13 replies to this topic

[Sean39]

Hey I was wondering

Can a fully loaded Falcon computer get on the internet? I am gatting one with the 14 megs already installed.
Well saving the money to purchase a Falcon computer. I have a friend who has one.

Thanks
Sean

Edited by Sean39, Thu Feb 9, 2012 12:39 AM.

[Christos]

Yeah it can. You don't really get the best internet experience but it works. Good ideas are to not load images and use a resolution with 2 or if you really want 16 colours. It's ok for IRC and email but not for www.

[DarkLord]

If you're lucky and can get a CT63 accelerator and something like Nature's SuperVidel board
to add to your Falcon, then surfing will be a little better...

[Paolo]

Well, a Falcon can give a nice web experience, actually.
No Flash or Javascript currently, but otherwise you have a good basic web browsing.
You have Highwire, Netsurf, Link, and CAB with various degrees of compliance.

I suggest Netsurf, that is a currently developed multi-platform browser, to be used with MiNT (I don't know if TOS/GEM is suitable, since you need the LAN drivers).
Highwire is also good.

Various e-mail programs give you a good choice, ICQ and IRC are covered, too, and you have two or three solid and functional FTP programs.

The first suggestion is to check what option to choose on the physical side of the connection (EtherNAT, NetUSBee, ...)

[dark willow]

Any of the ST/Mega/TT/Falcon systems can get online, even under plain TOS with either serial port access or using something like the EtherNEC for ethernet connectivity. Email, FTP, Usenet, IRC and IM (there is an ICQ client on Atari) are all OK on pretty much any spec machine, though I'd say a 4mb ST with mass storage of some kind (hard disk/SatanDisk/UltraSatan) is the sane minimum. Configuring it can be awkward - but there's a lot of info out there to help you, plus a strong community

The bad part is WWW browsing. If you only access simple sites for basic things then it's OK. Project Gutenberg won't test your patience too much, but don't expect to be using Youtube or some flash-o-rama webpage, and do make sure you keep up with the meditation, because patience is needed! You will be pushing any Atari to the limits of both hardware and software when it comes to modern web page rendering in "real time". Turning off the graphics help, but also be concious of what pages are friendly to smaller display resolutions. Few things are more annoying than horizontal scrolling, especially when the system is running slow.

If you can get a CT-6x system with decent graphics (CT-PCI with Radeon, or Supervidel) then you will find life considerably easier in terms of waiting, but flash and funky java scripts will still not work - that's software not hardware.

[wood_jl]

I like the application of the technology here, but one of the best things about Atari computers is that they DON'T get on the internet. That's the best thing about retrocomputers. I can get a modern piece of shit at Walmart (or online) for cheap that excels at getting online. Getting online isn't even on my list, when it comes to Atari computers. I rather enjoy the fact that they're "offiline." I use my generic el-crappo PC as a bitch to fetch files for my Atari, and to view sites like this so we can discuss Atari. My Atari doesn't seem to mind, and I don't waste its MTBF hours with crap that a Walmart PC is better suited for.

[DarkLord]

wood_jl, on Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:59 PM, said:

I like the application of the technology here, but one of the best things about Atari computers is that they DON'T get on the internet. That's the best thing about retrocomputers. I can get a modern piece of shit at Walmart (or online) for cheap that excels at getting online. Getting online isn't even on my list, when it comes to Atari computers. I rather enjoy the fact that they're "offiline." I use my generic el-crappo PC as a bitch to fetch files for my Atari, and to view sites like this so we can discuss Atari. My Atari doesn't seem to mind, and I don't waste its MTBF hours with crap that a Walmart PC is better suited for.

Rough, but funny. I like.

[simonsunnyboy]

Websurfing on lowspec Atari computers can also be improved by visiting the mobile versions of webpages instead of the full ones.
I also second that the recommended minimum configuration is 4MB RAM and a harddisk.

[Christos]

The usefulness of online access for an atari is for very few limited things. Getting a file, and reading documentation while developing. Also having an irc client running while developing can help very much as well.

[Paolo]

You are right. I don't mind going to my online bank account with my Falcon, but surely it is good to get a file (FTP or WWW) without running cables or swapping disks
I, for one, use often enough AICQ, mymail, aFTP, zweather, GEMdict. But also Netsurf gets its fair share of teh interwebs

[remowilliams]

wood_jl, on Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:59 PM, said:

Getting online isn't even on my list, when it comes to Atari computers

Just because you can do a thing, even in some horrible capacity, doesn't mean you should...

[wood_jl]

remowilliams, on Tue Feb 21, 2012 4:00 PM, said:

wood_jl, on Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:59 PM, said:

Getting online isn't even on my list, when it comes to Atari computers

Just because you can do a thing, even in some horrible capacity, doesn't mean you should...

What is that? 1541 Ultimate I with Ethernet?

[Christos]

remowilliams, on Tue Feb 21, 2012 4:00 PM, said:

wood_jl, on Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:59 PM, said:

Getting online isn't even on my list, when it comes to Atari computers

Just because you can do a thing, even in some horrible capacity, doesn't mean you should...

Why not? Especially if you have fun doing it

[remowilliams]

wood_jl, on Tue Feb 21, 2012 4:39 PM, said:

What is that? 1541 Ultimate I with Ethernet?

Retro Replay with RR-Net adapter.