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I am NOT a fan of the new trend of shipping things WITHOUT the ability to power them.

I am NOT a fan of the new trend of shipping things WITHOUT the ability to power them.

My dream computer was the Atari 400.  Improved Atari games and those cool store kiosks made me drool. 
I ended up with a VIC-20 instead due to lower pricing and loved it.  But my dream came true a few years later when I found an Atari 800XL/1050 disk drive/1025 printer bundle on clearance at Sears.  The computer did not disappoint.  I loved it and still do.
 
 

I have this one!  Cool device!

I'm older than many of you here, so way back in 1977 my first dream machine was the TRS-80 Model I, but as a kid I simply didn't have the money to buy one.  Looking back that was a good thing as computers were changing so fast and obsolescence raised its ugly head rather quickly.  About six years later I ended up with a TI-99/4A because the color graphics, the Parsec game and the lower cost for entry locked me in.  I eventually did get a TRS-80 Model III later for more practical uses, but got rid of it after a couple of years.  The TI-99/4A is a quirky machine, but nostalgia brought me back to it decades later as nothing more than a hobby machine to see what I could make it do with new tech add-ons.  As the years piled up, and the decades have past, computers no longer seem to be the mystical and magical holy grails of my youth, now I see them as only a tool to do the things I want.
I am finding out one thing as I approach codgerhood, it's true what they say about senior citizens and their second childhood, however it's more fun the second time around as now I can get whatever I want, unlike that kid so many years ago that had more dreams than means.

I am NOT a fan of the new trend of shipping things WITHOUT the ability to power them.

I'm older than many of you here, so way back in 1977 my first dream machine was the TRS-80 Model I, but as a kid I simply didn't have the money to buy one.  Looking back that was a good thing as computers were changing so fast and obsolescence raised its ugly head rather quickly.  About six years later I ended up with a TI-99/4A because the color graphics, the Parsec game and the lower cost for entry locked me in.  I eventually did get a TRS-80 Model III later for more practical uses, but got rid of it after a couple of years.  The TI-99/4A is a quirky machine, but nostalgia brought me back to it decades later as nothing more than a hobby machine to see what I could make it do with new tech add-ons.  As the years piled up, and the decades have past, computers no longer seem to be the mystical and magical holy grails of my youth, now I see them as only a tool to do the things I want.
I am finding out one thing as I approach codgerhood, it's true what they say about senior citizens and their second childhood, however it's more fun the second time around as now I can get whatever I want, unlike that kid so many years ago that had more dreams than means.

I am NOT a fan of the new trend of shipping things WITHOUT the ability to power them.

I'm older than many of you here, so way back in 1977 my first dream machine was the TRS-80 Model I, but as a kid I simply didn't have the money to buy one.  Looking back that was a good thing as computers were changing so fast and obsolescence raised its ugly head rather quickly.  About six years later I ended up with a TI-99/4A because the color graphics, the Parsec game and the lower cost for entry locked me in.  I eventually did get a TRS-80 Model III later for more practical uses, but got rid of it after a couple of years.  The TI-99/4A is a quirky machine, but nostalgia brought me back to it decades later as nothing more than a hobby machine to see what I could make it do with new tech add-ons.  As the years piled up, and the decades have past, computers no longer seem to be the mystical and magical holy grails of my youth, now I see them as only a tool to do the things I want.
I am finding out one thing as I approach codgerhood, it's true what they say about senior citizens and their second childhood, however it's more fun the second time around as now I can get whatever I want, unlike that kid so many years ago that had more dreams than means.

I'm older than many of you here, so way back in 1977 my first dream machine was the TRS-80 Model I, but as a kid I simply didn't have the money to buy one.  Looking back that was a good thing as computers were changing so fast and obsolescence raised its ugly head rather quickly.  About six years later I ended up with a TI-99/4A because the color graphics, the Parsec game and the lower cost for entry locked me in.  I eventually did get a TRS-80 Model III later for more practical uses, but got rid of it after a couple of years.  The TI-99/4A is a quirky machine, but nostalgia brought me back to it decades later as nothing more than a hobby machine to see what I could make it do with new tech add-ons.  As the years piled up, and the decades have past, computers no longer seem to be the mystical and magical holy grails of my youth, now I see them as only a tool to do the things I want.
I am finding out one thing as I approach codgerhood, it's true what they say about senior citizens and their second childhood, however it's more fun the second time around as now I can get whatever I want, unlike that kid so many years ago that had more dreams than means.

The Atari 2600+ is Atari's newest and oldest system. It plays original Atari 2600 cartridges as well as Atari 7800 games. In this video I unbox the system, play the 10-in-1 cartridge, test my original controllers and games, open it up and see what makes it tick, and test the new controllers and games with my original Atari 7800 system.
 
0:00 - Intro 0:34 - Checking out the box 1:25 - Unboxing the System 2:25 - Comparing to the Original 3:24 - What else is in the box? 5:51 - Unboxing the Paddles 7:32 - Berzerk Enhanced Edition and Mr. Run And Jump 8:38 - Hooking it up 9:28 - Trying the 10-in-1 11:57 - Playing Mr. Run and Jump 12:36 - Playing Berzerk Enhanced 13:04 - Really authentic switches! 13:23 - Testing the Paddles 14:42 - Testing my ORIGINAL Paddles 15:27 - Testing my Original Paddle Games 16:29 - Is Warlords 4-player? 17:12 - Testing my Original controllers 18:07 - Testing my Trak-Ball! 19:20 - Testing my Keypad controllers 20:14 - Sega Genesis controllers? 21:12 - Testing 4 2600/7800 Homebrews 21:50 - Testing a LOT of 2600 games! 29:36 - Testing a LOT of 7800 games! 35:30 - System Teardown (What's inside this puppy?) 38:41 - Testing on an original 7800! 39:25 - Pricing 39:44 - Is this a good system? 40:40 - Should you get one?

Dream computer as a kid? Hmm... that's a good question. Well, I think I got my dream computer as a kid with the Atari 800, my first home computer. If I dreamed about anything, it was getting a disk drive and a 1702 monitor. I eventually got both. The 1702 was a huge upgrade over the 14" family TV (or whatever size it was) that over scanned and was a bit fuzzy with the RF connection.
I went on to having computers from the XL and XE lines and eventually got an ST and all that. However, I don't remember thinking of a dream computer during those days. That didn't happen until the early 1990s when I wanted a Macintosh IIci. I decided to switch over from the ST to something else, and the Macintosh Iici was what I drooled over. Having been spoiled using a GUI with the ST, I really didn't want to get a PC as it felt like I was going backwards in computer tech with the horrendous CGA graphics and sound and equally hideous pre-3.0 versions of Windows. However, I ended up getting a decked out Northgate 386/33 mainly due to being pressured by family and friends who already had a PC (I'm the tech support in my social circle).

Always a quality presentation from this channel.
My own experience with the brand new Atari ST in 1985. A video full of nostalgia. Join me on this trip down memory lane, where I recreated the scenes of the past using AI and my actual machines. Let's explore this fantastic time period, the Golden Age of video games. Let's have a look at some of the best Atari ST games, including the most outstanding of all: Dungeon Master...
 

http://moonlander.seb.ly
<< CLICK HERE >>  To play Lunar Lander online!
Here is a screen grab of my first landing...

... and my second landing...

http://moonlander.seb.ly
<< CLICK HERE >>  To play Lunar Lander online!
Here is a screen grab of my first landing...

... and my second landing...

Yeah, something is up for sure, the item has been taken down.

I'm guessing here, but I doubt the person who originally stole it back in 1978 was the one putting it up for auction.  Because the person who stole it is probably a senior citizen, if not dead by now.  Also the thief had to know it's value and that putting such an iconic piece of Americana online would attract unwanted attention.  Now it could very well be part of an estate sale by a family member, who knows.  But yeah, it's interesting.
Sorry, but I had to re-orient the photo, it was driving me nuts.

Thanks for the heads up on this unit!  I've been wanting the original 1979 arcade version of Lunar Lander for decades, and this unit has it!  So I purchased the unit for the TV in the bedroom, which will put those wireless controllers to use.
I did notice that the Amazon quantity indicator LIES.  It said there was only one left when I clicked buy... it still says there is one left.  But at that price, it's a real good deal!

I just did some checking on this unit.... IT HAS THE ORIGINAL LUNAR LANDER!

I just did some checking on this unit.... IT HAS THE ORIGINAL LUNAR LANDER!

As far as I know, they are homemade.  It involves removing one axis pot and replacing the other with a radial potentiometer (from a 2600 paddle).  I haven't tried it with Tempest, but I should! 

The best home version of Tempest is the one that comes free on the VCS using the classic controller (which has a dial).  It's the arcade ROM. 

Well, I had this surprise arrival today...

My OCD was getting the best of me.  My keyboard was collecting dust, and even caught a few hairs which were driving me stark raving nuts because I could not get them out.  So, I got this and now my keyboard looks new again!