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For those of us who haven't been around long enough to follow the
discussion  regarding  the  new Atari computers, the following is
blatantly  excerpted  (without  permission)  from  this   month's
'What's New' in BYTE:

               'Two New Color Computers from Atari'

Atari has two new color computer lines:  the 68000-based  ST  and
the 800-compatible XE.

The ST comes with a two-button mouse and Digital Research's  GEM,
a user interface that has pull-down menus, icons, and overlapping
windows.  GEM is embedded in 192K bytes of  ROM  along  with  TOS
(Tramiel  operating  system, named for Atari president Jack Tram-
iel) and a game.  For more on GEM, see page 39  of  the  December
1984 BYTE.

The ST, which can handle television, composite color, monochrome,
and RGB outputs, produces graphic resolutions ranging from 640 by
400 pixels (monochrome) to 320 by  200  pixels  (16-color  mode).
Its  84-key  keyboard  is  augmented with a numeric keypad and 10
function keys.  Rom cartridge, RS-232C serial, Centronics  paral-
lel,  and  floppy-  and  hard-disk drive interfaces are supplied.
Also, the ST carries a three-voice sound chip and a MIDI port for
linking it to musical instruments and synthesizers.

The 128K-byte Model 130ST will sell for approximately  $400,  and
the  512K-byte  model 520ST will be about $600.  Shipments are to
begin shortly.  Atari plans to offer a 10-megabyte  ST  hard-disk
drive  for about $600. Both a composite color monitor and a 3 1/2
inch disk drive will be priced in the $150 range.

Four versions of the Atari XE computer will soon go on sale.  The
basic XE comprises a 57-key keyboard, five special-function keys,
a ROM cartridge slot, BASIC in ROM, and four-voice sound.  Graph-
ic  resolution  is  320 by 192 pixels.  Atari's 11 graphics modes
and Player Missile Graphics are provided.

The Model 65XE, with 64K bytes of RAM, will cost $120.  The  $400
portable  65XEP  comes with a built-in floppy disk drive and a 5-
inch monochrome monitor.  The 128K-byte 130XE will be under $200.
The 65XEM will be outfitted with an eight-voice music synthesizer
chip.  Its pricing had not been finalized at press time.

Contact Atari Corp....

//

Only two comments:

     1.   If this machine is everything the above says it is, the
          Mac better watch out.  Even the consortum prices  can't
          beat that....

     2.   A 512K, 68000-based computer w/mouse, 10-meg hard  disk
          for *less than* $1,500?  Comments, IBM?
-- 

     "It is a very humbling experience to make a multimillion-dollar
      mistake, but it is also very memorable."  -- F. P. Brooks, Jr.

Larry Baker @ The University of Texas at Austin
...{seismo!ut-sally | decvax!allegra | ihnp4}!ut-ngp!mercury