Jump to content
IGNORED

What is the best single peripheral made for the Atari (past and present)?


ACML

Recommended Posts

Back in the day, to me the ATR-8000 was the best peripheral I ever had.

1) Ran up to four drives DSDD 5.25" and DSHD (a1.2Mb 5.25" formatted as a 77 track 8").

2) Parallel printer interface.

3) RS-232 interface for modems

4) Printer buffer

5) Ran CP/M

 

(snip)

 

Yes, in 1982-83 the ATR8000 was a very big deal. In 1982, the (then) president of C.H.A.O.S. user group visited our group in Indianapolis and demonstrated his ATR. We were very impressed!

 

-Larry

 

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd have to say a monochrome monitor purchased in 1983 for $50 USD was my best long term investment for the Atari. No more eye strain using budget TVs while typing.

 

However, at the time, I was more excited about the 2 drives and case I purchased for $50 for the ATR8000! :P

 

I still have the drives and the ATR8000. The monitor went POOF! :(

 

A close second is an SIO2PC cable. Emulators (dating around 2003) got me reinterested in the Atari 8bits but the SIO2PC brought me back.

 

-Steve Sheppard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really I think about CMI08.

 

It's external manipulators emulation.

 

All or almost all I don't know but...

We all need mouse (I don't want to say mouse. It may be Everything) manipulator.

 

All works goes internally (The way Atari loves) We obtain ... Positions, Deltas etc...

 

Anyway all your dreams come true, No matter are you intended to use stick,mouse or TToublet etc.

 

 

It's really killer HW.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought my Atari 1050 after a summer if mowing yards, and I was happy to have it, my Amber Amstel monitor also was very important. The old wavy tv I was using drove me mad, I even gave up color for a decent display.... But if you were to say you have to give up 2 of your 3 favorite peripherals, the one I would've kept without doubt is my 1030 modem. Of course it is garbage as a modem today... But it was important then for how it changed my experience with the machine and what I used it for.... I am not good at electronics but the one thing I did build successfully was the ring detector hanging off the joystick port.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Hands down, 1030 modem. I mean 300 BAUD sucked then and now, but it changed everything. I used to show people how I could log into the mainframe at work using my Atari. It is one of the major reasons why we are here today, why their are 8 million subscriptions to WoW, why there is a Facebook, ad infinitum. Second would be the interconnection we get do to SIO2PC. All the main players like ICD and OSS were there on CIS and now online is essentially the only way to do support. The popularity of Nick's SIO2PC kept us relevant and maintained our presence as things evolved. I mean there was no need to develop a second internet for things like the Android since it was established with what came before internet connectivity was the way to go.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love my drives and monitors, just that if all I had was a 1030 modem and Atari, I could still find a high degree of happiness on a text only Facebook!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hands down it has got to be SIO2PC-USB for me. When I first got back into the Atari's last year, I was still thinking in terms of needing a disk drive, and thanks to Bob I got a 1050. Funny thing is after receiving my first SIO2PC-USB device, the 1050 was no longer needed, or even desired. So now it's stored away in a box.

 

As for the past, I have to agree with ricortes. I still remember the excitement of connecting to my first BBS with my Atari, hitting return, and then seeing the welcome message type out on my screen. This was so frickin cool at the time!!!

 

- Michael

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Perhaps not by your definition of the word, but:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peripheral

would say that it is.

 

 

no it's isn't :-)
"computers : connected to a computer but not an essential part of it."
so if you say that U1MB is peripheral then any capacitor, diode or resistor on board are peripherals ;-)
"a device connected to a computer to provide communication (as input and output) or auxiliary functions (as additional storage)"
still U1mb is not pheripheral :-)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

 

no it's isn't :-)
"computers : connected to a computer but not an essential part of it."
so if you say that U1MB is peripheral then any capacitor, diode or resistor on board are peripherals ;-)
"a device connected to a computer to provide communication (as input and output) or auxiliary functions (as additional storage)"
still U1mb is not pheripheral :-)

 

extended RAM can be considered an 'auxiliary function,' but at the same time, U1MB provides features that are required by the computer to work (mostly since it totally replaces the ROM and MMU)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

extended RAM can be considered an 'auxiliary function,' but at the same time, U1MB provides features that are required by the computer to work (mostly since it totally replaces the ROM and MMU)

 

 

so... U1mb is not peripheral device

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hands down, 1030 modem. I mean 300 BAUD sucked then and now, but it changed everything. I used to show people how I could log into the mainframe at work using my Atari. It is one of the major reasons why we are here today, why their are 8 million subscriptions to WoW, why there is a Facebook, ad infinitum. Second would be the interconnection we get do to SIO2PC. All the main players like ICD and OSS were there on CIS and now online is essentially the only way to do support. The popularity of Nick's SIO2PC kept us relevant and maintained our presence as things evolved. I mean there was no need to develop a second internet for things like the Android since it was established with what came before internet connectivity was the way to go.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love my drives and monitors, just that if all I had was a 1030 modem and Atari, I could still find a high degree of happiness on a text only Facebook!

 

With you all the way, I never had the official Modem for obvious reasons but built one of our Maplin 300 Baud modems, it with the 850 was a big jump although I only got properly in to Modems and then the Internet of my Amiga. With the Atari I just used it to get some files but it felt like a bit of magic to get a file, namely, Buck Rogers from a well known er person was both fun and opened the door to more than just swapping disks.

 

And yes, a picture free FB would be a good start, I doubt my daughter would be happy but it would save on some of the sights I've been shown of what her mates do...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The best single peripheral for the Atari was the joystick -- specifically the CX40. You can play great games on an Atari computer or console without external storage or extra memory, but few games are worth playing without a joystick. If you are not going to play games, there is no point in sticking with an Atari.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The best single peripheral for the Atari was the joystick -- specifically the CX40. You can play great games on an Atari computer or console without external storage or extra memory, but few games are worth playing without a joystick. If you are not going to play games, there is no point in sticking with an Atari.

 

I'm not much into playing games, so I guess that means I should put all my Atari's up for sale and get the hell out of here :grin:

 

- Michael

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got through college using AtariWriter and an Epson ActionLaser II. I do all of those things on a Windows computer these days. If I did not have an Atari computer in the 80s, I could have used a DOS machine for those things. I could not, however, play Wizard of Wor, Bruce Lee, or Riverraid on a DOS computer. That is THE reason I had an Atari computer. If you are programming and composing documents on an Atari computer in the 21st century, I would LOVE to hear more about that.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

 

no it's isn't :-)
"computers : connected to a computer but not an essential part of it."
so if you say that U1MB is peripheral then any capacitor, diode or resistor on board are peripherals ;-)
"a device connected to a computer to provide communication (as input and output) or auxiliary functions (as additional storage)"
still U1mb is not pheripheral :-)

 

 

Incorrect. You can operate the computer without the U1MB. In fact, the computer came functional without it in the 1st place. You cant say the same for mainboard level components. That's the difference between essential and non essential. If you want to use the definition of connected by cable (or wireless I suppose), then you would be correct. I have seen that definition too, but I didn't bother trying to find it as it didn't help my case. ;-)

Edited by fujidude
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got through college using AtariWriter and an Epson ActionLaser II. I do all of those things on a Windows computer these days. If I did not have an Atari computer in the 80s, I could have used a DOS machine for those things. I could not, however, play Wizard of Wor, Bruce Lee, or Riverraid on a DOS computer. That is THE reason I had an Atari computer. If you are programming and composing documents on an Atari computer in the 21st century, I would LOVE to hear more about that.

Actually I do talk about what I am doing on the Atari quite often on AA. And although I have done a little bit of programming on it, I do much more of that with a PC under Linux. Which is also what I use for most all of my computer activities, some of which you mentioned. So what do I use the Atari for? Well for me it is a fun platform to hack hardware on, and to try to make it do things it never could before, or maybe just better than before. That to me is the 'game', or perhaps it would better be called the adventure. At any rate, it is what I enjoy.

 

- Michael

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Incorrect. You can operate the computer without the U1MB. In fact, the computer came functional without it in the 1st place. You cant say the same for mainboard level components. That's the difference between essential and non essential. If you want to use the definition of connected by cable (or wireless I suppose), then you would be correct. I have seen that definition too, but I didn't bother trying to find it as it didn't help my case. ;-)

not true :-)

1. if you remove u1mb then your atari has no mmu and no rom so,,, do not operate :-)

2. if you remove some resistors (SIO) atari still operate (even better)

 

so, in your understanding of the definition resistors are peripheral devices ;-) and u1mb is not, still. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To tell the truth.. who really CARES if the U1MB is a peripheral or not? It is still one of the best upgrades for the dear old A8. SIO2SD has to be about the most popular since all our old magnetic media is starting to show its age. And access to online repositories means anybody can acquire a "huge" collection of programs for their Atari. There is no need to pick to death whether something is a "peripheral" or not.. is it used and enjoyed and has it enhanced your Atari experience.. I believe that is what the OP was going for...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...