What can I actually do with this thing?

[Silly_Pony]

Okay so I've got a falcon here. 14Mb, big compact flash card, and an FPU.

What's it for, really? I can't figure out what I should do with it. It's got a crap keyboard, so I'd rather use my Mega for any stuff that involves typing. It doesn't run most ST games, even the supposedly falcon fixed ones, even buggering about with screen resolution and colour depth. All the gem programs I've given a go are depressingly slower than an a mega in mono and the 60hz hurts my eyes.

Should I just put it on ebay for a stupid price or what?

[stormy]

It's the only Atari that can do true multimedia. So if you're not interested in drawing true colour pictures, making cd quality music or watching the hundreds of available Falcon demos then the machine isn't for you and yes you should sell it.

[Rustynutt]

Was going to say basically the same. You're kind of looking back instead of forward.
Sounds like the Falcon sort of fell into your lap.
Box it up, get your me too on Willy's next list.
Yes, it is exactly as you say it is.
Don't see an MSTe in your sig, if you like that feel, and layout of your STe, install a TT Touch kit from Best Electronics. Privides a decidedly firm key press.

Get away from Falcon low res TC modes, you'll go blind.
Get a monitor switch from exxos, think you can get 640*480 TC VGA, if a bit slow.
All small performance enhancements.
You'll need the 68060 and SuperVidel graphics to get the point.

[spiny]

sell it and buy an ST

[Silly_Pony]

I've already got the vga adapter from exxos shop that can do all the blowup stuff, not bothered to use it because standard 256 colour vga seems slow enough already. Best won't sell anything to me unless it's in QTY 10 or more because they claim international postage is too much effort. I learned that ten years back off them, and to be honest their schizoid website gives me the creeps.

I'm basically asking what is actually impressive or interesting falcon software? I found ace tracker, I guess.

[spiny]

I'm basically asking what is actually impressive or interesting falcon software? I found ace tracker, I guess.

this reads like poor quality trolling.

[mfro]

Okay so I've got a falcon here. 14Mb, big compact flash card, and an FPU.

What's it for, really? I can't figure out what I should do with it. It's got a crap keyboard, so I'd rather use my Mega for any stuff that involves typing. It doesn't run most ST games, even the supposedly falcon fixed ones, even buggering about with screen resolution and colour depth. All the gem programs I've given a go are depressingly slower than an a mega in mono and the 60hz hurts my eyes.

Just pack it up and send it to me - I can relief you.

[calimero]

I'm basically asking what is actually impressive or interesting falcon software? I found ace tracker, I guess.

Here you are>

These are some of Atari Falcon capabilities (stock 16MHz Atari Falcon) and highlights:

MP3 player, 16bit, stereo, 50KHz, 320kbps in multitasking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycHGQQYoWZQ

BadMood - custom engine by Douglas Little for playing Doom (need 14MB of RAM)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiE0Y1su-9g

Quake II - custom engine by Douglas Little for viewing Q2 maps and HalfLife

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTxwfRl_I0U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpwlZgQPCpk

Cho Sen Ra - from X68000 by AnimaInCorpore

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6gJhA1PQlg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDfhkuvkAzg

Ace tracker - complete soft synthesizer (no samples!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVyS68DjQXQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKP2Xds-evg

there is also e.g. soft vocoder Voxx
http://atarimusic.exxoshost.co.uk/index ... Itemid=343
...

and others that only Atari makes it possible!

[Silly_Pony]

I'm basically asking what is actually impressive or interesting falcon software? I found ace tracker, I guess.

this reads like poor quality trolling.

I asked a simple question, what can I do with my falcon. I understand now why you're defensive, seems limited very much to music work and some proof of concept 3D graphics demos.

The allure of the falcon seems to be entirely about it's magical potential and not what it can actually do in real life. What a dissapointer.

To ebay it goes.

[spiny]

2/10

[calimero]

there are also bunch of 3D applications Falcon030 specific like Neon Graphix, Inshape, Cloe...
also, many graphics packages support true color mode so you can have a descent PhotoShop-like experience on Falcon

... I am not sure, silly_pony, what do you expect from computer from 1992.?

but Falcon can cover all needs from computer: text processing, database, spreadsheets, graphics, animation, super quality sound, music creation, recording... (everything except "modern" system for reading aka HTML )

[Silly_Pony]

If it can do all that stuff then tell the programs for it. Can't do it without software.

[calimero]

If it can do all that stuff then tell the programs for it. Can't do it without software.

In my signature

be free to give some feedback at site after you check programs

EDIT:
be sure to check PhotoLine ver. 2.30 (I just add it to my site) - it is probably best PhotoShop like app for Atari. It is freeware thanks to authors!

[Fletch]

What fixed games don't work for you? Are you holding down the CONTROL key on boot to bypass AUTO folder and ACC loading? Doing that should clear up more memory and allow the games to work.

I have a Falcon and have very few issues loading games via this method.

[calimero]

What fixed games don't work for you? Are you holding down the CONTROL key on boot to bypass AUTO folder and ACC loading? Doing that should clear up more memory and allow the games to work.

I have a Falcon and have very few issues loading games via this method.

I also have almost no issue with running ST patched games on Falcon.

Silly_pony, if you use Petari game fixes, you can press M on first text screen to control cache, 16MHz...

[wongck]

I asked a simple question, what can I do with my falcon. I understand now why you're defensive, seems limited very much to music work and some proof of concept 3D graphics demos.

The allure of the falcon seems to be entirely about it's magical potential and not what it can actually do in real life. What a dissapointer.

To ebay it goes.

Depends on what you want it for.

If you are after games, then stick to the ST/STE models.
That's probably true for music too.
The ST/STE will be more than sufficient for you.
You make some painiting/graphics... may be STE would be sufficient.

I use it mainly for non-games/non-musician/non-graphical applications, more for multitasking applications. I used to do word processing, accounting/spreadsheets on it, not any more now as my phone really does that better nowadays. When I started with my STFM, those applications were very limited due to 8MHz CPU and 4MB ram. Then I got an MSTE with 16MHZ CPU, HDD and 4MB ram. That was good. The application I used ran faster, but Mint was severely limited by 4MB. When I got my Falcon (after selling my MSTE). That improved Mint performance because I got 14MB ram with falcon. I stick to 800x600 at 16C back then, as it was great for applications.
And now with CT63/CTPCI, it really great - fast cpu, lots of memory, large screen, fast drives. Great to do some programming stuff on it... that's my hobby.

But for you, a stock Falcon.... if you're wanting to do games, demo, MIDI stuff, the odd graphics... may be the best advice was already given above (but you are just trashing that).

So... bottom line is ... do you have any use for it?

[christos]

I am now able to compare the Falcon to the Mega STE for general computing... and there is no comparison on how much snappier and usable the falcon is (which makes sense). I've had friends with 286's and 386's at the time and I didn't miss anything apart from all the cool adventures..

[nathan1974au]

Falcon was a good computer but unfortunately it came at a wrong time.. when pc's started to kick in, is what put many computers to bed.

[ranix]

Falcon wasn't contemporary with the 286/386, it was contemporary with the 486 which unfortunately did show it up in many ways. The 66mhz Pentium would land 2 years after the Falcon launch and blow it to smithereens

[calimero]

The 66mhz Pentium would land 2 years after the Falcon launch and blow it to smithereens

For mature audio harddisc recording PC would need to reach more than 200MHz; mature sound cards and drivers, mature Windows... so few more years...

[ranix]

they never really did catch up in that regard imho