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From: AKH104@psuvm.psu.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: ATARI HISTORY
Message-ID: <91121.170707AKH104@psuvm.psu.edu>
Date: 1 May 91 21:07:07 GMT
Organization: Penn State University
Lines: 61

dd
Date:    1 May 1991, 16:14:02 EDT
From:    AKH104   at PSUVM
To:      achilles at unixland.uucp
Subject: Re: What is an Atari 400??

  To set this all straight, since I am tired of seeing replies to this subject.
...First off the 400 is 16k upgradeable to 48k.  Its borther the 800 is 32k up
to 48k.  Note this is by using atari upgrades....upgrades to a Meg+ is possible
.  The atari 850 has 4 RS232C ports and 1 standard printer parallel port.  The
 ATR8000 interface is an awesome piece of add on hardware...however finding one
is going to be tougher than life.  The next generation of machines (8bit now we
 are talking about) was the 1200XL.  It is essentially an Physically redesigned
800 with a few Operating System changes and 64k standard (yes, I know not all
 of which is addressable at once!..lay off it)  Next, the true second generatio
n of atari machines were the 600XL and 800XL.  These are not the same as the
1200XL!  Note why:  the 400/800 has either rev. A or the better B OS. ver.
The 1200XL has the 1200XL os.  And the 600Xl and the 800Xl have the commonly
known XL OS's.  The third generation of 8bits were the XE series of computers
which have the same OS as the XL's save the 1200XL (WHY it was called and XL
was because of its looks and atari's new line of components.)  What makes the
XL/XE series of computers better than the 400/800/1200XL was the addition
of a parrallel bus which lets one connect massive memory upgrades and hardrives
.
Now for a brief review...
Computer      Standard Ram     O/S    Year of Design    notes...
  400             16k          A/B      1978/79?        Membrane Keyboard...
  800             32/48k       A/B      1978/79?        Full Featured computer.
  1200XL          64k         1200       1982           Hackers dream/nightmare

  600XL           16k          XL        1983           Baby to the next one..
  800XL           64k          XL        1983           BEST ONE TO MODIFY!!

  65XE            64k          XL        84/85          NO PARALLEL BUS!!!!
  130XE           128K         XL        84/85          Newest powerful beast.

  All these more or less compatible with one another....those programs that
won't run an any XL or XE machine can be runned with an Atari Translator disk
or the like....

  Those  8bitters that were never released (really) are the following...
  1400XL  - Same as 800Xl + built in speach and modem.
  1450XLD - Same as 1400XL + built in DS/DD drive. (Now you know where DOS4
                                                    came from!)
  65XEP    Same as 65XE but instead a portible with built in monitor.
  65XEM    Same as 65XE but advanced music capabilities for musicians.

  The vaporware/hardware expansions are too long to list.

16bit machines know as the ST's...
  520STxxxx     xxx means several differnt releases/versions.
  1040STxxx      "   "
  Mega ST 1,2,4  Same as othes but with  MEGS of mem.

   xxxx  -  FM  frequency modulation for TV set hookup!
            e   Enhanced for digital stereo sound and enhanced graphics...

32 bit machines....just released the Atari TT/30 (?)  This is the BEST piece
of hardware available to any user of any system at this time (1991!)

Thats it any questions?