Hi - I guess I must be some Atari Nutter...

Introduce yourself. Tell people why you are interested in vintage computers and what (if anything) you've got.

Hi - I guess I must be some Atari Nutter...

Postby Harvey on Fri Mar 09, 2012 7:15 pm

I think everyone tends to be rather passionate about their first home computer - when you started off as some kind of hobbyist...

I have a tendency to write rather bluntly and to the point - and I'd rather not hold my comments back, in case I may offend someone? This is because of my other passion - that of 'truth' and honesty, etc etc.

The reason why I ended up with a Atari 800 home computer - was because there was no other better choice at the time. I was always graphics orientated, and I simply had to wait until a computer came along, that would satisfy my interest in computer graphics. I was always influenced by the coin-op arcade games - Galaga and Zaxxon comes to mind... The only computer that could come close to arcade quality - were the Atari 400/800 home computers.
It would be only a year later, that a serious competitor would show up - and that was the C-64, but there was hardly anything that would showcase what it's potential was - when it was first released. Perhaps a couple of years later - the C-64 software showed up, that gave a true indication of how superior it was (having more sprites available being a definite advantage). The Synapse version of Zaxxon highlighting this.
I could never express any interest or awe at the BBC or Sinclair Spectrum. What happens of course, is that they will excel at the kind of graphics (typically bit-mapped graphics) they (their hardware) can handle. Since they lack hardware sprites, and hardware scrolling.

The same kind of argument arises with the variety of videogame consoles, for the home market. The Super NES, or SNES faced off with Sega's Megadrive/Genesis in delivering coin-op quality videogames for the home. This can be illustrated in the single most influential coin-op game of it's time - Streetfighter 2. Home Computer versions of this exceptionally popular videogame were particularly bad, ie. very poor - but versions appearing on the SNES and Megadrive were amazing to behold. The SNES extra colours over the Megadrive being an advantage.

Harvey
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Re: Hi - I guess I must be some Atari Nutter...

Postby WelshWizard on Fri Mar 09, 2012 8:42 pm

Welcome Harvey
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Re: Hi - I guess I must be some Atari Nutter...

Postby tezza on Sat Mar 10, 2012 2:26 pm

Welcome to the forums Harvey.

Atari 800 (not 800XL) seem pretty rare in New Zealand now. At least as tradable items. I've never seen one for sale.
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Re: Hi - I guess I must be some Atari Nutter...

Postby Harvey on Mon Mar 12, 2012 9:53 pm

The Atari 800 was rarely sold in NZ I'd guess because of it's pricing - it/they being too expensive, via Ozisoft...

I did regret selling my Atari 800 (a UK machine) - which I sold to some guy at Port Chalmers - maybe he did sell it?
I think the keyboard was adequate - but the Atari 800XL keyboard had a better feel, the 130XE keyboard I didn't like that much.
I had friend try a quick fix on it to try making it (130XE) easier for typing - there are rubber domes under each key, and I had him cut little holes in each one, making it easier to press on the keys. Don't know the long term effect of this? As I did not keep it for all that long... I eventually sold all my Atari 8-bit hardware. If I could have kept all my computers - I would have. But I always have money problems - and still do...

At least with a PC these days - emulation allows you to run all of the old software - almost. The emulation is pretty good.
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Re: Hi - I guess I must be some Atari Nutter...

Postby Carcenomy on Mon Mar 12, 2012 9:55 pm

I've only ever seen one of the early A8s, was a 400 I believe, had a membrane keyboard. I don't know what ever happened to it, it belonged to my cousin who died in 1991. I do have an 800XL and a XEGS now though, albeit without any software to really flex their muscles. Cool machines.
Just the local Commodore hobo and middle-aged PC hoarder.
eisa on Trademe. A lasting reminder of a Compaq fetish when I was younger.
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Re: Hi - I guess I must be some Atari Nutter...

Postby Harvey on Sat Mar 17, 2012 3:28 pm

It would be handy to know someone who works at a computer recycling place or similar... I did have one contact, but that firm closed down? Anyway - he doesn't work there any longer - and he would have kept an eye out for any Atari hardware? etc. I got a couple of modem/routers off him, one which I am using now, and has been working fine for a few years now..
Some schools may have picked up some Atari's maybe - in the 90s'? Forbury may have done that? But that school has since closed and merged...

I've very little software, and most of it was in US Doubler disk format - and will not be accessible on a standard disk drive.

Harvey
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Re: Hi - I guess I must be some Atari Nutter...

Postby tezza on Sat Mar 17, 2012 3:48 pm

Harvey wrote:I've very little software, and most of it was in US Doubler disk format - and will not be accessible on a standard disk drive.

Harvey, I have the interface described in this article:
http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blo ... i-8bit.htm

It is certainly worth it as far as building a software library goes.
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Re: Hi - I guess I must be some Atari Nutter...

Postby WelshWizard on Sat Mar 17, 2012 5:41 pm

Harvey wrote:I

I've very little software, and most of it was in US Doubler disk format - and will not be accessible on a standard disk drive.

Harvey

Hi Harvey
http://www.atarimania.com/atari-400-800-xl-xe.html should be able to get plenty of software images from there plus plenty of PDF's of manuals, books and Mags
I have on the PC
All of
Antic
Analog
Atari User UK
Page 6
Atariuser Page 6
Monitor etc in PDF also
most of the Atari books in PDF form. I can always write a copy to DVDs for you, and when I can get my eprom blower and board making kit working again blow a US doubler type chip for you, some where I have details for a board that was made at BAUG that allows you to keep the original 1050 OS chip but switch to US doubler, and another drive OS like Lazer or Happy.
(Also another Atari 8 bit nut.)
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Re: Hi - I guess I must be some Atari Nutter...

Postby Harvey on Sun Mar 18, 2012 4:22 pm

I don't have any Atari hardware at all - and I won't be collecting any, unless I can get it next to nothing..

The only old videogame hardware I do have, that is still working I think, is a US SNES games console, with Super ProFighter copier/disk unit.
My only concern about it not working (haven't turned it on for ten years or so?) is that a battery backup - for saved games - might have leaked by now.
Also that small battery is probably now dead? I don't have any need to turn it on these days - because there are so many excellent SNES emulators running.

My nephew played games on this unit, since he was about 6? or so... or was it 10? maybe between these two... Back then he would come around every
Friday afternoon, and play some SNES games. He's now into his 3rd year at varsity and doing well in computer science. Maybe even conversant in 'C' by now?

I don't have a need for Atari hardware, likewise because of the emulators available. Though maybe it's better on the older PCs? I have noticed that running
Atari800Win Plus 3.1 on my Acer laptop it does seem to crash often. I'm not sure what is causing this? Maybe it's the mode I'm running it in.. About 10? years
ago I remember running the DOS based one - which seemed to be very compatible, and able to run lots of things...

I don't really want to start collecting Atari hardware - as I do have other things, I need to spend time doing... such as trying to write a premise (or two) for a TV series or film(s) - and see whether I can get a television company or two .. interested in the projects. I am trying to break into the writing field, and haven't produced anything like a manuscript or complete series outline... Ancient Aliens is one of the series that has impressed me --- and while I do not agree with their
ideas and guesses more often not ... I enjoy their presentation of new material (archeology sites, etc) to ponder upon.
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Re: Hi - I guess I must be some Atari Nutter...

Postby Harvey on Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:42 am

I would like, though to get a pdf or whatever of the Monitor issue that has a review of Laser Hawk in it?
Probably late 1986 or early 87?

I see that pdfs are available of New Atari User/Atari User off the Internet - and it's got to see a magazine that I missed out on, back then...
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Re: Hi - I guess I must be some Atari Nutter...

Postby WelshWizard on Mon Mar 19, 2012 5:16 pm

I had a look through the Monitor PDF, if you can let me know what issue I can forward a copy, all I could find with any menyion of Laser in it was a game you typed in called
Laser Barrage in issue 20

As for New Atari User
thats only the Page6 owned Atari User, and is available from AtariMania as a download
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Re: Hi - I guess I must be some Atari Nutter...

Postby Harvey on Sat Mar 31, 2012 4:05 pm

I don't have an exact date for a review in Monitor magazine - but Atari User had a review in their January 1987 issue - but it'll be around this date.
Also they may have reviewed it again? In a 4 Star Pack, in which it is probably the most playable game of the 4 towards the end of 1987?

I have noticed that Antic did go on publishing for a longer period of time, than what I expected it to. I would have guessed that games reviews for the Atari 8-bit would have been rather few and far between in the last couple of years of it's publication, and that "Dropzone" did not make it across to the USA? That is one of the most outstanding 'later' Atari games - but Archer McLean's other game "International Karate" did feature in the news section of Antic...

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