toptenmaterial Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 I am going to be getting a 130XE soon, and already have an 800. My experience with the A8 line has been the 800 and, from time to time, the 5200 (which I am inclined to include in the A8 line). Now, I have a pretty good sense of what the Atari 8-bit machines can and can't do. But what can the 130XE do that the 800 cannot? Are there better games available? Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 The extra memory can be used as a RAM disk. 64K games will work. Not sure how many games NEED 64K. In my opinion, the 800 (or 800XL) is better than the 130 XE. Just my opinion mind you...but I've always had trouble reading the reset/start/option/help buttons on the XE's, the XE keyboard is kind of squishy, and the cart port is hard to work with. I ended up selling mine, as I never used it. 800XL is my main choice...easiest to use for me. Let us know what you think once you get yours. 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2826979 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+CyranoJ Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 It can sit under a really low shelf with a cartridge inserted. 7 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2826984 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faicuai Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 I am going to be getting a 130XE soon, and already have an 800. (...) Lot of it depends on your memories and personal preference... but (functionally speaking), you may consider getting Incognito, upgrading your 800 with it, and never look back. Just watch how nicely VideoBlitz runs on the "JM" 800... 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2826989 Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfollett Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Check out this thread on programs that used the extra memory of the 130xe: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/125640-130xes-extra-memory/ Bob Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2827039 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 It can hide in a gray room. 4 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2827119 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marius Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Comparing XE with Atari 800 (OSB) is much more different, than comparing 800XL to 130XE. When I had to chose between an 48K 800 (PAL) and a 130XE (PAL) without anything else... I am afraid I would have to pick the 130XE, since it simply runs much more software. Not only the titles with extra memory, but also the titles that use XL/XE os, and the memory beneath the OS (so 64KB). Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2827127 Share on other sites More sharing options...
russg Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 (edited) I am going to be getting a 130XE soon, and already have an 800. My experience with the A8 line has been the 800 and, from time to time, the 5200 (which I am inclined to include in the A8 line). Now, I have a pretty good sense of what the Atari 8-bit machines can and can't do. But what can the 130XE do that the 800 cannot? Are there better games available?The most significant inability of the 800 is disk versions of SpartaDOS. Significant to me because I prefer SpartaDOS 3.2g. MyDOS 4.53 works fine. There are some games that don't require extra memory, but do require an XL/XE because they use RAM under the OS, which 800 doesn't have. Edited September 10, 2013 by russg 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2827131 Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorclu Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Russg said it quite well. SpartaDos is a biggie (though SpartaDos 1 will work). I have a Atari 800 which I like a lot. I have the incogneto... which I need to install. I think the reason I have not jumped on that is my current tinkering on the 800 does not need it. But then right now I run Flickerterm for calling out, and most of the games I play run just fine with 48K. So when you start to notice the lack of 64K or above or the XL/XE memory is in things like ICE-T XE, some demos, applications (I remember there was a new word processor that I had to slap in Warerat's XL/XE mod to run) But other than that, the 800 unmodified can accomplish a lot on its own. It also has one of the better keyboards, best video out, and when you get tired of the memory limitations, it can be upgraded further now. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2827181 Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 I remember there was a new word processor that I had to slap in Warerat's XL/XE mod to run Yes - The Last Word requires the RAM under the OS. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2827215 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilaskey Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Did the 800xl have that poke to enable fine text scrolling or was that XE only? Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2827277 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marius Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Finescroll is an antic feature. All atari 8bit computers can do that. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2827310 Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Finescroll is an antic feature. All atari 8bit computers can do that. Yes, but only the XL OS and upwards have the fine scroll register at $26E. Poking non-zero there will do nothing on an 800. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2827327 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irgendwer Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Are there better games available? http://a8.fandal.cz/search.php?search=130xe&butt_details_x=x Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2827379 Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam242 Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 The 130XE can run Bop'n Wrestle. Score one for the 800. 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2827427 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dripfree Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 It can hide in a gray room. Awesome! Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2827448 Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenjennings Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 Yes, but only the XL OS and upwards have the fine scroll register at $26E. Poking non-zero there will do nothing on an 800. It's not really a register. It's a flag for the OS that tells it to manage fine scrolling in GRAPHICS 0. After poking the location you have to call graphics 0 for this to work. It is slick looking and also great if you like to watch really, really, really, slow listings scroll by. 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2827507 Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenjennings Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 It can hide in a gray room. It used to be able to hide in plain sight in a light grey room. Now it needs to hide in the shadows or a darker grey room (with just a tinge of puke yellow.) Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2827508 Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelmischief Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 If you do whole disk copies and have only one drive, you'll be able to do a full disk in a single pass with only one swap for source and destination. Hey, you asked. 1 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2827529 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Stephen Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 It is slick looking and also great if you like to watch really, really, really, slow listings scroll by.Wish there was a speed flag Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2827585 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Norris Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 The ribbon connector to the keyboard on the Atari 130-XE wears out where it rubs the metal shroud unless you put something there to protect it... like electrical tape. Newer 130XEs came with a piece of plastic to protect the ribbon cable I think. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2828013 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+therealbountybob Posted September 15, 2013 Share Posted September 15, 2013 Yes the single pass copying on the XE is great and the ramdisk is invaluable for programming BASIC or Assembler Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/216534-what-can-a-130xe-do-that-an-800-cant/#findComment-2830233 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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