There's some stuff in my local Thrift store

Vic 20 Item Exchange

Moderator: Moderators

PaulQ
undead vic
Posts: 1967
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2007 2:57 pm

Post by PaulQ »

My mistake; when I saw you say you were going to lock it up now, I thought you were referring to the thread. In any case, I decided to order one of these to try out:

Image

That's more my style for day-to-day work, and it's actually priced competitively with inexpensive Timex and Casio Quartz watches of similar design.
User avatar
ral-clan
plays wooden flutes
Posts: 3702
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:01 pm
Location: Canada

Post by ral-clan »

Well, it's been about two weeks since I originally saw that Atari 800XL in the Thrift store. I went back today, and it was still there, all alone, unwanted. They only wanted $5.99 for it so I bought it. I don't really want it or need it, but I couldn't let it just get tossed.

So it's up for trade. I'm currently looking for Atari 2600 or ColecoVision cartridges, or COMPUTE magazines from 1985 or earlier. Really I'll consider anything in trade...

PM me if you want it.

Unfortunately, there was no power supply with it. I do recall having an unidentified Atari computer power supply at home in the spares box....so I'll have to see if it works with this computer. Anyway, an internet search tells me that the 7-pin DIN connector of the 800's power supply gives the system 5V and 12V. So it sounds like an old PC power supply could be used with this computer.

It has a label "256KXL" on it. I believe this means someone has done the 256K RAM expansion hack to the computer.

One think I have to say for Atari, I like the look of their computers. The case is very nice looking in an angular, early 80s electronics sort of way.

More info:
http://www.old-computers.com/MUSEUM/computer.asp?c=27
User avatar
pitcalco
just pitcalco
Posts: 1272
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 4:13 pm
Location: Berlin

Post by pitcalco »

One think I have to say for Atari, I like the look of their computers. The case is very nice looking in an angular, early 80s electronics sort of way.
I agree. I did like the very crisp and almost clinical look of the Atari 800XL. I could get back into this computer as well as the Commodores.

I really liked the Atari Basic interpretor. There were far more commands making programming for sound and graphics much easier. As well, there were more mathematical functions built-in. The sound was a shame. 4 harmonising sound channels, sure, but no synthesiser or anything resembling the C64 SID chip. Amazing graphics.
There are only three kinds of people in the world: those who can count and those who can't.

Paul Lambert
Berlin
Federal Republic of Germany
carlsson
Class of '6502
Posts: 5516
Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2004 1:41 am

Post by carlsson »

Actually, the Atari power supply only produces 5V if I understood correctly.
Anders Carlsson

Image Image Image Image Image
User avatar
ral-clan
plays wooden flutes
Posts: 3702
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:01 pm
Location: Canada

Post by ral-clan »

On a second perusal of the information I think you are correct.
User avatar
ral-clan
plays wooden flutes
Posts: 3702
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:01 pm
Location: Canada

Post by ral-clan »

There's now a TI-99 with power supply & TV switch box at my local Thrift store if anyone wants me to pick it up for them. I'm sure it won't be there for long. We can either trade for it afterwards or you can re-imburse me (I think it's less than $10).
carlsson
Class of '6502
Posts: 5516
Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2004 1:41 am

Post by carlsson »

It is poetic how you leave a $10 vintage computer behind, even if you don't have space for it or it doesn't fit into your collection.
Anders Carlsson

Image Image Image Image Image
DanSolo
Vic 20 Dabbler
Posts: 88
Joined: Sat Apr 21, 2007 5:22 am

Post by DanSolo »

ral-clan wrote:There's now a TI-99 with power supply & TV switch box at my local Thrift store if anyone wants me to pick it up for them. I'm sure it won't be there for long. We can either trade for it afterwards or you can re-imburse me (I think it's less than $10).
Dammit, I have one of those (the only one I've ever seen here in Ireland) with no power supply but I guess a US power supply would be useless to me.
User avatar
ral-clan
plays wooden flutes
Posts: 3702
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:01 pm
Location: Canada

Post by ral-clan »

You guys are trying to make me feel guilty, eh? :lol:

Actually you succeeded. I went back this morning to get the TI-99 but it was gone. I don't really feel bad though, because maybe it went to someone who could actually use it instead of just storing it away.

But I guess in future I'll just pick the computers up for trade with you guys!
PaulQ
undead vic
Posts: 1967
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2007 2:57 pm

Post by PaulQ »

Two rotary dial phones identical to mine available at the Whitby Value Village for $3 each:

Image
PaulQ
undead vic
Posts: 1967
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2007 2:57 pm

Post by PaulQ »

Image

$4.99, sitting in the music and talking book section of Value Village. Still in factory shrinkwrap.

A rare find indeed; finding anything Vic 20 related there these days is like finding teeth on a hen.

The question is, do I break the seal? 8)
User avatar
orion70
VICtalian
Posts: 4337
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 4:45 am
Location: Piacenza, Italy
Occupation: Biologist

Post by orion70 »

DigitalQuirk wrote:The question is, do I break the seal? 8)
Absolutely NO, unless you want to learn basic maths... :wink:
PaulQ
undead vic
Posts: 1967
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2007 2:57 pm

Post by PaulQ »

orion70 wrote:
DigitalQuirk wrote:The question is, do I break the seal? 8)
Absolutely NO, unless you want to learn basic maths... :wink:
Actually, my son may learn quite a bit from it, and I do need factory tapes to align C2N Datasettes...OTOH, I can download the images and put them on disk and find a cheap used bin tape for the alignment...hmm, I wonder if Jeff still needs an aligned Datasette?

Then there's the fact that this has been waiting all these years for someone to open it...tempting...
User avatar
orion70
VICtalian
Posts: 4337
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 4:45 am
Location: Piacenza, Italy
Occupation: Biologist

Post by orion70 »

Listen, I've got a lot of carts "tempting" me... But then I think that their ROMs are widely available and it's easy to use them on a real VIC, so why open the Ark of the Covenant when you already know the Ten Commandments?

One day, when the VIC will be 50 years old and every little secret about him will be revealed, every ROM saved for the centuries to come, the real wonder will be a program still sealed in its original shrink wrap.
User avatar
nbla000
Salmon Run
Posts: 2582
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2005 8:58 am
Location: Italy

Post by nbla000 »

orion70 wrote:One day, when the VIC will be 50 years old and every little secret about him will be revealed, every ROM saved for the centuries to come, the real wonder will be a program still sealed in its original shrink wrap.
hey 1980+50-2008 = 22 years left, not too much :D

Orion you are a really true collector 8)
Mega-Cart: the cartridge you plug in once and for all.
Post Reply