lazlo@ariel.unm.edu (Lazlo Nibble) (01/10/90)
A good friend of mine got her hands on a nice working Atari 1200XL for
Christmas and now we're looking for game software. A few questions
arise:
* What carts can it run? 400/800 stuff I know, but how
about the XE software, that sort of thing?
* Do any national toy retailers (Kay-Bee, Lionel, Toys'R'Us)
still carry 1200XL-compatible stuff in any quantity?
* Was the CBS game MOUNTAIN KING ever released for it, and
if so, does anyone have a copy they'd be willing to
let go of? :-)
Lazlo (lazlo@ariel.unm.edu)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"People who aren't going to go any faster than the speed limit really ought
to put their hazard lights on." -- Nibble's Rules Of The Road, #19tle33710@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (01/10/90)
1. Not all 400/800 software will run on it! I'm not sure, because I never owned one, but I think the 1200XL (minus function keys) is really just an 800XL or 130XE etc without the extra RAM to load in a new operating system: hence, you cannot use a translator. I hope this has been of help. If I'm wrong, I'd be interested to know. The upshot of this is is that you should be able to run ALL (I think--using the above knowledge) XE game carts, but only MOST 400/800 carts. 2. Mountain King was released for the Atari; I liked the game but don't have it anymore....
SPLITE@MTUS5.BITNET (Steve Plite) (01/12/90)
In article <115200062@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>, tle33710@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu says: > >1. Not all 400/800 software will run on it! I'm not sure, because I never >owned one, but I think the 1200XL (minus function keys) is really just an >800XL or 130XE etc without the extra RAM to load in a new operating system: >hence, you cannot use a translator. I hope this has been of help. If I'm >wrong, I'd be interested to know. The upshot of this is is that you should >be able to run ALL (I think--using the above knowledge) XE game carts, but >only MOST 400/800 carts. > Actually, the 1200XL has a different OS than the 400/800, XEs, and 600/800XL. So it has trouble with some 400/800 AND some XL/XE software, since it's a breed all of its own. It does have a full 64K, and will run a translator. In fact, a translator should almost be standard equipment. :-) Good Luck! Steve Plite <splite@mtus5.bitnet>
tle33710@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (01/16/90)
Oh, O.K.! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tim Elliott "Genghis" University of Illinois/Urbana "Menachem" (Name of the Week) tle33710@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu No More New Kids, Please! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Nolan Ryan is pitching much better now that his curve ball is straightened out." --Joe Garagiola -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
hans@umd5.umd.edu (Hans Breitenlohner) (01/17/90)
Well, this query sure has produced a lot of differing speculation. As far as I know, the 1200XL OS is very similar to the one in the 800XL, which is in turn indistinguishable (from the program) from a 65XE. So, I would like to know: Does anybody know FOR SURE of cartridges which work on an 800XL / 65XE but do not work on a 1200XL? Just curious, Hans
bernstei@hq.af.mil (T.L.Bernstein) (01/17/90)
In article <115200062@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> tle33710@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu writes:
1. Not all 400/800 software will run on it! I'm not sure, because I never
owned one, but I think the 1200XL (minus function keys) is really just an
800XL or 130XE etc without the extra RAM to load in a new operating system:
hence, you cannot use a translator. I hope this has been of help. If I'm
wrong, I'd be interested to know. The upshot of this is is that you should
be able to run ALL (I think--using the above knowledge) XE game carts, but
only MOST 400/800 carts.
------
I believe the above statement to be incorrect. I used to be an Atari
enthusiast, and my father still owns several of the 8-bit models. If
I remember correctly, the 1200XL was originally planned as a
replacement for the 800, with new ROMS. Unfortunately not all
software was compatable with the new OS and the product did VERY
poorly. To correct this problem, Atari came out with a translater
disk which makes the 1200 act like an 800. I am not sure which
software works and which doesn't, but it would definately be
worthwhile to get the translator -- I suggest calling Atari, as it
used to be free. As for the newer models, they replaced the 1200;
this time Atari made sure they were compatible with the original.
-- Terry --wrd@tekigm2.MEN.TEK.COM (Bill Dippert) (01/17/90)
In article <5954@umd5.umd.edu> hans@umd5.umd.edu (Hans Breitenlohner) writes: >Well, this query sure has produced a lot of differing speculation. > >As far as I know, the 1200XL OS is very similar to the one in the 800XL, >which is in turn indistinguishable (from the program) from a 65XE. > >So, I would like to know: Does anybody know FOR SURE of cartridges which >work on an 800XL / 65XE but do not work on a 1200XL? > >Just curious, > >Hans Having owned (and still own) a 1200XL (modified to 256k), a stock 1200XL, an 800XL (modified to 256k) and a 130XE, I have not found any difference in what the four will run. The only differences between the 1200XL and the other XLs are: the 1200XL requires a BASIC cart (BASIC not build in) and it does have the "function keys" and corresponding LED's. The OS seems to be the XL OS. It is not the same as the 400/800 OS and requires the translator disk for any program that the other XL would require it for. Interestingly, though, when you modify the 1200XL to 256k with the Newell board, the LED's show memory bank useage and not what they were originally intended for. I would describe exactly what they do, but I am at work and it is at home and my memory is not too good. However, I have not used too many carts in it, other than Atariwriter and the two types of BASIC carts. I mainly use programs on disk (using a 1050 DD). The disk programs have always worked, including all sorts of different games. A few required the translater, but they also required it on the 800XL or 130XE. Has anyone actually found something that will not run on a 1200XL but will run on any other XL or XE?
norlin@uokmax.uucp (Norman Lin (NARC)) (01/17/90)
In article <7872@tekigm2.MEN.TEK.COM> wrd@tekigm2.MEN.TEK.COM (Bill Dippert) writes: >In article <5954@umd5.umd.edu> hans@umd5.umd.edu (Hans Breitenlohner) writes: [stuff deleted] >>So, I would like to know: Does anybody know FOR SURE of cartridges which >>work on an 800XL / 65XE but do not work on a 1200XL? >> >>Hans > >Has anyone actually found something that will not run on a 1200XL but will run >on any other XL or XE? In ANALOG a few years back, there was one program that did something to the keyboard (I think it made the key repeat rate faster) and I believe that the article mentioned that it worked on the XL's except for the 1200XL. It was a long time ago, so I can't be sure. But if this is the case, it would seem that some timing vectors or such may be marginally altered in the 1200XL. In any event, I seem to remember that the difference, if any, was not great. -- Norman Lin This is my humble signature file.
portuesi@tweezers.esd.sgi.com (Michael Portuesi) (01/17/90)
>>>>> On 17 Jan 90 01:01:14 GMT, norlin@uokmax.uucp (Norman Lin (NARC)) said: >Has anyone actually found something that will not run on a 1200XL but will run >on any other XL or XE? norman> In ANALOG a few years back, there was one program that did something to the norman> keyboard (I think it made the key repeat rate faster) and I believe that the norman> article mentioned that it worked on the XL's except for the 1200XL. It was norman> a long time ago, so I can't be sure. But if this is the case, it would seem norman> that some timing vectors or such may be marginally altered in the 1200XL. In norman> any event, I seem to remember that the difference, if any, was not great. norman> -- norman> Norman Lin More than likely, this is because the program you mentioned jumped into the OS ROM at an undocumented location, or used an otherwise unsupported feature of the OS ROM. Atari provided a vector table for entry providing documented entry points into all of the documented OS routines. The reason for the vector table was to allow updates to the OS to not break software. Unfortunately, in the 8-bit environment, more often than not programmers threw such guidelines to the wind. After all, they were writing to the hardware registers to get graphics to happen on the screen; why not treat the OS ROM the same way? Software that runs under one version of the OS and not the other is broken, plain and simple. That doesn't alter the fact that such software exists -- which is why the XL's have the Translator disk available. --M -- __ \/ Michael Portuesi Silicon Graphics Computer Systems, Inc. portuesi@SGI.COM Entry Systems Division -- Engineering
mitchell@janus.Berkeley.EDU (Evan Mitchell) (01/19/90)
I still have my 1200XL (althogh it's collecting serious dust in my parents house) and I seem to remember running everything my friends 800 (old) would run, as well as the 64K games (The Eidilon from Epyx/Lucasfilms). The translator disk worked as well. In fact, I used to store several games that needed translation on one disk, and boot using some strange combinations of translators and menu makers! The only thing I can remember not running off hand are some games with cartriges that were too big for the 1200XL's tight port... -Evan _______________________________________________________________________________ | Evan Jay Mitchell EECS/ERL Industrial Liaison Program | | mitchell@janus.berkeley.edu University of California at Berkeley | | Phone: (415) 643-6687 | | "Think, it ain't illegal...yet!" - George Clinton | |_____________________________________________________________________________|