Thinking about diving into Atari Computers

[Rick Dangerous]

So i've been playing and collecting Atari for about 15ish years now, gaming for about 10 longer (NES).

 

I have a strong appreciation for vintage computers and here is what I have currently.

 

Apple Macintosh

Apple IIc

Apple IIgs

 

I was thinking of getting an ST, or a Falcon 030. The falcon specifically because it was the last and most powerful computer Atari made. Though they are rarer and more expensive I like the idea that I can do more with it. My Apple IIGS certainly gets more use than my IIc. I know the 800 is fun and cheap but i'd want to start with something more modern.

 

Is there another ST that's "close enough" and more cost effective, or should is is worth the extra bucks to go whole hog and buy an upgraded one for $1k from B&C?

 

Anywhere else worth looking to buy one of these (STE/Falcon)?

 

Besides playing games, I like to use old computers for word processing, doing my finances/taxes, and running other fun programs that I don't necessarily need to do on a web-connected machine. I also print my journal on a dot matrix printer and save in a binder for posterity.

 

Thanks!

 

 

[Christos]

Well, there's a ton of spreadsheets, word processors etc for the Atari ST. I think that the best entry level machine would be the STE with the addition of CosmosEX that offers hard disk and networking capabilities. Though the Falcon is definitely the most interesting machine for more modern usage, I think the STE might give you a better idea as to whether or not you will like the ST computer line.

[Rick Dangerous]

Well, there's a ton of spreadsheets, word processors etc for the Atari ST. I think that the best entry level machine would be the STE with the addition of CosmosEX that offers hard disk and networking capabilities. Though the Falcon is definitely the most interesting machine for more modern usage, I think the STE might give you a better idea as to whether or not you will like the ST computer line.

 

Awesome, I was thinking the STE might be a good way to go. Where is the best place to get one, and what upgrades should I look for. I'd rather pay more buying in than have to upgrade piece by piece.

[Christos]

For an STE I'd look mostly on ebay. Cosmosex can be bought from jookie, look in this forum for the device. Also, you may need to consider that you need to connect it to a tv, so that might require extra connectors. Good news is that modern tv's also have vga input, and you can find adapters so as to use the ST High resolution for the more serious applications.

[Rick Dangerous]

For an STE I'd look mostly on ebay. Cosmosex can be bought from jookie, look in this forum for the device. Also, you may need to consider that you need to connect it to a tv, so that might require extra connectors. Good news is that modern tv's also have vga input, and you can find adapters so as to use the ST High resolution for the more serious applications.

 

I want to use an original atari monitor if possible. What are the best few to look for as far as compatibility with the STE?

[Christos]

Any ST monitor will do. SC are colour monitors, SM are mono. You can also use an Amiga monitor.

 

Just for the record though, a falcon is more versatile in the sense that it can use VGA monitors for 80% of all games and demos and 99.9% for applications.

[pixelmischief]

If you have the coin, the Falcon will make you fall in love. Next best is a 1040STe. The CosmoEx is a thing, I guess, but I would start with a simple mass storage solution first. If you get a Falcon, put a 4GB CF card on an IDE adapter and plug that into the Falcon's internal IDE. If you fo STe, get an UltraSatan and use SD.

[Nebulon]

The Falcon is in a class all its own.

 

I was in an Amiga user's group meeting and someone brought an Atari Falcon in to show us and demo.

 

It's was neat to see a bunch of Amiga guys crowding around the Falcon to get a good look at it. The crowd was very impressed with the demonstration. I'm not sure how he go ahold of one so early, since it was just before the AGA Amigas were released.

[Tenorman]

Well, there's a ton of spreadsheets, word processors etc for the Atari ST. I think that the best entry level machine would be the STE with the addition of CosmosEX that offers hard disk and networking capabilities. Though the Falcon is definitely the most interesting machine for more modern usage, I think the STE might give you a better idea as to whether or not you will like the ST computer line.

 

Agree with this 100%. The Falcon is a cool machine, but I don't think it is for the beginner ST user, especially if you want to play games. There are a lot of Falcon/TT patches out there, but you will still run into compatibility problems often.

 

I'd start with an STE, or even an STF if you find a nice deal on one. As long as you have 1 MB of RAM you will be able to run most of the software out there without any issues.

[walter_J64bit]

I know, I like my STe, it's better than the STf. that Ive started with. Ste's are not hard to upgrade the RAM to 4MB there are speed upgrades too but you'll need to do your homework so you can get the right speed upgrade.

Edited January 23, 2015 by walter_J64bit