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Peripherals and other 520ST info requested.

Hey Shazbot...

I noticed that your ST didn't have a mouse. You will need a mouse. Atari mice aren't cheap. If you have any PS/2 Mice, you can buy this kit, build it up, and "Bob's your uncle."

http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-KMTech-...pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item19e1576a59

I just bought two, because I need one for my Mega ST, and one for my Amiga 500.

I've been abusing my Credit Card, because I also bought a set of "Rainbow TOS" ROMs on eBay. they cost $35 shipped, but by the time I bought EPROMS and could get to program them, this was just a little more expensive, and it's done.

Rainbow TOS fixes some bugs, and makes the ST disk format compatible with MS-DOS (the old format was close, but a bit different) and speeds up the system a tad.

You can also use EMUTOS which can load into RAM, but you need a 1mb or better machine.
 
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You found the one I was getting? Yeah, no mouse. I bookmarked that.

I got the RAM already - loads of it. Just looking at the instructions for installation and saving them. No sense getting all into it right now until it arrives.
 
Al Hartman said:
Rainbow TOS fixes some bugs, and makes the ST disk format compatible with MS-DOS (the old format was close, but a bit different) and speeds up the system a tad.
Click to expand...

I had no trouble exchanging data between my 520ST+ with TOS 1.0 and my PCs as long as I formatted the disks on a PC first. If I formatted the disk on the ST, the PC couldn't read it unless I ran ScanDisk or some other disk repair tool on it and let it repair the FAT.
 
Shazbot said:
I have to admit, the only reason I don't plan to get an Atari 8-bit (130XE and lower) is the keyboard layout. I still look for one and if it's cheap enough, I still might, but it would have to be an upper model. 1200XL or better.
Click to expand...

The 1200XL was the most-hated Atari computer when it was first released... but now it is the most valuable and sought-after of the 8-bit line, due to its rarity, superior keyboard feel and layout, and room for internal expansions (due to Atari's plans for an internal modem and speech synthesizer in the 1400XL model, which never got released).

 
Al: I plan to do only 2.5 to start. Might do the other later if needs demand it.

Vw: That would explain why I never saw but one the past year or so, since I started looking. Maybe a 130XE, then? At least those are still available, somewhat.
 
About that mouse adapter. I have PC Serial mice crawling out my ears. Wouldn't it be easier to adapt one of those instead of a PS/2?
 
Same folks sell one already built, so I bookmarked that one instead. It would cut down on the clutter, and can use it with my KVM switch.
 
Shazbot said:
About that mouse adapter. I have PC Serial mice crawling out my ears. Wouldn't it be easier to adapt one of those instead of a PS/2?
Click to expand...

I'm an old ST fan and collector, and an Atari 8-bit fan too which grew out of my obsession for the ST. Great to see this involved coverage on the forum. What first attracted me to the ST was it's use by many top US musical artists. The ST was for some time the top music computer. More-so in Europe where it dominated the market. Some of it's attractiveness was the MIDI connectors. Sam Tramiel took over Atari after he was forced out of Commodore, he also had the chance of taking the Amiga development department with him, but blew it. Later on Amiga was the ST's biggest competitor. Tramiel also had a thing, that the bucks were in the proprietory connectors which hampered Atari sales. The Falcon was an amazing machine, Dobbs used some of it's stuff for the NEXT. But Tramiel basicly abandoned it after bad marketing policies. He then went for the bucks in dropping the line and selling off it's extensive patents.

There were many mice and other devices which had a switch to make it usable for both STs and Amigas. I seem to remember there was only one pin which made the difference. Hacking the PC mice wasn't worth the effort because they were quite dissimilar.
 
Al Hartman said:
Well... Keep an eye out for a Spectre GCR cartridge for the Atari ST. It will let you run Mac OS 6.08 on the ST. It will also read/write Mac 800k Disks on Atari Drives.

Rumors are if you search for "Aladin Atari ST", you can find an old software only Mac Emulator for the ST.

I also have PC Speed, and I just found the disks for another PC Emulator for the ST (Can't think of the name).

A Magic Sac will also give you Mac Emulation, but Spectre GCR is better and faster.
Click to expand...

I've got a couple of Magic Sacs. To my knowledge MAC forced him out of business and then he developed the Spectre. The Magic Sac also has an Apple Mac processor on it.
 
Al Hartman said:
Hey Shazbot...

I noticed that your ST didn't have a mouse. You will need a mouse. Atari mice aren't cheap. If you have any PS/2 Mice, you can buy this kit, build it up, and "Bob's your uncle."

http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-KMTech-...pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item19e1576a59

I just bought two, because I need one for my Mega ST, and one for my Amiga 500.

I've been abusing my Credit Card, because I also bought a set of "Rainbow TOS" ROMs on eBay. they cost $35 shipped, but by the time I bought EPROMS and could get to program them, this was just a little more expensive, and it's done.

Rainbow TOS fixes some bugs, and makes the ST disk format compatible with MS-DOS (the old format was close, but a bit different) and speeds up the system a tad.

You can also use EMUTOS which can load into RAM, but you need a 1mb or better machine.
Click to expand...

Wow, the price is certainly good for the mouse converters. I've settled on my Mega 4 for ST kicks and am likely way behind in my once extensive knowledge. Checking out the EMUTOS program and the programs it supports is scary. It seems to support the "STE" or better machines not the standard STs.. Hell even keeping my MS-hit machines functioning these days (trailing edge W98 or XPs) I find difficult. My Mega4 does support "Notator" and a bunch of old ST stuff I have on disk, I'm not especially into gaming and ST has a bunch of usable programs which are fun to use. One of it's lacks was it's tentative approach to the internet, but I believe that was overcome, even if one has to use a more powerful computer to do it.
 
vwestlife said:
I had no trouble exchanging data between my 520ST+ with TOS 1.0 and my PCs as long as I formatted the disks on a PC first. If I formatted the disk on the ST, the PC couldn't read it unless I ran ScanDisk or some other disk repair tool on it and let it repair the FAT.
Click to expand...

If I remember correctly there was just a very small bit of code at the beginning of the MS disks which differentiated it from the ST disks.
 
Hi,

Micom 2000 said:
I've got a couple of Magic Sacs. To my knowledge MAC forced him out of business and then he developed the Spectre. The Magic Sac also has an Apple Mac processor on it.
Click to expand...

Originally Posted by Al Hartman Rumors are if you search for "Aladin Atari ST", you can find an old software only Mac Emulator for the ST.
Click to expand...


Actually, Spectre 128, like Magic Sac and Aladdin, is a pure software emulation of the Mac. The only thing on the cartridge is the Mac ROMs.

Spectre GCR added a bit of hardware so you could read original Mac GCR disks, not just the Spectre's own disk format. That was really important at the time, but much less so after Macs started to have HD floppies. There was a "tweener" disk format that could be read by both Spectre and HD Macs.

You can download a software-only (does not need the cartridge) version of Spectre at the bottom of this page (link). It really makes the ST into a superior Mac Plus!

Regards,

Oscar.
 
I don't recommend the software only pirated Spectre 128 as it is buggy. I have a GCR Cartridge, and I use that.

David left Pacific Data due to disagreements, not because "MAC forced him out of business." There is a discussion on an Atari site where David discusses why he left Pacific Data and started "Gadgets by Small," and why that business folded as well.

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/9183-spectre-gcr/#entry87382
 
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