FireBee Computer - Anybody own one?

[tjb]

I was looking at the FireBee the other day and read a thread in this forum around 2010 timeframe. I'm curious if anyone here purchased one and if so, how is it?

 

tjb

[Mathias]

Of course I got my own one, and use it on a (nearly) daily basis. But I am unsure you like some informations from somebody who is deeply inside the project?

It´s still "Alpha - Edition" but it really feels like a computer, and is usable for several day to day (GEM-) tasks. As I wrote in the german forum some days ago, I am on my way to use it exclusively as only computer. That´s recently not possible, but the last months I often powered it up instead of my Mac to do small and quik tasks in more easy ways.

 

So if you have exact or special questions please go ahead.

[OBO]

Well, I'm interested in this one too.

 

One thing to consider is I'm not a techie, more of a power user.

 

I really would like to use a Firebee for everyday computing tasks, like web browsing (for example, here on atariage), mail, RSS...

Maybe gaming once Klaz get out of his long sleep and adapt for Firebee old games.

[Mathias]

Well, as said, you need to ask exact questions. RSS is working, Netsurf is working quite well (even if you need to be patient, as it is not 100% optimized, and sometimes needs several seconds for rendering), of course no Javascript. USB (mice, kbd, sticks) are working very well, SD card, CompactFlash as well.

 

Missing is recently; SCSI, ROM-Port, Game-Port, ACSI

Not well working/recently under construction are: Printer (paralell), FLoppy (just reading yet), MIDI

 

Thats why it is called "Alpha Status"

Everything else is in good usable condition.

 

About half of the GEM applications I am testing, are working out of the box. Tell me what you like to do and I can say if it works right now already.

 

Edit: (Beside Typo), the screenshot is with 1680 x 1050 @ 32 Bit

Edited December 25, 2012 by Mathias

[+Gemintronic]

Any workarounds to the Line-A incompatibly issue? Could someone make an ST emulator for the FireBee that passes through most instructions but handles situations like this?

[Mathias]

Any workarounds to the Line-A incompatibly issue? Could someone make an ST emulator for the FireBee that passes through most instructions but handles situations like this?

First, the FireBee is a "Falcon Clone" not a replacement for STs (take a Suska if you like STE compatibility). It is also dedicated to GEM usage, and productive applications.

 

Next point is; for how long now Line-A should not be used? And no, as it looks now there will never be a "Line-A" "native solution".

 

Nevertheless there are 2 parts of software that are helpful: Vincents 68k CPU, that runs a software-emulated CPU at the FireBee, and now as well Hatari. Of course Hatari would need some improvments, and it is not that funny to "totally emulate" with 264 MHz, but it is possible.

 

Of course our compatibility focus is at clean GEM applications, and everything else like ST-Stuff is a fancy addon. For example Klatzs first patch for Arcanoid, etc.

Edited December 25, 2012 by Mathias

[tjb]

Well, as said, you need to ask exact questions. RSS is working, Netsurf is working quite well (even if you need to be patient, as it is not 100% optimized, and sometimes needs several seconds for rendering), of course no Javascript. USB (mice, kbd, sticks) are working very well, SD card, CompactFlash as well.

 

Missing is recently; SCSI, ROM-Port, Game-Port, ACSI

Not well working/recently under construction are: Printer (paralell), FLoppy (just reading yet), MIDI

 

Thats why it is called "Alpha Status"

Everything else is in good usable condition.

 

About half of the GEM applications I am testing, are working out of the box. Tell me what you like to do and I can say if it works right now already.

 

Edit: (Beside Typo), the screenshot is with 1680 x 1050 @ 32 Bit

 

Thanks for the replies. It seems that while it may still be considered to be in the alpha stage it is still very usable. I was asking about it because I was considering purchasing one.

 

tjb

[AtariSociety]

May I ask what books would be an asset to getting back into Atari and relearning Atari if one has been away for a very long time and does not remember much.

 

I was an Atari user up to around 1994 and since then left.

 

I know Firebee uses a much newer OS so will a book about TOS help me relearn how to use an Atari for every day computing?

 

What is recommended for someone like me?

 

TJ

[Mathias]

TJ, the FireBee has FireTOS a slightly adapted TOS 4.04 for Falcons inside the ROM. So any Falcon manual will do or any TOS "first steps" - it´s the same TOS. So you will remember many things as soon as you work with TOS again. Next "layer" is the FreeMiNT setup that we deliver preinstalled at the Compact Flash card (if you like). It is a "GEM dedicated" MiNT without any Unix stuff. So if you are familiar with TOS GEM (again) you will be able to use this MiNT immediatly. Just graphical stuff, and several small new GAM applications for configuring. Only the MiNT- as XaAES config may be of interrest (later). You can try to answer some of your questions here: http://wiki.sparemin...x.php/Main_Page

 

But belive me that MiNT is as easy as TOS itselve. You can use the preinstalled stuff to explore MiNT XaAES and the Thing or Teradesk desktops, without problems.

 

If you step into any opened questions or problems, just ask at the various forums, Atariguys are nice people - and there is no silly question!Edit: you can find the Falcon Owners Manual here: http://dev-docs.atariforge.org/

Edited December 28, 2012 by Mathias

[Mathias]

Ah, and some important parts that I missed about unfinished stuff: there is recently no DSP and no Blitter implemented inside the FPGA. That means slooow scrolling as no Falcon DSP applications right now. The Blitter is under construction by Wolfgang Förster and will be done the upcoming months, for the DSP there is no timeline (its half finished) as we have no VHDL manpower recently (volunteers?).

 

All updates for the FPGA are doable with a nice GEM programm from the desktop, like a "Firmware update". Works well for 2 years now.

[+Gemintronic]

First, the FireBee is a "Falcon Clone" not a replacement for STs (take a Suska if you like STE compatibility). It is also dedicated to GEM usage, and productive applications.

 

Next point is; for how long now Line-A should not be used? And no, as it looks now there will never be a "Line-A" "native solution".

 

Nevertheless there are 2 parts of software that are helpful: Vincents 68k CPU, that runs a software-emulated CPU at the FireBee, and now as well Hatari. Of course Hatari would need some improvments, and it is not that funny to "totally emulate" with 264 MHz, but it is possible.

 

Of course our compatibility focus is at clean GEM applications, and everything else like ST-Stuff is a fancy addon. For example Klatzs first patch for Arcanoid, etc.

 

Looks like GFA BASIC is making progress on being ported. For me that's a "killer app"

http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=92&t=24029

[lp060]

Not really ported, more like fixed. To get around the Line-A issues, there is now a GFA library for the FireBee. If you are writing a new app, its pretty easy to get it running on the FireBee. If its some old app, one needs to recompile the orignal source code.

[+DarkLord]

Don't actually have it yet, but I just bought Slor's Firebee, so put me on the list

of Firebee owners.

 

(and thanks James!!!!)

[AnakiMana]

After reading this thread just now, I was wondering: is there a status page on the development of FireBee features? Like a checklist that gets updated as breakthroughs are made? Or do we have to read every FireBee thread and parse through all the information? (I love reading these forums, but it's hard to keep everything straight in my head!)

[Gunstar]

I recently watched a firebee video on youtube, however it was in german, so I couldn't understand what was being said. I thought it was a new OS for upgraded Falcons, like those with 060 or similiar processor upgrades, and Falcons with Raedeon Graphics cards, etc. So you are saying this is an entirely new computer based on the Falcon, and i would have to get the Clone computer? It's not a new OS/desktop for upgraded Falcons?

 

I went to Wikipiedia and it answered my questions above about Firebee, it is a "modern" TOS computer. But will FireTOS work with CT60/63 upgrade Falcons too?

 

If I can afford it, I'd love to have a Firebee if they get released, but I just got a Falcon and really want to upgrade it for now, at least until the Firebee is finished. Of course I still have to find CT60/63 boards and other graphic card upgades for my Falcon.

Edited April 6, 2013 by Gunstar

[+DarkLord]

The Firebee is available *now* and has been for some time. (last year I think?)

 

There are websites with more information:

 

http://acp.atari.org/

 

http://www.atari-forum.com/wiki/index.php?title=Firebee

 

http://medusacomputer.com/firebee.html

 

HTHs.

 

PS I just recently acquired a FireBee myself, but I've not had time

to do anything with it - once I do, I'll post pictures and my experiences

with it.

[lp060]

After reading this thread just now, I was wondering: is there a status page on the development of FireBee features? Like a checklist that gets updated as breakthroughs are made? Or do we have to read every FireBee thread and parse through all the information? (I love reading these forums, but it's hard to keep everything straight in my head!)

 

They really should add one directly to the site, similar to how the suska project does it. Easy to find and straightforward. It could even help attract developers with "developer needed" entries for missing features/components. My 2 cents.

Edited April 6, 2013 by lp060