Atari ST

Our founder's first computer was the Atari STe; an 80s computer which ran a ton of games but was also adept at MIDI and musical uses and thus became popular with musicians of the day such as Fatboy Slim who stored hits such as Praise You on floppy disk. Interestingly local Derby Band White Town whose music video from the song "My Woman" was filmed in Derby reportedly made the single on an Atari STfm.

In the late 80s/early 90s computers were EXPENSIVE! There was no going into ASDA at 3am and picking up a Samsung tablet that does everything for two hundred quid; no, a computer was a purchase almost as significant as a car. Computers like the Atari and Amiga were an alternative to the "IBM PC" type devices (eg devices which ran MS-DOS/Windows), usually a lot cheaper, and packed a large amount of functionality for the money. Whilst during this period you'd most likely find a "PC" on the desk in the office at work, at home people would likely run a cheaper Atari or Amiga which ran their own proprietary operating systems. So our collection from this era showcases this period.

Atari STE 4160

Year: 1989

Status: Hands on exhibit

Atari 1040 STF

Year: 1986

Status: Hands on exhibit

This Atari ST is setup for playing games

Atari 1040 STE

Year: 1989

Status: Hands on exhibit

This Atari demonstrates a music production setup of the era