Scanned from 2000AD Prog 714 cover date 19/01/1991

THE MICROS 2: ATARI ST

Power without the price!" So went the dramatic cry that heralded the first wave of Atari ST microcomputers in the mid-80s. And it remains true today. At around £300 the Atari STFM is still the cheapest 16-bit computer available over the counter. Specification-wise, the STFM is good, if not jaw-droppingly spectacular. It has 512K of internal AM, a 3.5 inch 720K disk drive and 68000 processor, but only a limited colour palette (four colours in medium res, 16 in low res) and a rather squeaky sound chip.
Another £100 buys you the Atari STE, a tweaked version of the earlier machine with improved (stereo) sound and more colours on screen. Unfortunately for gamesters the majority of software houses continue produce games for the cheaper machine so these enhancements remain largely invisible.

SOFTWARE

Not that getting hold of games is difficult! There's massive software support for the ST, much of which excellent. The following are recommended by your review droid (and assistant):
• If you're looking for fantasy there's graphic adventure in Dungeon Master (Mirrorsoft) and Captive (Mindscape). In the latter you take on some definitely anti-social aliens with nought but a briefcase!
• Arcade addicts are advised to check-out Oids (Mirrorsoft), Pipemania (Entertainment International), Akranoid (Ocean) and Welltris (Infogrames) — variations on classic game themes all.
Early in life the ST outmaneuvered its arch-rival, the Amiga, both on price and software, but this edge has gradually been eroded away to the point where the Amiga is currently considered to be the better of the two for gaming.

MUSIC. MICRO, PLEASE

However, the ST remains first choice for musicians looking to exploit its built-in MIDI capabilities. MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface and it's this that allows the Atari machine to directly control synthesizers, samplers and the like to create music.
All you need to make a bid for stardom is an ST (preferably the larger memory 1040 model), your MIDI instrument and a groovy software package.
Recommended for would-be Adamski's include Deluxe Music Construction Set (Electronic Arts), which is basically a composing tool, but great value at £25; the £99 Steinberg 12, a versatile introduction to multi-track recording; and Mididrnmmer (Square Dance Audio), £85, a sequencer specifically designed for drums which can be used either with a drum machine or a keyboard with percussive sounds.
As with the Amiga, the two main ST models come in high-value "bundled packs". The £300 Atari STFM Discovery Pack includes a handful of fair-to-good arcade games, while the £400 STE Turbo Pack combines the better specified machine with a more interesting and generous software selection.
All things considered, the more expensive set is the best value package, but it's pitched square against the £400 Amiga Screen Gems bundle, which definitely has the edge.
Overall the appeal of the ST would seem to depend very much on your interest in MIDI music making.

ATARI STFM & STE

Made by: Atari
CPU: 68000. 16-bit
Memory: 512K RAM (expandable to 4Mb).
Disk drive: Internal 3.5 inch. STFM: 720K floppy. STE
1Mb floppy..
Supplied with: STFM: 4 games (including Out Run and
Space Harrier), mouse controller. STOS BASIC dnd
Neochrome software.
STE: 8 games (including Dragon's Breath, Indiana
Jones) plus Hyper Paint. Music Maker 2. mouse
controller, joystick, light gun. STOS.
Price: STFM: £299.99 (Discover) Pack). STE: £399.99
(Turbo Pack)
Software support: Excellent. New titles appearing
monthly.
Software prices: £20-£30
Optional extras: Colour monitor, external floppy disk
drive, hard disk drive, joystick, digitiser. genlock (for
video work), numerous MIDI devices.
Positives: Wide range of serious games software. MIDI
facilities. Memory expansion to 4Mb (STE models).
cheapest 16-bit micro.
Negatives: Overshadowed by the Amiga which has a
better specification and better games.
Remarks: Needs a significant price drop to stave off
the Amiga challenge, which grows daily.

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