🚀 go-pugleaf

Atari already went down this route once, when the XLs were introduced
they weren't 100% compatible with the older machines but they did have
RAM located "underneath" the OS ROMS. Various translator disks were
produced that turned off the OS in ROM and loaded the older OS into
RAM.

When the ST was introduced the OS was on disk but was moved to ROM to
save memory in the limited 512K available. With larger memories
perhaps its time for a move back to this system at least for
intermediate fixes/upgrades and to enable users to load older
ill-behaved software.

I, owning a MEGA ST2 with blitter, could use a disk based, pre-blitter
OS that would turn off the blitter and give the option of booting other
software before attempting to initialise the desktop.

Would the original OS do this ? If so how can I get hold of a copy ?
(I haven't seen it in any PD lists). Maybe only a small patch would
be needed ?

Releasing new upgrades/fixes this way would have benefits for Atari too.
They would have the best chance to sort out any bugs before taking the
expensive step of commiting yet another buggy OS to silicon !!



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