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From: MRC%PANDA@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA (Mark Crispin)
Newsgroups: net.micro.atari
Subject: program needed
Message-ID: <12173399537.8.MRC@PANDA>
Date: Tue, 7-Jan-86 15:00:51 EST
Article-I.D.: PANDA.12173399537.8.MRC
Posted: Tue Jan  7 15:00:51 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 8-Jan-86 20:50:34 EST
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
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     I have 4 8-bit Atari's (a 48K 400, a 52K 400, a 160K 800, and a 64K
1200XL) sitting around mostly gathering dust (although I do use the 1200XL
for printing my invoices).  I've since gotten a somewhat more powerful home
personal computer (a DEC 2020 running TOPS-20!), and I'd like to use one
of the Atari's as a graphics front end.  My idea is to connect one or more
of my RS232 serial ports to the joystick ports and speak some flavor of
ASCII commands (e.g. like REGIS on the late lamented DEC GIGI, but taking
full advantage of what an Atari can do).

     I'd probably use the 800 because it has a video output, so there'd be
lots of memory for multiple frame buffers, etc.  I'd prefer something that
is either cartridge based or could be put in cartridge so it could run
diskless.  Reliability is important too.

     Has anybody done anything like this?
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