4224_5132@uwovax.uwo.ca (Andrew Semple) (12/04/89)
covertr@force.UUCP (Richard E. Covert) spews, > You know Ken, that is ONE reason why I refuse to buy the new TT. If you can't > even upgrade a Mega ST2 to 4 megs because of some manufacturing decision to > save 10 cents by using a MMU chip that can't address 4 megs, then what does > that tell me about Atari?? It is INSANE to sell a Mega ST2 that is crippled > so that it can't be upgraded to 4 megs. That is another example of Atari's > No Upgrade Policy. Why do you folks do that?? > > And are you folks going to change this policy with regards to the TT/p? Or > if I want to add more memory after I purchase a TT/P will I have to sell > it and buy another TT/p with more memory?? > The above statement about the ST2 not being able to be expanded to 4 Megs is absolute CRAP. I know of about 20 ST2's that have been expanded to 4 Megs. To Richard directly: Please have the guts to flame me by mail, don't waste space here! > Oh well, life goes on. I guess it does ... I was recently in one of my local (non-authorized) Atari dealers when I noticed that he had an Atari product called VT100 Emulator. It was a cart that you plugged in so your screen resembled those old VT100 terminals that astronomy people use :-). Has anyone used it. It was only 10$ so I might go back and purchase it just fo rthe heck of it. Do I have to be hardwired to the system I want to use, or can I use Flash! or something. In speaking about Flash!, I would like to ask the authors of Shadow if they consulted the authors of Flash! before or during the construction of thier fine program. No flames here, just interested in the development process. Finally, I would like to share a bedtime story with y'all. The same un-authorized Atari dealer I mentioned above, warned me that they might soon be ending thier (limited) Atari support. "Not selling enough units", he said. It should be mentioned here that he also sells PC's and Amiga's. "How many ST's did you sell last month", I said? "Oh, about (pause), twenty", he said. "And how many PC's in that peroid", I enquired? "(Long pause, and a search of the records), one", he admitted. "Hmmm", I grined. "And how many Sega game systems"? "(Easy one I guess), Ten in the last week", he blurted. Conclusions; there is no doubt that this dealer has low prices, but he is only interested in the quick sale. If you could see his store you would see racks and racks of games for the Amiga, ST, Mac(?), and PC's. Atari people are smart enough to buy at the lowest price, but go to the authorized dealer for their software support, games for the ST just aren't cutting it for this guy. I mean save for a few wordprocessors and this VT100 emulator (which was a mile deep in dust), he has games. My point? Don't underestimate the need for serious support in software for the Atari user. The authorized dealer can't keep Calamus in stock, this other guy hasn't even heard of it... Graduate of the Linda Ellerbee school of journalism... -------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Semple ads@hydra.uwo.ca 2nd Year Applied Math/Computer Science Andrew.Semple@hydra.uwo.ca The University of Western Ontario Semple@uwovax.BITNET London, Ontario Canada "I think in the predicate calculus." - I. Newton :-)
ignac@electro.UUCP (Ignac Kolenko) (12/05/89)
In article <4448.257a46e4@uwovax.uwo.ca> 4224_5132@uwovax.uwo.ca (Andrew Semple) writes: > I was recently in one of my local (non-authorized) Atari dealers when I >noticed that he had an Atari product called VT100 Emulator. It was a cart >that you plugged in so your screen resembled those old VT100 terminals that >astronomy people use :-). Has anyone used it. It was only 10$ so I might >go back and purchase it just fo rthe heck of it. Do I have to be hardwired to >the system I want to use, or can I use Flash! or something. yup. i've used it (once). the only reason i have two of these carts is that i've desoldered the two roms on the cartridge and i can now experiment with the cartridge port (ie: i can build whatever hardware i want and hook it up to the empty sockets on these cartridges.) i did this for my EE499 project at U of Waterloo. i removed the roms and replaced them with the circuitry to allow up to 40kHz 12 bit sampling through the cartridge port. worked really great. while on the subject of cartridges: does ANYONE know of where you can get ** real ** prototype boards for the atari's cartridge port???? i've asked this question a few times, but no-one ever seems to respond. not even atari itself. i don't really feel like running out and buying a vt100 cart everytime i want to try some new hardware project on the st. btw: are there any other official atari made cartridges like the vt100 cart??? (just wondering) -- =====Ignac A. Kolenko (The Ig) watmath!watcgl!electro!ignac===== co-author of QuickST, and the entire line of Quick Shareware!!!! "I don't care if I don't win, 'cause I don't care if I fail" from 'Youth Of Today' by SUBURBAN DISTORTION
covertr@force.UUCP (Richard E. Covert) (12/06/89)
In article <4448.257a46e4@uwovax.uwo.ca>, 4224_5132@uwovax.uwo.ca (Andrew Semple) writes: > > covertr@force.UUCP (Richard E. Covert) spews, > > > You know Ken, that is ONE reason why I refuse to buy the new TT. If you can't > > even upgrade a Mega ST2 to 4 megs because of some manufacturing decision to > > save 10 cents by using a MMU chip that can't address 4 megs, then what does > > that tell me about Atari?? It is INSANE to sell a Mega ST2 that is crippled > > so that it can't be upgraded to 4 megs. That is another example of Atari's > > No Upgrade Policy. Why do you folks do that?? > > > > And are you folks going to change this policy with regards to the TT/p? Or > > if I want to add more memory after I purchase a TT/P will I have to sell > > it and buy another TT/p with more memory?? > > > The above statement about the ST2 not being able to be expanded to 4 Megs > is absolute CRAP. I know of about 20 ST2's that have been expanded to 4 Megs. Andrew, I was simply repeating what Ken B of Atari said in an earlier post. That *SOME* Mega ST2s can NOT be upgraded to 4 megabytes. Also, when I had Henry add the extra 2 megs of RAM chips to my early 1988 vintage Mega ST2 last Spring I asked John Townsend and others at Atari what the repair/replacement policy is for such machines. The *OFFICIAL* Atari policy is that a Mega ST2 that comes in for repair/replacement leaves with EXACTLY two megs of RAM even if it came in with 4 megs. There is *NO* *OFFICIAL* way to upgrade a Mega ST2 to 4 megs and still be supported by Atari. Ask John Townsend or someone else at Atari if you don't believe me. As far as some megas not being upgradable, my local dealer has sold some of them. I believe my local dealer. On the other hand, the latest 520STs are very easy to upgrade. You just add 1/4 RAM chips to bump to 1 meg, or 1 meg RAM chips to bump to 2.5 megs. Very easy with the NEW 520STs. Very *UNOFFICIAL* of course!! > > To Richard directly: Please have the guts to flame me by mail, don't waste > space here! Nah, there are too many folks out there that just live to read my next "spew" :-) > > > Oh well, life goes on. > > I guess it does ... > At least I hope that it goes on.... > I was recently in one of my local (non-authorized) Atari dealers when I > noticed that he had an Atari product called VT100 Emulator. It was a cart > that you plugged in so your screen resembled those old VT100 terminals that > astronomy people use :-). Has anyone used it. It was only 10$ so I might Hey, do you know what those VT100 carts are great for?? Pirates use them for making ripoff carts!! But they lack the fancy gold plating of a real cart, but you gets what you pays for! > -------------------------------------------------------------- > Andrew Semple ads@hydra.uwo.ca > 2nd Year Applied Math/Computer Science Andrew.Semple@hydra.uwo.ca ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Oh, an expert :-) -- Richard E. Covert (covertr@gtephx) (602) - 581-4652 | AG Communications Systems, Phoenix AZ | UUCP: {ncar!noao!asuvax | uunet!zardoz!hrc | att}!gtephx!covertr
kendall@bsu-cs.bsu.edu (Stephen P. Kendall) (12/06/89)
I have Atari's VT100 emulator and it works pretty much like a true VT100 terminal (and I have seen a *real* VT100 terminal), even down to the set-up screens, with the only major flaws being that the warning bell (^G passthru) is only allowed if the margin bell (a bell EVERY time a line gets close to the right edge of the screen) is selected. Also, any term program should offer the option of exchanging the functions of the delete and backspace keys to be consistent with Atari-specific applications (after being online for a while, using an ST word processor is hell!). Steve Kendall kendall@bsu-cs.bsu.edu 00SPKENDALL@bsu-ucs.bsu.edu
Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com (12/06/89)
Andrew Semple says: > covertr@force.UUCP (Richard E. Covert) spews, >> You know Ken, that is ONE reason why I refuse to buy the new TT. If you ca >> even upgrade a Mega ST2 to 4 megs because of some manufacturing decision t >> save 10 cents by using a MMU chip that can't address 4 megs, then what doe >> that tell me about Atari?? It is INSANE to sell a Mega ST2 that is cripple >> so that it can't be upgraded to 4 megs. That is another example of Atari's >> No Upgrade Policy. Why do you folks do that?? > The above statement about the ST2 not being able to be expanded to 4 Megs >is absolute CRAP. I know of about 20 ST2's that have been expanded to 4 Meg Yes indeed.. .that _used_ to be true... you could unsolder several hundred tiny holes and install sockets for RAM to take an ST2 up to 4 Megs.. But... you apparently haven't seen a recent ST2 motherboard... Atari Corp has redesigned the ST2 motherboard _without_ the RAM locations for the second bank of chips, making it impossible to upgrade the memory. You tell me... why would they spend the money on a redesign and retooling of the motherboard, not to mention the added expense of having to maintain 2 separate inventories of PC boards where they used to be able to use the same one in both Mega ST models..? Your statement about having seen ST2s upgraded to 4 Megs gives us a clue.. Atari Corp didn't get a cent from those upgrades... The "official" Atari upgrade policy is: Get rid of your Mega ST2 and buy an ST4 from us. BobR (Those who feel this message is a "Flame" or "Atari Bashing" are cordially invited to mail me your observations on why any of the above is incorrect)
4224_5132@uwovax.uwo.ca (Andrew Semple) (12/07/89)
In article <473ffa3c.14a1f@force.UUCP>, covertr@force.UUCP (Richard E. Covert) writes: > In article <4448.257a46e4@uwovax.uwo.ca>, 4224_5132@uwovax.uwo.ca (Andrew Semple) writes: >> >> covertr@force.UUCP (Richard E. Covert) spews, >> >> > You know Ken, that is ONE reason why I refuse to buy the new TT. If you can't >> > even upgrade a Mega ST2 to 4 megs because of some manufacturing decision to >> > save 10 cents by using a MMU chip that can't address 4 megs, then what does >> > that tell me about Atari?? It is INSANE to sell a Mega ST2 that is crippled >> > so that it can't be upgraded to 4 megs. That is another example of Atari's >> > No Upgrade Policy. Why do you folks do that?? >> > >> > And are you folks going to change this policy with regards to the TT/p? Or >> > if I want to add more memory after I purchase a TT/P will I have to sell >> > it and buy another TT/p with more memory?? >> > >> The above statement about the ST2 not being able to be expanded to 4 Megs >> is absolute CRAP. I know of about 20 ST2's that have been expanded to 4 Megs. > > Andrew, I was simply repeating what Ken B of Atari said in an earlier post. > That *SOME* Mega ST2s can NOT be upgraded to 4 megabytes. > Then why didn't you say that IN your post. Be more careful. >> -------------------------------------------------------------- >> Andrew Semple ads@hydra.uwo.ca >> 2nd Year Applied Math/Computer Science Andrew.Semple@hydra.uwo.ca > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > Oh, an expert :-) > I'll take that as a complement. -------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Semple ads@hydra.uwo.ca 2nd Year Applied Math/Computer Science Andrew.Semple@hydra.uwo.ca The University of Western Ontario Semple@uwovax.BITNET London, Ontario Canada "I think in the predicate calculus." - I. Newton :-)