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Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 1:02 pm
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.

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:45 am
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

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 12:13 pm
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.

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 12:35 pm
by carlsson
Actually, the Atari power supply only produces 5V if I understood correctly.

Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 10:08 am
by ral-clan
On a second perusal of the information I think you are correct.

Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 7:24 pm
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).

Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 12:21 am
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.

Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 5:19 am
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.

Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 6:41 am
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!

Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 7:40 pm
by PaulQ
Two rotary dial phones identical to mine available at the Whitby Value Village for $3 each:

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Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 3:30 pm
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)

Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 7:15 am
by orion70
DigitalQuirk wrote:The question is, do I break the seal? 8)
Absolutely NO, unless you want to learn basic maths... :wink:

Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 1:46 pm
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...

Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 2:04 pm
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.

Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 3:38 pm
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)