Two New Color Computers from Atari

What's New

BYTE Magazine

March 1985

Atari has two new color computer lines: the 68000-based ST and the 800-compatible XE.

The ST comes with a two-button mouse and Digital Research's GEM, a user interface that has pull-down menus. icons. and overlapping windows. GEM is embedded in 192K bytes of ROM along with TOS (Tramiel operating system, named for Atari president Jack Tramiel) and a game. For more on GEM, see page 39 of the December 1984 BYTE.

The ST, which can handle television, composite color, monochrome, and RGB outputs, produces graphic resolutions ranging from 640 by 400 pixels (monochrome) to 320 by 200 pixels (16-color mode). Its 84-key keyboard is augmented with a numeric keypad and 10 function keys. ROM cartridge, RS-232C serial, Centronics parallel, and floppy- and hard-disk drive interfaces are supplied. Also, the ST carries a three-voice sound chip and a MIDI port for linking it to musical instruments and synthesizers.

The 128K-byte Model 130ST will sell for approximately $400, and the 512K-byte Model 520ST will be about $600. Shipments are to begin shortly. Atari plans to offer a 10-megabyte ST hard-disk drive for about $600. Both a composite color monitor and a 3 1/2-inch disk drive will be priced in the $150 range.

Four versions of the Atari XE computer will soon go on sale. The basic XE comprises a 57-key keyboard, five special-function keys, a ROM cartridge slot, BASIC in ROM, and four-voice sound. Graphic resolution is 320 by 192 pixels. Atari's 11 graphics modes and Player Missile Graphics are provided.

The Model 65XE, with 64K bytes of RAM, will cost $120. The 5400 portable 65XEP comes with a built-in floppy-disk drive and a 5-inch monochrome monitor. The 128K-byte 130XE will be under $200 The 65XEM will be outfitted with an eight-voice music synthesizer chip. Its pricing had not been finalized at press time.

Contact Atari Corp., 1265 Borregas Ave., Sunnyvale. CA 94086, (408) 745-5224