| In 1986 I was given the greenlight by my parents to get some $$ from them to upgrade off my VIC-20 and onto a more real computer. I had my heart set on a Commodore 128. 80 columns! Z-80 mode! 128kB of RAM. I fantasized about an Amiga. But... didn't fit in the budget. I came from a working class family without a tonne of discretionary spending to toss around on stuff like that. Then I read about the Atari ST, and I was like.. what? I can get 512kB of RAM, an 8mhz 32-bit 68000, internal 3.5" floppy, built-in GUI, and a beautiful flicker free monochrome monitor for the same price as a C128+Monitor+floppy? Was half the price of the equivalent Amiga setup at the time, too. Great machines. I had a second-hand 520STfm, but upgraded the RAM to 1MB and the floppy to 720k so it was basically a 1040ST. Imagine coming from a 1mhz 5kB VIC-20 to that. What a dream it was to turn it on the first time! The ST was an incredible value. People who try to compare it unfavourably to the Amiga aren't going back and looking at price sheets from the mid-80s. Spec for spec, there was no competition to the "rock bottom price" of the ST and it remained an absolutely superb productivity machine (but just a meh gaming machine really). The monochrome monitor Atari provided was stellar for its time. Commodore evened it up a bit when they launched the A500 at a more reasonable price. But still had the problem with the interlaced monitor situation. Fixable, but cost $$. I beat the crap out of my ST and used it right through til late 92, when I was able to get a 486 50mhz and run early Linux on. |