Spectravideo CompuMate keyboard for the Atari 2600

[Zap!]

Does anyone here have one of these? Just got mine in the mail Wednesday from Venezuela, two weeks after I won the auction, which was faster than I thought it would take to get here. It is the NTSC version, new in box.

It was packed extremely well. At first I was fooled into thinking it was just packed with brown paper over the box. However, that box underneath was a Voodoo3 card box, where the CompuMate was hiding inside making it totally secure (not to mention even more retro!). Not sure if I'll use this much, but it has been something that I've wanted for many years.

Below are front and back pictures of the Compumate, as well as what it was packed in.

[Tupin]

I have one of these, but it's the PAL version. Works just fine on my NTSC 2600 and TV.

Is there any use for the cassette port? Any homebrew games?

[tom]

They keep popping up from SA lately:
http://cgi.ebay.de/COMPUMATE-SPECTRA...item414f6dd6f4


Here's some listings: (Can be saved to cassette via cassette port)


BASIC PROGRAMMES FOR THE SPECTRAVIDEO CompuMate

The CompuMate has two built-in programs, a music program
and a paint program. These are completely separate from the text based
interpreter which cannot access music/sound or graphic functions.

The basic programming function of the CompuMate
allows for a very much larger program size (2K) and therefore a greater
scope in programming.
There is also the added advantage of being able to save your work
on audio tape at any time.

The manual supplied with the CompuMate provides only an introduction
to the use of basic programming on the CompuMate. (Some of the available
functions are not even mentioned in the manual. eg. Int, Step, <> (does
not equal)). I have therefore experimented with command usage and found
the commands to be far more flexible than the manual suggests.

The sample program "QUEST-A" shows this best



*************************** SAMPLE PROGRAMME #1 ***************************

NUMBER GUESS

5 LetA=Rnd[19]
10 LetB=A+1
15 IfD<5Goto30
20 Prt"NO MORE GUESSES THE","NUMBER WAS",B,""
25 Goto80
30 Prt"GUESS NUMBR,1 TO 20"
35 InpC
40 LetD=D+1
45 IfC=BGoto75
50 IfC<BGoto65
55 Prt"TOO HIGH",""
60 Goto15
65 Prt"TOO LOW",""
70 Goto15
75 Prt"YES, WELL DONE"
80 Prt"TRY AGAIN"

NOTES:-
A = random number 0 to 19
B = random number 1 to 20
C = player's guess at number
D = number of guesses


*************************** SAMPLE PROGRAMME #2 ***************************

SQUARE ROOT

70 Inp"NUMBER",N
71 Rem SET UP PROBLEM
72 IfN=1Goto92
73 IfN>1Goto76
74 LetA=N,B=1
75 Goto78
76 LetA=1,B=N
77 Rem ITERATE TO SOLUTION
78 LetC=[A+B]/2
79 LetD=C*C
80 LetE=D-N
81 PrtC
82 IfE<0.000ThenLetE=-E
83 IfE<.003ThenGoto90
84 IfD<NThenGoto87
85 LetB=C
86 Goto78
87 LetA=C
88 Goto78
89 Rem OUTPUT RESULTS
90 Prt"SQU ROOT OF",N,"=",C
91 Goto93
92 Prt"SQU ROOT OF 1 IS 1"
93 Prt"DONE"

NOTES:-
Syntax of lines 82 & 83 is critical, so enter these as shown.
Program works for input Numbers from about 0.1 to 100.
N = number for which square root is to be found
A & B = lower & upper limit of search
C = predicted value of root
D = square of C
E = error between square of C and N
(line 82 ensures that E is positive sign)
(line 83 sets the accuracy with which to find the root)



*************************** SAMPLE PROGRAMME #3 ***************************

QUEST-A

1 LetQ$="+---------+"
2 PrtQ$," QUEST-A",Q$," BY"
3 Prt"GRAHAM PERCY","1=PLAY"
4 InpC
5 LetR$="[ ]"
6 LetS$="+--- ---+"
7 LetT$=" ]"
9 LetV$="+---+-+---+"
10 LetW$="[ O++ ]"
11 LetY$="1=DN 2=RGHT"
12 PrtS$,R$,R$,T$,R$,Q$
13 Prt"A BIG ROOM","1=LEFT 2=UP"
14 Inp"ACTION=",B
15 IfB=1ThenGoto32
16 IfB<>2ThenGoto14
18 IfK<>1ThenPrtQ$,W$
20 IfK=1ThenPrtQ$,R$
21 PrtT$,R$,S$,"LONG HALL"
23 Prt"1=LEFT 2=DN"
24 IfK<>1ThenPrt"3=GET KEY"
25 Inp"ACTION=",B
26 IfB=2ThenGoto12
27 IfB=1ThenGoto48
28 IfB<>3ThenGoto25
29 IfK=0ThenPrt"YOU GOT KEY"
30 LetK=1
31 Goto18
32 PrtS$,R$,"[",Q$,"A DARK HALL"
33 IfP=1ThenGoto38
34 LetG=Rnd[2],F=Rnd[3]
35 IfG<>2ThenGoto38
36 Prt"OGRE HERE","1=UP 2=RGHT","3=FIGHT"
37 Goto39
38 Prt"1=UP 2=RGHT"
39 Inp"ACTION=",B
40 IfB=3ThenIfG=2ThenIfF=3ThenGoto96
41 IfB=2ThenGoto12
42 IfB=1ThenGoto48
43 IfB<>3ThenGoto39
44 Prt"GOT THE OGREGOT ARMOUR"
45 LetP=1
46 Goto32
48 IfD=1ThenIfE=3ThenGoto70
49 IfD=0ThenIfE=3ThenGoto77
50 PrtV$,R$,"[",R$,S$
51 Prt"TROLL, DOOR",Y$,"3=OPN 4=FGT"
52 Inp"ACTION=",B
53 IfB=1ThenGoto32
54 IfB=2ThenGoto18
55 IfB=3ThenIfK=1ThenGoto60
56 IfB=3ThenPrt"NEED A KEY"
57 IfB=4ThenGos88
59 Goto48
60 Prt"TROL SAY NO"
61 Goto48
70 PrtS$,R$,"[",R$,S$,"OPEN DOOR",Y$,"3=UP"
71 Inp"ACTION=",B
72 IfB=1ThenGoto32
73 IfB=2ThenGoto18
74 IfB<>3ThenGoto71
75 Prt"* * *"," *","",R$,R$,S$,"YOU,RE FREE"
76 Goto97
77 PrtV$,R$,"[",R$,S$,"A DOOR",Y$,"3=OPEN DOOR"
79 Inp"ACTION=",B
80 IfB=1ThenGoto32
81 IfB=2ThenGoto18
82 IfB=3ThenIfK=1ThenGoto85
83 IfB=3ThenPrt"NEED A KEY"
84 Goto79
85 Prt"YOU OPEN IT"
86 LetD=1
87 Goto70
88 IfP=0ThenLetF=Rnd[1],E=E+1
89 IfP=1ThenLetF=Rnd[14],E=E+1
90 Prt"YOU ATTACK,"
91 IfF=0ThenGoto96
92 IfE=3ThenPrt"GOT HIM"
93 Rtn
96 Prt"HE GOT YOU"
97 Prt"BYE"

NOTES:-
Add one more line to the above program and you will get an ERR 2 message
(program too big).
Character variables are assigned fixed values and are then used to help with
text style graphics!
Number variables are used to control programs flow.
B is used to nominate an action by the player
K = 1 when you have the key
P = 1 when you have killed the ogre and have gained armor
D = 1 after you open the door
E is the damage inflicted on the troll, he dies when E = 3
Also, random numbers are generated for a little unpredictability.
G is used to determine the ogre's presence
F decides who will win a fight with the ogre or troll
(when you have the armor, your chances against the troll are much better)



There's also a very rare tape version of a paint program:

[Emperor Megas]

I'm more of a retro notice than I realized I guess, because I've never seen or heard of that thing before, but it so damn pimp on top of that 2600 that I might have to track one down. Actually, if they're as expensive as in that auction, probably not.

At any rate, great find.

[rbudrick]

I've never actually seen one of these, let alone, CIB. I had a notion these were R9 or 10. Being a peripheral, I guess they're probably not in the guide. How rare are these?

-Rob

[Bojay1997]

I've never actually seen one of these, let alone, CIB. I had a notion these were R9 or 10. Being a peripheral, I guess they're probably not in the guide. How rare are these?

-Rob

They used to be fairly rare, regularly going for several hundred dollars on Ebay if they showed up at all. Now, there seem to be several sellers in South America who have dozens of them that they have been selling NIB and they are going for $100 or less which to those of us who have been around seems like a heck of a deal.

[dreamcaster]

I've got one. Found it a few years ago at the markets for a few dollars. Unfortunately I've only got a 2600 Jr. so I never realised the keyboard was designed to sit on top of the VCS like that.

[rbudrick]

They used to be fairly rare, regularly going for several hundred dollars on Ebay if they showed up at all. Now, there seem to be several sellers in South America who have dozens of them that they have been selling NIB and they are going for $100 or less which to those of us who have been around seems like a heck of a deal.

Well, if that's the case, that's pretty cool. I'd be glad to hear of a more thorough list of commands and also other projects people have actually made with this. To see it emulated so folks could share their creations online would rock. Has anyone, say at AtariAge even done anything with this?

-Rob