Atari ST, the misunderstood computer?

[Vic 2000]

I have been Atari ST owner for many years, i have owned Amiga too. Many people seems to have missunderstand what Atari ST was about.

I have seen so many clips on YouTube or threads in forums where people compare Amiga to Atari ST. Then they say, look, Amiga has better graphics, Amiga has better sound. Those people don't seems to have understand what Atari ST was about.

From the beginning Atari ST was built to battle MAC as a "serious computer", that's why ST used a similar GUI (GEM), so similar that Apple actually sued Atari for using it. ST also used a monochrome monitor for high resolution (no scanlines) and 70 Hz refresh rate that made Atari ST perfect for serious use. Besides that ST contained everything in ROM. Just boot the computer and everything is ready to run.

For gaming ST was considerably more limited then Amiga. While ST just used a simple frame buffer and software generated sprites Amiga contained Jay Miner's custom chips. The only area ST could battle Amiga in gaming was in pure vector games where ST had a bit faster processor, else Amiga was THE computer for gaming.

MAC was the computer for serious use while Amiga was the computer for games, graphics and demos while Atari ST was something in between. The serious computer that could be used for playing games as well. Not to say that demos and games couldn't be good on ST too off course but when Amiga capabilities was used to the full, ST didn't stand a chance.

So, when people just compare the computers for graphics and sound, it isn't a fair comparison because ST was the allround computer made to battle MAC from the beginning.

Many people who bought Atari ST was kind of surprised, including me. Atari was supposed to be about gaming, but not this time. In fact Amiga was way more similar to Atari 8bit then ST ever was thanks to one person, Jay Miner.

This is Atari ST when showing it's real strength.

[English Invader]

People who are into the ST just for gaming are pretty rare. I'm one of them. Most of the time, I prefer the ST's humble Yamaha to all the Paula sampling on the Amiga which often spoils a game for me.

This episode of the Computer Chronicles offers an extensive discussion of non-gaming ST uses:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjKnUOZ7ZN8

There are also episodes on MIDI, low end computers (including an interview with Jack Tramiel) and a straight Amiga v ST head to head if you look around.

[Vic 2000]

Thanks for the link.

I used my ST for gaming too. I had two monitors standing on the computer table and a switch to quickly been able to change between gaming and serious use. Word processing DTP, MIDI etc was always done using the monochrome screen, then i had a Philips CM88 TV monitor for gaming.

I had many favourite games on the ST. Carrier Command, Damocles, Stunt Car Racer, and most Bitmap Brothers games like Xenon, Speedball, Chaos Engine and more. Some games was technically stunning, like the racing game Vroom for exemple, i didn't even think it was possible to make ST move graphics like that and the sense of speed was stunning (besides a fun game).

I have watched several comparisons between ST and Amiga on YT where the same game is played side by side. In many cases it's not so much difference that one might belive, it's when Amiga is fully used that ST have a hard time to follow.

Check for yourself, try the 720p mode to get a descent size of the screen.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... X3CktfgwJe

The point of this thread was to say, it isn't fair to compare two so different computers like people ofted do. If you look at both computers in the whole, ST is just as good as Amiga, but in a different way, depending of what you want to do.

And i agree, many times i prefer the old fashion chip sound as well.

[pixel]

Back in those days absolutely everybody who was into making serious music wanted or had an ST and that went on well into the 90s. We loved the MIDI software so much, we wouldn't even think about using another computer. The Amiga was for gaming. Period. Plus, ST people seemed to take better care of themselves. JUST KIDDING!!!

[Vic 2000]

And almost all the best serious software was made in Germany by companies such Steinberg, C-Lab, DMC, Application Systems Heidelberg, CCD or GFA Systemtechnik.

Appz like Cubase, Notator and Calamus was the best money could buy in that time.

Steinberg still makes audioware and C-Lab, the company behind Creator/Notator changed name to Emagic, today they are the company behind the worlds probably best audio app, Logic (for MAC).

I remember that the germans loved the monochrome screen and almost all monochrome games for Atari ST, is from Germany.

ST became big in Britain and France too.

[groepaz]

we had an ST for midi in our rehearsal room.... i remember it being quite crashy for gaming it sucked though =P

[Boray]

Steinberg's first sequencer was for the C64.

[Vic 2000]

we had an ST for midi in our rehearsal room.... i remember it being quite crashy for gaming it sucked though =P

And what program did you use? A free public domain squencer?

Atari ST was used in many bigger studios around the world, appz as Cubase and Notator was the industri standard back then. I can insure you that neither of those studios or myself used buggy software.

Atari ST was all about a simple architecture unlike Amiga, and very stable. More techically complicated hardware means more risc for crashes and the Guru was quite famous even among Atari users.

About games. I wouldn't agree to that, some games was even better on Atari ST because of bad ports to Amiga.

Atari ST was a simple cheap effective allround computer made for serious use and for gaming, but mostly for serious use. Built in midi ports, support for monochrome screen, at first it wasn't even possible to use a regular TV to your Atari ST.

[Vic 2000]

Steinberg's first sequencer was for the C64.

Karl Steinberg's very first computer was a Sinclair ZX-81 and his first audio program "Multitrack Recorder" for C64. My very first audioware from Steinberg was Steinberg Pro 24 version III. Later i bought Cubase.

[eslapion]

I remember the ST having a very good reputation with music creators while the Amiga was mostly for video creators with the Newtek Toaster being the ultimate peripheral.

In the late 80s, I bought the album Optical Race from Tangerine Dream and they proudly indicated it was created using the ST.

[Vic 2000]

I remember the ST having a very good reputation with music creators while the Amiga was mostly for video creators with the Newtek Toaster being the ultimate peripheral.

In the late 80s, I bought the album Optical Race from Tangerine Dream and they proudly indicated it was created using the ST.

Thats correct.

Even Jean Michel Jarre used Atari ST and Notator (i remember). ST was a good midi computer for it's time while Amiga was used mostly for video and graphics (as you say).

[Vic 2000]

Even if lot of gaming took place on Atari ST the computer was used very much for serious work too. There was special magazines aimed for the serious user. The magazine "ST World" for exemple never contained a single game review.



Atari ST became what it once was designed for, to be an allround computer for both the serious user and the gamer, something in between Amiga and MAC.

Even Sinclair ZX Spectrum was from the beginning a computer aimed for serious use. People was supposed to use the computer for programming and learning, but very soon ZX Spectrum became THE games machine in Britain.

Even Amiga was from the beginning a computer that Commodore wanted to advertise as a all-purpose business machine, but soon Amiga became something else as we all know.

In fact, the only computer that actually kept the serious business side and at the same time were a demo and games computer, was Atari ST.

[groepaz]

mmmh i dont know about gaming... from what i remember, hardly anyone did that with their ST. and as for "music computer" - dont forget that protracker on the amiga had a large impact on the music scene too, especially the early hardcore techno scene (bands like scooter).

[Vic 2000]

I used trackers myself in the early 90's for both Amiga and ST. The classic Noise Tracker, TCB tracker and many more. Many of my favourit 4 channel modules are from Amiga. The tracker music influence lives on even today in both DNB, dubstep and some dance music.

Most of my friends in the 80's and 90's were Atari ST users (because of midi) and some of my friends were Amiga users.

Today (for anyone who's interested) it's a good idea to try out both computers via emulator to see what ST and Amiga was about. And even if Amiga was a better computer for gaming it had several bad ports of ST games, besides that, some games were exclusive for ST, like Segas Enduro Racer, Epyx Super Cycle, Starquake, 10'th Frame or Super Sprint for exemple.

[English Invader]

This is one of my favourite games on the ST (1992 homebrew):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL01pcbMF0Y