22 replies to this topic

[batari]

For those of you who received the Starpath CD with your deluxe Harmony cart (that would have been the first 50 who ordered from the order page) you didn't get a proper manual.

I was promised a professionally-printed manual to scan and got permission to post it, but I never got the manual. I don't know if I'll get one, so I decided to scan the one I have, which was a photocopy and not terribly high quality, rather than wait indefinitely. There is a chance I will get a better manual to scan, but until then, here is something you can use.

First, I have the manual scanned in print order, intended to print on both sides, and fold and staple into the manual cover you have. Download here: http://atariage.com/...hives/sganb.pdf

Second, I have the individual pages of the manual scanned and zoomed to fit a 8.5x11 page. It is intended for online viewing. Download here: http://atariage.com/...ives/sganb1.pdf

Enjoy!

[ls650]

There is some really interesting reading there - thanks for sharing!

[Buzbard]

Wow, I didn't know there was so much stuff on that CD I just thought it was the Starpath games on there.
I was going to keep it sealed but I don't know, maybe I'll open it and check it out now.

Thanks for the scans batari

Edited by Buzbard, Sat Mar 20, 2010 10:40 PM.

[MrStinger]

Howdy, everyone. Dan from the CyberPuNKS here to offer a word to those who bought the package.

I read the scanned manual, and it is from Version 1.0 of the CD, which was originally distributed in limited edition form. Version 2.0 of the CD has different content and a different manual. I don't know what version of the CD was included with the Harmony package, but if it's V 2.0 then there are no Vectrex materials on the CD, because the second edition was no longer a not-for-profit release. However, there are additional 2600 games on the disc, including some homebrew games not included on V 1.0. All of the Supercharger materials described in the manual are included, and I think they are a lot of fun to look at.

It's definitely worth opening up that CD and exploring, but the manual should reflect the version you received, and I don't want anyone to be disappointed if they open the disc and don't find Vectrex materials there.

[Mitch]

batari, on Sat Mar 20, 2010 9:20 PM, said:

I was promised a professionally-printed manual to scan and got permission to post it, but I never got the manual. I don't know if I'll get one, so I decided to scan the one I have, which was a photocopy and not terribly high quality, rather than wait indefinitely. There is a chance I will get a better manual to scan, but until then, here is something you can use.

I have a copy of the Rev 2 manual in nice shape which I can loan you if you want. I don't have the time to scan it myself at the moment. Let me know.

Mitch

[HatNJ]

Thanks for the scan is really great reading
and for the record My Disc was Version 2.0

and YES definitely worth opening and exploring

Thanks again batari for the scan

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

Very cool Batari! YOU DA MAN!

[ovalbugmann]

Thanks for the interesting reading batari!

Also, thanks for the version differences information; Dan from the CyberPuNKS!

I really need to find one of these Stella discs. Anybody know of a place to still buy them, by chance? Eh, Probably discontinued like the Worship-The-Woodgrain set.

Edited by ovalbugmann, Sun Mar 21, 2010 12:18 AM.

[timdu]

ovalbugmann, on Sun Mar 21, 2010 12:17 AM, said:

Thanks for the interesting reading batari!

Also, thanks for the version differences information; Dan from the CyberPuNKS!

I really need to find one of these Stella discs. Anybody know of a place to still buy them, by chance? Eh, Probably discontinued like the Worship-The-Woodgrain set.

http://www.hozervideo.com/

"Stella Gets A New Brain, Version 2" is listed for $5 on this site under "STELLA STUFF" on the left.


-Tim

Edited by timdu, Sun Mar 21, 2010 4:57 AM.

[ovalbugmann]

Thank You, Tim.

[batari]

Just a FYI - Hozer may be selling copies of the CD.

[seanhq]

MrStinger, on Sat Mar 20, 2010 10:56 PM, said:

Howdy, everyone. Dan from the CyberPuNKS here to offer a word to those who bought the package.

I read the scanned manual, and it is from Version 1.0 of the CD, which was originally distributed in limited edition form. Version 2.0 of the CD has different content and a different manual. I don't know what version of the CD was included with the Harmony package, but if it's V 2.0 then there are no Vectrex materials on the CD, because the second edition was no longer a not-for-profit release. However, there are additional 2600 games on the disc, including some homebrew games not included on V 1.0. All of the Supercharger materials described in the manual are included, and I think they are a lot of fun to look at.

It's definitely worth opening up that CD and exploring, but the manual should reflect the version you received, and I don't want anyone to be disappointed if they open the disc and don't find Vectrex materials there.

After reading this, I opened my "Stella Gets A New Brain CD" that I got in the Harmony bundle and it's version 2.0. Even though no Vectrex Materials, it's still a really awesome piece to own.

[batari]

I now have scans of the 2.0 manual thanks to Dan Skelton. I will make them into PDFs when I get a chance, so stay tuned.

[batari]

I've got the version 2 manual ready now. Thanks go to Dan Skelton for scanning it.

Here is the manual ready for duplex printing:
http://atariage.com/...ves/sganbv2.pdf

Here is the manual for online viewing:
http://atariage.com/...es/sganbv2a.pdf

[Buzbard]

Thanks for the new pdfs batari and thanks to Dan for the scans.
Awsome guys!

[mos6507]

Great to see this on PDF finally!

Unfortunately the PDFs don't have the cover/backcover artwork, but there are digital versions of that on the CD. Maybe not at quite the same res as was used to print it, however.

Sorry that having lived in a half dozen or so apartments in california and now with most of my stuff still packed in boxes in my dad's house (which is a good candidate for the show Hoarders), I'm really not a good steward of my own historical artefacts.

[mos6507]

batari, on Sun Mar 21, 2010 11:07 AM, said:

Just a FYI - Hozer may be selling copies of the CD.

He told me the ~50 CDs were all that was left. Can anyone confirm whether he's still actually taking orders for this? Maybe he just didn't update his website. It seemed a little odd that he had so few remaining. But we should be grateful for what we got, knowing his mood swings.

Note, if you ever come across a Stella CD on a CD-R or CD-RW, then it's not genuine, and technically illegal in the eyes of the copyright-holders (although a quick google search indicates it's on bittorrent like everything else these days). Both Version 1 and Version 2 were professionally pressed CDs. We went out of our way to do it this way to provide a more polished presentation and for the sake of media longevity. I don't know what kind of collector value Volume 1 has today, but we tried to make each disc an individual entity. It had handwritten metallic serial numbers on the disc (gold every 10 digit, else silver) and an occasional "do what thou wilt" or similar catchphrase on the jewel case insert ala Led Zeppelin III.

I was disappointed that we couldn't do a solid black CD silkscreen with red lettering on volume 2 the way we did with volume 1, but we were really after quantity on the 2nd run. I think we made about 1,000 volume 2 CDs. I pretty much filled a closet with them. That much I know. Even after a decade, I'd be surprised if every CD is in the hands of an end-user. I don't think I sold more than a couple hundred Vol. 2 CDs before sales tapered off and I gave the rest to Randy. Even though he didn't charge anything beyond S&H, I thought the market was pretty much saturated and that his stash would last forever.

[the.golden.ax]

I have both the real and the fake in my collection. Good to know the fake is a fake. Perhaps it is for PM or another thread but I'd love to know where you get the real discs made and what it ran? I've thought about doing some projects of my own (my own material).

Thanks,
AX

[batari]

mos6507, on Sat Apr 24, 2010 12:30 AM, said:

batari, on Sun Mar 21, 2010 11:07 AM, said:

Just a FYI - Hozer may be selling copies of the CD.

He told me the ~50 CDs were all that was left. Can anyone confirm whether he's still actually taking orders for this? Maybe he just didn't update his website. It seemed a little odd that he had so few remaining. But we should be grateful for what we got, knowing his mood swings.

I have some direct evidence that he's still selling CDs, but I'm not sure if he's selling originals or copies.

[Syntaxerror999]

MrStinger, on Sat Mar 20, 2010 10:56 PM, said:

Howdy, everyone. Dan from the CyberPuNKS here to offer a word to those who bought the package.

I read the scanned manual, and it is from Version 1.0 of the CD, which was originally distributed in limited edition form. Version 2.0 of the CD has different content and a different manual. I don't know what version of the CD was included with the Harmony package, but if it's V 2.0 then there are no Vectrex materials on the CD, because the second edition was no longer a not-for-profit release. However, there are additional 2600 games on the disc, including some homebrew games not included on V 1.0. All of the Supercharger materials described in the manual are included, and I think they are a lot of fun to look at.

It's definitely worth opening up that CD and exploring, but the manual should reflect the version you received, and I don't want anyone to be disappointed if they open the disc and don't find Vectrex materials there.

Any chance this cd will be made avalable again?

[the.golden.ax]

[Pioneer4x4]

Syntaxerror999, on Wed Mar 2, 2011 12:02 AM, said:

MrStinger, on Sat Mar 20, 2010 10:56 PM, said:

Howdy, everyone. Dan from the CyberPuNKS here to offer a word to those who bought the package.

I read the scanned manual, and it is from Version 1.0 of the CD, which was originally distributed in limited edition form. Version 2.0 of the CD has different content and a different manual. I don't know what version of the CD was included with the Harmony package, but if it's V 2.0 then there are no Vectrex materials on the CD, because the second edition was no longer a not-for-profit release. However, there are additional 2600 games on the disc, including some homebrew games not included on V 1.0. All of the Supercharger materials described in the manual are included, and I think they are a lot of fun to look at.

It's definitely worth opening up that CD and exploring, but the manual should reflect the version you received, and I don't want anyone to be disappointed if they open the disc and don't find Vectrex materials there.

Any chance this cd will be made avalable again?

There was one on eBay recently.
eBay Auction -- Item Number: 140511824883
I still have my #010 from back in the day!

[high voltage]

Here's the colour cover from first edition Stella: