Atari ST
Atari's 16-bit computer, a favourite of musicians
- 1985Released
- Home ComputerType
- AtariDeveloper
Atari ST Specifications
- Processor
- Motorola 68000
- Processor Speed
- 8 MHz
- RAM
- 512 KB to 4 MB
- Colours
- 16 from a palette of 512 (4,096 on the STE)
- Resolution
- 320 x 200, 640 x 200 and 640 x 400 (monochrome)
- Media
- 3.5 inch floppy disk and cartridges
Overview
The Atari ST is a line of home computers released by Atari Corporation in 1985, soon after Jack Tramiel bought the company’s computer business. The name stands for Sixteen/Thirty-two, after the 68000 processor’s 16-bit bus and 32-bit internals.
The ST was sold as affordable power, with a mouse-driven desktop called GEM, a sharp monochrome mode for business use and a price well below the Apple Macintosh. Its most lasting feature was its pair of built-in MIDI ports, which made it a standard tool in recording studios. Music software such as Cubase and Notator was written for the ST, and many musicians kept using the machines for decades.
It was also a popular games machine, particularly in Europe, where it competed with the Commodore Amiga. Games such as Dungeon Master, Starglider, Xenon 2 and Populous were released on it, and the ST had a large demo scene.
Atari later released the STE, with a larger colour palette, hardware scrolling and digital sound, the Mega ST and Mega STE, the TT030 workstation and finally the Falcon030 in 1992. Production of the ST family ended in 1993.
Hatari is the most complete Atari ST emulator. It covers the ST, STE, TT and Falcon, and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Steem SSE is a very accurate alternative for the ST and STE, with a strong following among demo fans.
Key Features
Built-In MIDI
Twin MIDI ports made it a standard tool in recording studios.
GEM Desktop
A mouse-driven graphical desktop at a price below the Macintosh.
Monochrome Mode
A sharp 640 x 400 monochrome mode for business use.
Games and Demos
A popular games machine in Europe with a large demo scene.
