1986 Atari 520ST+ overview

I recorded this video at the same time I uploaded a video of my Atari 520ST+ in operation back in August 2009, but never uploaded it, so here it is: Atari's budget-priced but feature-packed competitor to the Macintosh and Amiga. Introduced in 1985, it was the world's first personal computer to come with a color GUI operating system and a built-in MIDI interface. Aside from a rather flimsy keyboard, the ST series has a stylish " '80s modern" design, also used by Atari's XE line of 8-bit computers.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• 1985
• 1986
• atari
• 520st
• 520st+
• plus
• 1040st
• st
• ste
• tt
• falcon030
• falcon
• motorola
• 68000
• amiga
• mac
• macintosh
• tos
• os
• gem
• gui
• midi
• mod
• music
• graphics
• vintage
• classic
• jack
• tramiel
• 16-bit
• 32-bit
• overview
• review

[buzzboxed]

what model is this??? i am pretty sure most ST's i 've seen have the midi ports on the left side next to cartridge port

[vwestlife]

@buzzboxed It is a 520ST+, just as I say in the video. On the later models with a built-in floppy drive and power supply, Atari re-arranged the ports to make room for the drive (they moved the mouse and joystick ports to the bottom, and the MIDI ports to the side).

[NJRoadfan]

Video output is 15.75khz RGB, same as the Apple IIgs, Amiga, Tandy CoCo 3, and older video game consoles. Your best bet will be to build your own monitor cable (get out the solder), you can use your composite video cable as a base. There are only a few NEC Multisyncs that support 15.75khz. The original model (only marked JC-1404P3A, has dip switches on top), Multisync II (but not the 2A), and Multisync 3D. Those were the most popular, I'm sure there are others that will work.

[vwestlife]

@NJRoadfan I have a Mitsubishi Diamond Scan 1381 monitor which supports 15.7 kHz RGB (and almost everything else up to Super VGA). I just need to find or make a cable for it.

[Lachlant1984]

The design of the hardware here really reminds me of the Commodore 64 C from 1987. I hear tell that Atari ST systems were more popular in Europe than in the states, can you confirm that? I don't know how popular these were in Australia, I was far too young to be using computers when these came out in the mid 80's, I was born in 1984 after all.

[vwestlife]

@Lachlant1984 Yes... Atari ST and Amiga computers were far more popular in Europe than in America. Both got some specialized use here for music and video production, but they didn't have much success as general purpose home computers. The U.S. marketplace dominance of Apple II and IBM PC clones was simply too strong to compete with, despite the technical superiority of the ST and Amiga.

[rainxxxx]

i pulled mine apart the other day!

[vwestlife]

@magicalartgroup That would be the 520STF (Floppy) or 520STFM (Floppy and TV Modulator).

[bazfanv2]

The mouse was terrible, but the ST was AWSOME,

[djsweetthing]

Thanks for the info on the Atari ST composite video/audio cable.