Atari ST+. What am I missing?

[ralferoo]

Well 720 KB is 82% of 880 KB. That's just a bit less. But the 880 KB format is highly unstable. All Amiga guys I know constantly complain that they have to re-write their discs after a couple of days. 3.5" discs were not made for 880 KB, and I think it was a very silly idea to use that format. With 720 KB or similar formats discs hold data for decades, my oldest one is from 1987 and still works like a charm.

19% less, so nothing to be sniffed at...

BTW, the Amiga data density is identical to the ST data density. The only difference is that the Amiga format is track-at-once and so doesn't need all the inter-sector gaps.

I have plenty of Amiga disks from 20 years ago that read just fine. There are some read errors on some of the low quality disks, but I also see read errors on the PC formatted ones on the same media.

[MacDeath]

Sadly, those 25 years old disks are all in "not so good" shape and due to fail one day.

[Gryzor]

Thanks for the nice vids, MacDeath... even these don't cover but a tiny part of the great ST titles...

[MacDeath]

Torvak_STE.avi - YouTube



Atari ST Operation Thunderbolt - YouTube



Atari ST Game: Future Wars - YouTube



StickHead's Top Ten Atari ST Games #9: Populous - YouTube



Gods - Atari St - YouTube



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GidhMyVC0U



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdHBOv-eytU



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIe-ZDx3J7s



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7Rieq-Z7Zw



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQDb4EsaM4I



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0zd16XYaGo



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FueFWpHoKtU



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvPJnaVWFEM



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3-6hYO9Xqk



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-zMI78fyvg



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KUPPc2FdHY

[TFM]

The more I watch about ST stuff I realize how superior the CPC is. 

[Token]

I had the 520 STf in 87 after I sold my 464. Then did the same deal later with Amiga 500 in 89.
I discovered the tools and the rest of the public domain on the Atari. On the CPC only tapes, commercial games, no menu no funny crack.


In 1990 I saw Cubase/ST, so I bought Bar & pipe lite on the Amiga. Well... I got an Atari again! But a 1040 STe in 92 for few bucks. Cubase was awesome! I used my Amiga (upgraded to 1,5Mo, MIDI and sampler box) as a sampler (can't remember the tool, could be simply Protracker) since the Atari.


The colors and the sound? It's only the charm of the machine, stuff is always lovely when done tasty.
Most of the time the games were better on the Amiga, everyone know that. Often 25 FPS on the Atari, which is the main problem to me.


In 2014 the Amiga feel sometime older than Atari, I mean some musics with ST-00 pacthes... With time the YM feel more and more awesome Chiptune!!


Also, it's true that there are games on ST that are better. Goldrunner, Xenon, Speedball 1...


One other thing I loved is the disk drive on Atari. On the Amiga I felt mad with "please insert in df0:" or waiting to read the directory of a disk with hundred of sounds... Nightmare, I bought a second disk drive, it changed my life


A last one is I tried GFA on Amiga and Atari. Totally buggy on the Amiga (but Amos was great!) and simply brilliant on the Atari. And there's this amazing GFA demo http://dhs.nu/video.php?ID=369

[Bryce]

After all these tips and having played with it for several weeks, I'm still not convinced. It hasn't grabed my attention and it takes up too much space that I could use for other machines I'd like to have. If anyones interested in having an Atari 520ST+ (1MB) with one of my S-Video adapters and an Audio out mod added, then send me a PM offer. I have an SF354 drive and all the PSUs too.

Bryce.