Best Way To enjoy My 800 Again?

[stevefulton]

So now that i'm working from home, I want to get my Atari 800 (or XL) up and running again. My goal is to buy one/some/all of the fan-made products available to make it work like this?

 

1. I want to play cartridge and disk based games as roms or .atr files loaded onto some kind of Flash ROM module or IDE/USB hard drive.

2. For disk based games, I'd like the ability to save the game.

3. I want to play on the original hardware (no PC or Mac based emulators).

4. I don't want to mess with a disk-drive as I simply don't have the space for the equipment (let's just say I need to make sure the whole system can be hidden from view in a drawer)

 

 

My goals are to:

 

1. Play all my old favorite games, and save them.

2. Develop a couple new games myself.

 

So, what are the best options?

 

Sorry if this is a common question.

[olavese@online.no]

So now that i'm working from home, I want to get my Atari 800 (or XL) up and running again. My goal is to buy one/some/all of the fan-made products available to make it work like this?

 

1. I want to play cartridge and disk based games as roms or .atr files loaded onto some kind of Flash ROM module or IDE/USB hard drive.

2. For disk based games, I'd like the ability to save the game.

3. I want to play on the original hardware (no PC or Mac based emulators).

4. I don't want to mess with a disk-drive as I simply don't have the space for the equipment (let's just say I need to make sure the whole system can be hidden from view in a drawer)

 

 

My goals are to:

 

1. Play all my old favorite games, and save them.

2. Develop a couple new games myself.

 

So, what are the best options?

 

Sorry if this is a common question.

 

Go for an APE2USB adapter, that would be my choice. http://www.atarimax.com/

 

Excellent service and quality. The game ATR will act as a disk drive and save as it would on a standard floppy. Games can be found at :

http://www.atarimania.com/

http://atari.fandal.cz/

 

and some on my site : http://pokeysoft.no/games/

[+Philsan]

You'll find some answers in this thread's first post:

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/176545-topic-for-newbies/

[stevefulton]

 

 

Go for an APE2USB adapter, that would be my choice. http://www.atarimax.com/

 

Excellent service and quality. The game ATR will act as a disk drive and save as it would on a standard floppy. Games can be found at :

http://www.atarimania.com/

http://atari.fandal.cz/

 

and some on my site : http://pokeysoft.no/games/

 

Does APE2USB require the computer to be connected at all times? I'd like to use one of those USB passport drive, or even just a USB key.

[+Philsan]

Go for an APE2USB adapter, that would be my choice. http://www.atarimax.com/

 

Excellent service and quality. The game ATR will act as a disk drive and save as it would on a standard floppy. Games can be found at :

http://www.atarimania.com/

http://atari.fandal.cz/

 

and some on my site : http://pokeysoft.no/games/

 

Does APE2USB require the computer to be connected at all times? I'd like to use one of those USB passport drive, or even just a USB key.

I think with APE2USB olavese means SIO2PC USB version.

If it is the case, as written in the page I linked

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/176545-topic-for-newbies/

you need to always have a PC near your Atari (when you want to load or save).

 

BTW, Vidal, I've added your page to my Newbies post.

[+orpheuswaking]

Get a sio2sd or SDrive

[JohnBuell]

I'll second what Orpheus said - SD cards are cheap, a dedicated SD-USB reader is equally cheap, it's hard to go wrong!

[mimo]

I'll third it then. I still have sio2pc but very very rarely use it, the sdrive nuxx on the other hand gets used almost every day

[+wood_jl]

I'll pile on and recommend the stuff they did.

 

But the SD-card reader is ***NOT** cheap. I don't know where people are getting this information. Please point to a CHEAP SD-card reader, somebody.

 

The SIO2PC cable, on the other hand, is relatively cheap. I have both. And like MIMO said, I have Sdrive and I use it all the time, and I don't use SIO2PC all the time. But Sdrive was something like $150, fully assembled and shipped.

 

I'd start out with SIO2PC cable, **THEN** see how much you like it. Then move from there. You can do everything (and more) with the SIO2PC cable. You can use the PC printer on the Atari, you can use the PC internet connection to TELNET to real Atari BBS on the Atari. When I want to do these things, I unplug the Sdrive and plug in SIO2PC.

 

If you're rich, then by all means order 1 of everything. But you may find the SIO2PC cable handy part of the time even if you end up getting Sdrive (or SIO2SD, a similar thing to Sdrive - both SD readers) and it's cheaper and it's a pretty good way to start.

[mimo]

USB card readers are dirt cheap, for example this one

http://www.dealextre...y-card-reader-6

 

I picked one up in the UK at a local supermarket for a little over $10

or did you mean one for the Atari?

SIO2SD is about $85 http://afs.atari.org/sio2sd.htm, but I am sure I have seen them cheaper on ebay

[Ransom]

I have an SIO2PC, and it's all kinds of awesome. Not only can I use my Mac as an array of fast floppy drives, I can also print to it. And that rocks.

 

I plan on getting an SDrive some day, but for now the SIO2PC is doing great for me.

 

(Of course it helps to have a laptop. If I had a desktop, I'm not so sure I'd be as happy with the SIO2PC.)

[+Philsan]

As written many times,

- if you have a PC near your Atari and you like having it turned on, SIO2PC is the best solution

otherwise

- SIO2SD (or SDrive) to enjoy all existing software on an SD card

or

- Atarimax flash cartidges if you like a fast loading cartridge with a limited number of games on it.

 

Regarding SIO2SD - SDrive comparison, here you'll find the reasons why I prefer SIO2SD.

Here you'll find that SIO2SD has features that SDrive doesn't have.

 

Regarding SIO2SD price, one of the cheaper is from AA user Pigula (40 Euro).

 

Please read my post for links:

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/176545-topic-for-newbies/

 

EDIT

I read topic's starter wants to develop games too.

In that case and if he wants to develop using his Atari, the choice is between SIO2SD (or SDrive) and SIO2PC, devices that simulates disk drives.

[kurtm]

The SIO2PC cable, on the other hand, is relatively cheap. I have both. And like MIMO said, I have Sdrive and I use it all the time, and I don't use SIO2PC all the time. But Sdrive was something like $150, fully assembled and shipped.

 

An SIO2PC cable is probably cheapest, yes.

 

The SDrive NUXX was $150 shipped. But it was done as a sort of deluxe edition. It had custom photo-printed panels on an enclosure. Other SDrives are not (or shouldn't be) $150.