Do you PREFER using an emulator or the real hardware?

[Gunstar]

I started this new poll since I can't seem to add these choices to the poll on who uses emulators or hardware. please continue voting in BOTH polls though please. I also want to reiterate that regardless of what you use MOST of the time, this poll is for you to voice what you PREFER to use as many have good reasons why they use an emulator even if they prefer the real thing.

Edited November 22, 2006 by Gunstar

[Pengwin]

As I said in the other thread, I definitely prefer using my real Atari. In fact, I very rarely use am emulator now that I have my 800XL setup permanently.

[Goochman]

I prefer the real deal - however, I dont have any real space to use it. Id love to get MyIDE setup with everything I want to play and never need a disk drive or such - I've just never gotten to that point so I need SIO2PC or a disk drive to get going and thats a hassle

[Gunstar]

Although this poll only has 1/5 of the votes of the other poll so far, it is interesting how things change if the RIGHT questions are asked in the RIGHT way. That's why you can't trust national political polls which are mostly worthless, and why biased political polls may seem to reflect a real majority on one side or the other, but when it comes to actual voting, results are far closer than the polls would have you believe. Isn't it amazing how results can be manipulated and biased?

But this is also why I think it's important that we have both of the polls I've setup and that we all keep voting on both.

Edited November 22, 2006 by Gunstar

[Flojomojo]

I think you'll get a skew towards the real hardware on this board -- it's definitely a self-selected sample. I am the one who chose "emulation." I like instant loading, no media to keep track of, filtered graphics, and save states.

 

I also like air conditioning, broadband internet, digital video, and other aspects of modern life.

[Schmutzpuppe]

I prefer playing on the real thing but coding with the emulator.

No vote this time

[Allas]

Yes, I voted for using the real hardware. Sure use an stick and view the TV screen is better than play with keys in the PC. You got a special feeling using the real hardware, even when you must to show to your firends the last game

 

But, for developing purposes, really I prefer the emulator at 99%, because its more fast and accurate. After you have the work done, you can test in the real machine and fix the little problems.

[Urchlay]

Hm, what about using a real Atari, but with emulated disk drives (SIO2PC)?

 

I'm to the point where I don't have much desire to use real disks any more... they're tiny, slow, and unreliable compared to my 750G RAID-5 array. I have some working drives, and I don't plan to get rid of them, but they're not getting much use now.

 

If I were setting up a "standalone" Atari, not connected to a PC of any kind, I'd use a MyIDE... that's still "cheating" though (it's using modern tech to overcome the limitations of the real thing). Not that it would stop me.

 

...or what about people who use a real Atari, with SIO2PC, and a PC TV capture card as the "monitor" for the Atari? I'm not one of those (I love my Commodore 1702), but they're out there.

 

Actually, if I could, I might use a PC keyboard with my Ataris. Not one of the modern "squishy" ones: I'd use a real IBM Model M (the original IBM AT or PS/2 keyboard).

 

I guess the ultimate form of this would be an Atari on a PCI card... you'd plug it into your PC/Mac/etc and it'd use the host system's display, keyboard, storage, and maybe its serial port and game controllers. Not sure I'd ever replace my good old 800 with anything like that, but it'd be a neat solution to the "I don't have enough space to set up my Atari" problem that keeps people using emulators when they'd rather be using the real thing.

[Ross PK]

Real thing of course, sure, there's load times, but the nostalgia is way better, you get to play the games on a big TV and it feels more comfortable, just like any other games system, and, I guess it just feels better anyway.

 

There's something that feels more sterile about playing them on the PC, plus, I can't be bothered to buy a joystick for it either, and, the games look more blocky on the PC.

 

There's also the fact that it's nice to be able to hold and look at real games, this is why I wouldn't be that into one of those flash carts or whatever they're called which plug into your Atari and the other end plugs into your PC, it's like half way between playing on the real thing and emulation. Then again, in the old days most of my games were copies on disc...

 

Anyway, nothing but the real deal for me, I'm not even interested in reproductions. Although, I do want to copy all my cassette games onto new cassettes to preserve them, my 'N.Y.C' game has already chewed up, luckilly the other side still works.

Edited November 22, 2006 by Ross PK

[+remowilliams]

I also like air conditioning, broadband internet, digital video, and other aspects of modern life.

Heathen!

 

I use real hardware, but am totally into APE, MaxFlash carts, MyIDE etc. Just makes it more convenient and enjoyable all around. I setup PC disk based servers/flash, etc. alternatives wherever possible - APE for my 8bits, 1541emu/64HDD for my C64s, CFIDE interface for my TI99, etc.

 

Not that I don't have real disks and drives. I now have three Indus GT drives, I'm the king of the 80s!

[doctorclu]

Real deal... Atari 800 (1979) boosted to 512K XE compatible ram with built in 256 mb flash disk thanks to MyIde cartridge. Works great! I call BBS's with it and hit the chat room and IRC chat with it.

 

Sometimes even play video games.

[jacobus]

Here I go inviting flames...

 

I actually prefer to use the emulator - with a real Atari joystick of course (there really is no other way to play Atari games - modern joysticks/pads suck to say the least!)

 

I'd use the real hardware more, but I'm too impatient to wait for everything to init and boot. As well, I wrote a custom interface for Atari800Win so that I don't have to remember all the specific settings and configurations that allow everything to work - again speed and convenience. Lastly (although this is the weakest - since I currently have 14+ Atari's around the house) I worry about the longevity of my Atari's and I'd rather try to extend their lifespans by not using them if I don't have to.

[Gunstar]

Hm, what about using a real Atari, but with emulated disk drives (SIO2PC)?

 

I'm to the point where I don't have much desire to use real disks any more... they're tiny, slow, and unreliable compared to my 750G RAID-5 array. I have some working drives, and I don't plan to get rid of them, but they're not getting much use now.

 

If I were setting up a "standalone" Atari, not connected to a PC of any kind, I'd use a MyIDE... that's still "cheating" though (it's using modern tech to overcome the limitations of the real thing). Not that it would stop me.

 

...or what about people who use a real Atari, with SIO2PC, and a PC TV capture card as the "monitor" for the Atari? I'm not one of those (I love my Commodore 1702), but they're out there.

 

Actually, if I could, I might use a PC keyboard with my Ataris. Not one of the modern "squishy" ones: I'd use a real IBM Model M (the original IBM AT or PS/2 keyboard).

 

I guess the ultimate form of this would be an Atari on a PCI card... you'd plug it into your PC/Mac/etc and it'd use the host system's display, keyboard, storage, and maybe its serial port and game controllers. Not sure I'd ever replace my good old 800 with anything like that, but it'd be a neat solution to the "I don't have enough space to set up my Atari" problem that keeps people using emulators when they'd rather be using the real thing.

 

Well, when I'm speaking of prefering the real thing, I'm speaking strictly of the computer itself and not the drives. The fact is, that although it wasn't common, there were hard drives for the 8-bit even back in the '80s and as far as I'm concerned MyIDE and SIO2PC are basically the same as those old Supradrives and MIO/blackbox's and HD's. How the info gets onto the computer is inmaterial in my opinion, it's using the real chips to run that info that's important. To me playing a gaming of Pacman on an Atari emulator is no different than just getting a version of Pacman made for the PC and playing it. You are still playing a game on a PC and not on an Atari. Though I do still use original floppy drives, and MyIDe and SIO2PC.

[Gunstar]

Here I go inviting flames...

 

I actually prefer to use the emulator - with a real Atari joystick of course (there really is no other way to play Atari games - modern joysticks/pads suck to say the least!)

 

I'd use the real hardware more, but I'm too impatient to wait for everything to init and boot. As well, I wrote a custom interface for Atari800Win so that I don't have to remember all the specific settings and configurations that allow everything to work - again speed and convenience. Lastly (although this is the weakest - since I currently have 14+ Atari's around the house) I worry about the longevity of my Atari's and I'd rather try to extend their lifespans by not using them if I don't have to.

 

I don't see the point in NOT using the real hardware becuase you think your extending their lifespans. What's the difference if your not ever going to use them anyway? They might as well be broken since either way, your not using them. So you really think that at some point down the road you're going to just one day start using the real hardware again instead of the emulator you've been using for years? And if so, why? you've already not used them for years. I say use the real hardware until it dies and THEN go to emulators (assuming the real hardware can not longer be repaired). To me that' a VERY lame excuse to try a alleviate a "flame war" or supress some weird form of guilt you are self-imposing. Obviously for some people there are good reasons, at least in their opinion, to use emulation, but saving the real hardware for some distant "rainy day" isn't it. Your only lying to yourself. If it's not being used, it's as good as dead hardware already. Sell it to someone who will appreciate it and really use it.

Edited November 23, 2006 by Gunstar

[frogstar_robot]

Something that no emulator does well is simulating the visuals of analog NTSC (or PAL) monitors. Even with nifty scaling algorithms, the most accurate and cycle tight emulators can't really deliver the old experience. Yeah those monitors were crappy but the graphics were done with their capabilities and limitations in mind. This is even more painful if it is vector games being played with an LCD flat panel. Gotta love those ZVG guys, I wish could afford and had the space for their device and a good color vector monitor......

 

All that said, I still primarily use emulators when I do some 8-bitting. As a 14 year old kid, I didn't have to think anything of leaving my 800XL permanently hooked up to a TV in my room. As a married man with a child and limited living space, some of my geeky inclinations have to give way to reality. Maybe I'll get that finished basement /rumpus room someday.......

[+DarkLord]

I started this new poll since I can't seem to add these choices to the poll on who uses emulators or hardware. please continue voting in BOTH polls though please. I also want to reiterate that regardless of what you use MOST of the time, this poll is for you to voice what you PREFER to use as many have good reasons why they use an emulator even if they prefer the real thing.

 

Emulators suck vacuum hard compared to real hardware. I don't mind playing around with them,

and I suppose someday, in the very far off future, I might have to, if all my hardware dies and

can't be replaced, but until that dark, dismal, and dreadful day...

 

Real hardware for me!

Edited November 23, 2006 by DarkLord

[classics]

I love the emulator for testing code and a quick game away from home, but at home its always the real iron.

 

Steve

[Urchlay]

I worry about the longevity of my Atari's and I'd rather try to extend their lifespans by not using them if I don't have to.

 

I don't see the point in NOT using the real hardware becuase you think your extending their lifespans. What's the difference if your not ever going to use them anyway? They might as well be broken since either way, your not using them.

 

...actually, depending on where he left them sitting, they might break while in storage. My 800 and 1200XL keyboards both died during the 7 years I left them in the attic.

 

(Yeah, I know, the attic was a bad idea, but it was that or the dumpster, at the time...)

 

jacobus: If you have 14 Ataris in climate-controlled storage, that's probably a lifetime supply for you, your kids, and probably their kids, too. Those old machines are built like tanks, they'll keep working for a *long* time if you don't abuse them (like I did).

[accousticguitar]

I have an 800xl, but no disk drive. I use the APE software on an old laptop. I have never even tried using an emulator.