Touch Me handheld found in a dumpster...

[nathanallan]

...and it works great! Pretty good shape, too. It has a metal plate on it that has a small dent in it but no large scratches or anything. A nice find!

 

Nathan

[jboypacman]

Awesome i was just talking about the Touch Me the other day with my wife good deal on the find my friend i need to get that luck.

[Student Driver]

Nice rescue!

 

Always pains me to think of what kinds of cool stuff gets dumped every day by people who don't know markets/collectors for those items exist.

[Crazy Climber]

Do you have any pics? I would like to check them out if so.

[MrRetroGamer]

What were you doing inside a DUMPSTER???

[nathanallan]

I don't know why I can find such small things in places like a dumpster but some force is guiding me, though I'm not a jedi.

 

After playing with it a while, it doesn't work perfectly, the only setting that works great is the first, 8 hit setting. The others don't have the led's lighting up, but even at 8 it's fun and you get to see the blinking lights easier.

 

The only pic I have is a fuzzy one from my crappy kid cam ($10 rip-off), so here it is:

 

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/rollmeupa20/...jpg&.src=ph

 

One man's trash is another's treasure, MrRetro. Most of my finds have been in the trash of one kind or another (dumpster, boxes labeled trash or piles destined for the bit-bucket).

[phil_vr]

Crappy camera, but it looks in good shape..

 

I wonder how many of AA members have this.

I have one, so count me in on a list (if anyone cares to make one!)..

 

Nice find and well done for preserving this nathanallan..

 

And about trash, I found one of my Speak&Math (Texas Instruments) devices thrown out for garbage.

And in perfect shape too.

[+Stephen]

I have a Touch Me. I always wondered why Atari didn't sue over Simon - considering how litigious they were. Fun game though - I think my best is level 27.

 

Stephen Anderson

[Crazy Climber]

I don't know why I can find such small things in places like a dumpster but some force is guiding me, though I'm not a jedi.

 

After playing with it a while, it doesn't work perfectly, the only setting that works great is the first, 8 hit setting. The others don't have the led's lighting up, but even at 8 it's fun and you get to see the blinking lights easier.

 

The only pic I have is a fuzzy one from my crappy kid cam ($10 rip-off), so here it is:

 

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/rollmeupa20/...jpg&.src=ph

 

One man's trash is another's treasure, MrRetro. Most of my finds have been in the trash of one kind or another (dumpster, boxes labeled trash or piles destined for the bit-bucket).

Sorry for the late response, thanks for the pic. I like seeing what people find.

[Retro Rogue]

I have a Touch Me. I always wondered why Atari didn't sue over Simon - considering how litigious they were. Fun game though - I think my best is level 27.

 

Stephen Anderson

 

 

Probably because it was Ralph and company's way of "getting even" for Pong.

[supercat]

Probably because it was Ralph and company's way of "getting even" for Pong.

 

Ralph Baer claims in his book that Simon is the first microprocessor-controlled handheld game. Does this mean (1) Simon predates handheld Touch-Me even though it post-dates the floor-standing version, or (2) Touch-Me is not microprocessor-based, or (3) Ralph Baer is wrong?

 

I can imagine that one could produce a Touch-Me style game using entirely discrete logic, but it would seem a bit complex for that. How best to implement such a thing...

 

(Ramble mode on)

 

Assuming a maximum sequence length of 21, one could use a six-bit counter, a 64x1 RAM, and some sequencing logic. Need a 4-bit state machine (start/button should jam it to state 0000). Assume a two-phase non-overlapping clock.

 

Every state transition should increment an address counter. Address counter increment on every state transition except in state 1011->0001 and should flag when it overflows. By default, state counter should increment.

 

xx00: If address is zero, go to state xx01.

x000: Write "0" to RAM

0001: Write "1" to RAM. May read/latch data value.

0010: Write random bit to RAM.

0011: Write random bit to RAM

0101: Read/latch data value

0110: Play tone for latched/current data value. Wait for tone timer.

0111: If read bit is "1", goto state 0101 else state 1100

1101: Read/latch data value

1110: Wait for button. If it matches read/latched data, go to 1111 else 1000

1111: If read bit is "1" go to state 1101 else goto state 0001 WITHOUT incrementing address.

1001: Play razz tone #1. Wait for tone timer. May harmlessly write "0" to RAM and/or read/latch data value.

1010: Play razz tone #2. Wait for tone timer. May harmlessly write "0" to RAM.

1011: Play razz tone #3. Wait for tone timer. May harmlessly write "0" to RAM. Go to state 0000.

 

I think that should be a pretty-much complete list of game requirements for a simple "Repeat" game. Seems doable in discrete logic, though nuisancesome. With a small custom chip it shouldn't be too bad.

 

Actions based on states:

x0xx : Write something (default zero)

0001 : Write "1"

001x : Write random data

xx01 : Read/latch data value

0110 : Play tone/wait for tone timer

1110 : Wait for button.

xx00 : Wait for address to hit "0" before advancing state.

xx11 : Interesting state sequences (otherwise straightforward advance)

10x1 : Play raz tone and wait for timer.

101x : Play raz tone and wait for timer.

Edited July 17, 2006 by supercat

[fsuinnc]

I have a working Touch Me. During a family vacation driving around Alaska in August of 03 (We live in NC) I pulled the motohome into a thrift store in Achorage on the last day of the visit (10 days driving with the wife, two kids, mother-in-law and two small dogs). I found the unit in the baby toys section and it looked great but was missing the battery cover. I ask one of the clerks and she said she thought it was on the unit so some kid must have removed it. Finally, having children pays off, I told my two daughters to look for it and don't come back till they find it. Ten minutes later, the baby toy section was a little more messy but they had actually moved two display racks apart and found the cover on the floor between the units. It had fallen from the back of the shelf and was actually sitting where you could not see it looking under the racks, you had to pull them apart.

 

Not as good as a dumpster dive perhaps but I beleive the same force that led you to that dumpster may have influenced the kids to move the racks apart. Anyway, It works great and looks brand new. I should have made them look for a box!

[+Stephen]

I have a working Touch Me. During a family vacation driving around Alaska in August of 03 (We live in NC) I pulled the motohome into a thrift store in Achorage on the last day of the visit (10 days driving with the wife, two kids, mother-in-law and two small dogs).

 

SNIP

 

 

You sir, must have the patience of a saint

 

Congrats on the find though - I haven't found any Atari stuff at garage sales or thrift stores around me in quite some time.

 

Stephen Anderson

[gremlin]

i actually got an 'atari touch me' today at a tag sale (yard/garage sale).

anybody want it? no ac power connector, but it also works off a 9v battery.

it's in good shape, but i haven't tried it out yet.

my wife actually found it, and she knows i love atari. i have no need to keep it,

maybe somebody wants it for their collection?

if you want pics, just let me know on here.

 

barrett

[jaybird3rd]

i actually got an 'atari touch me' today at a tag sale (yard/garage sale).

anybody want it? no ac power connector, but it also works off a 9v battery.

it's in good shape, but i haven't tried it out yet.

my wife actually found it, and she knows i love atari. i have no need to keep it,

maybe somebody wants it for their collection?

if you want pics, just let me know on here.

 

barrett

PM sent!

[gremlin]

 

it may be yours jay... pm'd ya back.

 

 

 

barrett

[zeropolis79]

Finally, having children pays off, I told my two daughters to look for it and don't come back till they find it.

 

My wife would kill me if I got our two daughters to do that! (mainly because Hermione is 3 and wouldn't know what to look for and because Emma ( is mostly in a wheelchair after losing her leg and is unable to do much searching).

 

But still, good find.