was to show something could be done.  The reason it was shot down was that management was tired to recycling the same old 4-7 year old technology.   The GCC design was a fresh new device and it worked.  Part of the issue was the Sunnyvale engineers didn't like that they had to work with an outside company.  This was a problem with a lot of project, they didn't want things from the WCI/NY Atari lab either and that was Atari itself and it was headed by Steve Mayer who was one of the founders of Cyan Engineering - Atari Grass Valley, where the TIA and the Colleen were created.   WCI/NY was where the designs for Janice (later renamed Jan) - the all in one combo 2600 chip, were started.   The original design for Elizabeth - (NY-LIZ) which was originally a 600 XL computer that would be able to more easily port 2600 games to it and enhance them... again, these all got rejected from Atari Sunnyvale...  if it wasn't done there, they felt it was beneath them.   Bad way to work.

 

Thanks Curt. Very interesting. I thought I read something about them doubling the number of players and resolution in a souped up chip. I don't think combining GTIA and TIA would be very cutting edge. Interesting insight into how things fell apart.

[+Stephen]

39 minutes ago, darryl1970 said:

Thanks Curt. Very interesting. I thought I read something about them doubling the number of players and resolution in a souped up chip. I don't think combining GTIA and TIA would be very cutting edge. Interesting insight into how things fell apart.

I have distant memories of an article, I believe it was John Harris that was working on developing a system that used multiple TIAs.  Was there any truth to this?

[Jinks]

Was that the 10bit chip? Or am I thinking of something else Atari?