Happy 810 - what is it?

[Muzz73]

Hey, all...

 

I have an Atari 810 that was Happy when I got it and apart from it being somehow faster disk access than a stock 810, I don't really know anything about it. Is it worth keeping in there or would it be better to convert the drive back to stock?

 

I have read up on Happy 1050's and those are definitely nice. I'm just not sure if I would put the Happy part of this thing to proper use.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Thanks in advance!

[bfollowell]

1 hour ago, Muzz73 said:

Hey, all...

 

I have an Atari 810 that was Happy when I got it and apart from it being somehow faster disk access than a stock 810, I don't really know anything about it. Is it worth keeping in there or would it be better to convert the drive back to stock?

 

I have read up on Happy 1050's and those are definitely nice. I'm just not sure if I would put the Happy part of this thing to proper use.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Well, seeing as the main use for a Happy 810 drive was to make "backup" copies of copy-protected software, and further seeing that most all 8-bit software ever released is available completely without protecting as atr files, or some with copy-protection reproduced as atx files, there's probably very little software left to backup. As one last "see", seeing that any software found today that needs to be archived, most users would be using modern flux archivers, and not an 810 or 1050 Happy drive, I'd say most people have very little real use for a Happy drive. Most of us have very little real use for a real, physical drive period, Happy or otherwise. So, taking all that in consideration, it really just depends on what you want to do with your drive and what you want to use it for.

 

[TGB1718]

Because of the intermittent behaviour of my "Happy" 1050, I converted it to a US Doubler and have

had no problems since, there was no requirement to "Archive" anything as @bfollowell says, it's probably all been done

[+videofx]

I am Happy with my Happy 810 and Happy 1050

[+Larry]

It is worth keeping, but since you have a 1050 Happy, it is a little redundant. That said, is it a real Happy with the pcb or a DIY (lot of those out there).  I'd be interested in buying it, if it's genuine and will work with my 810 side board.  If you want to sell it, send me a PM.

Larry

[BillC]

2 minutes ago, Larry said:

That said, is it a real Happy with the pcb or a DIY (lot of those out there).

If you're referring to the versions with a chip on the solder side of the PCB and point to point wiring they aren't necessarily DIY, the original Happy 810 Upgrade was like this.

[+Larry]

Happy stopped doing that in 1982, and I have no idea of the numbers.  Anyway, that version wouldn't be easily removed to sell. The Happy 810 board was called the Happy Enhancement.  I don't remember what the original modification Happy was called.  Maybe the Happy modification?  Could probably be found in early Analog or Antic mags.

[Muzz73]

12 hours ago, Larry said:

It is worth keeping, but since you have a 1050 Happy, it is a little redundant. That said, is it a real Happy with the pcb or a DIY (lot of those out there).  I'd be interested in buying it, if it's genuine and will work with my 810 side board.  If you want to sell it, send me a PM.

Larry

I don't have a 1050, actually... I was just reading up on them and thought that it looked really cool.

 

Considering that I only want to use it as a stock drive, I would be willing to part with the Happy upgrade. As I was saying, I don't know much about it, but the last time I looked in the drive I noticed a little daughter board (if I remember correctly) that was labeled something like "Happy Computer Company".

 

I will take the top off of the 810, snap a pic and PM you tomorrow.

[BillC]

On 9/3/2022 at 9:53 AM, Larry said:

Happy stopped doing that in 1982, and I have no idea of the numbers.  Anyway, that version wouldn't be easily removed to sell. The Happy 810 board was called the Happy Enhancement.  I don't remember what the original modification Happy was called.  Maybe the Happy modification?  Could probably be found in early Analog or Antic mags.

According to Wikipedia the original point to point wiring version was called the "810 Upgrade" and the later PCB based version was called the "810 Enhancement"