🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <479@imsvax.UUCP> bob@imsvax.UUCP (Bob Burch) writes:
>
>   Third, the Madison Area Atari Users Group (MAAUG) has a third version
>called RAMBO-XL (256K) as well as Terminator-XL (512K).  These work and have
>been demonstrated according to their Newsletter.
>
   ...and according to an eyewitness (moi).  By the latest count, there are
about a dozen club members with expanded machines, evenly distributed 
between 256K and 512K.  I have the necessary parts (<$30), and am eagerly
awaiting the next hardware SIG meeting so somebody can hold my hand
through the soldering stage (I just program the darn things).
  Incidentally, the last meeting was prefaced by a bouncing ball demo--
on an 800!  It *was* a bit slower, but those buying certain nameless machines
based on that ubiquitous demo might want to consider spending $1-2K less for
the 8-bitter (:-).

>   The Buchholz 2nd upgrade, the MAAUG upgrade, and the CDY upgrade all use
>the same address scheme to switch 12 16k banks in $4000 - $7FFF using
>bits 2,3,5,6 of PORTB.	None are truly 100% compatible with the 130XE,
>yet they are not really incompatible either.  They merely extend bank
>switching capability beyond that defined by Atari.  All implementations are
>compatible with each other, with the exception of the original BYTE
>implementation.

   I've been meaning to post something about the updated BYTE board for the
last week.  Since you got the scoop, I'll just add the following tidbit--
Mr. Buchholz saw a copy of the MAAUG newsletter recently, and wrote a letter
to our group.  He said that he had succumbed to pressure to improve his
circuit (and sent us his result).  He noted that the two were functionally
identical, but admitted to liking ours a bit better.  He further stated
that he dislikes the "Rambo" name (I concur, though I approve of the
"Terminator" designation), and expressed his disappointment in not being
credited in the original articles (I think BYTE was mentioned, but not
Mr. Buchholz personally).  Oh well.

 - Joel ({allegra,ihnp4,seismo}!uwvax!uwmacc!oyster)