Instructional how-to for the Atari 8bit home computers 800 XL/XE with introduction. Retro 1980's.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 เม.ย. 2020
- Tutorial starts at 7:00 Instructional how-to video on the Atari 8bit line of computers in English. Starts with an Introduction to the computers. Not a perfect tutorial by any means but better than any other that I know of on TH-cam right now.
For an in-depth FAQ visit here www.atarimania.com/faq-atari-4... - เกม
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This is exactly what I've been looking for not a cleaning video but an actual tutorial
Great! Thanks for commenting. I hope to post a more thorough how-to-use these video later this year. Any questions? Cheers.
Followup notes: The XEGS and 1200XL are not recommended as a first Atari 8bit because the cartridge slot will not fit the C64 cartridge shells. Many modern Atari 8bit cartridges use the plastic C64 shells and are physically designed to only fit inside said shells, including the SIDE2 and AVG-Cart. This is just one example of many pitfalls when using real hardware. The 1200XL has bugs, hardware and software and costs at least twice or more than an 800XL. The 1200XL will require a keyboard fix, video fix, OS fix and the aforementioned cart fix like an extender, among other things. A 400 or 800 are also not good first machines because they can not run any 64K XL/XE software. So stick with an 800XL/65XE/800XE or 130XE. XE machines are more difficult to repair due to not having socketed chips. XE's are also a little less reliable due to cost cutting, especially of the OS chips some of which tend to fail. So an 800XL is a good first machine as stated in the video.
Note: a PAL 600XL upgraded to 64K RAM is also excellent. The European PAL 600XL's have the monitor video port, unlike NTSC 600XL's. All 600XL's are fully socketed. Note 2: someone on AtariAge said his XEGS fits the SIDE2 and AVG Carts but mine does not without difficulty and the cart becoming stuck in the slot.
11:55 There was single density that held 90k (Atari 810 with DOS 2), enhanced which was 1.5x bigger for 135k using Atari 1050 with DOS 2.5 or DOS 3 (but we don't talk about DOS 3), and double density that held 180k but Atari didn't release a Double Density (180k) drive of there own. LOADS of 3rd party disk drive makers made up for what Atari didn't create and to use DD disks, so there were other DOSes made by 3rd parties like MyDOS, DOSXL, SpartaDOS, and so on.
Towards the end of the lifespan of the 8bit, Atari did release the XF551 drive that was double density AND Double SIDED (or DSDD) and it used more standard drive mechanisms and interface connectors that you'd find on a PC clone. The XF551 drive can format a 5¼" disk the full 360k. Because the XF551 used standard PC-compatible drives, you could easily install a 3½" drive into the XF551, and format 720k disks. However they didn't support "High" density disks like PCs did, at least back in the day you couldn't format a 1.2Mb nor a 1.44Mb disk on an Atari 8Bit. I'm not even sure that existed on the Atari ST's.
There might be mods that supported High Density formats. but these days just about all Atari software resides on the internet, easily downloadable, while magnetic disk media on these old computers are dying off. So you're better off using a multi-cart, or an internal storage mod like Sophia 2 or Ultimate 1MB. Use a modern computer to move all that software over on to a flash card, and slap it into a multicart and you're off to the races.
The XEGS was my first system -- but man I remember playing Asteroids on a legit Atari 800, and the four player mode was just freakin' awesome.
SpartaDosX (v4.xx) is specifically a cartage based DOS, previous versions of SpartaDOS v3.xx and older were booted from a disk like all other DOSes were. So don't get the two confused. SpartaDOSX being on a cart made it unique is it had the smallest memory footprint compared to all the others, so it gave BASIC more RAM. All third party DOSes for the Atari were based on Atari DOS, except SpartaDOS, which used it's own File Allocation system that was very different from Atari DOS. Atari DOS cant read SpartaDOS formatted disks but SpartaDOS can read and write (and format) to AtariDOS disks with no issue, except Atari DOS 3 (which we don't talk about.)
Atari 8bit computers were popular from the early 80s to the start of the 90s. Keep in mind this was before the internet, so you made friends with REAL PEOPLE and formed User Groups and used dialup BBSes to read and send messages, and read magazine on PAPER that you'd get in the mail every month to get new software (usually games) that you had to type in your self. In an era where software development was done (usually) by one person, rather than a massive team taking years to develop software, and not just games.
40:15 That is a USB-B connector. While the SIO port is the ancestor to USB, the device you're holding isn't a direct connection from USB to ISO. That device converts USB to SERIAL (RS-232) and then that is converted to SIO. The virtual disk drive software you run on the PC, you'll notice, has to connect to a serial com port on the PC (which is why there's all those settings for it). You can use a similar device that converts Atari SIO to a Serial port (No USB), and use a normal serial port on your PC if you have one.
The SIO port also supports audio input/output for data and audio cassettes. So if you had the right set up you can play an MP3 audio file and load in software that way.
If I recall correctly, one only needed to put a disk in the drive and reboot the computer to use commercial software. There was no need to use DOS for that. DOS was more for file management. Thanks for making a video about this. I feel they do not get the attention they deserve. This was also my first computer.
Hi! Yes it depends on the game or software disk. Many booted straight to the software with no DOS, but not all. Many games that directly booted were converted by people to be a file loaded from DOS so that more than one could be put on a single disk.
Yes it's a very old platform now but there is a very active community still developing software! Still great fun to be had on the A8's. Cheers.
15:00 You can boot DOS with BASIC enabled, just boot normally with out OPTION held. You need DOS in memory to save your programs that you're writing in BASIC. So you only need to disable BASIC if you're running software that doesn't use BASIC, which is usually pre-compiled machine executable software, and the disk it self has it's own boot loader bypassing the need for DOS, which is how most commercial games were made if they are on floppy disk.
Booting with BASIC enabled It will read the disk, execute AUTORUN.SYS (if it exists) and if it doesn't launch any software, it then goes into BASIC. Type DOS and it will go into DOS if you need to manage files, but will save any work you did in BASIC onto the disk called MEM.SYS, which was just a memory dump. Exit DOS and you'll be back in BASIC after it loads in MEM.SYS back in to RAM.
There are quick loaders for Atari formatted disks that when you boot to them (w/o basic) will quickly boot and list out all executable apps (usually games) that you can select from the menu. Instead of using DOS, pressing L and typing out the name of the file manually.
the emulation of this platform is one of the best you can have with retro machines...but it will never reach the real thing. Experience is NOT only what you can watch on a screen.
SpartaDos from 2019, amazing.
Thanks for your Video! I currently play around with Atari (the Atari 130XE was my first Computer and it was my first basis for my Job as in game developments). Over the years i got som Ataris and now i own a 800XL, 800XE, 130XE and since some week a XF551 Diskdrive + Sio2SD. It seems i have a special connection to the 8 bit Atari.
That's great your XE changed your life! Thanks for your comment! Enjoy your Ataris! The XF551's are great. I hope you will get more hardware to enjoy.
Note: I need to re-make this video with many more details.
Woow Atari 800 :-) On my list "dreams" :-)
I hope you can get at least one 800. They are nice to have. PAL 800's are much more rare. I have a PAL 400 if you want to buy it. =) It's in great condition.
Thanks for the videos! I'm getting into Atari retro and they were super useful to watch and get me up to speed. It's pretty cool -- I tend to think of Atari as a step behind Commodore 64, but as you show they actually have some pretty advanced abilities.
You're welcome! Happy to help. Am planning on updating this tutorial. Have a big list of things to cover. Did you get actual hardware? What did you buy? Any questions?
@@gamedoutgamer I recently picked up some 800 and 800xl. I refurbish MacBooks I buy from recyclers and I ask them to hold any retro they come across. Got a dozen Atari sts recently, if you look at my videos the pickup video is one of the recents. No specific questions at the moment but I’m sure I will! Thanks again!
The Atari wasn't behind the C64. I had both. The Atari OS and Disk OS was superior - far far less buggy and much more functional (AND FASTER). For the Atari being released 2 to 3 years earlier, it more than held up against the c64 !
The AtaRI DISK drives were superior in both functionality (far less buggy) and speed to the Commodore drives !~
Thank you so much for this amazing review of the Atari machines. You've mentioned you have a couple of spare ones because you value them and do not want to throw them away. I was looking for a "shift" long key (the one on the left side of the keyboard) of an 800XL. Do you have that for sale?
You're welcome. There are different keyboard types for the 800XL. I strongly recommend you go to the Atari Age forums and ask there with a good photo of your keyboard so they know which specific shift key to send you. atariage.com/forums/forum/12-atari-8-bit-computers/ Let me know and keep in touch. I have one type of shift key I could send but it might be the wrong one for your machine.
Atari 8bit emulators are good, but color accuracy isn't always great. Eventually the emulators will be perfected, but nothing beats the original experience
Yes. Free though! =) Good idea for developers to focus on emulating the CRT experience.
The drive spins the disk in order to properly settle the disk cookie on the drive hub.
Yes I think it's also called a 'spin test'. Note that AVG and other 'modern' cartridges like SIDE2 or SIDE3 use C64 shells that do not fit into the 1200XL/1400XL cartridge tunnel. They will permanently scratch/scuff and leave marks in the tunnel. That would be bad in your epicly beautiful machine.
p.s. I'm surprised Archon didn't have copy protection on it and copied - smiles! p.s.s. Thanks for such a great video !
I think that is a cracked copy of Archon. =) You're welcome! Hoping to re-make this how-to in a more thorough form. I've taken lots of notes of more things to cover.
This beeping both on the disk drive and on keystrokes is super annoying. Was there a way to turn them off?
Before MS-DOS there was CP/M, which was a standard on Z80 machines.
Programs can turn off the beeping. There is a poke memory location. The user can turn off the beeping by lowering volume. Keyclicks can be turned off by software. Some people modded their 400's or 800's with a switch near the speaker grille to manually disable keyclick. The XL/XE machines it might be possible but no one I knew did that because the key click came from the sound channel and not the computer itself.
I can see why new users don't like the beeping in the present day but back in the day we loved it because it gave a lot of information and status as far as loading like sector skew, disk density, loading pauses, SIO baud rate, reading or writing, etc etc. If you are using a modern SIO device then yes the sound is more annoying and the original purpose of the sounds are lost especially at high SIO baud rates.
Are you using a real disk drive? If so you'll more appreciate the beeping. Cassette loading sound IS annoying and slow. Few used those.
Yes CP/M... Had a brain fart at that moment thank you!
I thought CP/M would run on any 8080 compatible chip (the Z80 was backwards compatible with the 8080 -- some programs released for CP/M required the Z80 instructions, but lots of software was completely compatible with 8080 IIRC).
Hi there! I just recently got an Hitachi VIP9500 alsoncame with atari e.r.i.c. pop laserdisc. It didn't come with a remote. Can I hook up one of these atari to the laserdisc and use it as a remote control while watching laserdisc movies on my Panasonic plasma t.v. I also want to play laserdisc games too.
Oh wow that's a very, very nice thing to find! Yes you can do that. Here is what I found using a search engine:
"ERIC" stood for Electronic Retail Information Center. It was an interactive Laserdisc demonstration system controlled by an Atari 800 through an Atari 850 Serial interface port to a Pioneer PR-8210 Laserdisc player through its remote input. For those who came to the Vintage Computer Festival 4.0 in San Jose this past Sept 30-Oct 1, 2007 you were able to see and try out first hand one of the only complete and working units left in existence.
I recommend you go to the AtariAge / Atari 8bit computers section to ask how to use it. Someone will know and guide you.
@@gamedoutgamer So would you say my Laserdisc player and atari e.r.i.c. pop laserdisc is rare?
I have the manual for the hitachi vip9500 and a very cool catalog and says this is the worlds first Semiconductor laser for video disk. They all use to be gas lasers before this one.
@@b_wtangible_moments Yes my guess is the laserdisc is probably very rare and valuable. Unsure about the player.
You must be young. These were far from obsure! lol Thanks for the video but these were VERY popular in the early 80's
Not young. They weren't too popular in my area. 2600's were VERY popular yes.
@@gamedoutgamer Where is your area? When I had my pirate/phreak BBS back in the early '80s there were a great deal of Atari computers here in the US.
@@GavinHaubeltMedia Washington DC metro area. Peak for BBS' was '85 in the area but by '86 the A8 scene was quickly fading and moving to ST or other platforms. In '87 I got an A500 and it was great, but now looking back I had just as much or more fun on the A8! In what area were you? Was also into the BBS/phreaking =) Awesome. Ever dumpster dive CO's?
@@gamedoutgamer My BBS was shut down by the FBI the summer of 85... Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. I got an ST but was never into it. I still have it, along with my original 800 that I am actually working on now trying to get that very same BBS from the original disks working again using a FujiNet. I am on the west cost, central California. Fresno now, grew up in Oakhurst, home of Sierra Online, and yes I did a lot of dumpster diving at their location :)
@@gamedoutgamer Yeah the VCS/2600s were popular, but the Atari 8-bit computers were at least half as ubiquitous as the Commodore computers (over here in the Seattle area anyway). -- Maybe even 2/3?
They 8-bit Atari computers didn't stick around into the 90s as long as the Commodores did though -- like you could still buy C64 games at random shops in the mid '90s here, but Sears finished liquidating the last of their XEGS stock in like '92.