Atari Lynx Section Now Online!

[Albert]

AtariAge is proud to announce the arrival of the newest system to the site: the Atari Lynx! We've put together a comprehensive collection of Lynx information and images, broken down as follows:

 

http://www.atariage.com/Lynx/

[*]Lynx History

[*]Rarity Guide

[*]Box Scans

[*]Cartridge Scans

[*]Manuals

[*]Screenshots

[*]Cartridge Style Guide

[*]Lynx Catalogs

[*]Hardware & Accessories

[*]Tips & Cheats

[*]Lynx Emulation

[*]...and more!

 

We have plans to put additional Lynx content online in the near future, but we feel this is a good start. If you have any suggestions for how we can improve the Lynx section, or AtariAge in general, don't hesitate to ask. Enjoy!

 

[ 03-10-2002: Message edited by: Albert ]

[Rhindle The Red]

So what's next?

 

To my mind, there are quite a few areas left:

• Atari 8-Bit
• Atari ST/Falcon
• Atari stand-alone consoles (Pongs)
• Atari arcade games
• Atarisoft (Atari on other vintage systems)
• Modern Atari (From Atari Interactive's Tempest 2000 to MX Rider)
• Atari Miscellaneous (Touch Me, etc.)
• Atari PC-Compatible Hardware (The Portfolio, etc.)
• The Pseudo-Ataris (Kee Games, Tengen, etc.)

Any others?

I've always heard you to be a hard-hearted policeman, Inspector.

[Albert]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Rhindle The Red:

So what's next?

---

 

What's next is for us to catch up on some of the backlog that we haven't been able to get to in the last few months. We have tons of content that needs to get shoveled online, stuff for probably every system we already have (including the Lynx!) as well as more generic Atari items. We're always making minor updates to AtariAge, these big changes though, like adding a new section, are much more time consuming.

 

The next "System" section that will be worked on is the Atari 8-bit. That will take a bit more effort than the Lynx, since the amount of software and hardware available for the Lynx vs. 8-bits is like comparing a Tie Fighter to a Star Destroyer.

 

Here's a hint as to what the next big change on AtariAge will be. Now that the Lynx section is online, this will be our next big push.

 

..Al

[King Asmo]

I'd really like to see the 2600 section flushed out a little more.. more manual scans, and a much more complete PAL 2600 section. The databases are definately the best part of Atari Age and they're an invaluable resource. I'd definately be willing to help in any way I can, tho I think the last thing Albert and Alex need right now is an inbox full of scans from me.

 

Kudos on the Lynx section.. it looks quite impressive. I don't think I'll use it much, tho, seeing as the Lynx is one of the few systems I don't currently own. I would like to get one soon, tho.

[Albert]

quote:

---

Originally posted by King_Asmo:

I'd really like to see the 2600 section flushed out a little more.. more manual scans, and a much more complete PAL 2600 section.

---

 

You've hit on the two areas regarding the 2600 section that we most need to concentrate on. Alex and I have a large collection of 2600 manuals that we plan to start scanning soon. Probably in a month or so I'll be in a position where I suddenly have copious amounts of free time, which will afford me to quickly run through our large laundry list of things to do. I have two HP 7400C SCSI scanners (read: very fast) that I will probably have going simultaneously.

 

Making progress on the foreign titles is also important to us, both in terms of adding titles as well as scans of carts, boxes and manuals. We will probably start soliciting by company to fill in holes in a somewhat logical manner, as opposed to just saying, "Okay! We need PAL scans!" This should make it a bit easier to build a more thorough database of foreign titles. So if you're able to supply us with scans of foreign titles, we'll definitely be taking advantage of your kind offer.

 

..Al

[Alex]

Yes, we are not done with the 2600. I've been very busy at work lately, but I'll have some free time again in about two weeks. I have a small backlog of scans that people have sent me recently that will be going online, and then we will probably make another sweep of PAL titles that need to be added. And with the Lynx launch out of the way, I can work on the 2600 guilt-free.

[mos6507]

"Processor: two 16-bit custom CMOS chips running at 16MHz"

 

The main CPU in the Lynx is a 65C02 which makes it no more of a 16-bit system than a 2600. It has a pretty fancy math coprocessor, though.

 

I also don't believe that it runs at 16mhz. I think it runs at more like 4mhz. Would someone like to clarify all this?

[+Mitch]

From the Lynx FAQ:

quote:

---

For the technically minded, the Lynx has two basic chips that form a

cooperative set of co-processing subsystems that maximize the Lynx's

performance by sharing the work of executing a game program. These

chips are called Mikey and Suzy.

 

Mikey (16-bit custom CMOS chip running at 16MHz)

- MOS 65C02 processor running at up to 4MHz (~3.6MHz average)

8-bit CPU, 16-bit address space

- Sound engine

4 channel sound

8-bit DAC for each channel

(4 channels x 8-bits/channel = 32 bits commonly quoted)

Atari reports the range is "100Hz to above the range of human

hearing"; spectrum analysis shows the range may go as low as 32Hz.

Stereo with panning (mono for original Lynx)

- Video DMA driver for LCD display

4096 color (12-bit) palette

16 simultaneous colors (4 bits) from palette per scanline (more than 16

colors can be displayed by changing palettes after each scanline)

- System timers

- Interrupt controller

- UART (for ComLynx)

- 512 bytes of bootstrap and game-card loading ROM

 

Suzy (16-bit custom CMOS chip running at 16MHz)

- Blitter (bit-map block transfer) unit

- Graphics engine

Hardware drawing support

Unlimited number of high-speed sprites with collision detection

Hardware high-speed sprite scaling, distortion, and tilting effects

Hardware decoding of compressed sprite data

Hardware clipping and multi-directional scrolling

Variable frame rate (up to 75 frames/second)

160 x 102 "triad" standard resolution (16,320 addressable pixels)

(A triad is three LCD elements: red, green, and blue)

Capability of 480 x 102 artificially high resolution

- Math co-processor

Hardware 16-bit multiply and divide (32-bit answer)

Parallel processing of single multiply or divide instruction

---

 

Mitch

http://atari7800.atari.org

[bolid]

Lynx section is GREAT (as the rest of the site). Scans are high quality and there are aslo some new cheats for Lynx games!!!

 

BTW is there a chance that you will ever add Atari Portfolio section! There are still many active Portfolio fans in some European countries...

 

Ratko Jovicic

[King Asmo]

I'd absolutely be more than willing to help.. I don't have the collection of say, Marco, but if you guys are looking for scans of particular games/manuals, I'll see what I can do.

 

Again, very nice work on the Lynx section.

 

Oh.. I was going to ask.. for the 8-bit section.. will it just be carts, or disks and tapes as well? Either way, it seems like a herculean task.. but one that would greatly benefit the Atari community.

 

Cheers,

 

KA

[VidGameKing]

Wonderful job Als if there is any way I could help, you guys know how to reach me.

[Inky]

Excuse me for a minute whilst I leech...

 

So, Al 1 and Al 2, do you guys have a social life? You must not because of the depth and quality of stuff up here.

 

For the next update Al and Al will tell have a faq explaining how to assemble an Atari cart from its basic atomic elements to finished game.

 

Basic Atomic Elements -- Sounds like a band name...

 

[ 03-11-2002: Message edited by: Inky ]

[d8thstar]

what's next? my suggestion the XE. or was that XEGS? anywho, it's kind of the last atari dedicated cart machine before the "new" atari. yes, i know, floppies will work with it but it would be a good place to start the 8-bit section.

 

and no, i wouldn't like to see this section because it is the last atari system i need

 

keep up the great work guys.

[Gunstar]

quote:

---

Originally posted by d8thstar:

what's next? my suggestion the XE. or was that XEGS? anywho, it's kind of the last atari dedicated cart machine before the "new" atari. yes, i know, floppies will work with it but it would be a good place to start the 8-bit section.

 

and no, i wouldn't like to see this section because it is the last atari system i need

 

keep up the great work guys.

---

 

No, actually, it's not. The last dedicated cart machine before the "new Atari" was the 7800. Released by the "new Atari" in '86. The XE (the 8-bit heir apparent to the 800/XL line) was the "new Atari's" first. The XEGS was the XE COMPUTER's little brother turn game system, re-expandable into a full-fledged XE computer. The "new Atari's" FIRST console. Later followed by the Lynx and Jaguar. I have "new Atari" in quotes all the way through here because Atari under Warner Communications was the FIRST "new Atari" after Nolan Bushnell sold it. Atari was under the Tramiel's as Atari Corp. for about a decade. Warner had it for about seven years as did Nolan Bushnell (about 5-7 years) who founded the original "ATARI." I'm just a purist for Atari History as so many get it wrong and generally frown on the Tramiel's Atari Corp. as some kind of cheap imitation of the real thing, and it happens to be the "version" that I fell in love with and while I like the 2600/5200/7800/800 lines, I prefer all the newer systems the Tramiels came out with like the XE, ST, Falcon, Lynx and Jaguar. As far as I'm concerned they're the "real" Atari to me. Yeah, the management sucked, but don't blame the Hardware&engineers or the Software&programmers, they were great!

[Albert]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bolid:

BTW is there a chance that you will ever add Atari Portfolio section! There are still many active Portfolio fans in some European countries...

---

 

Down the road this will probably happen, but it's not going to be a high priority for a while. The Portfolio didn't do very well here in the US, so we'd have to lean pretty heavily on our European friends for information. There can't be too much hardware and software for it, right?

 

..Al

[Albert]

quote:

---

Originally posted by King_Asmo:

Oh.. I was going to ask.. for the 8-bit section.. will it just be carts, or disks and tapes as well? Either way, it seems like a herculean task.. but one that would greatly benefit the Atari community.

---

 

Unclear at this time. Since so much high-quality software was released on disk and tape, I think we'd be doing a big disservice by not including those. We'll probably start with carts, since those are relatively easy to identify and get information for, and then do all the popular disk-based games. Not sure how "complete" that section will be when we launch it, although for carts I expect it'll be pretty thorough (I have over 150 8-bit carts myself, and tons of boxed disk software).

 

You're right, it'll definitely be a herculean task. But the end result should make all that trouble worthwhile.

 

..Al

[mos6507]

>>

From the Lynx FAQ:

<<

 

Just because it's in the FAQ doesn't make it correct.

 

I'm sorry, but the 6502 in any shape or form is not a 16-bit CPU. Just because it has a 16-bit address bus doesn't make it a 16-bit CPU. If all 8-bit CPUs only had an 8-bit address bus they'd only be able to address 256 bytes of RAM or ROM so obviously no 8-bit machines are THAT weak.

 

This spec must have originally come from some misleading Atari Corp ads which in turn might have copied NEC's TG-16 ads. We're talking about the era where bits are implied to be bytes, you know.

[mos6507]

>>

I'm just a purist for Atari History as so many get it wrong and generally frown on the Tramiel's Atari Corp. as some kind of cheap imitation of the real thing,

<<

 

Let's face it, the Tramiels ran on the fumes of what went before and just slowly slid into bankruptcy over the next decade due to lack of resources and missed opportunities.

 

The glory of Atari had to do with its braintrust. That was slowly depleted during the Warner era as everyone moved on to greener pastures. Nolan left, Jay Miner and company left, Al Alcorn left, the Activision guys left, the Imagic guys left. These were the people who had the vision, built the hardware and designed the games that gave Atari its reputation.

 

When Atari became a huge company, Warner thought they could just easily replace these people and outsource stuff and not miss a beat. Obviously it didn't work as well then, and no better when the Tramiels took over either.

 

Tramiel Atari was a hollow company. The only good stuff they ever got came from outside the company, like the Lynx. The Lynx was designed by ex-Amiga designers, and the Amiga was in turn designed by ex-Atari designers. Atari just did not have a strong core of engineers and designers anymore. So it was just a holding company. Hardly any more authentic than Hasbro or Infogrames when you get right down to it.

[Gunstar]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Glenn Saunders:

>>

I'm just a purist for Atari History as so many get it wrong and generally frown on the Tramiel's Atari Corp. as some kind of cheap imitation of the real thing,

<<

 

 

Tramiel Atari was a hollow company. The only good stuff they ever got came from outside the company, like the Lynx. The Lynx was designed by ex-Amiga designers, and the Amiga was in turn designed by ex-Atari designers. Atari just did not have a strong core of engineers and designers anymore. So it was just a holding company. Hardly any more authentic than Hasbro or Infogrames when you get right down to it.

---

 

Sorry, that's got no relevence or merit to me. Nintendo has out-sourced since the SNES, so according to you, it would also be a "holding company" since the NES, which was the only system that Nintendo developed in-house. Sega has always used off-the-shelf technologies, until the DC and even some of it is off-the-shelf, so in a round about way, they sourced out too, but just with current technologies. Who designed the XBOX? Basically Intel and Nvidia, no Microsoft. So your "hollow" company theory either holds no water, or you have to include the rest too.