pouët.net

So I recently got an Atari 130XE and a SIO2PC (USB version).
I load stuff from my laptop using APE for Windows v3.0.2.
Naturally the first thing I wanted to do was have a look through the best stuff the platform has to offer, so I go to prodlist, sort by thumbs up and start downloading.
To my dismay I find that much of the stuff will not run at all.

1. Numen/Taquart - requires 320kb, I only have a vanilla 130XE so no go
2. Pure/Laresistance - loads for a while, then I get some graphics bugs and nothing more happens
3. The shrine/Laresistance - Works fine (YAY!)
4. Yoomp!/Taquart - Says that I must disable BASIC. I must admit that I have no idea how to do that! :)
5. Recall/Resurrection - Loads for a while, strange graphics bugs appear, then black screen and nothing more.
6. Reditus/Zelax - requires 256kb mem :(
7. Atari Dealer Demo - Download link broken, otherwise I think it would rune fine :)
8. Crownland preview/Laresistance - Loads for a while, strange graphics bugs, lockup
9. Twirlee/Taquart - Works fine
10. Forsaken love/New Generation - Requires loads of mem (sigh...)
11. Cracktro 1987 - Broken link
12. Unplugged/Masters of Electric City - Loads for about two seconds, then jumps to basic prompt
13. Drunk Chessboard/Infinity - Download link broken
14. Asskicker/Shadows - Works fine
15. Unfused/Masters of Electric City - Want's me to disable BASIC

So of the top 15 prods I managed to run only THREE! :(

If possible, can someone please:

* Tell me how to disable BASIC
* Find download links for all prods that use the non-working "http://www-user.tu-chemnitz.de/~sgl/atari/files"
* Tell me how to run the prods that just locks up?

You disable BASIC by holding the Option-Key while booting. Some programs show these graphical errors when loading with BASIC enabled.

disable basic: hold down the OPTION key (iirc)
non working downloads: try atari.fandal.cz
locking prods: can't check that atm.. will do when i get back home in a few days

also, upgrading to 1088KB (so you can run ALL demos) takes a 1mb SIMM (free), a few euros in parts, and minor soldering skills. you can find ppl who can do it for you at most atari demoparties...

Pouet to the rescue once again! :)

Thanks a lot guys, booting with BASIC disabled seemed to solve the issues I was having, now everything (well, at least everything that I have enough mem to run!) seems to work fine.

It's so great that you code for many different platforms. I hope your next choice after the atari 8bit demo will be the CPC (I hear some people shouting that I should shut up and code a CPC demo myself though :).

CPC is not out of the question, I do not discriminate against any platform, unless they are:
A) Expensive
or
B) Lack easy method of PC->device transfer
Don't know how the CPC stands on those points...

However considering I have no less than THREE new platforms sitting in my apartment that I haven't released anything on yet, I will try to keep from browsing ebay for a while now! :)

CPC Transfer :
from windows : use cpcdiskxp, can't be made easier.
from linux, use dsktools and enjoy the commandline.

In both cases you need a 3.5" drive plugged to your cpc with an almost straight floppy cable (there are two wires to shortcut).

If you don't like floppies, there is the CPCBooster wich can load ram snapshots to the machine. You'll need a windows pc with a serial port a CPC booster (30 euros and a ramcard (another 30 euro, more or less). Then it is just a matter of right click>send to CPC :)

Sdw : does that mean we can expect a release from you on Atari ? It must be one of the rare platforms on which you didn't release yet ;)

keops: I make no promises (or threats, depending on how you see it :D) but I will definitely try to do something for the Atari. Got a couple of other platforms queued up before though. :)

And by my last count there was like 80 different platforms listed on Pouet and I think I've released fo 12 or so of those, so barely even scratched the surface! ;)

sdw,

for some reason the atari scene decided that the stock machine is not good enough, and most demos needs memory expansions which has to be hand soldiered. the situation is similar to the speccy scene which has the pentagons and whatnots.

Oswald: except that Pentagons and other speccy clones were used because "real" spectrums weren't really available in Russia back in the days. So it's a situation born out of necessity contrary to the situation in atari-land.

britelite: There are more than enough russian or eastern european true-to-the-bone ZX 48k clones.

KeyJ: I know, but noone wants to do demos on a 48k ;)

He, that is pretty interesting.

I just remembered I still had a CPC 6128 with green monitor. Is there any way to connect it to a commodore style RGB monitor? 15.6kHz RGB or composite?

Where can I find information about connecting a 3.5" drive to it?

@Calexico: It is very easy. Follow this instructions.

And then use this great program to transfer data.

I have a 3.5" drive in my CPC6128 as drive B and it works fantastic!

And yes, you can connect it to any rgb monitor.
However, you need a good regulated power supply (+5v at least, and +12 if you want to use the internal 3" drive). There is no regulation inside the CPC, so if the power supply is bad, you may fry something. A PC ATX power supply can work, but they tend to not output 5v but more like 5.5 when powering the CPC alone, if they ever accept to poxer up at all.

I'm using (with pretty good results so far) the power supply from a 3"1/2 USB HDD case, wich is also the box for my floppy drive. Quite easy to build if you have a soldering iron.
Here is a crappy pic of what it looks like :

Anyways... :)
http://img174.imageshack.us/my.php?image=floppypoweriy9.png

great to see oswald is still bitter about his crappy 64k limit :)

Mr Multiplatform himself ! Looking forward to seeing that, especially if you give old Atari ST a try someday ;)