Hi from Ireland
Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2018 5:43 pm
So... where do I start?
For me, my first Atari was a 2600 (woodgrain forever!) back in 1983, but despite this, my first home computer was an Amstrad CPC in 1984 (practicalities of not having a spare TV set to devote to a computer, and the poor availabilty plus high price of the 8-bit Ataris in Europe), on which I learned to program ... in Basic. However, in 1988 I became the proud owner of a 520 STFM, and I stuck with Atari for the next nine years, learning 68000 assembly and then C along the way, largely because the ST BASIC was so bad.
Actually, my career as a professional software developer began on an STE. Okay, it was a magazine cover-disk, but even a small amount of money changing hands made me a "professional". ("Boing", on the ST User September 1991 Cover-disk, and I apologise to anyone who tried to finish it... it got infuriatingly difficult very quickly)
So, my complete list runs like this, although I never owned more than one computer at a time:
1988: 520 STFM
1989: (Amiga 500... suberb games, but I truly hated the OS)
January 1990-May 1992: 520 STE, sold in May 1992.
May-September 1992: No computer at all (!!)
September 1992: another 520STE
November 1992: a Falcon030.
I believe my Falcon was one of only two in Ireland (my friend had the other one). We got the machines through Atari's Developer programme - I don't think the Falcon was ever launched into the retail channel in Ireland. We were writing tools and UI frameworks for app developers, but after 1994 it became obvious that nothing would come of it.
But it wasn't entirely wasted time: knowing C and 68000 and 68030 assembly-language landed me a job doing software development in a well-known computer company (back when they still had "Computer" in their name, and stripes on their logo), just as they finished ditching the last 680x0 hardware from their range... which perfectly describes how badly managed they were at this time! Since those days, work of all kinds, at various companies, kept me out of the home tinkering game for about five years or so, and so the Falcon was boxed up and left at home.
... until last week, that is, when I decided to bring the old bird out of storage and see what could be done with it.
The answer: "very little". I've lost (or had to give back) the VGA adaptor I used with the Falcon, and a power-up produces a 400kHz (or thereabouts)
"beep" every second from somewhere within the casework.
Any pointers to troubleshooting guides would be very gratefully received, as I'd like to get the machine running again, just for old times' sake.
For me, my first Atari was a 2600 (woodgrain forever!) back in 1983, but despite this, my first home computer was an Amstrad CPC in 1984 (practicalities of not having a spare TV set to devote to a computer, and the poor availabilty plus high price of the 8-bit Ataris in Europe), on which I learned to program ... in Basic. However, in 1988 I became the proud owner of a 520 STFM, and I stuck with Atari for the next nine years, learning 68000 assembly and then C along the way, largely because the ST BASIC was so bad.
Actually, my career as a professional software developer began on an STE. Okay, it was a magazine cover-disk, but even a small amount of money changing hands made me a "professional". ("Boing", on the ST User September 1991 Cover-disk, and I apologise to anyone who tried to finish it... it got infuriatingly difficult very quickly)
So, my complete list runs like this, although I never owned more than one computer at a time:
1988: 520 STFM
1989: (Amiga 500... suberb games, but I truly hated the OS)
January 1990-May 1992: 520 STE, sold in May 1992.
May-September 1992: No computer at all (!!)
September 1992: another 520STE
November 1992: a Falcon030.
I believe my Falcon was one of only two in Ireland (my friend had the other one). We got the machines through Atari's Developer programme - I don't think the Falcon was ever launched into the retail channel in Ireland. We were writing tools and UI frameworks for app developers, but after 1994 it became obvious that nothing would come of it.
But it wasn't entirely wasted time: knowing C and 68000 and 68030 assembly-language landed me a job doing software development in a well-known computer company (back when they still had "Computer" in their name, and stripes on their logo), just as they finished ditching the last 680x0 hardware from their range... which perfectly describes how badly managed they were at this time! Since those days, work of all kinds, at various companies, kept me out of the home tinkering game for about five years or so, and so the Falcon was boxed up and left at home.
... until last week, that is, when I decided to bring the old bird out of storage and see what could be done with it.
The answer: "very little". I've lost (or had to give back) the VGA adaptor I used with the Falcon, and a power-up produces a 400kHz (or thereabouts)
"beep" every second from somewhere within the casework.
Any pointers to troubleshooting guides would be very gratefully received, as I'd like to get the machine running again, just for old times' sake.