When will there be a scheduled firmware update for the 2600+?

[John Stamos Mullet]

8 hours ago, Sean_1970 said:

Well it IS a shit operating system, however I think the main concern is that any firmware update not only cater to Windows fanboys. I think only one poster was moaning about not wanting to work with it again, but thanks for reminding me about what online forums were like in the 90s 👍

There have been shit releases of it, for sure, but on the whole, it is a solidly built, well supported platform. I’m no Windows “fanboy” by any means. But the simple fact is Windows is the default because Linux is too DIY for most non-tech people, and Macs are vastly overpriced and feature/software deprived for most professional business applications. 

[Brad_from_the_80s]

I don’t think the device shows up as a drive so I assume there is (Windows) software to apply the update.  Maybe somebody could look into getting it to work under WINE/Bottles/Crossover for Linux/Mac if needed.  Compatibility has never been perfect, but it’s a lot better than it used to be.

[scifidude79]

8 hours ago, ls650 said:

Most people hate Bill Gates, but I think he's great - thanks to Microsoft I've had a job my whole adult life.  🤣

 

I don't hate him. Like I said, he's a friggin' genius. It took two people at Apple to do what he could. Steve Wozniak was the tech genius and Steve Jobs was the business genius. Bill Gates is both. He created an operating system that made using a computer way less of a laborious task and he sold the idea to a lot of computer companies. I respect the man and I respect the hustle. I bought my first Windows computer when I was 19 and I've been using Windows since then. I tried Linux for a few years but some software works for Linux while most works for Windows. So, I run Windows. Thanks Bill Gates. 👍

 

8 hours ago, ls650 said:

I think the real problem here is simply a matter of numbers.  Atari only have a handful of people working on the firmware updates, and they have to hit the maximum number of users with the least amount of work.  Rightly or wrongly, about 85-90% of all personal computers are Windows-based, while perhaps 5-10% of personal computers are Apple, and even fewer are Linux.  They'll concentrate on a Windows-based update based on those numbers, and Mac or Linux will be strictly an afterthought.

Yes, that's exactly it. I've seen it plenty of times with games. Small developers will focus on putting their game on Windows first because of the majority of people who run Windows. Then porting it to OSX or Linux winds up being a problem of manpower. It's not just having to change the code, but then you have to test it. It's very time consuming and sometimes nearly impossible with a small team.

 

2 hours ago, John Stamos Mullet said:

There have been shit releases of it, for sure, but on the whole, it is a solidly built, well supported platform. I’m no Windows “fanboy” by any means. But the simple fact is Windows is the default because Linux is too DIY for most non-tech people, and Macs are vastly overpriced and feature/software deprived for most professional business applications. 

You're completely right. As I stated above, I neither hate Windows nor am I a fanboy. It works, that's all I care about. Unfortunately, I've been there for some of their worst versions, such as Windows ME. That was so terrible that I waited a while before upgrading to XP, which is probably my favorite version of Windows, followed closely by Windows 98 SE. I also didn't care for Vista and I had issues with BSODs in Windows 7. I don't know what issue it had with that computer, but it ran various Linux-based operating systems with no issues. I skipped Windows 8 entirely, but Windows 10 and 11 have been really solid for me. They both just work, which makes me happy.

 

As a person who builds his own PCs, I just laugh at the prices Apple charges for their computers. I know what those components cost at retail, and they get discounts for buying in bulk. There's no reason for the price other than because some people will pay it.

 

As far as Linux being "too DIY," it has gotten more user friendly over the years. However, the worst thing that can happen is if you install an Linux-based OS and you find out your WIFI adapter doesn't use open source drivers. If you don't have a way to easily plug your computer into Ethernet, you're in a world of "fun" trying to get that driver issue sorted. Once you have WIFI, you can take care of any other missing drivers, but not having that one can be a royal pain.

[tradyblix]

4 minutes ago, scifidude79 said:

As a person who builds his own PCs, I just laugh at the prices Apple charges for their computers. I know what those components cost at retail, and they get discounts for buying in bulk. There's no reason for the price other than because some people will pay it.

 

That's not apple's market. Apple's market is young, upwardly mobile professionals with big (or relatively big) salaries and a lot of disposable income. They can afford 3 grand for a laptop and don't care about how economical it is. Apple is a luxury item. 

[scifidude79]

6 minutes ago, tradyblix said:

That's not apple's market. Apple's market is young, upwardly mobile professionals with big (or relatively big) salaries and a lot of disposable income. They can afford 3 grand for a laptop and don't care about how economical it is. Apple is a luxury item. 

I know. That's why Apple and I don't get along, I'm not one of those people. I'm a Team Lead at Walmart. I have a mortgage and I had to have my furnace and AC redone a couple months ago. I'm all about finding deals, especially on PC components. My current rig started with a motherboard, 12th gen i5 and 4 sticks of RAM that I got on clearance in my store. I also bought a M.2 SSD from there, the rest was good deals I got on Amazon. I might have $800 to $900 in the whole system and it can run a lot of games. That's all I care about. But, I don't hate people for having their expensive toys. They're just not for me.

[John Stamos Mullet]

32 minutes ago, tradyblix said:

That's not apple's market. Apple's market is young, upwardly mobile professionals with big (or relatively big) salaries and a lot of disposable income. They can afford 3 grand for a laptop and don't care about how economical it is. Apple is a luxury item. 

Apple’s market is primarily technophobic hipsters interested more with their personal public appearances than computer functionality. Posers and show offs. 
 

Any time I think of the average MacBook user, I think of Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock’s characters “Meg and Hamilton Swan” in the movie Best in Show.

 

https://youtu.be/lQKdEdzHnfU

Edited December 31, 2023 by John Stamos Mullet

[Slider271]

7 minutes ago, John Stamos Mullet said:

Apple’s market is primarily technophobic hipsters interested more concerned with their personal appearances than computer functionality. Posers and show offs. 
 

Any time I think of the average MacBook user, I think of Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock’s characters “Meg and Hamilton Swan” in the movie Best in Show.

 

https://youtu.be/lQKdEdzHnfU?si=QbvqfZpVT0Cnjsx5

*runs away from whole Apple OS vs Windows debate*
 

Now, let’s get down to AmigaOS vs Atari TOS..

[+LS650]

14 minutes ago, Slider271 said:

*runs away from whole Apple OS vs Windows debate*

Now, let’s get down to AmigaOS vs Atari TOS..

Or the debates we used to have in high school about Atari 8-bit vs C64...

[Slider271]

2 minutes ago, ls650 said:

Or the debates we used to have in high school about Atari 8-bit vs C64...

UK equivalent being Spectrum vs C64 (while Amstrad CPC owners looked on being ignored by both). 

[tradyblix]

3 hours ago, Slider271 said:

UK equivalent being Spectrum vs C64 (while Amstrad CPC owners looked on being ignored by both). 

I had a dragon 32 when I lived in the UK. We'd buy source code and record it to cassette.

[tradyblix]

3 hours ago, scifidude79 said:

I know. That's why Apple and I don't get along, I'm not one of those people. I'm a Team Lead at Walmart. I have a mortgage and I had to have my furnace and AC redone a couple months ago. I'm all about finding deals, especially on PC components. My current rig started with a motherboard, 12th gen i5 and 4 sticks of RAM that I got on clearance in my store. I also bought a M.2 SSD from there, the rest was good deals I got on Amazon. I might have $800 to $900 in the whole system and it can run a lot of games. That's all I care about. But, I don't hate people for having their expensive toys. They're just not for me.

Well, I am one of those people (20 years in IT). However, I was poor, dirt poor, in my 20s (good family, bad boy).

 

I didn't start my IT career until 30, and I basically faked it until I made it (programmers know what's up).

 

I used apple because the zeitgeist in my chosen language demanded it. A few years ago I went android and now there's less work pressure to use apple, although I still do, mainly for the Unix and mainly because we get top spec apple laptops from work.

 

But I totally understand you, since I spent 10 years slumming it without help and truly living in poverty. In the late 90s I couldn't even afford a comp. I didn't know any better at the time, which helped.

 

Apples apple. Theyre always going to be overpriced.

 

Edited December 31, 2023 by tradyblix

[akator]

I use the best tool for the job.  Sometimes that's a Mac, sometimes it's a Windows machine, and sometimes it's Linux.  This is the 21st century, I don't see why I need to choose only one OS any more than I should own just one gaming console.

[tradyblix]

removed

Edited December 31, 2023 by tradyblix
accidental post. Do you think we should be able to delete our own posts in 2024 ? I say, yes.

[+Atari2600PAL]

Windows vs Mac vs Linux (vs NO Computer) is a total red herring imho

 

They have clearly released a product that's currently not properly fit for purpose (or meets it's marketing hype)

 

It's up to THEM, when they release the OFFICIAL patch, to ensure that EVERY consumer who purchased their product has access to being able to install any patch fixes, or offer to have the console returned to them (at their cost) for them to upgrade/repair it

 

I truly hope they have something up their sleeves as I love Atari and the 2600+ could be a great product

 

[Loccy]

8 hours ago, Slider271 said:

UK equivalent being Spectrum vs C64 (while Amstrad CPC owners looked on being ignored by both). 

Meanwhile all the posh kids went home to their BBC Micros, while both Spectrum and 64 kids laughed at the pathetic versions of classic games like Manic Miner the Beeb had (Elite aside) 

[Sean_1970]

2 hours ago, Atari2600PAL said:

Windows vs Mac vs Linux (vs NO Computer) is a total red herring imho

 

They have clearly released a product that's currently not properly fit for purpose (or meets it's marketing hype)

 

It's up to THEM, when they release the OFFICIAL patch, to ensure that EVERY consumer who purchased their product has access to being able to install any patch fixes, or offer to have the console returned to them (at their cost) for them to upgrade/repair it

 

I truly hope they have something up their sleeves as I love Atari and the 2600+ could be a great product

 

This, though it is amusing to see people point out “Windows haters” before causing far more thread derailment whinging about Apple when people just want to be sure they can install a planned update; not have some time-travelling troll from the 90s version of the forum criticise their spending decisions or whatever.

[Sean_1970]

13 hours ago, Brad_from_the_80s said:

I don’t think the device shows up as a drive so I assume there is (Windows) software to apply the update.  Maybe somebody could look into getting it to work under WINE/Bottles/Crossover for Linux/Mac if needed.  Compatibility has never been perfect, but it’s a lot better than it used to be.

You’re right, it doesn’t. Couldn’t see anything at the command-line; nothing in the system log or report to indicate anything being seen over the USB controller at all.

 

I have to say if there was a genuine intent to have upgradable firmware, why not include a WiFi chip and bump up the cost slightly like Blaze did with the Evercade VS? We really shouldn’t have to use external devices to update the 2600+. Of course until after I pre-ordered it, I was under the impression it was using replica hardware; not an emulator and some kind of video conversion hardware to achieve HDMI output and therefore wouldn’t require any updating at all. I don’t regret the purchase, but someone should have tried to acquire the dedicated hardware required by some Atari-sold games before declaring games that require them are compatible. Working driving paddles probably aren’t easy to come by, but video touch pads definitely are.

[scifidude79]

Yes, let's leave the OS VS OS discussion behind us. Even though I participated here, I got tired of those kinds of discussions years ago on Linux forums.

 

Anywho, I hope people who are running whichever OS they choose to run can find a way to update their systems.

[John Stamos Mullet]

2 hours ago, Sean_1970 said:

This, though it is amusing to see people point out “Windows haters” before causing far more thread derailment whinging about Apple when people just want to be sure they can install a planned update; not have some time-travelling troll from the 90s version of the forum criticise their spending decisions or whatever.

The reality is, certain OS choices always have had, and likely will always have poor/little support for niche retro gaming products like this. The answer to that question is routinely “maybe but not right away”. Which may seem unfair to those people, but needing to employ and pay for coders to make updating possible for smaller market OS’ is an additional cost for a product that already has razor thin profit margins since this entire console is a niche gadget with a tiny market of its own. 
 

this should already be understood. There’s really no need to ask the same question multiple times. Inevitably this question coming up repeatedly will devolve into jokes and poking fun. 

[SuperZapperRecharge]

On 12/30/2023 at 7:00 PM, John Stamos Mullet said:

There have been shit releases of it, for sure, but on the whole, it is a solidly built, well supported platform. I’m no Windows “fanboy” by any means. But the simple fact is Windows is the default because Linux is too DIY for most non-tech people, and Macs are vastly overpriced and feature/software deprived for most professional business applications. 

Hmm I just put Windows, Ubuntu Linux, Batocera and Mac OS X on my Atari VCS.

Now I have them all on one platform. Can use my VCS to update my 2600 + too!

Oh and I can play most 2600, 5200, 7800 games on my Atari VCS with emulation and Batocera.

 

Oh yeah I can play Champ Games Turbo and Elevator Agent on a real Atari Woooohoooo!

Can use Atari Joysticks with the Champ Games too. Oh Indy 500 works too! And Star Raiders.

 

Atari could release firmware updates on cartridge for like $10 if you don't have Windows. Detect the cartridge is a firmware update and do the update, really old school.

Edited January 1 by SuperZapperRecharge

[tradyblix]

10 hours ago, Sean_1970 said:

You’re right, it doesn’t. Couldn’t see anything at the command-line; nothing in the system log or report to indicate anything being seen over the USB controller at all.

 

I have to say if there was a genuine intent to have upgradable firmware, why not include a WiFi chip and bump up the cost slightly like Blaze did with the Evercade VS? 

So, honestly, retroachievements is a super cool thing. and I would like to be getting those achivements on my 2600+. So it's indeed sad they didn't bother with this.

 

In fact, Atari, if they had a few more software engineers, could pump out their own, branded version of retroachivements, create a public API, and be off to the races.

 

Of course someone will probably say "it's not worth the money/cost/risk" etc. Which is why good things don't happen sometimes. 

[John Stamos Mullet]

1 hour ago, SuperZapperRecharge said:

Hmm I just put Windows, Ubuntu Linux, Batocera and Mac OS X on my Atari VCS.

Now I have them all on one platform. Can use my VCS to update my 2600 + too!

Oh and I can play most 2600, 5200, 7800 games on my Atari VCS with emulation and Batocera.

 

Oh yeah I can play Champ Games Turbo and Elevator Agent on a real Atari Woooohoooo!

Can use Atari Joysticks with the Champ Games too. Oh Indy 500 works too! And Star Raiders.

 

Atari could release firmware updates on cartridge for like $10 if you don't have Windows. Detect the cartridge is a firmware update and do the update, really old school.

Manufacturing carts is way too expensive for that. 

[Sean_1970]

1 hour ago, SuperZapperRecharge said:

Hmm I just put Windows, Ubuntu Linux, Batocera and Mac OS X on my Atari VCS.

Now I have them all on one platform. Can use my VCS to update my 2600 + too!

Oh and I can play most 2600, 5200, 7800 games on my Atari VCS with emulation and Batocera.

 

Oh yeah I can play Champ Games Turbo and Elevator Agent on a real Atari Woooohoooo!

Can use Atari Joysticks with the Champ Games too. Oh Indy 500 works too! And Star Raiders.

 

Atari could release firmware updates on cartridge for like $10 if you don't have Windows. Detect the cartridge is a firmware update and do the update, really old school.

Works for me; they could also reissue that handheld computer from T2 and have it dedicated to firmware uploads or build a machine that doesn’t need to have updated firmware or plan for the notion of future updates prior to release. The possibilities are endless! Or not, but foreseeable!

[Glorkbot]

A browser-based firmware updater would be great, then any OS could use it. I don't know if that's feasible with this hardware but I've seen other products, even very niche products like the Arduboy, use a web browswer for updates.

[Sean_1970]

8 hours ago, Glorkbot said:

A browser-based firmware updater would be great, then any OS could use it. I don't know if that's feasible with this hardware but I've seen other products, even very niche products like the Arduboy, use a web browswer for updates.

Given step one of the beta update process is to install a driver on your computer to even recognise the 2600+ I doubt this is a solution that will work - at least not with the machines running 1.0 firmware.