\C2\LN\LF\CT\F6\C3THE NEW ATARI FALCON 030\C2\LF\LN\LF\F7\FU\C1by AXEL of BRAINSTORM\LF\LF

\F4Hello and welcome to the new wondermachine from ATARI, the FALCON 030. I hereby
want to give you a few technical information about it, which had its
worldpremiere at the ECTS in LONDON, September 1992.\LF\LF

\CT\C2\F5Programming periphals:\LF\F1\FU\C1\LF

As the name Falcon 030 is already telling, a Motorola 32Bit microprocessor
\C3MC68030\C1 is placed inside. The install of a 16Mhz MC 68881 or 68882 coprocessor is
because of the therefore built socle possible. In the standard version of the
Falcon will be a 4MegByte Ram included which you can expand to the limit of
\C314MB\C1 without any problem. The ROM is 512KB big and also a grafical Coprocessor
\C3(16Mhz Blitter)\C1 is included like Atari's predecessors.\LF\LF

\CT\C2\F5Graphics:\LF\F1\FU\C1\LF

The video subsystem is totally flexible. Besides the wellknown 3 graphicmodes
the Falcon is suited with a \C3SuperVGA\C1 mode with 640x480 pixels using 256 colours
out of a palette of \C3262144 colours.\C1 This mode can dispayed in the Interlace
mode on a RGB screen (e.g.television). In the so called "True Colour Mode" the
bird reaches 65536 colours out of a palette of 262144 which can be displayed at
the same time beween a resolution of 320x200 up to 768x480 pixels. Depending to
the monitor this happens in Interlace or Non-Interlace mode.\LF\LF

\CT\C2\F5Music:\LF\F1\FU\C1\LF

Less satisfying as the Video modes would be if the new Atari was
sound compatible to the old ones (3 channel PSG-sound). But don't panic!
Besides the compatible modes (which it actually has) it is equipped with eight
\C316Bit DMA musicchannels with up to 50Khz\C1 in stereo (!!!!!). This is actually
said to be better than CD quality!! It also features a Stereo microphone input,
outputs for stereo headphones, 16DA and AD-Wandler, installed
Mono loudspeakers and a bushing for Digital Audio and DSP (Digital
Signalprocessor). Besides these sweets it is equipped with a motorola DSP 56001
\C332Mhz digital signalprocessor\C1 with 32Kx24Bit SRAM and 0 Waitstates. With the
help of this chip many things can be done like Voice mailsystems,
Highspeedmodems (e.g. Fax-option, Speech and Music synthesizer) and more!\LF\LF

Besides the DSP the Falcon is suited with a powerful subsystem for
signalhandling which would definately take too much time to explain.\LF\LF

Of very big importance is the fact that the 030 is a compatible TOS machine.
That means that programs work 100% without any modifications. By the
way, the new system is called "MultiTOS".\LF\LF

Atari's son will be sold with \C31.44MB diskdrive.\C1 A mouse is also inluded
(hey!!). The Falcon can be connected to any television set, ST-monitors or to a
VGA monitor. At the back of the machine is a parallel-, RS232- and a Cartridge
port, a Midi in and out, a SCSI-II connection with DMA (Design?? Heheh), a LAN
connection and four (!) joystick ports which two can be used of for four
paddles or a lightpistol.\LF\LF

The official release date of the new member in the Atari family will be shortly
before christmas. All I can say is that what I have seen of this machine at the
ECTS was just mindblasting. Pictures look like photographies and the \C3speed is
goddamn amazing.\C1 In my opinion a machine for the scene in the future. What do
you think about it?\LF\LF

\C2The price of this piece depends fom country to country so you better run to your
local computer-store and ask for it.\XX