Article-I.D.: ihlpa.708
Posted: Tue Jul 2 18:13:27 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 3-Jul-85 08:46:27 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 55
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05/28/85 ATARI SHORT SUBJECTS
News from Atari has been rather sparse lately, but here are a few
noteworthy items on our favorite computer company:
130 ST discontinued
The 130ST, Atari's low-end 16-bit computer, has officially been
discontinued. The 130ST was to contain 128K of RAM, as compared to the 512K
of RAM contained in the larger 520ST computer. As this was the only
difference in the machines, apparently Atari officials decided to cancel it
in favor of the more flexible 520ST.
The 520ST, with its larger RAM memory, can be used to develop software for
the ST computer, whereas the 130ST would have been limited to low-memory
applications. It is assumed that market research indicated that the 130ST
would not be a high-demand item.
ST loses TV output.
In an additional announcement, Atari has revealed that the 520ST computer
will not be shipped with a television output connector. It will instead put
out only video signals for monitors.
ANALOG Computing believes that the loss of the monitor output is not
serious, since the high-resolution capabilities of the 520ST will require a
monitor for optimum image quality.
GEM to be shipped on disk.
The Graphics Environment Manager (GEM), created by Digital Research for the
Atari 520ST computer, will be shipped to initial users on a floppy disk,
not in the computer's ROM (Read-Only Memory), as initially planned. This
move is being made for early ST shipments only, and later computers will
contain ROM chips for the GEM software. The software will boot into the
computer's memory at power-up time, and work normally from that point on.
The fact that GEM will be RAM-resident means that 192K of RAM will be
unavailable for other uses.
ANALOG Computing received the GEM disk, and it is a vastly improved version
of the GEM system received with the 520ST development system. Atari hopes
that additional improvements will be made and bugs in the software removed
before committing GEM to a ROM installation later this year.
Atari back at CES.
Contrary to earlier reports, Atari has re-evaluated its position regarding
the Summer Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, July 2-5. Atari will have
a display at the semi-annual electronics trade show, after all, and ANALOG
Computing will be there to cover all the action. Publisher Lee Pappas and
East Coast Editor Arthur Leyenberger will be there to provide up-to-the
minute coverage for the TCS, transmitting reports whenever possible during
the show. So stay tuned to the ANALOG Computing TCS for information on this
important event!