Atari STacy

Portable personal computer (1989-1991) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The STacy is a portable computer version of the Atari ST.^[7]^[8]^[9]

ReleasedSeptember 1989; 36 years ago

Introductory priceUS$2,299 (equivalent to $5,970 in 2025)

Discontinued1991^[1]

Quick facts Manufacturer, Released ...

STacy
Atari Stacy 2 portable computer with professional MIDI extension
Manufacturer	Atari Corporation
Released	September 1989; 36 years ago (1989-09)
Introductory price	US$2,299 (equivalent to $5,970 in 2025)
Discontinued	1991^[1]
Units shipped	estimated 35,000+^[2]^[3]
Operating system	Atari TOS 1.04
CPU	Motorola 68HC000 @ 8 MHz
Memory	RAM: 1 MiB (expandable to 4 MiB^[4]) ROM: 192 KiB
Storage	3.5" floppy drive, 3.5" SCSI 20MB-40MB harddrive Conner Peripherals Inc.^[5]^[6]
Display	10.4" EPSON LCD passive matrix backlight
Graphics	320x200 (16), 640x200 (4), 640x400 (2)
Sound	Yamaha YM-2149, three channels, 8 octaves
Input	95 keys, QWERTY, 2 Joysticks, RS 232C, Centronics, external Floppy, ROM-Cartridge, DMA for Printer/HD, MIDI In/Out, Monitor
Power	NiCad pack, 12 standard C cell alkaline batteries, DC18V 2.0A 36W AC Adaptor
Dimensions	13.3 x 15 x 13.3 inches
Weight	15.2 lb (6,9 Kg)
Successor	ST BOOK

The computer was originally designed to operate on 12 standard C cell flashlight batteries for portability. When Atari realized how quickly the machine would use up a set of batteries (especially when rechargeable batteries of the time supplied insufficient power compared to the intended alkalines), they simply glued the lid of the battery compartment shut.^{[citation needed]}

The STacy has features similar to the Macintosh Portable, a version of Apple's Macintosh computer which contained a built in keyboard and monitor.

With built-in MIDI, the STacy enjoyed success for running music-sequencer software and as a controller of musical instruments among both amateurs and well-known musicians.^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13]

History

The STacy was a global project, design work was carried out in the Sunnyvale HQ, Cambridge UK, final PCB layouts were produced by Atari in Japan, which is where the first units were manufactured, with final manufacturing occurring in Taiwan.^[1]

The distinctive sculptured charcoal-gray case was designed by Ira Velinsky, Atari's chief Industrial Designer.^[14]

Models

There are four STacy models:^[15]^[16]^[17]

Stacy : 1 MB RAM, 1× 3.5" internal floppy (Model code: LST-1141)
Stacy 2: 2 MB RAM, 1× 3.5" internal floppy, 20 MB HD (Model code: LST-2144)
Stacy 2: 2 MB RAM, 2× 3.5" internal floppy (Model code: LST-2124)
Stacy 4: 4 MB RAM, 1× 3.5" internal floppy, 40 MB HD (Model code: LST-4144)

Specifications

Atari TOS 1.04 (Rainbow TOS)
Blitter
Character set: Atari ST character set (based on code page 437)
Real-time clock lithium battery
Hard disk: ACSI-SCSI 20-40 MB
Floppy disk
ACSI, ACSI internal (same as in Mega STE)
Trackball

Ports

Parallel: 1 port
Serial: 1 port
FDD: 1 port
MIDI: 2 ports

Optional

Modem

In pop culture

The STacy appears in the 1991 films Nothing but Trouble and Delusion.^[18]

The STacy is used by Jimmy Urine of Mindless Self Indulgence.^[19]

Gallery

^[20]

References

[1]
Atari Stacy, Atari Explorer, it was fast tracked for launch when the ST became increasingly more popular with musicians..A truly global project, design work was carried out in the Sunnyvale HQ, Cambridge UK, and with final board layouts produced by Atari in Japan, which is where the first units were manufactured.
[2]
From Atari's Oval Office:Stacy and the Portfolio, by Mard Naman, START VOL. 4 NO. 2 / SEPTEMBER 1989, START: How many Stacys do you hope to ship? Tramiel: A lot. I have no idea what the marketplace will require. The responses at Hannover and COMDEX were greater than I expected. I was amazed at COMDEX; people went crazy for the Stacy there I've underestimated the laptop market before when we were at Commodore, and maybe I'm underestimating again, but my guess is 5,000 units a month. And if the market wants more, very happy to make more, no problem. START: Will Stacy be made at the same plant in a parallel production line as your other products? Tramiel: Yes, in our factory in Taiwan. We have the capacity to make 35,000 Stacys a month, if the market wants it. That's the tooling that was set up for production.
[3]
Shipping Stacy Dialog Box:Shipping Stacy, START VOL. 4 NO. 12 / JULY 1990, As we reported in the May 1990 issue, Stacys are indeed shipping in the United States, though far below the numbers needed to sate demand. This news comes in spite of reports that Atari's manufacturing facility in Taiwan is operating at full capacity.
[4]
"4Mb Memory Upgrade". Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
[5]
Atari to purchase Conner hard disk drives for the STacy, Time Capsule: News - Sep.89 - Sep.89, Date: Mon, 11 Sep 89 17:27:44 EDT
[6]
"Conner Peripherals Gets Atari Contract". Los Angeles Times. United Press International. 5 August 1989. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015.
[7]
ST Gossip from Hollywood: A Date With Stacy, by TG, ST-Log ISSUE 35 / AUGUST 1989 / PAGE 15
[8]
From Atari's Oval Office:Stacy and the Portfolio, by Mard Naman, START VOL. 4 NO. 2 / SEPTEMBER 1989, START: Are Stacys going to be shipping to developers soon? Tramiel: There are no plans. There's nothing really to develop on it that's any different than the 1040ST, because it is a 1040. So we haven't rushed it from a development point of view.
[9]
ST/MIDI Connection: Winter NAMM Show Report, BY JIM PIERSON-PERRY, START VOL. 4 NO. 10 / MAY 1990, Stacy is a reality - at least for musicians. While the FCC has yet to approve it for home use, 2MB and 4MB versions with internal hard drives have been approved for sale as professional equipment. These will be sold exclusively through music stores.
[10]
On The Road Back: Atari Donny Osmond, By Marc Naman, START VOL. 4 NO. 4 / NOVEMBER 1989, Donny Loves STACY
[11]
The Music Makers:When It Comes to MIDI, the Pros Go ATARI, BY JIM PIERSON-PERRY WITH STEVE MORTIMER, START VOL. 4 NO. 12 / JULY 1990
[12]
Time Capsule: The Atari Report - Spring 1990, by Sam Tramiel, Date: Mon, 23 Apr 1990, We're excited about the rapidly growing MIDI business and the enthusiasm being generated for the Stacy laptop computer among professionals in the music industry. Just recently we've learned that Atari computers were used to produce the sound track in the hit film, "Born on the Fourth of July" which received an Academy Award nomination for "Best Sound."
[13]
Mark Tinley: Working With Duran Duran(Interview | Engineer), By NIGEL HUMBERSTONE, Published in SOS(Sound On Sound) February 1994, The sequencing system has been in operation since March '93 and is handled by an Atari Stacy 2 laptop computer running C-Lab Creator software and driving a rackmount Kurzweil K2000.
[14]
The Traveling Computers: Hands-On Preview of Atari's STACY and Portfolio, BY ANDREW REESE START EDITOR, START VOL. 4 NO. 3 / OCTOBER 1989
[15]
News, Notes & Quotes, BY STEPHEN MORTIMER, START VOL. 4 NO. 9 / APRIL 1990, The Stacy 2 and Stacy 4 have passed FCC Class A certification. This frees the computer for business/industrial use, although no actual restrictions on sales are made by the FCC. Both systems come with the respective amount of memory and a 40MB Conner hard disk drive. The Stacy 1, floppy-disk version has not yet been approved.
[16]
Introducing Bob Brodie, by Bob Brodie, START VOL. 5 NO. 7 / APRIL/MAY 1991, Some of the models of the Stacy feature a built-in hard disk. For example, the Stacy 4 ships with a 40MB Conner hard disk built in.
[17]
ATARI STACY4 Computer, Model number: LST-4144, Computer History Museum
[18]
Atari STacy, Starring the Computer
[19]
V13 Media (2015-12-02). Mindless Self Indulgence Frontman Jimmy Urine on His Akai s950 and Atari STacy - Geared Up #002. Retrieved 2025-10-28 – via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
[20]
Mellor, David (February 1989). "C-Lab Unitor (SOS Feb 1989)". Sound on Sound (Feb 1989): 42–45.