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From: wrd@tekigm2.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: Omniview
Message-ID: <1186@tekigm2.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Nov-86 13:22:51 EST
Article-I.D.: tekigm2.1186
Posted: Fri Nov  7 13:22:51 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Nov-86 16:05:33 EST
References: comp.sys.atari.8bit article #3
Reply-To: wrd@tekigm2.UUCP (Bill Dippert)
Distribution: na
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR.
Lines: 52
Keywords: 256k, composite monitor

1 - cannot answer as to how good omniview is, if it is as good as the new Atari
    XEP80, then it is excellent.  However, most 80 column readouts are much
    better if you use a non-composite video output and monitor for same.  Atari
    is not composite only output!  You can get separated video which is much
    better.  Both a Commodore 1702 and the C.Itoh CM1000 monitors will accept a
    separated video output signal in lieu of the normal NTSC composite video,
    and believe me the difference is amazing.

2 - it depends upon which 256k upgrade that you use.  Both the Newell and the
    RAMBO XL upgrades require one resistor unsoldered, and from 4 to 6 wires
    soldered at various places.  Generally the wires can be soldered to
    existing thru plated holes.  Both of these upgrades want you to bend up 4
    pins on one of the IC's (either PIA or ANTIC, I forget) and solder wires to
    them--DON'T.  It is much easier to trace where the pins go to and solder to
    a thru plated hole on the same run.  There is another 256k upgrade now
    being sold in the Portland area that I have seen that utilized a four pin
    connector to go to the IC without any soldering.  (May have been sold by
    Best Electronics when they were up here for show???)  Also, Best
    Electronics has a series of upgrades for any Atari, but these involve heavy
    amounts of wiring.  Both Newell and RAMBO XL involve essentially
    piggybacking a new ecboard with some additional wiring.

3 - Regardless of how much David Young protests, neither the Newell upgrade nor
    the RAMBO XL are absolutely 100% compatible with an Atari 130XE as neither
    uses the "Freddy" chip.  RAMBO XL has a lot of compatability problems
    regarding what is shown on the screen, it does not maintain the proper
    display, David can explain this better then I can.  Newell is about 99%
    compatible, however, it takes a toggle switch installed to allow its use
    with XLent's Typesetter program (I may have name wrong) -- if you do not
    plan on purchasing this then don't worry.  HOWEVER, it also is not 100%
    compatible with the Atari Planetarium program.  Planetarium will work on a
    800XLE (my nomenclature for a 256k 800XL) but during the "slewing" command
    and during other calculations, it allows garbage on the screen, whereas a
    130XE shows a different colored screen during the calculations.  (I have
    tried Planetarium on my 130XE, 800XLE and 1200XLE, it works 100% with the
    130XE, as above on the 800XLE, and has a lot of bugs on the 1200XLE.  In
    fact it will not load on a 1200XL or XLE without a translator disk.  Both
    of my XLE's are Newell upgrades.)  When Newell or someone else starts using
    the Freddy chip as Neil @ Atari suggests, then they should be 100%
    compatible.  99% is not bad, however.

4 - I would suggest getting and installing both omniview and 256k togeth

5 - "RAMROD XL" is "RAMBO XL", I believe.  At any rate, it is a competitor to 
    the Newell upgrade and is not as compatible.

Suggest that you talk to David Young or John Sangster, they can help with some
of the more technical aspects of this, I am merely a hardware kludge installer,
read kit-basher, I merely follow the instructions.  Connect wire a to pin b,
etc.

--Bill