CDAR-504?

[Tempest]

Was the CDAR-504 (Atari ST CD drive) ever released? I've seen pictures, but I've never heard of anyone actually owning one.

 

Tempest

[Curt Vendel]

Hi Matt,

 

The Tramiels got a jump on the CD-ROM market initially, thanks to Warner Atari, there was an OROM project in the works and Atari had already had a working prototype in the lab when the Tramiels walked in the door as Warner Atari were looking at using CD-ROM's as a replacement for cartridges already in late 83'

 

The CDAR504 was a decendant of that initial research and was a well crafted device, even had a detachable IR remote too.

 

About 1,000 units were made, none were ever officially sold. Atari could never get the price below the $500 mark and they needed it to reach a particular price point or not sell it...

 

Later on a less expensive, more or less generic CD-ROM drive, the CDAR505 was shown at CeBIT but also never officially sold, nor has any of that later, cheaper, smaller 505's shown up anywhere to date.

 

 

Curt

[+Sauron]

From my understanding, based off an article in an old issue of AtariUser magazine (US mag), the CD units were initially sent off to a few developers, but never received any kind of a widespread release. I would imagine that there's at least a few sitting around out there, especially if Atari had made anywhere near 1,000 of either model.

[Inky]

There was an Atari dealer in St. Charles Illinois that had one. The dealer is long gone, but I remember distinctly seeing it sit upon a shelf.

 

Man, now I'm waxing nostalgic for my ST. I GOTSTA get it up and running..

[Tempest]

If no software (other than maybe developer tools) was put on CD's though what good would it be?

 

Tempest

[Inky]

If no software (other than maybe developer tools) was put on CD's though what good would it be?  

 

Tempest

 

I thought there was some software on CD's...

 

Granted, it probably was only a handful of titles.

[+Sauron]

If no software (other than maybe developer tools) was put on CD's though what good would it be?  

 

Tempest

 

Not that there was an influx of ST software on CD, but there were a few CD releases, many of which were PD libraries which fit on one or two CDs. Even though Atari didn't release their official CD-ROM, I know of several people who had external 3rd party CD-ROM units connected via SCSI to ACSI adapters. Can't remember what software they used to drive the CD-ROM units, though, but I do definitely remember seeing them.

[Curt Vendel]

If no software (other than maybe developer tools) was put on CD's though what good would it be?  

 

Tempest

 

Not that there was an influx of ST software on CD, but there were a few CD releases, many of which were PD libraries which fit on one or two CDs. Even though Atari didn't release their official CD-ROM, I know of several people who had external 3rd party CD-ROM units connected via SCSI to ACSI adapters. Can't remember what software they used to drive the CD-ROM units, though, but I do definitely remember seeing them.

 

ExtenDOS

 

 

Curt

[+Sauron]

Thanks, Curt, that was definitely it! It's a real shame that Atari never made official releases of their CD-ROM drives. Weren't they one of the first computer manufacturers to develop one for their systems?