lord_mike Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 (edited) In the early 80's I became a proud owner of an Atari 1200XL that I got on clearance for $99. I was so happy to finally get a REAL computer after my joke Timex Sinclair 1000 machine. My folks were never too keen on me having an expensive computer, so it took a LOT of begging even to get this special deal. In time, I got a tape recorder, disk drive, a printer, etc... I spent many a summer programming that thing, and (of course) playing games. I had a lot of good memories of the Atari... Sadly, about 15 years ago, my Atari 1050 drive failed.... It would spin up with a disk, then just spin and spin and spin with the red light on... but never read anything. I always meant to get another one, or repair this one, but as time went on, the prices went way up, and the availability went way down... Lately, I've been really pining for the old programs that I wrote as a teen.. Maybe it's a midlife crisis, I don't know... better that than chasing women and buying expensive cars, eh? I had my disks still, but no way to access them. This weekend, though, I made a fateful purchase at the Cleveland Classic Computer and Gaming show... I bought another 1050 drive for $20... probably too much money, but I figured that I needed it to recover part of my personal history... and it was A LOT cheaper than eBay.... So, today, I finally got the chance to hook it up.. I dragged my old, dusty 1200XL out and plugged it in... who knows if that still worked.. it has been years since I used that machine... it powered up! Now, the moment of truth... I plugged in the 1050, and grabbed my Hard Hat Mac disk.. nervous and trembling a bit (who knew this would be so emotional!), I put in inside the disk.. it spun and stopped, just like it was supposed to!... I rebooted, and the EA logo came up!!! then, after a couple of minutes.. the game itself! The drive works! And so do my disks (hopefully... only had time to test one)! I can't even begin to describe the feeling that came over me at that very moment as I stared at my 25" color display. It was like I had just been transported back in time... and, yet it was different, since my Atari was relegated to a B&W TV in my youth.... so many memories came flooding back... there was a sense of joy and excitement that I cannot even begin to describe.... It was just... awesome!! what an incredible and unique feeling! Who knew!!! So, now, I am one of you... I hope to post some of my old programs here, and maybe you can help me to figure out how to connect my APE-FACE parallel printer adapter so I can print them out... so much to do... lets hope my other disks have held out as well as Hard Hat Mac. Thanks for letting me share my story and I look forward to lots more conversations in the future! Thanks, Mike Edited May 30, 2007 by lord_mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raindog151 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Just out of curiousity, Cleveland OH? If so, were you a freenet user too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accousticguitar Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 That's pretty cool! I got my first Atari computer about a year ago, so there won't be any magical moments for me. Atari computers are still fun though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord_mike Posted May 30, 2007 Author Share Posted May 30, 2007 Just out of curiousity, Cleveland OH? If so, were you a freenet user too? YES! Only, I got in late in the game.... my first experience with freenet was a recipient of email from my friend's freenet account to my college email account... I was amazed that someone outside the system could email me! Later, I got my own account, but it was really hard to log in... eventually, I had to telnet into freenet, which defeats the whole purpose! Thanks, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomasholzer Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 you know, i boot up my XE from 1986 every two years and check out the games, and everything still works, i even used Convertional French the time i spent in france. (and it helped) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beetle Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Hi and welcome on Atariage I can't even begin to describe the feeling that came over me at that very moment as I stared at my 25" color display. It was like I had just been transported back in time... and, yet it was different, since my Atari was relegated to a B&W TV in my youth.... so many memories came flooding back... there was a sense of joy and excitement that I cannot even begin to describe.... It was just... awesome!! what an incredible and unique feeling! Who knew!!! I had exactly the same feeling when i dug out my a8 stuff after a 10 year break! Like powering on a time machine.... I think i got younger by years in that moment. Now i enjoy Atari as much as never before. Internet makes connecting to other Atarians so easy, and i feel like the community is more active than 10 years ago (which is not the fact, but since forums like this keep you tracked with whats going on ....) I suggest you get a SIO2PC (either RS232 or the new USB version) and connect your 1200XL to your PC and the (tel-)net. Greetings, Beetle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor_x Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 very cool man... im about to dust off my interest in 8-bit's again too, and am looking forward to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heaven/TQA Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 yeah. great memories and feelings when i am touching my 800XL and my 1050... very nice memories and one of the nicest 8bit computer around... still... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Guitarman Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 I have carried all my original Atari systems that I used from early-mid 80's to about '93 with me where ever I would go. It has been from CA. to MI to NV, back to CA, and now back in NV. I retired it all when I got into PC's and became an IT tech in '93 but still have all my original hardware and software I acquired during those years. About 6-7 years ago, I started to get a bit nostalgic when trying to explain ZORK and Hitchhiker's Guide to some friends and started looking into the Atari world again. That's when I found the Atari800Win emulator and ATR images. All it took was sitting down in front of the computer, running the emulator and booting a DOS 2.5 disk image, and it was all over!! Like Lord-Mike, I couldn't even explain the rush of excitement and emotion I felt gazing at the DOS menu on the screen. Within a week, I had found and downloaded probably a few thousand disk images from the internet. Of course, out came the Atari hardware. I have now accumulated just about all models of Atari 8/16/32 bit systems and game machines. I have found emulation to be a great way to quickly try things out or play a quick game, but it's hardware all the way for the day to day Atari fun!! And modding....I have definitely re-found my love for that part of it all!!! Now, with all the new and continuing developments and hardware for the Atari world, it is just like being in my 20's and living back in the 80's. I am STILL looking, buying and modding to improve these great systems. Now...if I could just get my hair back!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beetle Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Now...if I could just get my hair back!!! Ha ha ha! I double that one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pengwin Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 I think most of us know the feeling of rediscovering the a8 after a long break. Or any 8-bit computer really. When I powered up my atari after a long break, it transported me back to my youth and memories of playing the old games came flooding back. Fortunately, I still have my hair Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunstar Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 (edited) In the early 80's I became a proud owner of an Atari 1200XL that I got on clearance for $99. I was so happy to finally get a REAL computer after my joke Timex Sinclair 1000 machine. My folks were never too keen on me having an expensive computer, so it took a LOT of begging even to get this special deal. In time, I got a tape recorder, disk drive, a printer, etc... I spent many a summer programming that thing, and (of course) playing games. I had a lot of good memories of the Atari... I was in the same situation! I had been begging for an Apple IIc after extensive school experience with the Apple II line, but I just coudn't convince them to pay close to a grand for a computer, that they were probably certain(and right!) that I would use it to play games far more than for school work.Though if they had given in when I had first asked, I was currently in a BASIC programming class using Apple IIe's and I probably would have been more ambitious in learning to program and possibly a career choice. My first computer was a T/S 1000 they grudgingly bought me for my birthday one year, on clearance for dirt cheap, before the fall semester when I took the BASIC class, and the reason I took the elective. But since the class was long over before I got a REAL computer, and I had grown weary of programming due to having to spend a lot of free time at the school where I could use the computer to finish my BASIC homework(coding obviously). So by the time I actually DID get a REAL computer, it was in '85 and was a 130XE that I saved for and bought myself. In the end, I used the T/S 1000 to port the Apple BASIC code to the 1000, and by the time I got the XE had lost interest in programming and gained addiction to video gaming from my 2600. So my XE was mostly used for gaming(the T/S 1000 would have been used for gaming too, if it had been any good at it, but it couldn't compare to the 2600). Edited May 31, 2007 by Gunstar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunstar Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Sadly, about 15 years ago, my Atari 1050 drive failed.... It would spin up with a disk, then just spin and spin and spin with the red light on... but never read anything. I always meant to get another one, or repair this one, but as time went on, the prices went way up, and the availability went way down... if the disks are good still, like your Hard Hat Mac game, it sounds like your original 1050 drive head is just dirty (beyond even a cleaning disk recovery) and probably would still work, if you just opened it up and scrubbed the head with a Q-tip and Alcohol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunstar Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 (edited) Now...if I could just get my hair back!!! Ha ha ha! I double that one... Triple that, I had most of it till I was 30, and still am not bald yet, but at 39 it's getting extremely thin on top. There was a time when Hair Stylists would comment on how thick it was, which is probably the only reason I still have some on the top of my head at all. But there may be hope, they say they've found a cure for baldness using mice, so I'll just get mouse-hair transplants... Edited May 31, 2007 by Gunstar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.