Definition: Atari ST

An early personal computer series from Atari. Introduced in 1985 to compete with Apple's Mac, the ST was the first home computer to include MIDI musical instrument ports. Popular with musicians because of its MIDI interface, it was also used for desktop publishing, especially in Europe. The ST line was discontinued in the early 1990s. See MIDI.

The ST along with the subsequent STF, STM and STE models used Motorola 68K CPUs and ran under the TOS operating system and GEM user interface. Certain models were given the MEGA moniker (MEGA ST, MEGA STE). STacy and ST BOOK were portable versions. Atari STs supported 640x480 monochrome and 640x200 color displays. See Atari.

A Lot of Praise

Joe Sugarman, the marketer famously known for his astute product descriptions, praised the ST in this full-page ad for his JS&A mail order company in 1986.