I have been looking at getting one for a while and wondered what others thought of it. How they use it and compared to the Sophia 2 which is better.
VBXE, almost totally unused by anything, there's a few semi knocked up games and the odd demo and that's it, if its picture quality then its Sophia 2 all the way.. Shame re the VBXE, it has so much potential, but no one could be bothered to use it..
Sophia 2 gives you multiple video out options through the DVI connector (adapter needed for other than DVI) and a few new GTIA graphic modes and palettes, none of which have been used for anything yet. VBXE gives you RGB out plus all new graphics modes, even better than Sophia 2 I think, and 80 column text. If you combine the VBXE + Rapidus well, then, not only do you have something akin to an Apple IIGS, but a computer more powerful than the original Amiga or ST computers as well, something in between the ST and Falcon actually. But very little support in the 10-15 years it's been out. But if you can program it yourself, fantastic! If there were only a graphic paint program out for it, that's all I'd need to jump on the bandwagon. If I could program, I'd make my own. Both the VBXE and Sophia 2 can be installed at the same time, but you have to have two separate video outs for each. I have a Sophia 2 for my 800 and if I get a VBXE it will go in my 1200XL. They both already have different upgrades and I'd like to keep it that way so I've got more or less two different machines to do diiferent things with. Of course they diverge on other upgrades and abilities too.
I seem to remember that the Rapidus and Sophia 2 don't mix, but then again the Rapidus falls in to the same league as the VBXE, again, nothing especially written about it, no updates since it was out and reports that any issues were ignored by the maker. Thankfully there's a lump of software that will use the 65C816 at speed. A Rapidus and a VBXE would for me more akin to an Amiga type setup, the added graphic modes are very Amiga like from what little has been seen. And just a note, the Sophia 2 will give RGB as well and the picture on HDMI is just stunning.. (must make the RGB lead up, got all the parts but family in laws are driving us insane..)
I often wondered about the Rapidus but the price is steep when there isn’t much software. I saw a thread on AA where people were calling it rubbish and saying it should not be for sale. Some people must use it somewhere though. I don’t know how much I can fit in my 65XE. I have a U1MB and Stereo POKEY inside and a SIDE3 and FujiNet on the outside. I can get either a VBXE or Sophia 2 in the middle where the GTIA,ANTIC & SALLY live. The VBXE might be a better fit as I can build a RGB SCART DIN socket to work with a ZX Spectrum +3 SCART lead.
Rapidus, unlike the graphic board upgrades can improve many of the classic games though, which is why I want one. I don't care about getting new software that utilizes it. But all those classic 3D vector simulation games and other "3D" first person view games like the Lucasfilm games gain vastly improved frame rates that, from what I've seen in action, makes all of them vastly more playable with fast and smooth frame rates ~10x faster. Think about playing games like Flight Simulator at 20-30fps instead of 2-3fps. F-15 Strike Eagle, Tomahawk, Mercenary, Rescue on Fractalus...name any old vector or fractal "3D" game on the Atari and imagine playing it now with silky-smooth frame rates. It's the only of the upgrades that you can make great use of right away, beside cleaner video output, and don't have to hope and pray for support or the new graphics. I'll be getting a Rapidus for my 1200XL before I get a VBXE. The only people calling it rubbish are those who combined it with the U1MB upgrade which don't play nicely together. But on it's own or with a VBXE, it's fine. There are other expanded memory and OS upgrades to use with the Rapidus instead. A Rapidus in my 1200XL will be joining a 32-in-1 OS and 576K memory from my Syscheck 2.2 on the PBI with my virtual drive option of the MyIDE II.
When I get a pang for a game of Mercenary, I just use Altirra in 65C816 mode at a decent bus speed and bingo, the cost of the Rapidus just makes it a no go..
Yes, the cost of it is definitely why I don't own one yet myself. I was all set to order one from Lotharek, but I had remembered incorrectly that it was about the same price as a VBXE or U1MB or even Incognito and I caught sticker shock when I went to the checkout and saw the total, including shipping was around $200. Later I found out The Brewing Academy sells them state-side and I could save about $30, but by then I had already spent the money on alternative hardware like Fujinet and PokeyMax and ram charger upgrades for my two Indus GT's and CA-2001 drives. Which all came to about the same price as the Rapidus alone from Lotharek. Luckily the VBXE is a lot less (considering there's not much to do with it but use it for 80-columns and better video out atm) and not much more than a Pokeymax or Sophia 2 upgrade. But you know me, I'd rather do without than use an emulator on a PC. I'm patient and I'll get one eventually. Actually maybe before the end of this year. But at this point my 1200XL is in the same boat as the one I hope to get to you @Paul "Mclaneinc" Irvine , before we're both dead and buried. Which currently powers on to a black screen. Once I finally get enough time to trouble shoot them some more, and finally repaired, the upgrades are quick and easy. I've had time to install upgrades here and there in my 800, which has been sitting still disassembled for the last 6 months because I've had more important things I've had to do. But a proper and thorough trouble shooting of a motherboard takes a lot more time which I haven't had for various reasons over the past few years. But somehow I managed a few hours here and there on trouble-shooting both 1200's with no luck so far and ran out of time. And now it's been so long I forgot where I left off and I have to start from the beginning. I've still got another friend's 800XL in the same condition. I have to trouble-shoot and repair the stock mobo's before I can install or re-install upgrades. Honestly, I had expected my mother to have passed by now, a few years back, and that I would have been a free man with my life back and a lot more free time for my hobbies by now. But she's still here and I'm starting to think she'll live longer than me! Not that I want or am hoping for her passing, I just expected it. There have been a couple of times where she was on death's door it seemed, but at least physically, she's doing better. Her mind on the other hand is getting continually worse. Well, enough rambling and getting way off topic, sort of, besides being reasons why I don't have working computers and no Rapidus...
You know, I was just talking with a friend and we talked about an old footballer called Terry McDermot who it was announced has dementia now, he's nigh on 70. We joked that we are only 9 years behind the guy so crap like this is possibly on our horizon. But I look at my mother in law who is 85 and she apart from her mental state is still going, so, it makes me wonder also If I'll go before her, just in the way you feel about your mum. As for the machines, you keep plugging away at the 1200's, hopefully you will get them going. And yeah, I know you love it to be real hardware, maybe Lotharek will do a bargain sale (as they are just sitting around his place selling to no one) and you will get that Rapidus at a sensible price.. Here's hoping for ya.. Paul..
