Conference 7.286::atarist

    1040ST   $700-$800
    1040ST WITH COLOR MONITER   $1000-1100

            Matt
    

RE: .0 and .1

Due to your(.0) note in Commusic asking about Y* RX7 prices, I assume you want
the ST for MIDI -- don't buy an Amiga 500 for that, get a *Mono* ST.  That
is a great MIDI machine.
CHad

And when you come to Nashua, stop by White Mountain Computer, on Amherst
street. I think they are the only dealer in Nashua who handles Atari ST
hardware and software.

        You probably will not be able to find a 1040st.  Atari has
        stopped production of these units.  They have also dropped the
        price of Mega 2's to around $1,169 without monitor (in the
        Phoenix area, Eastern New England is a bit higher).
        
        Your other choice would be a 520STfm-D which could be upgraded to
        1Mb by the dealer or to 2.5Mb by yourself using the EZ-Ram II and
        16 1Mb chips, as an example.
        
        Bob

OK all, thanks for the advice, what price is a 520st with mono monitor?

        I don't remember exactly, somwhere between $569 and $649.  Over
        the last year, the prices dropped in the summer months (winter
        down under) and rise back to retail levels around the end of
        August.

    Hi,
    
    I'm a french ST1040 owner and user. It *seems* that rumors born
    in the USA arrive in Europe with about 4 months delay (talking about
    ST's). Could you please go into more details about this last rumor
    that states that the ST1040 production will be (or is) stopped?
    
    Is it official in your country?
    
    \Patrick   (Mac, Atari, Amiga: the most important is the MC68000)

    > I'm a french ST1040 owner
    > (Mac, Atari, Amiga: the most important is the MC68000)

    Ok I've got a 68000 chip that I'll trade you for your 1040 ST :-)
    :-) :-)
    
    			:---) "Thats pinoccio smilling!"
    
    	Ray

Are 1040s really that hard to find?

A salesamen at the local music store (Daddy's Nashua) just mailordered
a 1040 last week or so and got it.


Chad

        1040s are not being manufactured anymore.  The reason is that the
        256k DRAM's are hard to find, expensive and obslete (chip makers
        are ramping down production on these).  The 512 has 16, the 1040
        has 32.
        
        Atari figured that they could produce twice as many 520s as
        1040s as the only difference (now that they have run out of
        single sided disk drives) between the two is the amount of
        memory.
        
        In addition, Atari lowered the price of the Mega 2:
        
                        Mega 2, no monitor -    $1169
                        1040ST, no monitor -    $ 799
                                                ----
                         Difference             $ 370
        
        Along with an additional meg. of memory, you get detachable kb,
        internal disk expansion and an expander slot.  The additional 1mb
        of memory to a 1040St would cost:
        
                        EZ Ram II               $140
                        16 1Mb Drams @ $30 ea.  $480
                                                ----
                        Total cost              $620
        
        Atari gets 1Mb DRAMs a lot cheaper than we can.  However they
        won't work in a 1040 (or 512) without a lot of work on their
        part - to use 1Mb DRAMs in a 512 or 1040 without an adaptor board
        requires a few etch cuts and several wires - neither desirable
        nor reliable.
        
        

>        The additional 1mb
>        of memory to a 1040St would cost:
>        
>                        EZ Ram II               $140
>                        16 1Mb Drams @ $30 ea.  $480
>                                                ----
>                        Total cost              $620
        

	A megabyte of RAM only takes 8 megabit chips.  I agree, this doesn't
	change your argument, which makes a good point for dropping the
	1040ST, but I couldn't resist pointing it out.

	chris

        Chris,
        
        You are absolutly correct.  The problem is that the Atari design
        forces you to add 16 chips.  With the EZ RAM II you can use
        either 256k chips (16 @ $12 ea or $192) or 1Mb chips.  So you end
        up with either 1Mb memory or 2.5Mb memory.
        
        Even the speed requirements are different -
        
                . 256K DRAMs must be 150ns or faster.
                . 1 Mb DRAMS must be 100ns (I don't think 120ns parts
                  work on all systems, but there is only $1 or $2
                  difference between the speed variations).
        
        Bob

	Hi everyone,

	I'm about to enter the world of MIDI sequencing via Atari computers
	and I'm very interested in the Mega2 ST.  The best price I've been
	quoted is $1100 for just the Mega and $1250 for the Mega with the
	Atari monochrome monitor.  Are these good prices?

	I may just get the computer and then buy an NEC Multisync II monitor.
	Just how easy are the modifications required?  I looked at the
	exhaustive note earlier in this conference about it (Note 40)and 
	felt a little intimidated.  Are the mods easier than they seem?
	Would Atari owners reccommend this setup?  Is the NEC really worth
	it (just how good is the quality of resolution in BOTH b/w and color)?
	Has anyone seen better prices than $580 on the NEC?

	Anxiously waiting,
	Dan

    The A.B.A.C.U.S. group got a letter from a local dealer describing
    some 'specials' as of 31-mar-89:
    
    Mega 4 ST Desktop Publishing System
    	Mega 4 ST/Mono
    	Atari Laser Printer
    	30 MB Hard Drive
    	UltraScript with 'lots and lots' of postscript fonts
    $3999.95 - a savings of over $1000 if bought separately at list
    
    Mega 2 ST
    	Color $1599
    	Mono  $1399   savings of $300 from list
    
    1040 ST
    	Color $969.95 quantity of three systems (user group deal)
    
    
    This is from The Computer Bug in Hadley/Springfield Massachusetts.