It’s okay to like the VCS.

[Mockduck]

I have read the entirety of the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (yeh, I'm a nerd like that) and it is total boilerplate, with no reference to cryptocurrency in it. They'd have to change their terms of service and people would have to agree to it if they wanted the VCS to power crypto.

[Keatah]

It may be necessary to like the VCS.

 

The video said it's a PC and a console. Ok. I can get that. The video also said that it can boot any PC operating system. Any OS? They show 10, so that's ok But what about DOS, 98, XP? If so that's a YUGE plus in my book.

 

What I'm getting at is that it takes some convincing to get people to hook up a computer to their living room TV. There's this weird level of fear or "no I don't want it" or "I don't need it". Even with those little unassuming Intel NUC boxes. Seems like there's a year or two's resistance to just having it there. Then it slowly becomes accepted and then necessary. Kid's homework, zoom, online family shopping, games, streaming, media box, DVR, all these things and more. Each "install" I did it seems the computer had to work doubletime to gain acceptance.

 

Perhaps the VCS can break through the stigma of a family room computer. A stigma that's been there since before the Gateway Destination rigs.

[+Random Terrain]

I wanted a WebTV before I got a PC in 1999. Never got one, though.

 

youtu.be/T0YblbVNPKw

 

[Atarick]

29 minutes ago, Random Terrain said:

I wanted a WebTV before I got a PC in 1999. Never got one, though.

 

youtu.be/T0YblbVNPKw

 

That guy's reactions in the video, every last one, are identical to mine when I get past the second screen of Double Dragon on the 2600.

[Keatah]

The first 2 seconds of the vid sound like the color bars on Netflix. And toward the end I was hearing the opening notes to Ramblin' Man.

 

Anyhow..I was always ambiguous about WebTV, maybe because I had already done the BBS thing and was (or had been) using The Source, Compuserve, AOL, and Usenet. Aside from that, why didn't WebTV become a thing?

 

Edited December 28, 2020 by Keatah
change range of paranthesitical inclusion

[Atarick]

28 minutes ago, Keatah said:

The first 2 seconds of the vid sound like the color bars on Netflix. And toward the end I was hearing the opening notes to Ramblin' Man.

 

Anyhow..I was always ambiguous about WebTV, maybe because I had already done the BBS thing and was (or had) been using The Source, Compuserve, AOL, and Usenet. Aside from that, why didn't WebTV become a thing?

 

My guess would be the emergence of things like PalmPilot and BlackBerry around the same time. While not smart phones, they embedded a lot of "at a touch" information services that could be regularly obtained via a handheld device. That was huge. No, not a smartphone, but for the era, kind of a game changer. Laptops also dropped in price substantially after about 2000, which may be another reason. In a way, things like streaming and Zoom may have made us come full circle. Now, in the age of smartphones, the desire to have ease of access and a one stop shop for various lifestyle apps and media may be more important that whether such a commodity is mobile. I could see something like the VCS, or similar, coming into vogue in that way if it were designed, equipped, and marketed to fill that niche.

[zzip]

On 12/28/2020 at 3:58 PM, Keatah said:

But what about DOS, 98, XP? If so that's a YUGE plus in my book.

Can they run on modern bare-metal hardware?   If yes, then it should work.   The bigger problem is they aren't likely to have the graphics and sound drivers needed, so probably you'd be better off running them in a VM or under emulation

[Keatah]

Yes. But, the video said any operating system. So to me that means any.

 

A stickler semantical point? Perhaps. But they said so!

 

[godslabrat]

23 hours ago, Atarick said:

My guess would be the emergence of things like PalmPilot and BlackBerry around the same time. While not smart phones, they embedded a lot of "at a touch" information services that could be regularly obtained via a handheld device. That was huge. No, not a smartphone, but for the era, kind of a game changer. Laptops also dropped in price substantially after about 2000, which may be another reason. In a way, things like streaming and Zoom may have made us come full circle. Now, in the age of smartphones, the desire to have ease of access and a one stop shop for various lifestyle apps and media may be more important that whether such a commodity is mobile. I could see something like the VCS, or similar, coming into vogue in that way if it were designed, equipped, and marketed to fill that niche.

I would also say that browsing the web on a CRT tv wasn't quite a great experience.  It wasn't bad, but it needed HD resolution for lots of layouts.  And when HD sets dropped in price, like atariack said, better options were around.

[Keatah]

I can see that. The one-click experience will likely always rule the nest. The atari vcs seems to provide the same gameplay in classic Asteroids as MAME or other bartop & mini-arcade machines do. Difference being the amount of setup. MAME requires you to understand file folders and structures, how to edit .INI files, where to get roms, how to configure controllers, displays, and 2x all that if doing CRT & vector effects. Per game.

 

People would by far and away prefer to fight against and maintain tedious account details over and over again, instead of learning how to brew up their own emulation rig.

[MarcelM]

To reply on the topic title. I love my new VCS. For me, I am just proud to see Atari survive and see a new product after the Jaguar, which of course, I also love. It is hard for me to understand the haters. I am just happy to play the old games on a decent TV with a fabulous controller, and I am just waiting for more to come. And in the mean time I will still use my older hardware. The discussion about the sacred Atari name and that the new VCS is not the same, I understand the emotions but I am just proud a new generation gets to know the past via the VCS

[AlecRob]

On 12/30/2020 at 9:22 AM, MarcelM said:

To reply on the topic title. I love my new VCS. For me, I am just proud to see Atari survive and see a new product after the Jaguar, which of course, I also love. It is hard for me to understand the haters. I am just happy to play the old games on a decent TV with a fabulous controller, and I am just waiting for more to come. And in the mean time I will still use my older hardware. The discussion about the sacred Atari name and that the new VCS is not the same, I understand the emotions but I am just proud a new generation gets to know the past via the VCS

I just got my VCS today and i'm really liking it!  so far i've just used the web browser and missile command and vault.  the form factor and build quality of the machine feels great in the hands and looks so sexy.  I'm posting this reply from the VCS, with a unicomp Model M buckling spring keyboard attached.

[zzip]

On 12/29/2020 at 5:06 PM, Keatah said:

Yes. But, the video said any operating system. So to me that means any.

 

A stickler semantical point? Perhaps. But they said so!

Sorry, I think you're just going to have to get your OS/2 Warp fix elsewhere :)

[justclaws]

Here's somebody that likes the VCS. ?

 

 

[joeatari1]

Received my VCS yesterday and tried it out.  I am pleased with the build quality of the unit.  It is much heavier than I thought it would be.  The OS and store front just needs a little tweaking.

 

The modern controllers work well and are built nicely.  The classic joysticks are built well in my opinion but don't seem to play so nice in certain games.  I played pong ok but Missile Command Recharged, Centipede, Millipede and a couple others seemed to not respond to inputs.  Hopefully this is just a software update and a patch will be forthcoming.

 

Atari has stated there will be a large OS update in the coming weeks and hopefully most of the issues will be worked out.  I am waiting for the update before I make any purchases in the store that require $.  Overall I like the VCS, there are just a few bugs to fix.

 

[MrBeefy]

On 1/7/2021 at 11:16 AM, justclaws said:

Here's somebody that likes the VCS. ?

 

 

ETA is always good about breaking down these things. He will do a teardown video showing the innards more closely, I would imagine.

[justclaws]

It's the people who bought a machine, and are having fun with it, who like their new VCS.
I couldn't think which thread to put this in - it's not a review, not a demo, not a review. ? 
Some people have forgetten what consoles are really for. Not THIS dad and son!
 

I just watched a different video about an O/S update on another console - the YouTuber said:
"There's nothing more exciting than an unexpected operating system update..." THAT is sad.

[AlecRob]

Bought a couple of treats for my VCS.  M.2 for a win10 install.  Eventually i’ll get an external drive for linux mint

Edited January 21, 2021 by AlecRob

[justclaws]

I think this video deserved to be here... ?
I'm not much interested usually in watching other people play games, unless I am
trying to get past a boss or tricky level, but this makes me smile just like I used to
playing video-games with my son. The VCS is a fun platform, whatever our ages.
 

 

[leech]

On 12/28/2020 at 1:58 PM, Keatah said:

It may be necessary to like the VCS.

 

The video said it's a PC and a console. Ok. I can get that. The video also said that it can boot any PC operating system. Any OS? They show 10, so that's ok But what about DOS, 98, XP? If so that's a YUGE plus in my book.

 

What I'm getting at is that it takes some convincing to get people to hook up a computer to their living room TV. There's this weird level of fear or "no I don't want it" or "I don't need it". Even with those little unassuming Intel NUC boxes. Seems like there's a year or two's resistance to just having it there. Then it slowly becomes accepted and then necessary. Kid's homework, zoom, online family shopping, games, streaming, media box, DVR, all these things and more. Each "install" I did it seems the computer had to work doubletime to gain acceptance.

 

Perhaps the VCS can break through the stigma of a family room computer. A stigma that's been there since before the Gateway Destination rigs.

Ha, now that the secure boot can be disabled, I should try '98 on it.  Something tells me that would fail.  DOS might work, though does it work on systems that have dropped some 16 bit stuff?  I bet FreeDOS would work.

[leech]

On 1/7/2021 at 7:28 AM, zzip said:

Sorry, I think you're just going to have to get your OS/2 Warp fix elsewhere

Doesn't run AmigaOS 4.  So Disappoint! 

 

Actually I bet I could get it to work through FS-UAE or WinUAE

Technically you could run any OS on it through emulation through the 'PC mode'.

[justclaws]

...and it's OK to love the console and games too!  
 

 

[leech]

2 hours ago, justclaws said:

...and it's OK to love the console and games too!  
 

 

 

[justclaws]

It's great to see Atari's COO also has real passion for the product!
 

 

[zzip]

2 hours ago, justclaws said:

It's great to see Atari's COO also has real passion for the product!

 

But that can't be Atari's COO!   This board had me convinced that all Atari's current executives were mustache-twirling super-villains, sitting counting a pile of cash earned from scam crowdfunding campaigns, plotting to slap the Atari logo on rolls of toilet-paper and tuna fish next for profit!   ?