Junosix

Yeah, 1.6/1.62 doesn't show the logo or do the RAM test, it's TT/Mega STE/Falcon TOS versions that do that. 1.6/1.62 do the rainbow Atari logo under Desktop Info though.

Should say 4160 STE on the grey label on the bottom of the case?

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/29459049/thewickedfather-v5-270514.bin

So am I!

I've scanned in a small brochure (that I think may have come with Atari World magazine sometime in 1995) that I can't seem to find any scans of online: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/29459049/Atari%20Jaguar%20UK%20Brochure.zip Can this be added to the catalog section of the Jaguar page on AA?

Ah, right!

It's definitely using an ST keyboard, and the case looks like it's ST grey - but the bottom has the cutout for the fan. Weird! EDIT - though it looks like the keyboard base is dark like the Falcon's so maybe it had the keycaps swapped over from an ST keyboard for a different language? Though the label on the bottom indicates it's German already and the keyboard matches that.

You prune!

That is such a cool game and very nicely done, good work!

The chip with 1991 on is the Ajax floppy controller chip, the DMA chip (small square one on the right with 1990 on it) is one of the "good" ones.

My favourite 512K demo is So Watt by The Care Bears.

Power lead is a standard PC kettle type plug, even if it can be shown to power up the LED on the front that would be useful.

Incidentally I think there were three versions of the badge for the prototypes that were known as FX-1 (see http://atariage.com/forums/topic/120147-atari-sparrow-prototype-name-badges/) but I think some of the units were given to developers without a badge (meaning that I think yours never had a badge, rather than that it has fallen off somewhere down the line). I'd say leave it as it is, but if you do feel the need to stick a badge on it then the mid-grey badge (the one in the middle of the photo in the post I linked to) is the one to stick on it if you can find one. EDIT - or the bottom one perhaps. The case on yours seems a bit lighter in colour than some of the other Sparrows. But to be honest it's probably best to leave as-is.

Been toying with the idea of making a sporting offer but I'm just not sure I can give it a good enough home, practically speaking the Sparrow isn't 100% the same as a Falcon so effectively in real-world use it would be similar to having a Mega STE in an ST case. I just don't think it would be fair to use such a rare beast for that kind of thing. I would reckon you could probably start the bidding at about £200 and have people fight over it, there are a few Sparrow units out there but I don't think all of them are in working order. Any idea what size RAM it has? If it doesn't end up going then I'll keep my mind open to the idea of having it though because I hate the idea of it being totally unloved, or - even worse - tossed in a skip because it's taking up space. So let me know, I'm in Plymouth so only a couple of hours away. Out of interest, are you able to say how you managed to come by it?

Where abouts in the UK? I've just emailed someone to make them aware of this, if he's not up for it then I'm kind of tempted to make an offer. I'll let the thought rattle around in my head for a bit.

What part of the world is the Sparrow in? Guessing US based on the keyboard layout? EDIT - but 50Hz PSU on the label!

Fitted an HxC Slim floppy emulator into the floppy drive space in my STE.

You're better off getting an HxC floppy drive emulator (http://hxc2001.free.fr/floppy_drive_emulator/), you can buy them on eBay or through their store. If you get the slim version of the HxC and are happy to make your own mount for it then it's small enough for you to be able to take the floppy drive out of the ST and put the HxC in its place. Then you can load up an SD card with games and play them that way. Here's a photo of mine:

Blimey! You'd have thought in the STs heyday they'd have machines relatively flying off the shelves. Must have cost them a packet in storage.

Thinking through, I reckon that's exactly what they were doing!

Any ideas about my original question rather than playing a game of "what if?" Thanks

Haha All STs should have!

Don't know why I never really looked into this before, but I have what I believe is probably one of the last STs sold in the UK, a 1040STE bought from Silica in June 1994. I remember reading in a 1993 issue of ST Format that Atari were going to make one last batch of 10,000 STEs and I've had no reason to expect that mine isn't part of that batch - however I'd always wondered why the label on the bottom was a ropey-looking laser-printed sticker as opposed to the more professional grey one on every other ST (and other Atari products of the time). Took a look inside the machine today and if I'm reading the right numbers off the chips, it seems they were all manufactured around the middle of 1991 (all the Atari chips and the YM2149 are branded with numbers like 9135, 9142, etc.). Does anyone know whether the last batch were truly freshly-manufactured machines, or refurbished returns? I've attached a photo of the sticker on the bottom of the STE for curiosity's sake, but also in the event that someone is able to decode the year from the serial number. (I have, however, always been of the opinion that my first ST, a 520STFM, had been old stock lying around. Got it in March 1990, with the Power Pack bundle, but it had TOS 1.02. TOS 1.04 had been around for about a year by then. Or was it usual for Atari to have machines hanging around for a year before they sold?)

I got my "Thank you for your Atari kit order" email about 5 days after I received the kit! Now that is damn good service

Wouldn't mind being able to order another if that's cool, will let anyone else have first dibs though.