Movatterモバイル変換

"We aren't selling home computers. Wearen't selling business computers. We're selling personal computers.People can use them or whatever they want. " With those words, lackTramiel launched the ST series and a new beginning for Atari. Here's aclose look at the first computer in the ST series and the most powerfulAtari ever.

The old stereotypes about home computers are being challenged. There'sa new generation of personal computers emerging that combines massivememory, highspeed processing, fast floppy disk drives, hard diskinterfaces, considerable expansion potential, stunning graphics, andsophisticated sound. These computers are powerful enough to runstate-of-the-art business software and versatile enough to excel atrunning entertainment and educational programs.
    The Atari 520ST was the first of this new breed.Announced at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show last January, it isnow becoming widely available. Here are the standard features:

    • 512K of Random Access Memory (RAM), half amegabyte.
    • Motorola 68000 microprocessor. This 16/32-bit chipis clocked at 8 megahertz and can directly address up to 16 megabytesof memory without bank-switching. It's the same central processingunit found in the Apple Macintosh and Amiga from Commodore.
    • One of the fastest floppy disk drive interfaces inpersonal computing. Although the interface bus is serial, not parallel,it transfers data at a megabit per second, faster than some hard disks.The basic 520ST system comes with one external drive that stores 400K(unformatted) on a single side of a 31/2-inch microfloppy disk.Doublesided drives which store 800K per disk have also been announced.
    • One of the fastest hard disk interfaces inpersonal computing. It transfers data at 1.33 megabytes per second,more than eight times faster than the floppy interface. Although harddisks aren't yet available for the ST, Atari plans to introduce a 10-to 15-megabyte drive by early 1986, possibly for as low as $399. Thisprice is feasible because the hard disk controller is already builtinto the computer. The hard disk interface can also be used for memoryexpansion or a CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory). Atari has showna prototype CD-ROM that stores up to 550 megabytes of data on a singlecompact disc. (See "Monster Memory," August 1985.)
    • Built-in Centronics-standard parallel port andRS-232 serial port for printers, modems, and other peripherals. Theseports are compatible with IBM cables for printers and modems.
    • Built-in Musical Instrument Digital Interface(MIDI) for attaching keyboard synthesizers, se-quencers, drum boxes,and other electronic musical devices. Because the MIDI ports transferdata at a very high speed (31.25 kilobaud), they've also beenconsidered for such future applications as extremely inexpensive localarea networks (LANs).
    • A slot for cartridges containing up to 128K ofRead Only Memory (ROM).
    • Intelligent video output port that recognizeswhether a color or monochrome monitor is plugged into the computer andallows the operating system to adjust itself accordingly. This portalso has pins for audio input/output.
    • High-resolution monochrome monitor. With a screenrefresh rate of 70 hertz-about 16 percent faster than normal monitorsand TVs - this monitor is capable of unusually sharp displays. AnanalogRGB (red-green-blue) color monitor also is available.
    • Screen modes with high resolution (640 X 400pixels, monochrome), medium resolution (640 X 200, four onscreencolors), and low resolution (320 X 200, 16 onscreen colors).
    • Palette of 512 possible colors. Any of the fourcolors in medium resolution or 16 colors in high resolution can beselected from this palette.
    • Three-channel General Instruments sound chip, thesame as found in the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A, IBM PCjr, andMSXstandard computers. Envelope registers allow the chip to simulatevarious types of waveforms.
    • A disk-based operating system called TOS (TramielOperating System) which combines Digital Research's CP/M-68K and GEM(Graphics Environment Manager). CP/M-68K is the 68000 version of thepopular Z80-based operating system, CP/M (Control Program/Microcomputers), similar to the MS-DOS used on the IBM PC andcompatibles. CP/M-68K is vastly expanded, however, with provisions tosupport up to 16 disk drives with 512 megabytes per drive and 32megabytes per file. To make this operating system easier to use, it islinked on the 520ST with GEM, a Macintosh-like user interface withicons, windows, and drop-down menus. GEM can be manipulated from thekeyboard or with a mouse controller that comes with the 520ST. Thetwo-button mouse plugs into one of the two controller ports built intothe computer.


Turtle graphics in Logo: This geo-
metric figure was created in the
Atari 520ST's low-resolution mode
(320 X 200 pixels, 16 colors).

    • Digital Research Logo and Atari BASIC programminglanguages on disk. (At this writing, BASIC wasn't finished, and the520ST was being shipped with Logo only. Atari has said that BASIC willbe added to the package when it's done and offered as an upgrade toearly ST buyers as well.)
    • An 84-key keyboard with cursor keypad, numerickeypad, plus ten special function keys.

    The price for the complete system (520ST, diskdrive, monochrome monitor, mouse, and system software) is $799. A 520STsystem with RGB monitor costs $999.

fyou've never used a Macintosh, working with the Atari 520ST for thefirst time will be an unfamiliar experience. When you switch on mostpersonal computers, you find yourself either in BASIC or some type ofdisk operating system (DOS). But the 520ST doesn't wake up with a READYprompt, command line, or DOS menu. Instead, the first thing you see isthe GEM desktop.
    Icons along the edges of the desktop screen show atrash can and file drawers. The drawers represent floppy disk drivesand hard disks, depending on your system configuration. Menu titlesappear across the top of the screen. Floating above the desktop is anarrow that you can move by rolling the mouse or by pressing certainkeys. It represents an extension of your hand on the screen.
    To view a menu, you move the pointer to the desiredtitle. Instantly, the menu drops down over the screen. (The 520ST'sdrop-down menus are summonedslightly differently than the Macintosh'spulldown menus: You don't have toclick and hold the mouse button.) As you move the pointer up and downthe menu, it highlights various options. Some options may be invalidfor a particular operation, so they appear in dim print and cannot behighlighted. To select an option, you simply highlight it and click theleft button on the mouse.
    To call a disk directory, you move the pointer atopthe appropriate file drawer icon and do what's called adouble-click-pressing the mousebutton twice in rapid succession. The disk drive hums, and a windowappears on the desktop. Various types of icons inside the window denotedata files, executable program files, and subdirectories on the disk.If you prefer a more conventional disk directory, you can drop down theView menu and select View As Text. The file icons change into a list offilenames which includes such information as file lengths in bytes andthe dates on which the files were last updated. Other options on theView menu let you sort the directory by filename (alphabetically), filetype, size, or date.


This low-res picture was created
withDr Doodle, a simple drawing
program written by Digital Research
and included on an ST demo disk.


In high resolution (640 X 400
pixels, monochrome), GEM closely
resembles the Macintosh desktop.


Error messages on the 520ST are
usually more helpful than the cryp-
tic error codes of days past.

    If you're working with a two-drive system, you cancall the directory for drive B by double-clicking on its icon. Whenthis window appears, it overlaps the window for drive A. But the driveA window isn't erased; by pointing to it and clicking the mouse buttononce, it moves atop the drive B window. A similar click on the drive Bwindow brings it to the fore. You can flip back and forth betweenseveral windows in this manner, like shuffling papers on a realdesktop. Options selected from menus, such as View As Text, affect thewindow which is currently on top of the pile.

llother functions in the GEM desktop work in similar ways: You point to amenu option or icon, then click the mouse button once or twice.
    For instance, to run a program, you point to itsicon or filename in the disk directory window and double-click. Thedesktop disappears and the program runs. When you exit the program, thedesktop reappears.
    Some operations, such as deleting a file, require amouse maneuver known asdragging.First you select the icon-in this case, the file you want to delete-bypointing to it with the mouse and then clicking the mouse button. Whilestill holding down the button, you can roll the mouse to drag anoutline of the file icon along with the pointer. To delete the file,you would drag it to the trash can icon and release the mouse button. Awindow appears and asks "Are you sure?", warning that the file will beerased if you click on a marker labeled "OK." If you don't want todelete the file, you can click on a marker labeled "Cancel." The firstchoice irretrievably erases the selected file off the disk; the secondchoice restores everything to normal. (Unlike the Macintosh, you can'tretrieve files from the trash can. As the 520ST manual points out, the520ST trash can is more like an incinerator.)
    This dragging technique is used for other operationsas well. You can copy a file from one disk to another by dragging thefile icon from the source disk's directory window to the destinationdisk's window; you can copy the contents of an entire disk by draggingits file cabinet icon atop another disk's icon; and you can organizefiles into subdirectories by dragging their icons into a folder icon.
    You can also manipulate windows as easily as icons.The "active" window-that is, the one on top of the pile if several aredisplayed-has various control bars and squares along its edges.Pointing to the square in the upper-right corner and clicking the mousebutton expands the active window to full-screen size. Clicking thiscorner again restores it as a window. Dragging the lower-right cornerlets you adjust a window's size, making it larger or smaller. Draggingthe top bar lets you move a window anywhere on the screen. Clicking onthe small arrows displayed along the bottom and right bars will scrollthe material displayed in the window, assuming some of it is hidden dueto the window's size. And clicking on the upper-left corner removes theactive window from the screen ("closes" the window).

neunusual feature of the 520ST is its intelligent monitor interface. Whenyou boot up, the operating system checks whether a monochrome or colormonitor is attached to the computer and adjusts itself for one of threepossible screen resolutions.
    With the monochrome monitor, the operating systemautomatically configures the GEM desktop for high resolution-640 X 400pixels, black and white. The display is extremely sharp and stablebecause of the monitor's 70 hertz refresh rate, which means it redrawsthe screen image 70 times per second rather than 60 times as onstandard monitors and TVs. (This is possible because the monitor usesits own 70 hertz oscillator instead of synchronizing with the 60 hertzpower line.) Furthermore, the display is paper-white, not blue-white,easier on the eyes. When the monochrome monitor is hooked up, theoperating system won't let you enter the medium- or low-resolutionmodes, which have color.
    If the 520ST is booted up when plugged into its RGBmonitor, it defaults to medium resolution 640 X 200 with foursimultaneous colors. Because this screen has the same horizontalresolution as the monochrome mode but only half the verticalresolution, the aspect ratio is slightly distorted. Icons appear talland skinny, and characters are narrower.
    The low-resolution mode320 X 200 with 16simultaneous colors-also requires the RGB monitor. (The RF modulatorincluded in preproduction 520STs has been eliminated from productionmodels, so it can't be attached to ordinary TVs. There's also no directoutput for standard composite monitors, although one could probably berigged from the RGB pins.)


In low res, the GEM desktop has a
40-column screen. The Control
Panel is a pop-up menu that lets
you adjust various system functions.


In medium resolution (640 X 200
pixels, four colors), the GEM desktop
has an 80-column screen. Note the
two disk directory windows.


The 520ST is capable of displaying
numerous type styles, as seen on
this hi-res Logo screen.

To enter the low-res mode, you boot up in medium-res, then drop downthe Options menu and select Set Preferences. A small window appearswith markers for low-res, medium-res, and hi-res (the hi-res marker isdimmed to indicate it's not available with this configuration). Tochange modes, you click the mouse button while pointing to theappropriate marker.
    If you want your 520ST to "wake up" in low-resinstead of medium-res, you can drop down the Options menu and selectSave Desktop. This selection saves all adjustments you've made to GEMonto the operating system boot disk. Other preferences can be savedthis way, too. By dropping down various menus, you can specify whetherwarning windows should appear when copying or deleting files; turn thekeyboard click and error beeps on or off, adjust the keyboard'sauto-repeat delay and repeat rate; set the mouse button's responsespeed for double-clicking; choose the desktop's foreground andbackground screen colors from the 512 available hues; set the realtimeclock's time and date, which is automatically stamped on diskdirectories whenever you save a file; and configure the RS-232 andparallel ports for certain peripherals.
    The 520ST doesn't have sprites or player/missilegraphics, but animation is possible in any of its screen modes by atechnique calledbit-block transfer.Like sprite graphics, it allows you to move objects around the screenwithout erasing the background. The mouse pointer and the bumblebeeicon that appears when the disk drive is busy are examples of bit-blockanimation. Unfortunately, these capabilities are not supported in Logo,the only language shipped with the 520ST at launch. The Logo isactually a translation of Digital Research's Logo for the IBM PC, andit has no commands for animation or sound. Reportedly, the BASIC beingprepared for the 520ST is a translation of Digital Research's BASIC forthe PC.

henthe 520ST made its first appearance at the Winter CES, it was hard tobelieve that anyone could design a system like the 520ST and throwtogether a prototype in only about six months-the time that had elapsedsince ex-Commodore President Jack Tramiel had acquired Atari from itsparent company, Warner Communications.
    Forced to trim down from several thousand employeesto several hundred, Atari accelerated development on the 520ST bytaking advantage of some ready-made parts. The 520ST came along just intime for Digital Research's CP/M-68K and GEM. This is important inunderstanding the underlying structure of the 520ST, which has beennicknamed the "Macintosh."
    Although the Atari's desktop screens can easily bemistaken for the Macintosh's, the 520ST is actually quite differentfrom the Mac. True, GEM has all the icons, windows, menus, and otherMacintosh screen graphics. But GEM is really just a shell-a layerbetween the user and the real operating system, CP/M-68K. In fact, it'spossible to leave GEM and enter this lower level. All the fancygraphics can be made to disappear and you see a screen prompt, A>.This prompt is familiar to users of CP/M and MS-DOS/PC-DOS (adescendantof CP/M). You can enter commands such as DIR to call a disk directoryor TYPE to display a file. Like CP/M and PC-DOS, CP/M-68K allowsprogrammers to perform various system functions by calling routines inthe Basic Input/Output System, or BIOS. Digital Research even says thatCP/M file structures are upwardly compatible with CP/M-68K.
    GEM, too, is a module that has something in commonwith other systems. Digital Research sells a version of GEM for the IBMPC and compatibles, and publishes guidelines for writing applicationprograms to work with GEM.
    All this doesn't mean that the 520ST can run CP/M orPC-DOS programs, of course-the machine languages are completelyincompatible. But it does mean that programs written in compiledlanguages such as C can be adapted for these various systems withoutcomplete rewriting. If software companies take advantage of this, itcould significantly boost the amount of software available for the520ST.
    Another consequence of the 520ST's shell-likeoperating system structure is that the machine has not been designedaround its user interface. The computer is functional without themouse, and the keyboard includes such traditional features as cursorkeys.
    Combining ease of use with real power, speed, andthe potential for future expansion, the Atari 520ST is an importantaddition to personal computing. It lends itself to users who prefer tobuy their software off the shelf as well as to programmers-a. versatilerepresentative of the new generation.