mirror of
https://github.com/skoelle/moonweb-site.git
synced 2026-09-17 17:00:25 +00:00
32 lines
3.2 KiB
Plaintext
32 lines
3.2 KiB
Plaintext
---
|
|
title: "The Atari Mega ST Fleet: Three Machines, Three Jobs"
|
|
section: "retro"
|
|
tags: "retro"
|
|
description: "How three Atari Mega ST computers ended up with completely different roles in a modern retro setup."
|
|
layout: base.njk
|
|
parent: "/retro/"
|
|
---
|
|
<h1>The Atari Mega ST Fleet: Three Machines, Three Jobs</h1>
|
|
<div class="detail-content">
|
|
|
|
<p>Somewhere along the way, "one Atari ST" turned into three Mega ST 4 machines plus a Mega ST 2. Rather than let them gather dust, each one got a clearly defined purpose, from untouched nostalgia piece to fully upgraded workstation.</p>
|
|
|
|
<h2>The Lineup</h2>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><strong>The heirloom machine</strong>, kept as close to factory-original as possible, running the stock TOS 1.04 and a classic floppy drive. Its job is to be a baseline reference: if something breaks on a modded machine, this one proves the fault isn't in the software.</li>
|
|
<li><strong>The "Low" machine</strong>, a bargain-bin Mega ST 4 rebuilt with a <a href="/retro/storm-cloudy/">Cloudy/Storm ST combo</a> for TOS switching and extra FastRAM, a <a href="/retro/gotek/">Gotek floppy emulator</a>, an <a href="/retro/ultrasatan/">UltraSatan</a> hard disk emulator, a <a href="/retro/sidecartridge/">SidecarTridge multi-device</a> for ROM, floppy, and Wi-Fi tricks, and a <a href="/retro/atari-networking-bbs/">Wi-Fi modem</a> for dialing into BBSs. This is the demo- and game-machine, optimized for fast disk-image swapping rather than serious productivity.</li>
|
|
<li><strong>The "High" machine</strong>, the workstation build. A <a href="/retro/monsterboard/">MonSTerBoard</a> adds 8MB of AltRAM, IDE storage, and flashable TOS (currently TOS 2.06), running Geneva for real multitasking. An <a href="/retro/et4000-experiment/">ET4000 graphics card</a> drives a dedicated monitor for higher resolutions. A <a href="/retro/netusb/">NetUSBee</a> adapter and an <a href="/retro/eiffel/">Eiffel interface</a> for a PS/2 keyboard and mouse round it out, with the original Atari keyboard and mouse now on the "Low" machine.</li>
|
|
<li><strong>The spare Mega ST 2</strong>, a reserve and donor machine, kept in largely original condition, used to safely test upgrades before they go into the "real" machines.</li>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
|
|
<h2>Extensions Not Yet Installed</h2>
|
|
<p>A few upgrades have been bought or built but aren't in a machine yet, either waiting to go in or kept as spares:</p>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><strong>A second <a href="/retro/gotek/">Gotek floppy emulator</a></strong>, bought alongside the one fitted to the "Low" machine, still unbuilt and ready for another machine or as a spare.</li>
|
|
<li><strong>An <a href="/retro/eiffel-pico/">Eiffel Pico USB adapter</a></strong>, bought and configured but not yet installed, so I haven't decided which machine it will go into.</li>
|
|
<li><strong>A new <a href="/retro/sidecartridge/">SidecarTridge Multi-device</a> Revision 3</strong>, bought as an upgrade over the Revision 0 in use on the "Low" machine, still uninstalled until I decide where to put it.</li>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
|
|
<p class="note">Fun fact: two of the "problem" machines turned out to have nothing wrong with the boards at all, a badly soldered CPU socket and a leftover blitter patch bridge were the actual culprits. Moral of the story: check your solder joints twice before blaming the silicon.</p>
|
|
</div>
|