hr (12/05/82)
#N:uicsl:14900002:000:1954 uicsl!hr Dec 3 15:34:00 1982 I would like to purchase an Atari 800 around January. Currently I am planning on: 1) An Atari 800 with 48kb. 2) Percom dual drive (dual density?). 3) After reading the discussions, I will probably get a pair of Wico joysticks. Would some of the Atari users give me their opinions on: 1) Should I buy Percom disks instead of Atari's? Would dual density/ dual sided be a good idea? How reliable are Percom's disks and can I get maintenance manuals for them? If I buy the Percom disks, can I get Atari's DOS somewhere? (Do I want to?) 2) Other than Star Raiders and Pacman, what other software should I get? Can I find a useable Pascal, C, lisp, or <your favorite here>? 3) What 6502 assembly language books are considered 'good'? I could probably use one aimed at an 'experienced' programmer and one aimed at someone who would read it solely because it might help her survive her assembly language course this summer. Other than the "Technical User Notes" and "De Re Atari", what books are suggested? 4) If I get the 850 interface module, what can I use it for? 5) I know that Atari has a modem for sale, but could I use a Vadic triple modem at 1200 baud? 6) How much improvement would a color monitor be over my old Sony? Would any rgb monitor work? Considering the Atari's resolution, would an $800 Amdek work as well as a $6000 Conrac? (No, I can't afford the Conrac. Maybe not even the Amdek.) 7) What kind of (graphics) printers would work well. 8) I have read the rumors about a new Atari that seems to be just a repackaged 800. Would there be any point in waiting for it? 9) Are there any other goodies that I really SHOULD look at? 10) Why is it that in the last couple of months, since I decided to buy the machine, I have been nervously pouring over "Byte" and "Creative Computing" and not being able to sleep nights? Harold Ravlin (ucbvax!decvax!pur-ee!uiucdcs!uicsl!hr) (or so I'm told)