Atari PC5
| Atari PC5 | |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Atari Corporation |
| Type | IBM PC/AT Compatible |
| Released | 1989 |
| Discontinued | 1990 |
| CPU | Intel i386DX @ 16 MHz or 20 MHz (switchable to 8 MHz) |
| Memory | 2 MB or 4 MB RAM |
| Storage | 1× Epson SD-680L 5.25" 1.2 MB floppy drive; Seagate ST-277R 66 MB RLL hard drive; optional 1.44 MB 3.5" floppy |
| Display | Western Digital WD VGA Plus 16 (256 KB) |
| Sound | PC Speaker |
| OS / Firmware | MS-DOS 3.3, GW-BASIC 3.2, Microsoft Windows/386 v2.0 (or Eurix Unix System V/386) |
| Predecessor | Atari PC4 |
| Successor | Atari ABC 386 |
The Atari PC5 was Atari Corporation's most powerful entry in the original Atari PC line of IBM-compatible computers. Equipped with an Intel i386DX processor, it was the first 386-class system Atari produced and represented the high end of the Atari PC range before the company transitioned to the ABC (Atari Business Computer) series.
Overview
[edit | edit source]Unlike the PC4, which used an Atari-designed motherboard, the PC5 was built around a third-party American Megatrends (AMI) 386XT Series-4 motherboard. This was a practical decision, as designing a 386-class motherboard in-house would have been costly. The AMI board featured a socket for an Intel 387 co-processor and supported CPU upgrades up to a 386DX-25.
The PC5 was notable for being the only Atari PC offered with a Unix-based operating system option: "Eurix", a German-localised version of Unix System V/386 Release 3.2, was available as an alternative to the standard MS-DOS and Windows/386 configuration. This positioned the PC5 as potentially suitable for business and technical workstation applications.
One downside of the AMI motherboard was its lack of onboard RAM expansion slots — all memory was handled through a 32-bit memory expansion card, which was typically limited to 2 MB on the 16 MHz model and 4 MB on the 20 MHz model.
Specifications
[edit | edit source]| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel i386DX, 16 MHz or 20 MHz (switchable to 8 MHz) |
| Co-processor socket | Intel 80387 |
| Motherboard | American Megatrends (AMI) 386XT Series-4 |
| RAM | 2 MB (16 MHz model) or 4 MB (20 MHz model), via 32-bit memory expansion card |
| Graphics | Western Digital WD VGA Plus 16, 256 KB VRAM |
| Storage | 1× Epson SD-680L 5.25" 1.2 MB floppy drive; optional 1.44 MB 3.5" floppy; Seagate ST-277R 66 MB RLL hard drive |
| Hard drive/floppy controller | Adaptec ACB-2372B floppy/hard drive controller |
| Multi-I/O | Kouwell KW-524F Multi I/O card |
| Expansion | PS/2-style expansion slots |
| Ports | Monitor port, RS-232 serial port, Centronics parallel port, keyboard port |
| Keyboard | Mitsumi KPQ-E99YC AT keyboard |
| Mouse | Mitsumi 2-button serial mouse |
| Sound | PC Speaker |
Bundled Software
[edit | edit source]Standard Configuration
[edit | edit source]- Microsoft MS-DOS 3.3
- GW-BASIC 3.2
- Microsoft Windows/386 Version 2.0
Alternative Configuration
[edit | edit source]- "Eurix" — German-localised Unix System V/386 Release 3.2
Upgrades
[edit | edit source]- Intel 80387 co-processor (socket provided)
- CPU upgrade to Intel 386DX-25 (the AMI Series-4 motherboard supports this)
- Memory expansion via the 32-bit expansion card
Legacy
[edit | edit source]The PC5 was the last model in the original numbered Atari PC series. Atari continued producing IBM-compatible computers with the ABC (Atari Business Computer) line, beginning with the ABC 286/30 in 1990 and culminating in the ABC 386 SX and DX models in 1991. These later systems used completely off-the-shelf components and bore little resemblance to the earlier, more distinctively Atari-branded PC line.
See Also
[edit | edit source]External Links
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