SIDE 3 preorder

[+DrVenkman]

Just now, Stephen said:

I want to know - is it compatible with Ultimate 1MB?

I think the real question is, is it compatible with Gravity Snake? ?

[+Stephen]

Just now, DrVenkman said:

I think the real question is, is it compatible with Gravity Snake? ?

I think there's anti-virus software pre-installed on this device to protect the user.

[leech]

1 hour ago, DrVenkman said:

I think the real question is, is it compatible with Gravity Snake? ?

Can it play Crysis?

[flashjazzcat]

5 hours ago, mytek said:

My only question for the moment... can I play side A by flipping it over?

 

 

Yes: if they'd drawn the '3' the as per the font in the loader, I suspect that would be less of an issue, but I wasn't consulted in any way shape or form regarding the logo (which other than that I like very much). Go figure. 

Edited September 26, 2020 by flashjazzcat

[+slx]

6 hours ago, leech said:

Shiny!  I have been waiting on it before I ordered some other things... but I really should stop messing about with stuff until I can de-clutter the house so I can actually set things up correctly!

Same here! Planning to set up Incognito 800 as the main machine, I am not entirely sure if I "need" this (in the loose sense this word can be applied to retro gear). I have a stockpile of CF cards and a SIDE2 as well as an Ultimate Cart, could someone educate me to the benefits the SIDE3 would bring over  a SIDE2 in combination with a U1MB or without U1MB? (I don't get much from the description but would assume that having a RTC and not having to rummage for a CF reader when transferring files from a PC would be the main difference.) Thanks!

[flashjazzcat]

1 hour ago, slx said:

could someone educate me to the benefits the SIDE3 would bring over  a SIDE2 in combination with a U1MB or without U1MB?

Primarily cartridge emulation, all handled from the loader you're used to using (the SIDE loader). In your case - with U1MB present - you can mount cartridges (ROM and CAR files stored in the FAT on the SD card), ATR disk images, and APT HDD partitions and use them all at the same time. It's currently the only solution which integrates cartridge emulation with the existing U1MB/SIDE 'ecosystem'.

 

Other than that, the SIDE3 Loader does away with the 'paging' of large FAT directories with more than 250 files; it will load up to 1,000 filenames per directory into RAM all in one go. Likewise, you can have up to 1,000 results from a recursive search. There's also 2MB of cartridge SRAM and DMA, which I'm sure can be exploited for lots of novel purposes other than cartridge image loading.

 

I have further plans for the loader going forward, including auto-mount cartridges and built-in media playback facilities.

[mdivancic]

I wonder when these start shipping?

[starfighter]

32 minutes ago, mdivancic said:

I wonder when these start shipping?

 

 

Seems to be soon

[+DrVenkman]

My last order (Incognito last year) took almost a month to arrive after shipping via Polish Post. Since US buyers this year were advised to use FedEx or UPS due to wordwide shipping disruptions, hopefully my SIDE3 will get here a little quicker.

[Marius]

6 minutes ago, DrVenkman said:

My last order (Incognito last year) took almost a month to arrive after shipping via Polish Post. Since US buyers this year were advised to use FedEx or UPS due to wordwide shipping disruptions, hopefully my SIDE3 will get here a little quicker.

Oh I know exactly what you mean, but then with parcels from Germany. German packages that are shipped with Deutsche Post, are in The Netherlands shipped by DHL. Oh dear... DHL stand (funny joke) in Dutch for "Duurt Heel Lang" (Takes a long time) ... It happened several times here that a package delivered by DHL, originally sent from Germany, took over 4 weeks to arrive (Germany is close to The Netherlands). 

 

When I am awake enough I always ask the Germans to ship with UPS. Then it takes 1 day (yes 1 day, that is something else than 4 weeks eh... omg).

[+mytek]

7 hours ago, flashjazzcat said:

Yes: if they'd drawn the '3' the as per the font in the loader, I suspect that would be less of an issue, but I wasn't consulted in any way shape or form regarding the logo (which other than that I like very much). Go figure. 

When I showed it to my brother, he read it as side B and not SIDE3. For most of the people in the Atari community following the progress on this new version of SIDE, we've been programmed to read it as intended. But after hearing my brother's interpretation, I started seeing it as side B also . So all joking aside, a slight change in the font being used for the '3' could make this much clearer to all. Is it important? I think not .

 

[flashjazzcat]

36 minutes ago, mytek said:

But after hearing my brother's interpretation, I started seeing it as side B also . So all joking aside, a slight change in the font being used for the '3' could make this much clearer to all. Is it important? I think not .

Exactly so. You are far from the first person to make this observation, but since the winner of the logo contest did (in my opinion) such a good job (regardless of the fact I never even knew there was a logo contest until someone had won it; I assume only Poles were allowed to participate), I didn't make too big a deal about the fact the '3' resembles a 'B' to the uninitiated, which I don't think is the case with the stylised numeral the in the loader itself:

The important thing is that it looks fresh and modern and at least has some kind of brand identity which isn't totally detached from the software (as was unavoidably the case with previous iterations). It's a relief that the design looks good, given how some who profess to have good taste would have preferred the thing to look.

Edited September 26, 2020 by flashjazzcat
typo

[flashjazzcat]

I'm currently building the firmware download pages for SIDE3, e.g.:

 

https://atari8.co.uk/firmware/side3/

 

There should be some downloadable content within the next day or two, and this will include the SIDE3 plugin and PBI BIOS for U1MB. I expect to issue fairly regular updates and implement some interesting new features which could not be completed in time for the initial product release.

[+DrVenkman]

Regardless of what thinks about the "SIDE 3/SIDE B" logo design, one must admit it still generally beats the hell out of the "ULrIMArE 1MB"

[cwilbar]

As I recall looking at this earlier, the UPS/FedEx shipping to the states was quite expensive.  Has this changed at all ?

 

If not, are there any plans to have a stateside distributor, or is somebody planning on redistributing within the US too bring shipping costs down ?

 

I'd like to get one, but until I either have a larger order or the shipping situation improves I've put it on hold ? .

 

 

Edited September 26, 2020 by cwilbar
typo

[leech]

3 hours ago, DrVenkman said:

My last order (Incognito last year) took almost a month to arrive after shipping via Polish Post. Since US buyers this year were advised to use FedEx or UPS due to wordwide shipping disruptions, hopefully my SIDE3 will get here a little quicker.

I still remember the 80s when anything you ordered would take 3 months because the store you bought it from didn't actually have stock and they had to order it in just so they could send it off to you... and that was assuming they could get it in stock to begin with.  (I am looking at you, EA and Lords of Conquest and Racing Destruction Set.  We never could get the latter one until we pirated it....)

Edited September 26, 2020 by leech

[flashjazzcat]

I'm still waiting for something I ordered from New Atari User magazine in 1998.

[Mr Robot]

17 minutes ago, flashjazzcat said:

I'm still waiting for something I ordered from New Atari User magazine in 1998.

I think you might need to chase that one!

[Mclaneinc]

My daughter ordered a pair of 2nd hand shoes from a girl also in London, Hermes (yeah I know, the senders choice) picked the package up and sent it quite literally to Coventry (103 miles away up North) so it could be sent back to London and delivered less than 10 miles from us. I'd have picked it up but Serena had a COVID swab the other day and had to isolate so she could go into hospital today and have an Endoscopy AND a colonoscopy, one after the other.

 

Point, posting sucks one way or another...But 2 invasive ops probably sucks more...

 

And yeah, it looks like a B, do you have to turn the cart around half way through a load?

 

But certainly more creative than anything I would have drawn..

Edited September 26, 2020 by Mclaneinc

[flashjazzcat]

48 minutes ago, Mr Robot said:

I think you might need to chase that one!

All in the fullness and maturity of time.

[TheNameOfTheGame]

10 hours ago, flashjazzcat said:

Exactly so. You are far from the first person to make this observation, but since the winner of the logo contest did (in my opinion) such a good job (regardless of the fact I never even knew there was a logo contest until someone had won it; I assume only Poles were allowed to participate), I didn't make too big a deal about the fact the '3' resembles a 'B' to the uninitiated, which I don't think is the case with the stylised numeral the in the loader itself:

The important thing is that it looks fresh and modern and at least has some kind of brand identity which isn't totally detached from the software (as was unavoidably the case with previous iterations). It's a relief that the design looks good, given how some who profess to have good taste would have preferred the thing to look.

 

Nah, looks not so good.  Needs to clearly delineate that it is side 3.  Whatever though, as long as the final product is solid.

[snicklin]

9 hours ago, Mclaneinc said:

Hermes (yeah I know, the senders choice) picked the package up and sent it quite literally to Coventry (103 miles away up North) so it could be sent back to London and delivered less than 10 miles from us.

Hermes, Hermes, do not get me started on Hermes. They used to ring your bell for a delivery while you were at work and then put a card through the door telling you to collect the item from Leamington Spa or it will get sent back. I didn't drive so I would need to get my wife to take me on a 50 miles round trip to go and collect a small package.

 

So then I wised up to not using them. One time I was ordering something and I deliberately ordered premium postage to avoid Hermes. Then they sent the item with Hermes anyway and I had to travel again to pick it up. I called the company and stated I wanted my money back on the postage. They refused as they had posted the item and I had it.

 

One of the great things about Australia is not having Hermes here.

 

As for sending the item a distance out of the way, I used to work for TNT, they have to do it if they don't have enough hubs around the country. It would be prohibitly expensive for them to go direct from your home direct to the delivery location. Even if the person you was sending to was down your street, they don't have the business processes set up to cater for such oddities.

 

You would probably be better off using AirTasker to get someone to do the delivery for you.

 

If all that doesn't sound very Atari specific, apologies, but as we all order Atari stuff online, some logistics chatter is probably worthwhile.

[snicklin]

9 hours ago, flashjazzcat said:

I'm still waiting for something I ordered from New Atari User magazine in 1998.

In 1998, I used to live 2 streets away from the Ellinghams. Should have sent me in to do your dirty business  

 

I found them in the local phone book.

[Mclaneinc]

Just as a Hermes at their best end of off topic

 

 

[StickJock]

On 9/26/2020 at 7:42 AM, flashjazzcat said:

Exactly so. You are far from the first person to make this observation, but since the winner of the logo contest did (in my opinion) such a good job (regardless of the fact I never even knew there was a logo contest until someone had won it; I assume only Poles were allowed to participate), I didn't make too big a deal about the fact the '3' resembles a 'B' to the uninitiated, which I don't think is the case with the stylised numeral the in the loader itself:

The important thing is that it looks fresh and modern and at least has some kind of brand identity which isn't totally detached from the software (as was unavoidably the case with previous iterations). It's a relief that the design looks good, given how some who profess to have good taste would have preferred the thing to look.

But now the biologists will think that it is depicting the anaphase of mitosis!?

 

But seriously, I've got one on order and can't wait for it to ship!