Atari Inc.'s 16-bit Computer systems...

 

When you think of Atari 16-bit computers, most people think of the Atari ST's developed in the later part of 1984 after Jack Tramiel purchased the Consumer and Home Computer divisions of Atari Inc. from Warner Communications for $75 million in cash and $240 million in debentures.   

Many people did not know that prior to the sale of Atari on July 2, 1984 that Atari Inc. while still under the ownership of Warner Communications had several 16-bit computer designs in the works and several in-house chipsets in development that rivaled even the famous "Lorraine" chipset from Amiga.

Atari Inc, throughout 1983 in it's Home Computer Division, was actively researching 16-bit computer systems.   In fact Atari's own Corporate Research facility at 1196 Borregas had nearly 20 Apple Lisa systems in use and many within Atari were looking at the idea of an Atari version of the Apple Lisa...

Meanwhile in 1983 a group of former coin-op engineers proposed to Warner Communications an idea of Atari developing a high end graphics workstation.  Atari already had several Symbolic systems that were in fact used to developed the ground breaking computer animation sequence for Superman III.  This caught the attention of this group and they wanted Atari to develop a similiar system.

Later that year in 1983 the Home Computer group started to looking into the spec's for a project called the 1650XLD, this would be a "Lisa" type system.    At the same time, the HCD group had its first meetings with Amiga and wanted to learn more about this system they were developing and of interest was that is was strikingly familiar in its design to the Atari "Colleen" chipset.

Meanwhile another independent group that was formed would be a design committee... their project was called "Sierra" and sadly it never made it past committee arguments.

In Corporate Research, a group that was developing technologies that were 10 years or more ahead of its time - called SARL (Sunnyvale Advanced Research Lab) was developing a new chipset called "Rainbow" that could be used in future 16 and 32 bit computer designs...

 

 

 

 

If you are a former Atari employee who worked on the GAZA, Sierra, 1600XL/Shakti/25601, the 1650XLD or the 1850XL Amiga clone or have additional information, documents or other technical data/software, materials, etc...  Please:

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