ST Book, the Notebook Atari ST – By Paul Lefebvre
The ST Book, Atari's portable computer from 1991, had limited production, unique navigation, long battery life, but lacked mouse support and color display, making it a rare collector's item.
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The ST Book, introduced in October 1991, was a portable computer from Atari, designed as a compact version of the Atari STE. With only about 1,000 units produced, it remains relatively unknown. The ST Book featured a 10.4-inch monochrome LCD display with a resolution of 640x400, a 68000 CPU running at 8MHz, and options for 1MB or 4MB of RAM. Notably, it lacked a built-in floppy drive, opting instead for a 40MB IDE hard drive and a unique vector pad for navigation. Weighing just 4.2 pounds, it was lighter than its contemporaries, such as the PowerBook 100. The device boasted impressive battery life, lasting 5 to 10 hours on a rechargeable battery or a couple of hours on AA batteries. However, it had limitations, including no external mouse support or color display capabilities. Priced around $2,000 at launch, it was comparable to the PowerBook 100, which included more accessories. The ST Book is often viewed as an interesting but underappreciated project from Atari, with its rarity making it a collector's item today.
- The ST Book was Atari's first portable computer, introduced in 1991.
- Only about 1,000 units were produced, making it extremely rare.
- It featured a unique vector pad for navigation and had no built-in floppy drive.
- The device was lightweight at 4.2 pounds and offered long battery life.
- Its limitations included no external mouse support and lack of color display.
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- Many commenters reminisce about the unique features and aesthetics of Atari computers, comparing them to modern devices.
- There is speculation about how the tech landscape might have changed if Atari and Amiga had succeeded over Windows and macOS.
- Several users highlight the appeal of Atari products to musicians, particularly due to MIDI support.
- Comments express admiration for the design and functionality of the ST Book, with some suggesting it could compete in today's market.
- There is a sense of community among retro computing enthusiasts, sharing memories and experiences related to Atari products.
10 commentsFor the kids today, this is why we used to have Mouse Trails in settings!
I just checked on my Mac, and we no longer seem to have that option.
How different might the IT world look today if we had had a deluge of Amiga/ST clones.
If Atari and Amiga had won instead, what would the world look like?
What would the server world look like? Would there be some weird "Amiga Server Enterprise Edition"? Would servers just be Linux without any meaningful competition?
Would Atari have shook the world by introducing a new CPU that resulted in amazing battery life compared to the Amiga competition? Would some of us be using AtariPhones? Would Android be a thing?
Would retrocomputing folks talk about their Windows 3.1 boxes the way that Ataris and Amigas are currently talked about?
Though it's edged out by the Amiga, the Atari ST was truly a thing of beauty in its day. My wife was pretty chuffed to hear that a model in the line has her name (of course, the STacy).
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