After 40 years as a Commodore guy, I finally got my first Atari computer - the Atari 800XL. For decades I've had dual-sided floppies with Commodore on one side and Atari on the other... and I could never play the Atari side. Not anymore.
In this video, I walk through everything I learned getting this system up and running:
- Keyboard repair (it wasn't the membrane!)
- Why you need to replace that original power supply
- Setting up the Atari 1050 floppy drive
- Loading those 30-year-old dual-sided floppies
- Using the SIO2USB device to load games from PC
- The built-in self-test feature (something C64 doesn't have!)
Big thanks to John at the Arcade Museum in Frisco, Texas for fixing my keyboard chips and welcoming me into the Atari community.
If you're a Commodore person curious about Atari, or an Atari person who wants to see a C64 guy's perspective, this one's for you.
GEAR SHOWN:
- Atari 800XL Computer
- Atari 1050 Floppy Drive
- Modern Power Supply from 8-Bit Classics
- SIO2USB Device
- AspeQt Emulator Software
DUAL-SIDED GAMES SHOWN:
Bruce Lee, The Goonies, Spy vs. Spy, Temple of Apshai Trilogy, Montezuma's Revenge, Pac-Man, Ninja, Molecule Man, The Halley Project, Koronis Rift, Big Bird's Special Delivery, Silent Service, Kikstart
Real Hardware, Real Chaos.
#Atari800XL #Atari #RetroComputing #Commodore64 #VintageComputing #8bit #RetroGaming #1980s #FloppyDrive #POKEY
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Perfect for Commodore users curious about Atari, Atari enthusiasts wanting to see a fresh perspective, or anyone interested in authentic retro computing discovery!
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💬 Comment: What computer system should Tom try next?
"After 30-something years of never ever using that other side, now I can try the other side and see if it works!"
#Atari800XL #Atari #RetroComputing #8BitComputers #Commodore64 #FloppyDeepDive #ManyFaces #DualSidedFloppies #SIO2PC #Atari1050 #VintageComputing #RetroHardware #8BitClassics #ComputerHistory #AtariCommunity #RetroLOLOoza