Atari 260ST

The Atari 260ST was conceived as a 256KB entry-level ST, but the commercially sold European machines were generally fitted with 512KB of RAM. It used the same compact case, external power supply and external floppy arrangement as the original 520ST.

Sold mainly in West Germany and a few neighbouring markets, the 260ST gave Atari a lower-priced model name without sacrificing compatibility with the established 512KB software base. Its brief life and regional distribution make it one of the less common production ST computers.

Notable Features

• Originally planned with 256KB, but commercial machines generally shipped with 512KB.
• Retained the external power supply and external floppy drive of the first 520ST.

Historical Significance

• Sold primarily in West Germany and selected European markets during 1986.
• Provided a lower-priced ST label while remaining compatible with the practical 512KB software base.

Collector’s Notes

• Regional distribution and a short production life make genuine 260ST systems comparatively uncommon.
• Collectors should distinguish the production 512KB machine from Atari’s original 256KB proposal.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Atari 260ST
Manufacturer	Atari
Launched	Sunday, December 1, 1985
Discontinued	January 1987
Country	United States
CPU	Motorola MC68000 at 8 MHz
Units Sold
Operating System	Atari TOS with GEM desktop
I/O	MIDI In/Out, RS-232 serial, Centronics parallel, ACSI hard-disk, cartridge, floppy, monitor and two joystick/mouse ports
Keyboard	Integrated 95-key keyboard with numeric keypad and function keys
Storage	External 3.5-inch floppy drive; ACSI hard-disk support
Sound	Yamaha YM2149 three-channel programmable sound generator
Colour Palette	512 colours
Display	320x200 in 16 colours, 640x200 in 4 colours, or 640x400 monochrome
ROM	192KB TOS ROM
RAM	512KB in production machines; originally proposed with 256KB
CPU Speed	8 MHz