How old we are?

[Allas]

Also people who programming in 6502 machines like C64 or Nintendo can do it the test. Interesting results will happen.

[atarixle]

Ok, it's only some minutes ago, that this post was made, but if we're all programmers, who is our audience (at this moment 6 Programmers between 30 and 39, 1 user)?

 

that's funny.

 

gtx

[SeaGtGruff]

Ok, it's only some minutes ago, that this post was made, but if we're all programmers, who is our audience (at this moment 6 Programmers between 30 and 39, 1 user)?

 

that's funny.

 

gtx

996516[/snapback]

 

Am I really the only 40-something Atari programmer here?

 

Michael Rideout

[Allas]

I dont think that. Only wait some days for more votes.

 

I think the first generation of Atarians are now in base 4.

Edited January 9, 2006 by Allas

[krupkaj]

hmm maybe steps for 5 years should have better value

[Artlover]

Bah, I screwed up my vote.

 

Accidently picked "NOT" a programmer instead of "IS".

 

30-39 range.

[sack-c0s]

other programmers must be the audience. which means we've got a tough crowd to please

[Rybags]

I got my first 8-bitter in 1983 (400 with 16K and "real" keyboard).

Bought a 600XL the year after with the intention of getting a 64K upgrade, but instead bought an 800XL as it worked out cheaper (after selling the 600XL).

 

Commercial software experience:

More Games for Your Atari 600XL (1983/4) published by Virgin books. I co-authored that book, it had about 16 games.

 

Astounding Arcade Games for the Commodore 64 (1984). 3 games in a book, released to the UK market.

 

Due to rather dud distribution and packaging, both books fell way short of sales targets. But, for the hours put into programming I did well financially.

 

I worked for an educational software comany for about 5 months in 1985 - they did stuff on the C-64 which was distributed by McGraw-Hill. But, they ceased operations shortly after - distribution problems. The software was widely available in Australia, limited release in UK, and they were on the verge of penetrating the American market just before shutting down.

 

Almost all of my paid work in computing since has been on IBM and compatible mainframes (I'm qualified as an MVS, OS/390 Systems Programmer).

 

I mothballed the 800XL and ST probably around 1994 when I bought an Amiga. Did a little programming on the ST, the main project of worth I did was an interface which went from SIO to parallel (on the ST) and allowed emulating 4 1050 disk drives (very much like APE). It never got to the stage where it was commercially releasable, but worked very well.

 

I never did any programming on the Amiga (other than startup scripts and stuff), and it got mothballed around 1998 when I bought a PS1 console.

 

I properly got into PCs (Wintel/AMD) around 2000, but other than a little VB and VC++ programming, have never bothered to get into it properly.

Most of the playing about I've done is building systems.

[carmel_andrews]

Not so much a programmer, more of a User/owner of Various A8 systems incl a bare 800 (no top.. where the cart's and mem goes) a modded 800xl (w/256k mem), a modded 130xe (various o/s's) several other xe's incl. a 65xe, been into my A8 since 1986 when i was 16

 

I am dying to get me dirty digits on a reasonably priced 1050 (must be modded with either lazer/usd or SA2 1050) so i can have my old A8 setup up and running again

 

At the mo mainly using my v. slow PC (2200XP running win xp pro/corp with sp2) with various emulators (incl A8 and ST etc), veryt rarely play PC games but i have a few (less then 10)

[javiero]

I think many of us use the 8-bit mainly for programming proyects that never see the light of day, i mean, i don't game a lot on the 8-bit, but i toyed with programming languages a lot, in fact a great deal of my original A8 stuff is programming tools. When will i be able to complete a proyect??, maybe never, lack of time, lack of will, whatever... Anyway i love to play with my programming languages, Action!, Microsoft Basic, Basic XE, Turbobasic, Lightspeed C, Kyan Pascal, Mac 65, Quick, etc....I've made versions of the same routine in all languages just for the fun of it...

[javiero]

By the way i'm 37 and i've done work on the ibm for my job, mainly in Turbobasic, now i'm learning the ST, a piece of cake when you work with VDI, AES and TOS...Still, my first love is the A8...

Edited January 10, 2006 by javiero

[Rybags]

I forgot to mention. I also did a project + programs to transfer from the C-64 to Atari 800XL.

 

I'm fairly sure it used the C-64 serial port (the disk drive one), and linked to joystick port 2 on the Atari.

 

As far as I remember, the comms was one way only - c64 to Atari. I just wanted to transfer some pictures and digital audio.

 

There was programming involved on both sides, and I interfaced direct to hardware, so there was no adherance to existing convention, no emulation of peripheral devices on either side.

 

But it got me prepared for the SIO to ST project - in addition to that I wrote a 6502 disassembler on the ST, complete with an 80x50 display routine which actually used the 8-bit character set.

[Gunstar]

Looks like the vast majority of us are 30 something's, both on the programming and user ends. I'm in the latter catagory, though I did write a few short basic programs in my teenage years and typing in other's programs (from magaxines like Anitc, Analog and Compute!) and modifying them slightly. And I write batch files on a regular basis with Spartados amd MS-dos. In other words, not a programmer, but I know my way around the OS's and DOS's better than a common user. I'm a hardware guy. If it's broke, I can fix it. I can modify with hardware upgrades of my own and others.

Edited January 12, 2006 by Gunstar

[Gunstar]

Ok, it's only some minutes ago, that this post was made, but if we're all programmers, who is our audience (at this moment 6 Programmers between 30 and 39, 1 user)?

 

that's funny.

 

gtx

996516[/snapback]

Programmers should be counted twice, as programmer status and user status becuse they still use the machines like the rest of us! All programming and no play makes Jack a dull boy! At least they USE each other's programs too. So as the poll stands now, there are about 62% of us here that are users between 30-39 and 39% programmers. yes, that's already over a 100%, but I think it has to be that way, becuase programmers don't just program on their Atari's only. The poll should really have had an option for being both a user&programmer, then we could see what percentage of ALL of us users here are also programmers. We're ALL users here. Does that make sense to anyone besides me? I'm just basically saying that the programmers are also part of the "audience" so the ratio of programmers to users is not accurate in this poll. Maybe I'm just confused about the poll's topic? I know the title asks if we're programmers and how old are we, but then the actual poll seems to have the choice of being just a user, "I'm NOT atari programmer." Is this choice supposed to mean that you are still a programmer, but don't program on Atari's or that you are just a user?

Edited January 12, 2006 by Gunstar

[carmel_andrews]

Gunstsr, do you still do 1050 UG's like SA 2 or lazer/USD or sppedy mods for UK 1050's

 

Also... looking for recent version of Omnimon that works on XE's (i already have an XL version in one of my XE's)

[glitch]

For a few months yet I can still fit in the 30 something range. Next year I won't be able to make that claim

[Gunstar]

Gunstsr, do you still do 1050 UG's like SA 2 or lazer/USD or sppedy mods for UK 1050's

 

Also... looking for recent version of Omnimon that works on XE's (i already have an XL version in one of my XE's)

998871[/snapback]

 

I've never used Omnimon, sot I can't help at all with that, I'd be willing to bet that B&C or Best E. have them in stock though. As far as "still doing" 1050 upgrades, I've done it to my own drives, but I've never done it for anyone else, but I could. I generally repair/refurbish 1050's or whatever back to normal working condition and clean them up cosmetically then sell them on E-bay or whatever. I've never bothered to then upgrade a drive before I sell it though, They've all still been in stock condition. but if you have a 1050 that you want me to install an upgrade in, I can do it for you, assuming I can still find the upgrade kit (some are still sold by dealers, some are not). I do repairs and upgrades for people if they ask, but it's not what you would call and standing "service" like B&C or Best Electronics has for repair and upgrades. You have to ask and if I have the time, I may say yes.

[carmel_andrews]

Gunstar.. sorry, just realized that you live in the US... when are you over here (UK) next, as I don't exactly feel comfortable sending v. old Atari hardware thru the postal system... then you can do the upgrade for me and also stick in a couple of drive mechs and track 10 assenbley's as well in my old 1050's

 

the 2 1050's i have are Lazer/USD and Super archiver 2 (SA 2) modd'd

Edited January 13, 2006 by carmel_andrews