Daves Old Computers - Atari 520ST - History

This text was emailed to me by the person who donated the Atari 520ST:

My dad was a professor at Algonquin. In those years, he laboriously composed all his student handouts, tests etc on a non-electric, portable typewriter. He bought this Atari, (note-original total price, including printer, paper, diskettes etc was $1919.42 !!) at my big brother's urging, with the intent of simplifying his work.

Alas, he never caught onto it the way he thought he would, and he kept typing (and retyping) his lessons for the last few years of his teaching career, while my brother (much to his delight) got to take the Atari to his house. When he tired of it a couple of years later, I got it, and have had it ever since. I set it up in my extra bedroom/office in 1988 and it's been there ever since. It got used ALOT. It was my first access to the outside world - text only, monochrome, dial-up 2400bps connection to National Capital Freenet. ST-writer has been used to compose many resumes. My ex-husband also worked at Algonquin and he used it to prepare lessons and tests. (Funny, I never thought about that - what was supposed to be its first use in life ending up being its last, in a way...

Anyway, I finally decided I needed more when the company I was working for in 1996 lent me a 386 to bring home. WooHoo!!! So the Atari didn't get used much since then. But I could never bear to tear it down and pack it away - I think it looks so cool. Every time I go in that room I look at it and marvel at its technology. But, I've finally decided that I need the space that it's taking up. I was planning to just pack it away in its original boxes and store it, but decided that would just be a waste, so wondered if anyone might want it.


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