🚀 go-pugleaf

Hello,

I recently picked up an 800xl at a bargain price at a local catalog
store.  I have the advantage of a roommate with an 800 and some software,
but perhaps you netters can help me.

I am mainly interested in graphics & sound hacking, Action!, Logo (for
my child and me), and of course, communications.  Don't mention BASIC -
it makes me ill...

	1) what book(s) are the best source of info on hardware specs,
	   connector pinouts, and details on programming the smart chips
	   of the machine?

	2) how to get 80 columns (programming techinques)?  Is this
	   readable?

	3) your favorite disk drive?  Why hasn't anyone come out with
	   a disk controller that interfaces to the parallel bus (or
	   has someone)?   This has got to be much faster than the
	   current serial scheme...

	4) your favorite (loosely called) DOS?  My roomie seems to have
	   a different flavor DOS for almost every disk he has!

	5) favorite terminal emulator / file transfer program?  I want
	   to use this as a terminal to the Unix machines I have access
	   to, and download from Atari bboard systems.

	6) your favorite solution to the obnoxious compatibility problem(s)
	   between the 800 and 800xl?

Thanks - I will attempt to collect and post a summary.

Mark Biggers

{ihnp4, seismo}!topaz!biggers