Experimental 2600+ Firmware and Dumper

[John Stamos Mullet]

4 hours ago, swiller said:

Good to hear. I have a PC but I am sure there are Mac users who do not.

 

I did not see anything on the official Atari site saying an update is on the way or if it is a feature of the 2600+. Only the passionate and curious can find the info here. 

 

I am just thankful an update is being worked on to support my paddle and paddle game investments, the ability to play my Pitfall 2 cart, and  get access to all the great homebrews out there.

It could be argued that this console is targeted squarely at the passionate and curious. It's a pretty limited run, and most sales were online.

[John Stamos Mullet]

3 hours ago, killersquirel said:

That's awesome. Any progress on getting games with the DPC+ chip working on the 2600+ yet?

Albert already confirmed elsewhere that Pitfall II is running in the latest, so... yes.

[tradyblix]

I remember while back Ben you were discussing running at 1080p instead of 720p. I was wondering if that ever came to fruition with the cost savings achieved from optimizing the code that happened in the experimental build series ? 

 

Also will melody board games be supported ? 

Edited May 7 by tradyblix

[shane857]

43 minutes ago, tradyblix said:

I remember while back Ben you were discussing running at 1080p instead of 720p. I was wondering if that ever came to fruition with the cost savings achieved from optimizing the code that happened in the experimental build series ? 

 

Also will melody board games be supported ? 

I personally doubt it due to the processing power of the atari 2600+...

[MikeM_]

On 5/7/2024 at 12:33 AM, swiller said:

As I finish playing Baldur's Gate 3 on my Macbook and pick up a steam deck. 😂 

Yeah, there are the occasional games that do make it to Mac, but it’s still a fraction of what’s on PC. 
 

Steamdeck is unique in all of this. I count it more of a console than a PC. And as cool as it is, you don’t get 100% compatibility with your entire steam library. 
 

I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with Mac or Linux. I’ve used all of them and they each have their advantages and drawbacks. The biggest drawback for those platforms is that they do not have enough market share in the home computer space to be treated as anything other than fringe platforms. 
 

Would it be great if Atari/Plaion could support every platform out there for updating the plus? Of course. I just don’t think it’s realistic to expect them to do so. 

Edited May 8 by MikeM_

[swiller]

8 hours ago, MikeM_ said:

Yeah, there are the occasional games that do make it to Mac, but it’s still a fraction of what’s on PC. 
 

Steamdeck is unique in all of this. I count it more of a console than a PC. And as cool as it is, you don’t get 100% compatibility with your entire steam library. 
 

I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with Mac or Linux. I’ve used all of them and they each have their advantages and drawbacks. The biggest drawback for those platforms is that they do not have enough market share in the home computer space to be treated as anything other than fringe platforms. 
 

Would it be great if Atari/Plaion could support every platform out there for updating the plus? Of course. I just don’t think it’s realistic to expect them to do so. 

A Mac/Linux version is being worked on.

[tradyblix]

11 hours ago, MikeM_ said:

Would it be great if Atari/Plaion could support every platform out there for updating the plus? Of course. I just don’t think it’s realistic to expect them to do so. 

Can I get a version for the TI/82 Calculator ? I just don't have access to Windows, Mac or Linux and I feel left out 

[Laladien]

11 minutes ago, tradyblix said:

Can I get a version for the TI/82 Calculator ? I just don't have access to Windows, Mac or Linux and I feel left out 

I’m personally waiting for a Nokia N-Gage version. 

[astroguy]

9 minutes ago, Laladien said:

I’m personally waiting for a Nokia N-Gage version. 

I'm working a Pico-based cart for the original 2600 that will allow you to update the 2600+ /s 

[Thomas Jentzsch]

How about an OTA update using the PlusCart?  

[Ben from Plaion]

1 hour ago, Thomas Jentzsch said:

How about an OTA update using the PlusCart?  

Name your price? 😁

[Albert]

On 5/7/2024 at 2:32 PM, John Stamos Mullet said:

It could be argued that this console is targeted squarely at the passionate and curious. It's a pretty limited run, and most sales were online.

What makes you think they aren't still being produced?

 

 ..Al

[John Stamos Mullet]

38 minutes ago, Albert said:

What makes you think they aren't still being produced?

 

 ..Al

Nothing at all. I know they are still being produced. But it's a pretty niche system. And that's just fine. I was merely pointing out that this product is targeted at Atari enthusiasts, primarily.

[Albert]

18 minutes ago, John Stamos Mullet said:

Nothing at all. I know they are still being produced. But it's a pretty niche system. And that's just fine. I was merely pointing out that this product is targeted at Atari enthusiasts, primarily.

The way you worded it above made it sound like it was no longer being produced by using the past tense:

59 minutes ago, Albert said:

It's a pretty limited run, and most sales were online.

Sure, "pretty limited" compared to the mainstream consoles from Sony and Microsoft, but you need to start somewhere.

 

  ..Al

[John Stamos Mullet]

58 minutes ago, Albert said:

The way you worded it above made it sound like it was no longer being produced by using the past tense:

Sure, "pretty limited" compared to the mainstream consoles from Sony and Microsoft, but you need to start somewhere.

 

  ..Al

I meant because they’re doing it in small batches based on demand for preorders, and you don’t really see it at retail. 
 

I don’t think that’s bad, actually. I think it helps the development team, since it’s not entirely driven by the bottom line. 
 

its a labor of love. That’s what I like about it. 

Edited May 9 by John Stamos Mullet

[Thomas Jentzsch]

7 hours ago, Ben from Plaion said:

Name your price? 😁

Completely prohibitive, unless you find a sheikh. Maybe.  

[DEANJIMMY]

14 hours ago, tradyblix said:

Can I get a version for the TI/82 Calculator ? I just don't have access to Windows, Mac or Linux and I feel left out 

HP48G or nothing!

I even bought a serial to USB cable and now I am left hanging freely in the shaft😅

 

Let's see if I can find my floppy from 1993 with Phönix and Burger Time for the HP😉

A working USB floppy drive is ready🤙

Edited May 9 by DEANJIMMY

[Sean_1970]

On 5/7/2024 at 4:13 PM, swiller said:

Fair enough. I have not gone through all 28 pages of this thread, just the piling up on him on the last few. As the Atari Network guy says, "Let's keep it classy Atarians". 

Again I didn’t ask for anything as keeps being said for some reason. I simply said that people shouldn’t be stating that buying a windows PC just to do this update is reasonable. I admit being “impolite,” but that’s the knee-jerk response every time someone new pops into one of these threads to ask if there’s going to be a way to update with the Mac and that’s delivered in a very rude manner that’s unwarranted so I picked a bun fight over it 🤷‍♂️

[tradyblix]

4 hours ago, Sean_1970 said:

Again I didn’t ask for anything as keeps being said for some reason. I simply said that people shouldn’t be stating that buying a windows PC just to do this update is reasonable. I admit being “impolite,” but that’s the knee-jerk response every time someone new pops into one of these threads to ask if there’s going to be a way to update with the Mac and that’s delivered in a very rude manner that’s unwarranted so I picked a bun fight over it 🤷‍♂️

You could always go over a friends house and ask them if you can borrow their Windows comp for a little bit to get the update if you need it ahead of any official support for those platforms. 

[TampaBay]

I may have totally hallucinated this, but I really thought I saw a post / comment from Ben somewhere indicating there might be some slight hardware tweaks to the 2600+ in future production runs.  Did I completely make that up?  Does anybody recall seeing that?

[Sean_1970]

1 hour ago, TampaBay said:

I may have totally hallucinated this, but I really thought I saw a post / comment from Ben somewhere indicating there might be some slight hardware tweaks to the 2600+ in future production runs.  Did I completely make that up?  Does anybody recall seeing that?

Yep, there’s a thread entitled “Updated cartridge socket prototypes” from a couple of weeks ago. New cart slot being tested and possible new IO board. Tends to reinforce the notion that replacing my existing 2600+ may be better than upgrading it.

Edited May 9 by Sean_1970

[TampaBay]

9 minutes ago, Sean_1970 said:

Yep, there’s a thread entitled “Updated cartridge socket prototypes” from a couple of weeks ago. New cart slot being tested and possible new IO board. Tends to reinforce the notion that replacing my existing 2600+ may be better than upgrading it.

 

Yep.  Certainly if there is going to be a hardware update, it would make sense to just replace yours.

 

I don't currently have a 2600+, but will probably get one shorty.  It would make sense for me to wait a bit as well if there are going to be any hardware updates, however incremental they may be.

Edited May 9 by TampaBay

[MikeM_]

9 hours ago, Sean_1970 said:

Again I didn’t ask for anything as keeps being said for some reason. I simply said that people shouldn’t be stating that buying a windows PC just to do this update is reasonable. I admit being “impolite,” but that’s the knee-jerk response every time someone new pops into one of these threads to ask if there’s going to be a way to update with the Mac and that’s delivered in a very rude manner that’s unwarranted so I picked a bun fight over it 🤷‍♂️

I think where some of the push back and the ‘just buy a windows PC’ comments come from is that this is an enthusiast forum full of people that go above and beyond your average consumer.
 

Many of us are tech-centric or even work in a technical field so we are accustomed to seeking out solutions to problems, and sometimes that means purchasing new or different tech that is specific to the problem we are working on. 
 

One of those tools in the tool box is a windows PC. It has the most flexibility, compatibility, and user base so that it is going to be the go-to device for quite a lot of these projects. 
 

There are people on here writing code for games. Engineering custom hw for mods. Testing FW. This is the place for higher level interactions. Leaning new things and improving one’s knowledge around Atari products, games, inner workings, and history. 
 

So yes, we do sometimes get in a huff when we see a lot of requests for the tech to appease everyone, no matter how small a part of the puzzle they are. We are used to conversing with other like minded technical people who look for ways to solve problems themselves rather than have someone else solve it for them. 
 

That’s not me saying that non-technical people shouldn’t be on here or part of the conversation. What I am saying is that the conversations here shouldn’t be dumbed down either. We want to see people trying harder and learning new tricks to help them thrive in the confines of the closed system we are working with. 
 

I may get accused of sounding elitist with what I wrote, but that is not my intention. I came to this site to learn more and grow in this hobby. I by no means am the gatekeeper for anything. This is just how I saw this community and overall, it’s meeting my expectations.
 

And for what it’s worth, I was mostly just trying to lighten the mood with my comments in this thread. This isn’t solving the problems of world peace, starvation, or economic disparity. It’s video games. It’s supposed to be fun. 

Edited May 9 by MikeM_

[Ben from Plaion]

5 hours ago, TampaBay said:

I may have totally hallucinated this, but I really thought I saw a post / comment from Ben somewhere indicating there might be some slight hardware tweaks to the 2600+ in future production runs.  Did I completely make that up?  Does anybody recall seeing that?

My view is if something can be improved and you have the opportunity to do so, you should.

 

But it's complex, as any fundamental change to the 2600+ brings up complications like ensuring multiple variations need to be catered for when dealing with say cartridge compatibility or update process.

 

What's being looked at is the IO board, that's the PCB that deals with levers, db9 ports, cartridge socket etc. The two chips that control the inputs and cartridge socket may be changed to one chip, additionally a revision to the cartridge socket is being tested.

 

Current thinking is that the main board PCB, the levers, the CX40+ joystick, the consoles outer casing will not change for any future manufacture runs of the stock 2600+, just some tweaks to the IO PCB.

 

 

Edited May 9 by Ben from Plaion

[TampaBay]

28 minutes ago, Ben from Plaion said:

My view is if something can be improved and you have the opportunity to do so, you should.

 

But it's complex, as any fundamental change to the 2600+ brings up complications like ensuring multiple variations need to be catered for when dealing with say cartridge compatibility or update process.

 

What's being looked at is the IO board, that's the PCB that deals with levers, db9 ports, cartridge socket etc. The two chips that control the inputs and cartridge socket may be changed to one chip, additionally a revision to the cartridge socket is being tested.

 

Current thinking is that the main board PCB, the levers, the CX40+ joystick, the consoles outer casing will not change for any future manufacture runs of the stock 2600+, just some tweaks to the IO PCB.

 

 

 

OK awesome.  Thanks for the update / clarification.  Appreciated!!