Experimental 2600+ Firmware and Dumper

[JetmanUK]

36 minutes ago, chad5200 said:

We should keep talking about this whole PC vs. Mac vs. Linux thing forever... it's so fascinating and everyone loves these conversations.  It's what we all crave.  Every thread here should be used to discuss this topic.

 

I say we switch to Spectrum vs C64. 

I vote Spectrum!

(Although I later had a C64 too, damn). 

[Slider271]

14 minutes ago, JetmanUK said:

I say we switch to Spectrum vs C64. 

I vote Spectrum!

(Although I later had a C64 too, damn). 

Speccy and CPC owner here, happy to have a go a Commie 64 owners

[JetmanUK]

1 minute ago, Slider271 said:

Speccy and CPC owner here, happy to have a go a Commie 64 owners

That Z80 CPU. 🤟🏻 But... that SID chip. 

Edited May 1 by JetmanUK

[Sean_1970]

3 hours ago, John Stamos Mullet said:

There are new 2600 and 7800 home brew games being coded and released all the time, one of which you might really want to play that might require future updates to work.

 

What game? If it’s Pitfall II, that’s already been addressed here by Albert as working in the next update. 
 

There’s nothing “idiotic” about suggesting you buy a necessary tool to correct a problem, especially when that tool opens up the door to assist you in any number of other capacities that Apple has intentionally and programmatically locked you out of in their infinite wisdom. 
 

and you can get a mini/micro pc and a free copy of Windows for less than the cost of another 2600+.

The rest of your post here is just argumentative word salad that only exists because of your personal inflexibility with using a windows computer, and Atari not catering their product directly to you, so I’m not going to address any of that. If you can’t see that you’re not the main character here, I don’t know what to tell you.

 

I bought Star Raiders under the false assumption that the compatibility list was correct, but the 2600+ doesn’t recognise but two types of hardware, which I suspect is something that cannot be fixed with a firmware update. If that would be confirmed I can ignore these firmware threads as they won’t be of interest to me otherwise.

[John Stamos Mullet]

12 minutes ago, Sean_1970 said:

I bought Star Raiders under the false assumption that the compatibility list was correct, but the 2600+ doesn’t recognise but two types of hardware, which I suspect is something that cannot be fixed with a firmware update. If that would be confirmed I can ignore these firmware threads as they won’t be of interest to me otherwise.

The development team is currently actively working on adding other controller types and it has been confirmed that the chip on the controller board is updatable. 
 

this may not be in the next official update, but is planned for down the road. The difference in, they now have subject matter experts from this forum working on it with the official Atari/Plaion team. 
 

[Ben from Plaion]

Just on the update process, I've got someone looking at it at the moment. I've read every post and understand the situation.

 

I've sketched out what I want it do and the developer is looking at how it could be done.

 

I'll post here on this regularly and share developments.

[CPUWIZ]

6 hours ago, John Stamos Mullet said:

There’s nothing “idiotic” about suggesting you buy a necessary tool to correct a problem, especially when that tool opens up the door to assist you in any number of other capacities that Apple has intentionally and programmatically locked you out of in their infinite wisdom.

 

What do you mean by that?  I can bang on the USB port just fine on a Mac, I wrote a Mac tool for uploading code to the MCP cart for the 7800.

[CPUWIZ]

Give me the source and I'll write a Mac tool for a small fee. LOL

[Sean_1970]

25 minutes ago, CPUWIZ said:

 

What do you mean by that?  I can bang on the USB port just fine on a Mac, I wrote a Mac tool for uploading code to the MCP cart for the 7800.

He really just needs to stick to eating Doritos as he doesn’t seem to know much about computers.

[CPUWIZ]

1 minute ago, Sean_1970 said:

He really just needs to stick to eating Doritos as he doesn’t seem to know much about computers.

 

If that was the case, the description for you bloke would be catastrophic.

[tradyblix]

5 hours ago, JetmanUK said:

I say we switch to Spectrum vs C64. 

I vote Spectrum!

(Although I later had a C64 too, damn). 

I have a spectrum next that I never got around to using. It's cool looking though.

[John Stamos Mullet]

38 minutes ago, Sean_1970 said:

He really just needs to stick to eating Doritos as he doesn’t seem to know much about computers.

I'm the IT Director for a multi-discipline engineering firm. I've been an IT admin and developer for 30 years. I manage projects like designing Data Centers for companies like Google and Amazon.

 

I know more about computers than probably most people here.

 

Macs are great if you're a Coder like CPUWIZ. But you're not that, you're just content to come here and complain about it until someone else fixes it for you.

 

 

[John Stamos Mullet]

1 hour ago, CPUWIZ said:

 

What do you mean by that?  I can bang on the USB port just fine on a Mac, I wrote a Mac tool for uploading code to the MCP cart for the 7800.

Yes, but all the stereotypical Mac users who come here and complain about there being no update tool for the 2600+ for Mac aren't that. They're just whiners.

[Sean_1970]

2 hours ago, John Stamos Mullet said:

I'm the IT Director for a multi-discipline engineering firm. I've been an IT admin and developer for 30 years. I manage projects like designing Data Centers for companies like Google and Amazon.

 

I know more about computers than probably most people here.

 

Macs are great if you're a Coder like CPUWIZ. But you're not that, you're just content to come here and complain about it until someone else fixes it for you.

 

 

Macs are general purpose computers, that do what I need them to do. I’m only complaining about your suggestion to buy another computer, but yes someone else, Plaion, should fix this for me and it sounds like they might, which is the right thing to do BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT A COMPANY THAT VLAUES CUSTOMER SERVICE DOES.

[John Stamos Mullet]

16 minutes ago, Sean_1970 said:

Macs are general purpose computers, that do what I need them to do. I’m only complaining about your suggestion to buy another computer, but yes someone else, Plaion, should fix this for me and it sounds like they might, which is the right thing to do BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT A COMPANY THAT VLAUES CUSTOMER SERVICE DOES.

You don’t really even need to buy one. You can’t honestly sit here and tell us you don’t know anyone else who owns a Windows PC that you could ask them to let you use for 5 minutes?

 

I mean even if you don’t, I bet if you went to a Beat Buy, or whatever equivalent home electronics/computer store near you could ask one of the techs and they would let you use one of their floor models to do it. It takes all of 5 minutes.

[Goochman]

10 hours ago, SuperZapperRecharge said:

Where can I get a free copy of Windows. Please provide the link as the only way I could get a copy off the Microsoft site was to pay for it($132).

I know some have mentioned you can use a free copy and not register it but that seems non legit.

 

I see things like this:

I understood Windows 11 is free for Windows 10 users.

I see on the Microsoft web site there is a Microsoft Windows tool to create an image onto a USB drive. Of course you need Windows 10 to do this.

 

So I figured out how to download the ISO(Download page wouldn't work with Safari had to use Chrome). Now I need to convert the ISO so it works on a usb or get an external CD Drive.

So here is the process(Which I have done)…

Now lets make sure Windows allows other operating systems to boot on the same PC(disable secure boot).

 

MSFT would not allow you to do anything for free unless they allow it.  With Windows 10 and 11 you are allowed to install the Home version for free and get updates.  You are not allowed to personalize the desktop and such but otherwise it works fine and MSFT doesnt implement a time bomb either.  Feel free to download the installer for 10 or 11 and go for it.  I have 2 PCs running the "free" version since I dont need any of the pay features.

[Sean_1970]

5 minutes ago, John Stamos Mullet said:

You don’t really even need to buy one. You can’t honestly sit here and tell us you don’t know anyone else who owns a Windows PC that you could ask them to let you use for 5 minutes?

 

I mean even if you don’t, I bet if you went to a Beat Buy, or whatever equivalent home electronics/computer store near you could ask one of the techs and they would let you use one of their floor models to do it. It takes all of 5 minutes.

I don’t and I wouldn’t take my 2600+ into a shop to upgrade it unless I actually bought it there - why are you even making these bizarre suggestions? You’re acting like I’m desperate for the firmware update, but I think I’ve been pretty clear I’d just replace my 2600+ with a newer iteration if that’s what it takes to play Star Raiders with original controls. Ben has offered to upgrade the thing for me so if they can crack the defect via some kind of update then I’m covered. But if they can’t fix it and the 2600+ hasn’t sold well enough to warrant revisions, I guess I’m just out of luck and will play it on my PS5 instead 🤷‍♂️

[Jetboot Jack]

@Ben from Plaion @Sean_1970 @John Stamos Mullet

 

I think it totally fair to ask Plaion to support more than one personal computer OS with the update tools for the 2600+...

 

After all it does not say on the box "requires windows 10/11 to use" and updating the firmware/system seems to be a core requirement of using it as intended/properly.

 

sTeVE

 

 

Edited May 2 by Jetboot Jack

[Sean_1970]

20 minutes ago, Jetboot Jack said:

@Ben from Plaion @Sean_1970 @John Stamos Mullet

 

I think it totally fair to ask Plaion to support more than one personal computer OS with the update tools for the 2600+...

 

After all it does not say on the box "requires windows 10/11 to use" and updating the firmware/system seems to be a core requirement of using it as intended/properly.

 

sTeVE

 

 

It’s pretty clear they actually didn’t intend to have user-updateable firmware or there would have been a method to load it via some kind of system menu and an additional port to facilitate it. Ben is basically bending over backwards to correct mistakes that were made, which I appreciate, but having read about what people are having to do presently to load the firmware doesn’t fill me with joy.

 

I do server support for a living (not Windows or Linux, thankfully) so the last thing I want to do in my spare time is piss about with drivers or creating alternate boot environments or any other time-consuming nonsense. Computing isn’t a hobby for me, playing games is. A single software bundle with a universal executable seems like it should be possible given the hardware in my computer is more similar to what’s under the hood of the 2600+ than most anything running Microsoft’s operating system.
 

I know folks with clever screen names and animated GIFs for profile pics will repeat what they’ve said time and again about cost and niche products, but I repeat this is fixing a fuck-up on the part of the seller, so no, I don’t think expecting a fix that caters to the broadest number of users possible is an unreasonable ask by anyone. It certainly doesn’t deserve nonsensical replies, however clever they might think they are.

Edited May 2 by Sean_1970

[zensuperman]

Sorry to ask a quick question that is about the new experimental firmware. I have the second official revision that says stella 6.7 on the boot screen and fixed the 7800 so that the one button makes most games playable until the cx78 comes out in a couple of weeks. Also fixed realsports boxing. But I still have the clicking problem on pitfall and my 7800 crossbow only dumps halfway so I have that no sound weird dark screen half game thing going on. Will this experimental firmware fix those, or should I wait incase it breaks some of the good improvements already? Ben thank you so much for the 2600+ and everything you have done. I bought my first 2600 in 1980 at age seven with my paper route money saved up. I feel like I'm living out my dream buying all the carts that I want and playing it on a 65 inch OLED going to my 7.1 Sony atmos es receiver. This is my first post but I have been following all the developments and I am having a great time with all of it. 

[JetmanUK]

10 minutes ago, zensuperman said:

Sorry to ask a quick question that is about the new experimental firmware. I have the second official revision that says stella 6.7 on the boot screen and fixed the 7800 so that the one button makes most games playable until the cx78 comes out in a couple of weeks. Also fixed realsports boxing. But I still have the clicking problem on pitfall and my 7800 crossbow only dumps halfway so I have that no sound weird dark screen half game thing going on. Will this experimental firmware fix those, or should I wait incase it breaks some of the good improvements already? Ben thank you so much for the 2600+ and everything you have done. I bought my first 2600 in 1980 at age seven with my paper route money saved up. I feel like I'm living out my dream buying all the carts that I want and playing it on a 65 inch OLED going to my 7.1 Sony atmos es receiver. This is my first post but I have been following all the developments and I am having a great time with all of it. 

Hi,

I would say get the latest experimental firmware on there, it's great and sorts issues and has optimizations.

I am loving all the classic carts too, buying things I didn't have back in the day, every day has been like Christmas for months now!

Enjoy your console.

[CPUWIZ]

8 hours ago, John Stamos Mullet said:

You don’t really even need to buy one. You can’t honestly sit here and tell us you don’t know anyone else who owns a Windows PC that you could ask them to let you use for 5 minutes?

 

I mean even if you don’t, I bet if you went to a Beat Buy, or whatever equivalent home electronics/computer store near you could ask one of the techs and they would let you use one of their floor models to do it. It takes all of 5 minutes.

 

It isn't about the PC, it's about complaining that it requires updates and a PC to do it, not just getting it done.  Same old story with every person that makes their lives more difficult and then blame others for it.  I am pretty sure this update procedure can be done with any old thing, with a USB host, probably even an Arduino. LOL

[zensuperman]

1 hour ago, JetmanUK said:

Hi,

I would say get the latest experimental firmware on there, it's great and sorts issues and has optimizations.

I am loving all the classic carts too, buying things I didn't have back in the day, every day has been like Christmas for months now!

Enjoy your console.

Thanks for the information Jetman. Yes I remember when buying one cartridge was a huge decision as it was about two months work. Now I have every one I dreamed of. And from years of playing xbox one x and all the ps4s and 5s, I can't believe how much I forgot that simplicity can be really awesome as well. I'll try out the new firmware. 

[John Stamos Mullet]

3 hours ago, Sean_1970 said:

It’s pretty clear they actually didn’t intend to have user-updateable firmware or there would have been a method to load it via some kind of system menu and an additional port to facilitate it. Ben is basically bending over backwards to correct mistakes that were made, which I appreciate, but having read about what people are having to do presently to load the firmware doesn’t fill me with joy.

 

I do server support for a living (not Windows or Linux, thankfully) so the last thing I want to do in my spare time is piss about with drivers or creating alternate boot environments or any other time-consuming nonsense. Computing isn’t a hobby for me, playing games is. A single software bundle with a universal executable seems like it should be possible given the hardware in my computer is more similar to what’s under the hood of the 2600+ than most anything running Microsoft’s operating system.
 

I know folks with clever screen names and animated GIFs for profile pics will repeat what they’ve said time and again about cost and niche products, but I repeat this is fixing a fuck-up on the part of the seller, so no, I don’t think expecting a fix that caters to the broadest number of users possible is an unreasonable ask by anyone. It certainly doesn’t deserve nonsensical replies, however clever they might think they are.

It’s not an unreasonable ask at all to want a universal updater or one for Mac, and no one here ever claimed that it was. But that’s not what you’re here for. You registered an account here for the sole purpose of trashing this product and complaining about it not perfectly suiting you personally.

 

You’ve had dozens of people offer you assistance or explain alternative ways to get this product updated for you, but the way you carry on and insult the people here who are trying to help you doesn’t exactly endear the community to embrace your stance. 
 

All of this is of your choosing. Your inflexibility about using windows for a task that takes 5 minutes, your constant passive aggressive insults, your condescending tone. And you wonder why there’s a stereotype about Mac users. 
 

Edited May 2 by John Stamos Mullet

[Thomas Jentzsch]

3 hours ago, Sean_1970 said:

It’s pretty clear they actually didn’t intend to have user-updateable firmware or there would have been a method to load it via some kind of system menu and an additional port to facilitate it. Ben is basically bending over backwards to correct mistakes that were made, which I appreciate, but having read about what people are having to do presently to load the firmware doesn’t fill me with joy.

You are completely wrong here. Ben had contacted us (the Stella team) when the project started. We urged him to make sure that everything can be updated. And at least the firmware is designed that way.

 

What you are requesting would have resulted into more costs and maybe even a delay. I suppose they were just happy to get the system out in time for the holidays.