Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ncar!tank!oddjob!uwvax!husc6!linus!alliant!lackey
From: lackey@Alliant.COM (Stan Lackey)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: XF551 Disk drive
Message-ID: <2295@alliant.Alliant.COM>
Date: 24 Aug 88 15:07:56 GMT
References: <880815-162514-1059@Xerox> <11045@eecae.UUCP>
Reply-To: lackey@alliant.UUCP (Stan Lackey)
Organization: Alliant Computer Systems, Littleton, MA
Lines: 35

In article <11045@eecae.UUCP> conklin@eecae.UUCP (Terry Conklin) writes:
>
>I have an XF551 (which I am very pleased with, folks. When you get used to
>IBM / TRS drive quality) and it has exhibited a similar behavior.
>
>Using SpartaDOS to create a double-sided disk, I have noted thatyou have to
>"teach" the XF551 to recognize double-sided mode after it's been turned on.

I don't think I have had this problem, but perhaps a similar one.  I use
SpartaDOS so I can use the XF551 in DSDD mode.  I find that when I first
turn [my 65XE] on, it attempts to boot, and after a few seconds it stops.
Then I press RESET and it usually boots OK.  Sometimes it just goes into
BASIC though and I have to repeat the process.  Do I just have something set
up wrong?

Also - Atari in 3D!  I have seen the Sega 3D glasses (for anyone who doesn't
know, they use a liquid crystal shutter on each eye, that alternately open
and close to allow each eye to see only those frames intended for it.  The
effect really does work, and rather well!) available at toy stores like
KayBee and Toys R Us for $60.  Do you think people would be willing to
pay say $25 for a widget to connect them to the Atari, if it included a full
set of instructions to programming them?  I might also do a set of utilities
to set up the display lists and VBI stuff, and do point, vector, and surface
graphics in 3D.

Number 3.  Has anyone attempted to connect a Commodore mouse to the Atari?
I use the Atari trak-ball for this purpose, but it seems a mouse might be
better.

Number 4.  Back to Sega.  Suppose my widget had an orifice for connecting
the Sega lightgun to the Atari, doing the rewiring internally.  I assume
it would be programmed using the light pen facilities already in the Atari.
How many lines does the light pen use?  I ask because I need one of the port
wires to control the glasses.

Fun, fun!  -Stan