Why not the 600xl?

[accousticguitar]

I was looking in my Sears catalog last night (Winter 1983) comparing the prices of the Atari Computers. The 800 computer was $499.99 with a $100 rebate making it $399.99 for the final price. The 1200xl was $599.99, and the 600xl was $149.99. They mentioned in the 600xl description that a 48k ram module was going to be introduced which would upgrade the 600xl to 64k ram. The 800 had 48k ram, and the 1200xl had 64k ram. So I was thinking, why not buy the 600xl and upgrade the ram. It would then have more ram than the 800, and the same ram as the 1200xl. I don't know how much the 48k ram memory module cost when it came out though.

[jaybird3rd]

It's not necessary to add an external RAM upgrade. They're out there, but it's trivially easy to upgrade the RAM internally if you have the right chips (two 4464 DRAM chips, as I recall, which you can find on a lot of old PC video cards). There are instructions on how to do this online; it's literally a matter of swapping out the RAM chips, cutting a trace or two, and adding some wires. Thank goodness Atari socketed their chips in those days.

 

Beyond the RAM issue, the only thing really going against the 600XL is the fact that it's limited to RF-modulated video. There are instructions online for composite and S-Video upgrades, and they supposedly work really well (I couldn't finish mine because I couldn't read the silkscreened component labels on my board, so I can't speak from experience).

[Almost Rice]

It's not necessary to add an external RAM upgrade. They're out there, but it's trivially easy to upgrade the RAM internally if you have the right chips (two 4464 DRAM chips, as I recall, which you can find on a lot of old PC video cards). There are instructions on how to do this online; it's literally a matter of swapping out the RAM chips, cutting a trace or two, and adding some wires. Thank goodness Atari socketed their chips in those days.

 

Beyond the RAM issue, the only thing really going against the 600XL is the fact that it's limited to RF-modulated video. There are instructions online for composite and S-Video upgrades, and they supposedly work really well (I couldn't finish mine because I couldn't read the silkscreened component labels on my board, so I can't speak from experience).

 

I think AG was referring to the time period. You would then have to consider how much 2 4464 would have cost at that time.

 

600XL Composite Monitor Modification Kit. Allows you to install a 5 pin Din monitor output jack for composite type monitors. (components & instructions, requires soldering and cutting out of plastic). CB101093 $12.00

Edited July 29, 2006 by Almost Rice

[accousticguitar]

I was thinking in terms of 1983. The video output then probably wouldn't have been as big a deal as it would be now. I recently bought an 800xl; I didn't even consider the 600xl due to the lesser ram. I didn't know about the video.

[ataridano]

Also remember, if you're limited in choices to the 800, 1200XL, and 600XL, the 600XL is the only computer of the 3 that has PBI. My first 8 bit was a 600XL, a composit video output would have been nice, but the memory limitation really wasn't an issue for cartridge games, which was really all I had at the time anyway.

[jaybird3rd]

I think AG was referring to the time period. You would then have to consider how much 2 4464 would have cost at that time.

Ah, I didn't catch that. I don't happen to know how much 4464s cost in those days, so it might not have been such an easy option then.

 

Thanks also for that link; I knew that Best sold RAM upgrades but not video upgrades.

[puppetmark]

It's not necessary to add an external RAM upgrade. They're out there, but it's trivially easy to upgrade the RAM internally if you have the right chips (two 4464 DRAM chips, as I recall, which you can find on a lot of old PC video cards). There are instructions on how to do this online; it's literally a matter of swapping out the RAM chips, cutting a trace or two, and adding some wires. Thank goodness Atari socketed their chips in those days.

 

Beyond the RAM issue, the only thing really going against the 600XL is the fact that it's limited to RF-modulated video. There are instructions online for composite and S-Video upgrades, and they supposedly work really well (I couldn't finish mine because I couldn't read the silkscreened component labels on my board, so I can't speak from experience).

 

 

A word to the wise. I upgraded my US version 600xl with composite video, and mounted the DIN jack on the back. The PAL version of the 600xl came with the video jack, but in the US, it was scrapped to save manufacturing cost. So, the board has the traces to install the necessary components. But this upgrade is not that easy and should only be done by someone who has done this type of work before. You need to remove some components, clean solder out the unused holes, cut a 3/4" hole in the back of the case, and install about 25 components. Not to mention the 600xl boards are screen printed very poorly, and sometimes it's hard to read where a part should go. Also, use low wattage soldering tools (around 15W) otherwise the traces will pull up and off the board!

 

With That said, it is a very rewarding upgrade. The color I get out of the 600xl is even better than my super video 130XE! Very clear with sharp colors.

 

Alternately, there is another mod to give the 600xl composite video. its a lot easier, but you do need to build a small circuit. Its a video amplifier that pulls the signal from the rf modulatior. You can find that here:

 

http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~pavel/atari/600xlmon.html

[accousticguitar]

 

A word to the wise. I upgraded my US version 600xl with composite video, and mounted the DIN jack on the back. The PAL version of the 600xl came with the video jack, but in the US, it was scrapped to save manufacturing cost. So, the board has the traces to install the necessary components. But this upgrade is not that easy and should only be done by someone who has done this type of work before. You need to remove some components, clean solder out the unused holes, cut a 3/4" hole in the back of the case, and install about 25 components. Not to mention the 600xl boards are screen printed very poorly, and sometimes it's hard to read where a part should go. Also, use low wattage soldering tools (around 15W) otherwise the traces will pull up and off the board!

 

With That said, it is a very rewarding upgrade. The color I get out of the 600xl is even better than my super video 130XE! Very clear with sharp colors.

 

Alternately, there is another mod to give the 600xl composite video. its a lot easier, but you do need to build a small circuit. Its a video amplifier that pulls the signal from the rf modulatior. You can find that here:

 

http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~pavel/atari/600xlmon.html

 

That's beyond me; I'm glad I bought the 800xl!

[Almost Rice]

\

Alternately, there is another mod to give the 600xl composite video. its a lot easier, but you do need to build a small circuit. Its a video amplifier that pulls the signal from the rf modulatior. You can find that here:

 

http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~pavel/atari/600xlmon.html

 

Thats the mod that is in my 600xl. Its very easy. Metalguy66 did it for me when he was messing with my 600xl. I then told him of the kit that was available from Best Electronics.

[Wrathchild]

Our family started out on a 600XL with cassette and Defender cart.

 

We got by with that for a few years before I needed something more, by which time in the UK, the electrical retailer Curry's has dropped the price of 800XL bundles to something decent. Its a long time back, but I think the XL+1010 was 80 GBP. Can't recall what the 1050 bundle was at the time but we couldn't stretch to that

 

Mark

Edited July 31, 2006 by Wrathchild

[Gunstar]

You were also lucky to be living in the U.K. where most software came out on both cassette and disk, so if you had patience for longer loading times, you still got the same software, even with cassette. In the U.S., by the time the 600&800XL came out, cassette software was being fazed out quickly and there were many programs you could only get on disk (not to mention just generally less available software for the 8-bits in the U.S. vs. U.K. by that time too).

 

With the advent of the internet, and being able to easily purchase foreign software online or download it, I was introduced to an entire library of software, a whole "undiscovered country," even bigger than the entirety of U.S. softare. Tons of Euro&U.K. software that I had not known about or had access to before the internet. On cassette and disk form too. I've been able to use my 1010 recorder much more now, than I ever did back in the 80's...

Edited July 31, 2006 by Gunstar

[tjlazer]

puppetmark. would you be willing to do this upgrade for a fellow atarian?

[puppetmark]

puppetmark. would you be willing to do this upgrade for a fellow atarian?

 

I am sure we could work something out. Which upgrade were you interested in? The simpler video amp or the more complex one using the on board component locations. I would be happy to do either one, just let me know.