Trackstar - Apple II clone on a PC ISA card, new website + game disk images

[DeathAdderSF]

Hey guys,

Just a heads-up to let you know my Trackstar website is up, covering the E, 128 and also Quadram's Quadlink <-- These are all "Apple II on a PC ISA card" Apple II clones. Really cool little devices!
If you own these devices, esp. the Trackstar E or Plus, there's HUNDREDS of disk images in its TrackStore format that I've converted manually.
So you can download and enjoy a HUGE amount of software without needing real Apple II disks.

There's also a working KryoFlux disk image of the Trackstar 128 Utility Program disk, so you can create a disk with the copy protection intact which allows you to actually use your 128. This is perfect for those who -- like me -- bought their 128 without the necessary disk. D'oh!

There ain't a lot of info or resources about the Trackstar cards out there, so I hope mine fills the void.

Enjoy it @
www.diskman.com/presents/trackstar

[CaptainBreakout]

Wow thanks! A resource like this didn't exist when I got my Trackstar IIe... I pretty much gave up since I had no manual or software or anything. Maybe I'll give it another go!

[DeathAdderSF]

I hope you do give it another try. It's a really cool little gizmo. Lots of fun to be had with the Trackstar series.

Edited October 5, 2018 by DeathAdderSF

[DeathAdderSF]

OK, so my Trackstar website was finally redesigned, and updated with lots of new info, scans, and downloads. Come by and have a look!

 

www.diskman.com/presents/trackstar

[TheDevil'sCompass]

This is really cool. I never heard of this back then. When I read Trackstar (I realize now it's spelled differently), I thought of this ad from Computist magazine:

 

 

 

[DeathAdderSF]

1 hour ago, TheDevil'sCompass said:

This is really cool.

 

Indeed. They're fascinating devices; fun to use and experiment with. The Trackstar E and Plus are the best of the lot, as they can load & run floppy disk and HDD images directly off the hard drive. That means no need to bother connecting them to a floppy drive at all.

[DeathAdderSF]

The scans page just had a few nice additions made to it: An article about the Quadlink from the June, 1983 issue of PC Magazine, and four different advertisements for the Quadlink.

 

www.diskman.com/presents/trackstar/scans.htm

[+OLD CS1]

Really cool.  I would have had fun running one of these via a PC bridge board in an Amiga 2000

[DeathAdderSF]

Hey, who wants to pull their old-timey Trackstar v1 (from 1984!) out of mothballs and give it a go? *raises hand* I stumbled upon a complete kit last week, and made great haste in archiving the software and documentation. So! If you've got one of these majestic dinosaurs lying around, but no software to get it up and running... stop reading this and pop on over to the operating software and scans pages of my website!

www.diskman.com/presents/trackstar/software.htm
www.diskman.com/presents/trackstar/scans.htm

Edited March 15, 2023 by DeathAdderSF

[DeathAdderSF]

A bunch of really neat scans were just added to my Trackstar website, mostly relating to the Trackstar 128. There's a full color leaflet, a question and answer flyer, keyboard overlays, and a flyer with some absolutely smashing chariot artwork on it. There's also a Trackstar Plus new product release flyer. Check 'em out!

 

www.diskman.com/presents/trackstar/scans.htm

Edited April 10, 2023 by DeathAdderSF

[+H454]

Has anyone tried this Quadlink clone kit sold threw a2heaven?

https://www.a2heaven.com/webshop/index.php?rt=product/product&product_id=177

GitHub link

https://github.com/schlae/quapple

[+OLD CS1]

2 hours ago, H454 said:

Has anyone tried this Quadlink clone kit sold threw a2heaven?

https://www.a2heaven.com/webshop/index.php?rt=product/product&product_id=177

GitHub link

https://github.com/schlae/quapple

Woah.  This may sound sick (not the good sick, but maybe,) but I would want to run this in my Amiga 2000 with a BridgeBoard.  Amiga, XT, and A2 hardware all in one box.

[DeathAdderSF]

11 hours ago, H454 said:

Has anyone tried this Quadlink clone kit

https://github.com/schlae/quapple

 

It's a 1:1 clone of my own Quadlink board, so the functionality is identical. Do keep in mind it requires a PC using exactly a 4.77 MHz 8088 CPU, because that's what it was engineered for. Anything faster will crash it. That's a limitation of the original design. I used my Quadlink in an IBM 5160, and it worked great: I just flipped the OFF switch on my 286 accelerator board before starting it up.

Edited April 14, 2023 by DeathAdderSF

[DeathAdderSF]

9 hours ago, OLD CS1 said:

I would want to run this in my Amiga 2000 with a BridgeBoard.  Amiga, XT, and A2 hardware all in one box.

 

I'd strongly recommend getting a Trackstar E instead, and trying that out. The Quadlink was specifically designed to work with the IBM XT; compatibility with other 8088-based machines isn't guaranteed, especially an exotic one like the Bridgeboard. If you get a Trackstar E, not only will you have access to superior features and software, you'll also not have to worry about making floppy drive and PC Speaker connections, as the E can use virtual disk images and sends its sound output directly to the PC Speaker.

Edited April 14, 2023 by DeathAdderSF

[DeathAdderSF]

Today I've finally finished & released Trackstar games pack #1, which is a hard drive image containing 180 unique games: each of which has been compatibility tested. If you're tired of mucking about with floppy disk images, this is your chance to go gonzo! Simply load up this pack on your Trackstar E or Plus, and have a great time!

 

www.diskman.com/presents/trackstar/hd1.htm

 

I've also added a pinout for the Trackstar Plus VGA cable to the scans page, courtesy of Korrey Moore. If you need to build a custom cable, look no further!

 

www.diskman.com/presents/trackstar/scans.htm

[DeathAdderSF]

LGR upped a neato vid about the Trackstar cards. Check it out if you're interested in seeing everything these babies can do!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-6AKe2pvsQ

Edited July 8, 2023 by DeathAdderSF

[DeathAdderSF]

Just a heads up y'all, I've listed the bulk of my Trackstar collection on ePay...

 

Check out Brandon's eBay stuffs!

 

I'm a "research collector" and "collect to use" kind of guy; everything I listed has outlived its purpose for me, thus it's all better off in someone else's hands. So if you're interested in owning & trying out one of these cool gizmos, here's a fab opportunity - as they don't often pop up for sale, and when they do, the sellers are generally greedy bastards.

[tommywiz]

Nice!!! Thanks!!!!

I recently purchased an IBM 5150 loaded with expansion cards.

One of those was a Trackstar 128. Id never heard of such a thing and I was around back then. Sadly as I read up on it I realized I would need special software to even use it!

As soon as I get the 5150 cleaned up and running Im gonna check out your web site!

[DeathAdderSF]

Merry 2024! Today marks the addition of the Quadlink Software Revision 3.0 documentation addendum, found in the manuals of later versions of the product. Thanks to Steve Hutton for the scan!

 

https://www.diskman.com/presents/trackstar/scans.htm