Task: Purchase an Atari 1040 ST
Needed: Atari 1040ST, mouse, monitor or some way to convert RGB to HDMI
Time: 30-60 minutes
Introduction
I previously posted about purchasing an Atari 520ST computer as an example of mid-1980s computing with the 68000 CPU. While the 520ST was released first in 1985, the 1040ST was released a year later in 1986 feature an additional 512KB of RAM (1MB total), an internal PSU, and an internal floppy disk drive (the 1040STF). The additional RAM and the included floppy disk drive were nice features. Weirdly, they moved the joystick and mouse ports underneath the unit making them much more awkward to plug in. The internal PSU and floppy drive did make the 1040 bigger and heavier than the 520.
Instructions
The best place to look for 1040STs is eBay. Working units run about $300 to $500. You will also need a mouse and way to connect to a modern display. As you can see in the photo above, I also have a nice Atari SC1224 color monitor I can use. However, I ordered an RGB to SCART to use with my SCART to HDMI converter that works quite well with my Amigas. I will do a separate post on this video output method when they come in.
Comments
I have two Atari 1040STFs that I picked up about five years off of Craigslist. I don’t recall what I paid for them as it was in cash. The one shown here iN the photo is in really good condition and features a 1.5MB RAM upgrade for 2.5MB total as you can see in the SysInfo screen below. Below that is a photo of the RAM expansion board.
