Based upon the Epyx Fastload Cartridge. This hybrid also includes a reset button and a custom ROM. Disk loading speeds on a Commodore 64 are painful, but not once you have one of these! Loads the average game in less than 8 seconds. Simple to use, just plug it in and GO! Commodore Key and Run/Stop to boot from SD2IEC or Disk.
Price – £17.99
For more information about this product, and how to order, visit Epyx Fastload RELOADED.
Why in the heck would anyone get one of these? Why not get an EasyFlash 3 for slightly more, and have room for multuple fastloaders / utility carts, or get a licensed Jiffy-DOS ROM kit?
Is the code in this licensed? The description claims it’s ‘based on’ the Epyx Fastload, but that it has a custom ROM. How much of the original code is left?
Possibly because the average user doesn’t want to de-solder any chips, or even get a screwdriver out to check if the Kernal is socketed.. Possibly because they don’t want to do the same with the floppy drive.. Or maybe, they don’t want to have to learn how to use, program or even assemble an Easy Flash cartridge.
99% of users are average Joe’s.. They want to have a retro fix, without the need to “know everything about everything (Wink)” And I’m sure they wouldn’t sleep to badly not knowing the precise percentage of original code as long as it works out of the box.
@TOD: Sorry, but I can’t agree with you at all. I’m a collector and retro computer user and such suggestions may be okay for you but far from what the average user needs and wants.Though I generally think your point of view sounds old-fashioned in every aspect. I won’t put a statement here without clarification, so let me explain further.
I’m a Mac / iOS developer too, with a good reputation among the indie developer scene. People know me and also know my products (numerous retro apps for OS X with some being in the top ten for a long time).
Focus of this cartridge has pretty much in common with current Mac and iOS development: simplicity and usability, People don’t want a scredriver, solder or flash anything before they are ready get started (probably after hunting down one working C64 unit after weeks). It’s all about plug and play. Simplicity and usability is the ravages of time. Period.
Who the hell needs complexity and feature overload if all you want is playing some old games? I know EasyFlash very well and I also used Jiffy back in the days. Now tell me how often you change your Fastloader with EasyFlash? You really do? Hard to believe.
Today, contemporary 64 retro computing gained large popularity with the rise of the SD2IEC. The Epyx Reloaded comes from the same manufacturer as the most popular and successful line of SD2IEC devices around. Yes, there are others but no one produces them with such a high degree in terms of quality AND design, with even creating some limited editions in remolded C64 plastic. All that TheFutureWas8bit does is done with a fair pricing as well as strong focus in providing complete solutions. So if you get yourself an SD2IEC you also want a Fastloader catridge and probably a Y cable if you want the SD2 to co-exist with your floppy.
I know the guy behind TheFutureWas8 bit so I also know what was the reason for the Epyx reloaded cartridge. 2 out of 3 wanted to buy a compatible FastLoader module together with the SD2. I for myself decided to get myself the Final Cartridge III which still is the best solution as companion to the SD2IEC at the time. I would have bought this Epyx if it would have been available then. Until now you had to search eBay and if you were lucky enough you found a FC or an Epyx. Anyway, what I found out is that I don’t use much of the stuff the FC3 offers. I use the FastLoader, the reset button and swapping the joystick port. FastLoad and reset button are the most wanted features from SD2 buyers. They are normal users that don’t want to deal with Roms and complex menu structures. Plug in, load quick, play, reset. That’s it. So it’s pretty great to get yourself the whole experience with one order. I have one of these cartridges now btw. and it works great. I use it on my 2nd C64 and I don’t miss anything. It’s just all that the average user wants. Of course there is this small amount of ppl out there who really want Jiffy and/or EasyFlash, I count you in. I respect those people, so should you respect people that don’t want to fiddle around for hours. I for myself could use Jiffy and EasyFlash. I can doesn’t necessarily mean I want – and I don’t want.
An important aspect is that these great 64 machines are getting older and older, we currently experience something I call preservation responsibility. I own 4 C64, three are mint. The mint units are all rare models, hard to find and even more in that condition. Now one of those mint models is my “daily” C64 (the others are stored away). It is sealed. You can imagine I dont want to put a screwdriver in it, nor do I want to open my floppy (which is also mint). I don’t want exchange chips and roms. Everything should stay the way it is. Sorry, but your solution is just not contemporary.
Don’t judge people by personal desire, this is just egoistic. The cartridges where created because the manufacturer listened to the community. From what I saw in your writing, you obviously don’t.
One more thing: why the hell does it matter how much of the original code is in it as long as it’s an improved variant? I don’t see a point how this information is could be relevant in any way. It is based on the Epyx (so there surely is some original code in it), it behaves like the Epyx. Who cares about the rest? The inital intension was to name it Epyx Fastload II, would you contact Epxy (if they’d still exist and if they were the manufacturer) to ask them how much of the original code is in it? And who do you think can license this? A company that went bankrupt in 1989 before finally vanishing in 1993? The rights to the games belong to System 3 in UK btw. – so you think they won’t welcome if someone is doing something for the community? Maybe it is licensed. I don’t know, I don’t care. I wouldn’t feel better if I get a certificate with the cartridge “this is an officially licensed product”.
In the end I plug the cartridge in my 64 not the certificate, you know? Really, I don’t get your point. Sorry mate!
Lmao!! Yeah, because there’s NOTHING egotistical about that long rant from “byteproject” on how his opinion is correct and you’re wrong in your logic.
But as they say in the car business, “there’s an ass for every seat.”
For people “in the know”, the Easy Flash is a better value, but along that logic, the 1541u2+ is a better option than that.
It’s all a matter of preference, need and knowledge.
The support of the community on a 35+ yr old computer is the REAL winner here!
After that ridiculously long rant byteproject, Tod does have a point.
Regardless of whether then end user wants something with more functions or not this item is vastly overpriced plain and simple. At £15 I would consider buying one, at £25 you are into the realms of the Easy Flash or buying a second hand flash cart with turbo loading functions built in.
Perhaps the cost is the reason there is only 1 currently sold on eBay, whereas the SD2IEC continues to sell in droves, the buyer votes with cash, and simply this is vastly overpriced.
Further to this, looking at twitter it looks like Rod Hull actually did question at which price to sell this for, albeit a very short lived and not well researched option.
I appreciate business is about profits, but against the competition, second hand or otherwise, its £10 over the mark for what it does, hence why unlike the brilliant SD2IEC which continues to rake him in the dough.
At £15 I would happily buy one just for the simple function of adding turbo loading functions to my SD2IEC, at £25 why buy one against the competition?!?
Just a little note.. I’ll keep it short.. 😉
Ebay’s/Paypal selling fees add up. So if you buy from the website, you’ll get it for £21.49. Or £19.99 with another purchase. Most buyers have long figured this out btw.. Why pay more? ©Tesco
Another thing some people may not realise… postage isn’t cheap anymore. Some of the sales price goes towards any short fall on the cost of postage.
How many people would sell an assembled cart for £15 including a warranty? It’s just not feasible.
And finally, yes I agree, you can get second hand carts on ebay for the SAME sort of money. But can you find one when you want one? Second hand Epyx carts can cost anything from £9-25 plus postage, so does that make a new warrantied unit (that also includes a reset button that the average user wouldn’t want to fit themselves) expensive?
Rake in the dough huh.. I wish. Didn’t they tell you at school.. Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity. 😉
As said, the SD2IEC continues to sell well hence the rake in the dough comment, you asked yourself what was a good price on twitter, obviously you do not feel £15 is a good price, there again at £25 unlike the SD2IEC no one is jumping on it.
I was not referring to second hand Epyx carts for the same price, I was more referring to carts that have more function such as brand new Easy Flash carts, second hand Final Cartridge IIIs or Action Replay VIs
If you don’t like peoples input into price then don’t ask…plain and simple!!!! Sales on eBay will speak for themselves.
Just further to add, it postage is not “cheap” then why have a fixed price on your products worldwide? Should it not actually be cheaper in the UK? Does not make any sense
Worldwide shipping £3.50 Wished Jim Brain would do the same shipping from the USA with his products, meanwhile those of us in the UK are shafted on postage and pay the same as everyone else from your website.
Something else that does not make sense, if you buy from eBay considering you are complaining about sellers fees its £24,99 delivered in the UK
If you buy from your website it is £21.49 + £3.50 shipping, exactly the same price!
If you are that worried about costs, should it not be more expensive on eBay?!?!?!
Seems like my comments have had some impact in the right direction, price lowered on eBay by £2 and at least get some bites on orders.
Meanwhile I followed advice, but rather than getting it for the same sort of money I won an auction on the original, wired in my own momentary button and the whole lot came in at £12.
There are auctions out there guys, particularly from US sellers, postage may cost more than the item but I got a Epyx Fastload cartridge for $5 and shipping $10, £1.50 for a momentary button on eBay, get the 7mm diameter hole type, the sub miniatures are way too small. Follow trace up from 1/A on cartridge and this will lead to the point where the leg of the 0.47 resistor is, solder a wire on the reverse of the board to this. The other wire to point C on the board, follow the trace up from point C on the reverse side of the board and it leads to the third pin down on the right hand side of the 7407N IC.
Keep up the good work with the SD2IEC Mr Rod Hull, it truly is a great device, the less said about this one the better.