Atari ST Question

[Duddyroar]

Managed to get my hands on an Atari 520 STfm at the weekend. I had an Atari ST when I was nipper but I don't recall having the 'FM' version - I think I had the STE. Anyone know what the difference is between the two?

[gravity0]

I think the FM was an older, outdated version of the ST. The STe was a revision of sorts and came out later.

[C']

The STe was a later model with a few improvements.

I think the STe had a larger colour pallette and was capable of outputting Stereo sound. There was probably a lot more improvements but these were the 2 that I instantly remember (I was about 9 or 10 years old at the time )

[gravity0]

(I was about 9 or 10 years old at the time )

Aye, me too. Good times.

[Big Al]

I think it had 4 sound channels instead of 3 and was also a little bit more powerful overall.

Basically the same as an amiga but hardly any of the games used the extra features.

[Duddyroar]

So basically any Atari ST game will work on my STfm?

[mickyboy]

Arrrr man...those 'puters were the bollocks! I loved mine...I mainly used mine for sequencing music. That and a crack'd copy of Cubase 1.1 ...it NEVER EVER crashed unlike my PC with XP

Crapolla!

[Reef]

I seem to recall that a small but significant number of games wouldn't work on the STe but were fine on the STfm. Have no idea which they where (I had an STfm) - enjoy the ST matey, happy days they were, I would have been 11-12 and loved Dungeon Master and TV Sports Football so much!! Check them out!

[Ian(not Ian)]

The FM part was 'Free Mouse'
The STE had improved an improved graphics chip, a blitter I think, but was never used by any games afaik in favour of compatibility.

Any ST game will work on your STFM.....But probably not OIDS which only worked on the older version of the OS..1.08 as I recall.

[HHarm]

I had an STe back in the day. It sounded good on the paper but in reality the new features were never used in games and quite a few games wouldn't run. The STfm was the last series before the STe and is the one to get for games. 1040STfm would be better than the 520STfm because of the extra memory but it was rarely used unlike in the Amiga so it?s not problem.

The F comes from the built in disk drive and the M from the RF modulator.

[Ian(not Ian)]

Disk drive F....Floppy disk I spose
Modulator M....Well I never.
You are of course correct HHarm. To think I have one in my loft. Must dig it out one day.

[Darwock]

Only one I ever found that worked on my ST-E but not on my mates ST-FM was 'Epic' (or Battlestar Galactica as it desperately wanted to be known, lol)

[Duddyroar]

I played Dungeon Master to death when it came out...I'm trying to find a copy now, already got Defender of the Crown which was another fave of mine back in the day.