14 replies to this topic

[Math You]

Would anybody like Atari to make an ST Flashback computer?

I remember Curt mentioning the idea on Atari Age years ago and thought it was a great idea.

Maybe it could be the same size as a Nintendo DS or like a small Stacy portable.

[Christos]

http://experiment-s.de/en

[Prab]

i dont think it would sell as well to a mass market as much as say an Amiga portable/plug and play

[ls650]

To be honest, no. When you mention Atari to anyone, 99% of the potential customers think only of the 2600 VCS. Most folks don't even realize that Atari produced fairly successful 8 and 16-bit computers.

[jaybird3rd]

ls650, on Wed Feb 1, 2012 8:21 PM, said:

To be honest, no. When you mention Atari to anyone, 99% of the potential customers think only of the 2600 VCS. Most folks don't even realize that Atari produced fairly successful 8 and 16-bit computers.

True, unfortunately. Even the 400/800 computers would be too obscure for ordinary consumers to recognize, never mind a 16-bit computer which was—at best—a third-place contender in the marketplace behind the IBM PC and Apple Macintosh. The retro-chic 2600 is about the only Atari system popular enough to generate the kind of mass appeal that the Flashback 2 enjoyed (although, with the proper marketing, I still think a 400/800-based Flashback could do it, too).

[wood_jl]

The world will NEVER be "ready" for an Atari ST flashback. They wouldn't know (and never will) what the fu*k it was, to begin with. Nobody does. Well-stated, above. Atari means 2600 to those in the mass market, who are old enough (and still living!) to remember it. Only middle-aged, greasy-haired geeks (who were in the extreme minority even at the zenith of the machine) know what one is. Those are the facts. I have several ST machines and I love 'em.

Most people in the mass market don't really don't know what an Amiga is, either, although probably a few more than the ST. They're going to see the reference to ST or Amiga, Wikipedia it, shit on it, and go back to playing Call of Duty 10.

Edited by wood_jl, Thu Feb 2, 2012 12:33 AM.

[S1500]

I don't think the world is even ready for a Partridge Family reunion world tour.

[kenjennings]

Here's another guy working on Atari ST /Amiga on FPGA.

http://www.fpgaarcad...atari_amiga.htm

He seemed to be farther along on the on the ST due to the much more simple hardware.

[bennybingo]

What's an Atari ST?

[theloon]

If the Raspberry Pi gets RiscOS why not a layer for EMUTOS to sit upon? For that matter, I saw AMOS BASIC for Windows that uses the AROS Kickstart and underpinnings. I don't see buying a multi hundred dollar FPGA board for classic computing anymore.

[BillyHW]

No, the world just isn't ready.

[Lynxpro]

As a parent of a beautiful 1 year old daughter, I have to say I'd love to see an ST Flashback, an XL/XE Flashback, a C64 Flashback, and an Amiga Flashback.

Look how much companies like VTech charge for their child "computers", it would be pretty awesome to have something like the above available for the children to learn on without being connected to the internet for simple things. The computers could be loaded with the best game ROMs and educational software from yesteryear.


Heck, I'm surprised VTech hasn't thought something like this over since back-in-the-day they made the Apple // compatible Laser128 line of computers. Think about all of the educational software that was created for the Apple // line, not to mention games [although any Apple/Laser Flashback would need to support the MockingBoard (or was it mockingbird?) in emulation since the native Apple // sound was terrible].

Edited by Lynxpro, Wed May 2, 2012 2:53 PM.

[jaybird3rd]

Lynxpro, on Wed May 2, 2012 2:51 PM, said:

As a parent of a beautiful 1 year old daughter, I have to say I'd love to see an ST Flashback, an XL/XE Flashback, a C64 Flashback, and an Amiga Flashback.

Look how much companies like VTech charge for their child "computers", it would be pretty awesome to have something like the above available for the children to learn on without being connected to the internet for simple things. The computers could be loaded with the best game ROMs and educational software from yesteryear.

Yes! This was one of the points I made in my little "sales pitch to Atari" for Legacy Engineering's 800-based Flashback 3. The 400/800 computers got lots of great educational titles, and it would have been easy to put together a collection of the best of them for an educationally-oriented Flashback 3, if only it had become a real product.

I'm trying to get my six-year-old nephew started on computers with an Atari XEGS. I've got a good starting collection of software and a pretty nice menu system, all loading from a MyIDE CompactFlash card. At this point, it's probably the closest I'll get to a professionally-packaged Atari "kid computer".

[pboland]

jaybird3rd, on Wed May 2, 2012 6:31 PM, said:

Lynxpro, on Wed May 2, 2012 2:51 PM, said:

As a parent of a beautiful 1 year old daughter, I have to say I'd love to see an ST Flashback, an XL/XE Flashback, a C64 Flashback, and an Amiga Flashback.

Look how much companies like VTech charge for their child "computers", it would be pretty awesome to have something like the above available for the children to learn on without being connected to the internet for simple things. The computers could be loaded with the best game ROMs and educational software from yesteryear.

Yes! This was one of the points I made in my little "sales pitch to Atari" for Legacy Engineering's 800-based Flashback 3. The 400/800 computers got lots of great educational titles, and it would have been easy to put together a collection of the best of them for an educationally-oriented Flashback 3, if only it had become a real product.

I'm trying to get my six-year-old nephew started on computers with an Atari XEGS. I've got a good starting collection of software and a pretty nice menu system, all loading from a MyIDE CompactFlash card. At this point, it's probably the closest I'll get to a professionally-packaged Atari "kid computer". Or just call the kids computer "My Atari".

I was with you then and I'm with you now. Just think, a kids computer system that states on the product "power by ATARI" or "ATARI powered". You could even take a cue from intel and state "ATARI Inside"

I still think it can work.

Remember also, that you don't have to call and Atari ST powered plug in play device an "Atari ST". Heck, you could make it look like an Atari 2600 if you want. Its all about the marketing. You could call it the Atari 2600st (or X or something). I'm just saying. It's all in the marketing.

[Tickled_Pink]

Lynxpro, on Wed May 2, 2012 2:51 PM, said:

As a parent of a beautiful 1 year old daughter, I have to say I'd love to see an ST Flashback, an XL/XE Flashback, a C64 Flashback, and an Amiga Flashback.

Look how much companies like VTech charge for their child "computers", it would be pretty awesome to have something like the above available for the children to learn on without being connected to the internet for simple things. The computers could be loaded with the best game ROMs and educational software from yesteryear.


Heck, I'm surprised VTech hasn't thought something like this over since back-in-the-day they made the Apple // compatible Laser128 line of computers. Think about all of the educational software that was created for the Apple // line, not to mention games [although any Apple/Laser Flashback would need to support the MockingBoard (or was it mockingbird?) in emulation since the native Apple // sound was terrible].

I would direct you to past threads on AA where I've voiced the exact same sentiments and arguments ... but I can't be arsed.

I've also been pondering the use of Raspberry Pi as the basis for an emulated system. It's intended as an educational tool to get kids programming, but there was no better programming tool than those that existed in the 8-bit era. I'm sure a R-Pi would fit in an original Sinclair Spectrum case. How expensive would it be to remake that?