Modded Atari 800

[+BoatofCar]

Is there a site out there that lists all the possible mods for an Atari 800? I'd really like to have one that can play XL/XE games....

[Gunstar]

I may be looking into something similiar soon, as I'll be getting an 800 myself (though I already have a 1200xl and 130xe for xl/xe games). But, I'm not sure that there is a COMPATIBLE upgrade to run 64k or 128k games and some apps on an 800. the standard memory upgrade for the 800 was the 'Axlon' which, if memory serves, came in two/three(?) flavors; 128k, 256k and 1MB(?). There was also, IIRC, a 288k upgrade (48k+240k) but I believe this was also on the "Axlon" standard. There were some wordprocessors and Data bases like the Synfile series by synapse software that were writttn to use the Axlon standard. I've never heard of an XL/XE compatible upgrade though. I did, at one time, here about someone who to a 130XE board and stuck in in an 800 shell, but this is a MAJOR modification, VERY MAJOR indeed. Though maybe something else has come along that I don't know about.

[kevin242]

I know there were many memory upgrades for the 800 but AFIK none were compatible

with the XL/XE memory configuration.

[Gunstar]

I know there were many memory upgrades for the 800 but AFIK none were compatible

with the XL/XE memory configuration.

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most if not all, were based on the Axlon "standard" of the day, which differed in it's technique of memory "swapping" or bank-switching to the XE standard that is generally used for upgrades to XL/XE's to this day for software compatibility, whcih of course, was also the reson for the Axlon standard pre-XE, as software like the productivity suites sold by Synapse use the Axlon standard and others wanted to make sure their upgrades complied so thes programs could be used or the upgrade would have been worthless without special software being written specifically for it.

[+BoatofCar]

Basically, here is my situation. I have a 1200XL, but I really don't want to have to keep opening up the keyboard and cleaning it. I love the aesthetics of the 800, but I don't want to keep two systems around if at all possible. How does the 800 react to having an XL/XE game loaded via a SIO2PC cable? Any suggestions are very appreciated.

[kevin242]

Basically, here is my situation. I have a 1200XL, but I really don't want to have to keep opening up the keyboard and cleaning it. I love the aesthetics of the 800, but I don't want to keep two systems around if at all possible. How does the 800 react to having an XL/XE game loaded via a SIO2PC cable?  Any suggestions are very appreciated.

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well it does not react very well to games designed for 64k and up! Unfort even 800's

with memory upgrades will not work with XL/XE only games, fortunately there are not

too many games that req 64k, so I wouldn't worry about it.

[Gunstar]

It reacts exactly the same as if loaded from a regular Atari 810 or 1050 disk drive. If the game requires 64k or more, it will not work on the 800. As for your 1200XL, have you had to clean the keyboard more than once in the past? I would imagine that if you have not, that is, have only opened and cleaned it once, that that should do for a good long time. I have a 1200XL which I bought used off E-bay, have had it for about a year, and I have not had any problems with the keyboard or needing to clean it ever since I've had it, and it doesn't look like it's ever been opened and cleaned. So I'd think you would be pretty safe in keeping the 1200XL, unless for some strange reason you have already had to clean it multiple times. personally, I don't see the problem, other than the possibility that you are limited on space, in keeping them both, or at least putting the 800 away just in case the 1200XL goes bad on you again in the future. I myself, while having VERY limited space, currently have managed to keep both my 130XE and 1200XL hooked up together, and I have an 800, that I just bought, on the way that I will also hook up and have all three computers ready to use anytime I want, but of course, I'm an Atari 8-bit (and Atari in general) nut and can't stand having any of them NOT hooked up...of course in my case it's not totally redundant; my 1200XL has been converted to a PAL Antic chip for compatibility with European PAL standard games and my 130XE is for use with NTSC games and games that require more than 64k or can at least use more, like Alternate Reality: The Dungeon. The 800 will be a redundancy, but I just LOVE these old machines and there are a few 800 only games anyway...

Edited May 29, 2005 by Gunstar

[+BoatofCar]

I myslef, while having VERY limited space, currently have managed to keep both my 130XE and 1200XL hooked up together, and I have an 800 that I just bought, on the way that I will also hook up and have all three computers ready to use anytime I want, but of course, I'm an Atari 8-bit (and Atari in general) nut and can't stand having any of them NOT hooked up...

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Do you have a pic of your 8 bit setup? Maybe it will inspire me...I'd like to have more than one set up at the same time, I'm just not sure of the best way to do it.

[Gunstar]

You must have replied before I got the pic taken and attached, but just look at my post above for my current 130XE/1200XL setup...when I get the 800, it will be put in another location entirely, I'll probably buy a card table to set it up on...

[+CharlieChaplin]

Afaik,

the Axlon upgrades provide eXtra RAM, but no RAM under the OS, like the XL/XE computers. But (again afaik) Mosaic also sold various Atari 800 upgrades. One of these Mosaic upgrades made your 800 compatible to XL/XE computers, meaning it gave RAM under the OS to the 800. Alas, most if not all Mosaic upgrades are very rare...

 

And of course not every Mosaic upgrade made your 800 compatible to XL/XE computers. Some Mosaic upgrades did only add eXtra RAM, but not compatible to Axlon or XE extra RAM... For those who are interested, a Mosaic 64k xxx (insert name here) upgrade did provide 48k RAM plus 16k XRAM. The XRAM did use memory location C000-CFFF, thus it was doing bankswitching in 4k blocks.

 

(So one 64k Mosaic upgrade gave an 800 Atari 48k RAM plus 16k or 4 banks of 4k XRAM; a number of programs do support the Mosaic upgrade, but most programs do not bankswitch, they only use one bank = 48k RAM + 4k XRAM = 52k RAM.

 

The Axlon and XE upgrades on the other hand use both 16k banks, they both use memory location 4000-7FFF for bankswitching. The difference between the upgrades is that the XE ones use port B for bankswitching [that`s why the joystick ports 3 and 4 have gone in the XL/XE series] and as a result of that any *certain* bank can be used/reached, whereas the Axlon upgrades do not use port B, so bankswitching can only be done in one direction, starting at bank zero, then bank one, then bank two, etc. Or to say it in "easy words": the Axlon upgrades behave like a tape player => one way street, whereas the XE upgrades behave more like a disk drive => any direction, any certain bank/sector.)

 

However, there were several other Mosaic upgrades advertised and as said before, one of them should give an 800 owner full XL/XE compatibility... at least thats what the adverts said... Andreas Magenheimer.

[ijor]

One of these Mosaic upgrades made your 800 compatible to XL/XE computers, meaning it gave RAM under the OS to the 800.

...

However, there were several other Mosaic upgrades advertised and as said before, one of them should give an 800 owner full XL/XE compatibility... at least thats what the adverts said...  Andreas Magenheimer.

 

Interesting. Did you loose two joysticks ports when installing that upgrade?

 

Because that would be the only way to make it full XL compatible. Extra RAM under the OS is not enough. It must me selected exactly the same as in the XL to be full compatible.

[kevin242]

One of these Mosaic upgrades made your 800 compatible to XL/XE computers, meaning it gave RAM under the OS to the 800.

...

However, there were several other Mosaic upgrades advertised and as said before, one of them should give an 800 owner full XL/XE compatibility... at least thats what the adverts said...  Andreas Magenheimer.

 

Interesting. Did you loose two joysticks ports when installing that upgrade?

 

Because that would be the only way to make it full XL compatible. Extra RAM under the OS is not enough. It must me selected exactly the same as in the XL to be full compatible.

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actually, and I am not disputing CC's claims, but I have always been under the

impression there was never a way to get true 800xl compatibility out of an 800.

It just wasnt a big enough issue for anyone to develope for, but I could be wrong

(altho I really doubt it, unless that upgrade is really really really rare).

[Gunstar]

Hey, Boatofcar, if you are still interested in modifying your 800, here is a page that has 256k and upto 4MB mods for the 800, though I doubt they are XL/XE compatible, I haven't looked into it thoroughly yet. But I will be; I just got my 800 in the mail today!

 

http://aland.roarvgm.com/mods/table%20of%20contents.html

[AlanD]

Hey, Boatofcar, if you are still interested in modifying your 800, here is a page that has 256k and upto 4MB mods for the 800, though I doubt they are XL/XE compatible, I haven't looked into it thoroughly yet. But I will be; I just got my 800 in the mail today!

 

http://aland.roarvgm.com/mods/table%20of%20contents.html

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C'mon be nice and link to the main page so you can see the whole terrible page layout. http://aland.roarvgm.com then go to Tech on the left side. Also has some 5200 equates files for programming and a text file about making Nintendo carts also.

 

Be sure that the instructions you use are complete before you start. I discovered that info on a disk called Mods, Fixes and Upgrades from a collection I bought. Unfortunately a lot of the ATASCII drawings were either not there or scans from the original articles were not included. If anyone can help complete some of those mods or has others to add I'll be glad to put them up there as a central place.

[Tempest]

I asked this question once long ago. The general concensus was that it is basically impossible to turn an 800 into a XL/XE machine unless you want to swap out motherboards.

 

Tempest

[+BoatofCar]

I asked this question once long ago.  The general concensus was that it is basically impossible to turn an 800 into a XL/XE machine unless you want to swap out motherboards. 

 

Tempest

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Thank everybody...guess I'll just stick to my 1200XL...gotta replace the cart slot though....the games are impossible to pull out.

[Gunstar]

Hey, Boatofcar, if you are still interested in modifying your 800, here is a page that has 256k and upto 4MB mods for the 800, though I doubt they are XL/XE compatible, I haven't looked into it thoroughly yet. But I will be; I just got my 800 in the mail today!

 

http://aland.roarvgm.com/mods/table%20of%20contents.html

866172[/snapback]

 

 

 

C'mon be nice and link to the main page so you can see the whole terrible page layout. http://aland.roarvgm.com then go to Tech on the left side. Also has some 5200 equates files for programming and a text file about making Nintendo carts also.

 

Be sure that the instructions you use are complete before you start. I discovered that info on a disk called Mods, Fixes and Upgrades from a collection I bought. Unfortunately a lot of the ATASCII drawings were either not there or scans from the original articles were not included. If anyone can help complete some of those mods or has others to add I'll be glad to put them up there as a central place.

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I linked him to what was relevent for what he'd been asking about, besides, that's the page I had bookmarked. I'd long forgotten that it wasn't the main page. Sorry.

[AlanD]

I linked him to what was relevent for what he'd been asking about, besides, that's the page I had bookmarked. I'd long forgotten that it wasn't the main page. Sorry.

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It's no problem at all. I hope I didn't come across as mad about it as I was just joking more than anything. I just wanted it to be seen that there was a disclaimer about the completeness of the mods before someone gets halfway through one and can't finish it and I get nasty emails. Also I get a lot of people asking for the Atari 5200/8-bit equates and the NES carts so I wanted to point those out also. I'm just glad someone is getting some use of the page.

Alan

Edited June 2, 2005 by AlanD

[Gunstar]

I linked him to what was relevent for what he'd been asking about, besides, that's the page I had bookmarked. I'd long forgotten that it wasn't the main page. Sorry.

866388[/snapback]

 

 

It's no problem at all. I hope I didn't come across as mad about it as I was just joking more than anything. I just wanted it to be seen that there was a disclaimer about the completeness of the mods before someone gets halfway through one and can't finish it and I get nasty emails. Also I get a lot of people asking for the Atari 5200/8-bit equates and the NES carts so I wanted to point those out also. I'm just glad someone is getting some use of the page.

Alan

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I understand, I noticed the *notes* you had at the end of some files, like the 1200XL memory upgrade that talked of schematics that aren't included, so I figured you would have similiar notes for all other modifications. I always assume that people are going to read through modifications instructions before getting started anyway, if they don't I figure it's their own fault for acting just plain stupid. But that's just me. REAL MEN read instructions, IMHO. I not only feel that last statement to be true, but I added it in becuase just yesterday at work I saw a guy wearing a T-shirt that said "REAL men don't read instructions" and all I thought of was "they left the "stupid" out between "real" and "men."

Edited June 2, 2005 by Gunstar