Was the Atari Falcon sold here in the USA?...

[ataridave]

I haven't seen any evidence that it was; the only videos on YouTube of it are from the UK or countries like Germany. The Wikipedia article on the Falcon didn't say.

[Rybags]

Pretty sure it was available practically everywhere but came out at the time PCs were trampling over the competition.

ST and derivatives had a pretty strong following in France and Germany which continues in the modern day.

[Umberto]

Got mine at Xanth computers in Wa state back in the day.

[Justin Payne]

Oh WOW! Xanth. Totally forgot about those guys. Ah, memories.

[galax]

I read that Atari wouldn't allow the Falcon to be sold by mail order, only by actually visiting a store. That might have made them a bit harder to come by in parts of the U.S.

[AtariGeezer]

I bought my Falcon at an Atari Store in San Diego around 1994-5. It was the demo model in the store as that store was turning to IBM PC's.

Also got a Mega-4 there too

[Umberto]

Oh WOW! Xanth. Totally forgot about those guys. Ah, memories.

There was cave creek too

[walter_J64bit]

I know that Gunstar has one he lives in Texas, maybe he'll pop in tell us about his Falcon.

[Fletch]

I bought my Falcon at 8th Street Music in Philadelphia back in '92. It was a 1 meg model with no hard drive.

 

Sold it off before my son was born to help with expenses.

 

About a year ago I bought Gunstar's Falcon so I don't think he has one anymore

 

I replaced the keyboard, upgraded the hard drive and RAM

 

-Pete

[ataridave]

Where there any U.S.-released games for the Falcon? Can you play "regular" ST games on one?

[locnar77]

yes, i worked for an atari dealer here in calgary canada, and we sold the falcon (and rack mount kits), TT, jaguar, and stacy. I never saw an ST Book though

[+DarkLord]

I had to drive to Elden Computers over in W.Virginia to get my first one. A while

after that, they did loosen up those sales restrictions though, because I bought

another one from Toad Computers by mail order, no problems.

[Fletch]

Where there any U.S.-released games for the Falcon? Can you play "regular" ST games on one?

There were a few Falcon games sold in the US during its short run. Here is a current list of games available : http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=4643

 

As for regular ST games, it is a bit of a crap shoot. I'd say maybe 1/3 work just fine, another 1/3 work with some graphic or audio issues, and the other 1/3 no dice.

 

Ppera, D-Bug and Klaz have done many fixes on old ST games to allow them to work on the Falcon.

[Lynxpro]

Bought mine when it came out from STeve's Computers in Woodland CA. Bought a VGA monitor that could do ST low res color for it from ATY Computers in the Bay Area right after that.

[Prosystemsearch]

They shouldn't have discontinued the Atari Falcon just to suck up to the frickin' Jaguar with its awkward original stock controller that they made for it. They REALLY SHOULD have kept the Falcon and TT lines as something to fall back on. Samuel Tramiel, you idiot you!

[ataridave]

Is there a book on the history of Atari computers? Like the book "Commodore: A Company on the edge"?

[+DarkLord]

Sure is, and while there are some criticisms' about it, I like it:

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=atari+inc&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=25062785551&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1097209896810481037&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_82w06idxod_b

 

There's also a 2nd book planned:

 

http://ataribook.com/book/businessiswar/

 

and I can't wait for that one, since it covers the ST years.

[ataridave]

Sure is, and while there are some criticisms' about it, I like it:

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=atari+inc&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=25062785551&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1097209896810481037&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_82w06idxod_b

 

There's also a 2nd book planned:

 

http://ataribook.com/book/businessiswar/

 

and I can't wait for that one, since it covers the ST years.

 

OK, I've heard of those books; when is that second one coming out?

 

I definitely get the feeling that Atari did a much better job marketing the ST line, and the Falcon and TT, in the UK and Europe then they did here in the USA. And that reminds me of Commodore, and the way they marketed the C64 and Amiga computers-more were sold in the UK and Europe.

[galax]

OK, I've heard of those books; when is that second one coming out?

Try asking on the Atari Museum Facebook page that is run by the authors.

 

I definitely get the feeling that Atari did a much better job marketing the ST line, and the Falcon and TT, in the UK and Europe then they did here in the USA. And that reminds me of Commodore, and the way they marketed the C64 and Amiga computers-more were sold in the UK and Europe.

 

Long discussion about that here, that's one of the suggested reasons: http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=20706

[ataridave]

What about the Commodore PCs, like the Commodore PC 5? Were they sold here in the USA?

[+save2600]

What about the Commodore PCs, like the Commodore PC 5? Were they sold here in the USA?

 

Yes, Commodore marketed their 'Colt' PC10, etc. here and of all places… at Toys 'R Us!

 

I'm sure they were positioned elsewhere too, but I definitely remember seeing them at TRU at least. Not exactly geniuses at marketing were they?

[pixelmischief]

What about the Commodore PCs, like the Commodore PC 5? Were they sold here in the USA?

 

Atari also had a PC. However, neither Atari's nor Commodore's offerings did very well.

[ataridave]

 

Yes, Commodore marketed their 'Colt' PC10, etc. here and of all places… at Toys 'R Us!

 

I'm sure they were positioned elsewhere too, but I definitely remember seeing them at TRU at least. Not exactly geniuses at marketing were they?

 

No, not in this country they weren't! I've read that Commodore sold the Commodore 64 at Toys 'R US as well.

[+save2600]

 

No, not in this country they weren't! I've read that Commodore sold the Commodore 64 at Toys 'R US as well.

Huh? What part of terra do you live?

 

I said that Commodore's PC's were sold at Toys 'R Us in the U.S.A. And they were. I saw them with my own eyes - and naturally, laughed out loud! On the base shelf of their narrow locked glass case walls with the rest of their un-demonstrable systems of the time. Chicago suburbs to be exact. Highland Park for sure. Probably Niles, Evanston, Waukegan, Lombard, St. Charles, Elgin, etc. as well.

 

Next sentence of yours says that you've read they sold the C64's as well Yes, of course they did. Along with the XEGS (130XE surely as well) at the very same time. To be exact, TRU also sold C64c's (128's surely) and Amiga 500's alongside their 8088 PC's. Also remember seeing 1802's, 1902's, 2002's, 1084's, etc.

[simonsunnyboy]

I'm pretty sure it was sold in the US. Back in 1998 one of my earliest contacts with other Atarians on the net was with a guy from California who owned a Falcon. I helped him a bit with GFABASIC.