Atari PC4 286/16Mhz with goodies has arrived!

[Clint Thompson]

Super cool to finally use one of these machines! Wasn't actively seeking it (though I've always been on the lookout for an ABC 386DXII, as that has been my dream retro PC for a long time now)... but stumbled upon a PC4 during said random search. For some reason I thought the PC3s and PC4s were 8088s, which I wasn't really interested in, unless it was the pizza box styled PC1. After learning it was actually a 286 that you could even install Windows 3.0 on. I was increasingly interested since the chances of acquiring the 386 ABC DX2 seems unlikely, so I snagged it in untested state, fingers crossed.

 

The mouse has an indent on the front, just like the keyboard does, as if they're missing labels that were intended to be applied at some point but never were. The mouse also looks different than the other PCM1A mice I've seen online, but I gather in the end variants are likely to exist. (even if that wasn't the case with the ST mouse).

 

 

Arriving in an unknown state, I was pleased to find that the unit powers on (thankfully) and that it was also the 16Mhz configuration. Sadly the CRT monitor I had was shot, so this smaller NEC LCD has to do for now. Though it would be cool to find an appropriate Atari PCM145 to complete this unit, that seems less likely than finding an ABC 386. One of the ISA slot covers was rattling about inside the unit when arrived, (imagine my fear) which was very concerning until I was able to verify it doesn't appear to have done any damage and powers on. Good thing I kept those goofy 5.25 disks unused for the past 20 years in a drawer with a single disk containing DOS to boot from since the HDD seems to be inoperable...

 

 

First time I've ever seen this mouse and would have never guessed it to be from Atari (aware it was made by Mitsumi) and actually it's not that bad...

 

 

I think most surprising was the Atari branded MS-DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.0 packaging (sealed even!) as I've never seen either of these before. Then again, I've never seen a PC4 or any of the other Atari IBM clones in person before either, despite the dozens of vintage computer and game festivals or shows I've attended over the past 20 years. Manuals for various PC/ABC machines but not an actual PC4. Still very cool.

 

 

Not much left to say really. I'm excited to finally have my first IBM Compatible Atari PC ever and wanted to share. Ordered a CF2ISA card (thanks to AtariLegend and his videos for pointing that out!) to hopefully get a C : drive up and running and the included DOS/Windows installed! Then install the mandatory 20 or so some odd games that I grew up playing and loved so much that would be a blast to revisit and take to a local computer show for others to check out and see an Atari PC!

 

Looking forward to playing some Sim City, Leisure Suit Larry, Commander Keen series, Jazz Jackrabbit, Jill of the Jungle, the SSI AD&D games like Secret of the Silver Blades, some AtariSoft titles... Oregon Trail! The list goes on...

 

 

I was kind of impressed with the built-in BIOS self diagnostic features of this board for being a PC clone. I've seen a ton of 286 and 8088 machines but never recall seeing such an extensive test suite built-in outside of maybe just a generic memory tester. That or maybe my memory is fading more than I can actually remember but this is the abstract art I love to see while testing the VGA display output on the 286, which also seems impressive to me since most of the 286s I've ever encountered only shipped in CGA or EGA configurations. Eventually I'll make a YouTube video of all the tests it cycles through.

 

 

So what's left? Maybe I can find an ISA sound card to add. Anyone have one they're not using anymore?

 

Also, if anyone has an ABC/PC catalog or an actual PC4 owners manual, I would happily trade some of the non-PC4 manuals/guides/disks I have for them.

Edited June 18, 2022 by Clint Thompson

[Clint Thompson]

Learned that starting with the PC4, the mice are not ST compatible. Sad too, because I was hoping to be able to use it with my STe.

 

Have started scanning in some of the English manuals and sending them to the site owner Julian, who has kindly posted them to his site for anyone interested in seeing at www.ataripc.net - will have the larger manuals scanned in soon. Still waiting on the CF2ISA card, hopefully it'll be here this week. It'll be the first time I've installed Windows 3.0 ever. Last Windows 3 install was Windows 3.11 for Workgroups in the mid 90s., hard to believe its been so long ago.

 

In waiting, here's a VGA Parrot picture similar to some popular 90s adverts using birds. I guess due to displaying a wide array of colors to lure you in...

 

Edited June 27, 2022 by Clint Thompson

[leech]

Congrats!  Mine is awesome, but I've been trying to figure out how to get an 386 in there, as the 386 supports EMS and certain games/programs require it.  So I recently ended up getting an IBM PS/2 as it had an upgrade board in it (taking it to a 486SLC2-50 even).  Unfortunately while the 286-12 in my PC4 worked in the PS/2 just fine, the reverse was not true and the Atari just didn't even post when I swapped them.  So I found another PS/2 with CPU upgrade I have on order.

 

Other modifications I've done to my PC4 include;

1) XT-IDE (though you're already getting a CF2ISA, basically a similar thing)

2) Since the XT-IDE doesn't support optical drives at all; I put in a SoundBlaster Awe64 CT4830 with an IDE controller.  So now I have a CD-ROM in it.

3) Swapped out the 5.25" drive for a Gotek with an edge connector adapter. 

 

I've tried various video cards in it, even after setting the jumper to disable it, didn't  have any luck though.  Apparently there is a way to set the turbo on/off via 'turbo on' 'turbo off' on the command line, though I'm assuming that means having installed DOS from the disks rather than just installing MS-DOS.

 

 

[+OLD CS1]

On 6/27/2022 at 2:46 AM, Clint Thompson said:

In waiting, here's a VGA Parrot picture similar to some popular 90s adverts using birds. I guess due to displaying a wide array of colors to lure you in...

Sure, parrots are great, but nothing lures like a lady!

 

[zylon]

Done

[leech]

On 6/27/2022 at 12:46 AM, Clint Thompson said:

Learned that starting with the PC4, the mice are not ST compatible. Sad too, because I was hoping to be able to use it with my STe.

 

Have started scanning in some of the English manuals and sending them to the site owner Julian, who has kindly posted them to his site for anyone interested in seeing at www.ataripc.net - will have the larger manuals scanned in soon. Still waiting on the CF2ISA card, hopefully it'll be here this week. It'll be the first time I've installed Windows 3.0 ever. Last Windows 3 install was Windows 3.11 for Workgroups in the mid 90s., hard to believe its been so long ago.

 

In waiting, here's a VGA Parrot picture similar to some popular 90s adverts using birds. I guess due to displaying a wide array of colors to lure you in...

 

Yeah, took me forever to realize the thing about the mice... and that the 'mouse port' next to the keyboard is just a serial port that is difficult to find mice for (mine did not come with the Atari branded mouse, I had to literally hunt for a Mitsumi brand that had a joystick like end, similar to the original Mouse... and now that I think about it I haven't even tried it yet..

 

I tried a document scanner I bought to try and get the English PC4 manual done, but it came out shitty, so was going to type it all in... I have a post somewhere on here about what prigram Atari would have used for such things, as I couldn't quite get Word, LibreOffice Write, or Apple Pages to do it exactly right...

[Clint Thompson]

@leech that's really crazy about the upgrade boards! I guess I knew of them existing back in the 90s and never cared much then as I had a machine that accepted a 486 chip but the idea of taking a 286 to 486 with a plug-in ISA card is insane...ly cool! I don't see anything on eBay at the moment for one though sadly. Not that I'm in any hurry to upgrade it either, if ever. I went in knowing it wasn't going to be a DOOM running DOS machine but at very least some cool DOS games of that era in VGA with Sound Blaster audio and maybe Windows 3.0

[Keatah]

Never had one of these back then, they were just coming out when my interest in PC's was being greenlighted. And I wouldn't actually own a PC till 486s got underway.

 

But I do like the serious "computer-lab" and "software-research" look of the Atari machines. The panel of lights on the left. The minimalist drive bay style cues. Would be at home in the AI lab in 2010: Odyssey Two. Years beyond its contemporary time.

Edited July 4, 2022 by Keatah

[leech]

4 hours ago, Clint Thompson said:

@leech that's really crazy about the upgrade boards! I guess I knew of them existing back in the 90s and never cared much then as I had a machine that accepted a 486 chip but the idea of taking a 286 to 486 with a plug-in ISA card is insane...ly cool! I don't see anything on eBay at the moment for one though sadly. Not that I'm in any hurry to upgrade it either, if ever. I went in knowing it wasn't going to be a DOOM running DOS machine but at very least some cool DOS games of that era in VGA with Sound Blaster audio and maybe Windows 3.0

Yeah, my DOS days started witn win95 and a Pentium 75, that was the computer after the Mega STe.  .ostly I want to be able to play the Ultima series 1-8 (Ultima 9 seriously took so long to come out, by the time it did, it was an early 3D game.  8 according to mobygames will run on a i386DX)  the otger large jump was 7, which also requires a 386.  1-6 can run on an 8088.

[zylon]

I never saw these back then. We were into Tandy 1000's at the time. Good looking machine, I like it.

 

[leech]

3 hours ago, zylon said:

I never saw these back then. We were into Tandy 1000's at the time. Good looking machine, I like it.

 

The cool thing about these is that they are one of the most versatile machines.  It came with a graphics chip that can handle Hercules, MCA, CGA, EGA and VGA.  Not sure if I have ever seen another PC do that. 

[Clint Thompson]

Does anyone use this exact XT-CF-Lite v2 card? I’m having issues with the PC4 detecting it, at all. I did try a 256MB card as well.

 

 

*Looks like the only IO address it even blinks a few times is at 0x3C0 (off, off, on, off(null)

 

I was wondering why it was forcing the VGA graphics mode to monochrome once I changed that (the only setting that appears to show life naturally), appears the EPROM settings will conflict with that but I’ll have to wait until later to try it.

 

 

Almost all good to go but I fear something worse is at hand. Hopefully it ends up working out. The Sound Blaster also arrived!

 

Certainly do not miss IRQ conflicts of the past. 

[leech]

6 hours ago, Clint Thompson said:

Does anyone use this exact XT-CF-Lite v2 card? I’m having issues with the PC4 detecting it, at all. I did try a 256MB card as well.

 

 

*Looks like the only IO address it even blinks a few times is at 0x3C0 (off, off, on, off(null)

 

I was wondering why it was forcing the VGA graphics mode to monochrome once I changed that (the only setting that appears to show life naturally), appears the EPROM settings will conflict with that but I’ll have to wait until later to try it.

 

 

Almost all good to go but I fear something worse is at hand. Hopefully it ends up working out. The Sound Blaster also arrived!

 

Certainly do not miss IRQ conflicts of the past. 

For different video modes you need to change the dip switchs in the back of the machine.  It is in between the 15pin and 9 pin video out.  I'll take pictures of the manual pages when I get home tonight if you do not have it.  I was able to switch it to use the Amber screen I have for it.

 

Still wish I could find a 386 or 486 CPU upgrade for it.

[Clint Thompson]

1 minute ago, leech said:

For different video modes you need to change the dip switchs in the back of the machine.  It is in between the 15pin and 9 pin video out.  I'll take pictures of the manual pages when I get home tonight if you do not have it.  I was able to switch it to use the Amber screen I have for it.

 

Still wish I could find a 386 or 486 CPU upgrade for it.

Yeah, I’ve already done that and it is set to VGA. That’s how I posted the image before with the VGA LCD attached  I’m saying when I put this CF card in it must be conflicting and in bios, the settings change to monochrome. Bizarre behavior. Take it out and goes back to VGA. 

[leech]

Weird!  I'll take pics of mine when I get home tonight.

[Keatah]

1 hour ago, leech said:

For different video modes you need to change the dip switchs in the back of the machine.  It is in between the 15pin and 9 pin video out.  I'll take pictures of the manual pages when I get home tonight if you do not have it.  I was able to switch it to use the Amber screen I have for it.

 

Still wish I could find a 386 or 486 CPU upgrade for it.

Then it wouldn't be the original Atari PC it was built as.

 

I'm not too fond of upgrading name-brand PCs for speed (by cpu replacement) unless it's a generic homebuilt,

[leech]

18 minutes ago, Keatah said:

Then it wouldn't be the original Atari PC it was built as.

 

I'm not too fond of upgrading name-brand PCs for speed (by cpu replacement) unless it's a generic homebuilt,

This is less about Speed and more about function.  Far too many games / software requires at least a 386.

[Keatah]

IMHO then stick with period software. I guess. IMHO.

[leech]

17 minutes ago, Keatah said:

IMHO then stick with period software. I guess. IMHO.

Well, I wanted it specifically to play through the Ultima Series.  7 requires a 386. 

 

The build of the Atari machine is better than like 75% of the other computers of the 286-486 era.

 

Besides, half the fun of an AT based system is the upgrades.  It isn't anything like the 8bit and ST as far as trying to upgrade.  The AT class systems were meant to be upgraded.  Literally the most expandable Atari computers there are.

[Clint Thompson]

Is there a way to access the extended CMOS options? I know you can go into setup or diags but beyond that? And does this appear normal outside of the floppy drive error as it’s empty. 
 

[leech]

2 minutes ago, Clint Thompson said:

Is there a way to access the extended CMOS options? I know you can go into setup or diags but beyond that? And does this appear normal outside of the floppy drive error as it’s empty. 
 

You need to use the 'NEAT' utility for some more options, if I recall (been a while).

 

If you have the floppies they should be on there?

[Clint Thompson]

9 minutes ago, leech said:

You need to use the 'NEAT' utility for some more options, if I recall (been a while).

 

If you have the floppies they should be on there?

Sadly I do not. Problem is I can’t get anything on this machine really without original disks. All the manuals and software for the machines other than then PC4 itself. 

[Keatah]

9 hours ago, leech said:

Besides, half the fun of an AT based system is the upgrades.  It isn't anything like the 8bit and ST as far as trying to upgrade.  The AT class systems were meant to be upgraded.  Literally the most expandable Atari computers there are.

I suppose there isn't anything wrong in that. We all have different motives and agendas in this hobby. There really is no right or wrong - until something is done that blows something up or overheats or becomes unstable for whatever reason. Woot!

[leech]

2 minutes ago, Keatah said:

I suppose there isn't anything wrong in that. We all have different motives and agendas in this hobby. There really is no right or wrong - until something is done that blows something up or overheats or becomes unstable for whatever reason. Woot!

Historically speaking, my first 'PC' was a Packard Bell, 75mhz Pentium peice of crap with Windows '95 that started me down the road of 'build your own.' 

But now I think I have discovered how to build the 'Ultimate Retro PC'.  Unfortunately the required bases all look like stuff people picked up out of a landfield or a leaky barn and want several hundred dollars for...

The Atari is in this weird 'I want to keep it pristine, and the PC4 is the latest one that was Atari designed (you can tell by the parch wires added after production (Note: my PS/2s also have patch wires... it is just fun to make a dig at Atari engineers.))  so I don't want to completely mod it out... but then I want to be able to use it.'  Most of the DOS era games I would like to play on it are 386/486 required. 

 

Side Note: why on earth does Civilization 2 require a 486 DX2 and Windows 3.1... yet the mac version will run on a 68030?  Like could you imagine that game running on a Falcon?  (Drool).  

[Keatah]

5 minutes ago, leech said:

Historically speaking, my first 'PC' was a Packard Bell, 75mhz Pentium peice of crap with Windows '95 that started me down the road of 'build your own.'

I loved the Packard Bell 12MHz 286 the old man had back when 286s were popular. Wish we still had it today. It was a quality machine for what it was. Likely better built than the shit Gateway I got in 1992.

 

5 minutes ago, leech said:

But now I think I have discovered how to build the 'Ultimate Retro PC'.  Unfortunately the required bases all look like stuff people picked up out of a landfield or a leaky barn and want several hundred dollars for...

Yup. It's because that's where half the stuff is coming from.

 

5 minutes ago, leech said:

The Atari is in this weird 'I want to keep it pristine, and the PC4 is the latest one that was Atari designed (you can tell by the parch wires added after production (Note: my PS/2s also have patch wires... it is just fun to make a dig at Atari engineers.))  so I don't want to completely mod it out... but then I want to be able to use it.'  Most of the DOS era games I would like to play on it are 386/486 required.

To me that's a bit of a toughie. Taking 286 architecture to 486 levels with cpu only replacement leaves a lot of chipset enhancements behind. I seem to somehow recall IBM or AMD made something that would upgrade 286 to 486 levels. May have been a complete motherboard accepting all three chips.

5 minutes ago, leech said:

Side Note: why on earth does Civilization 2 require a 486 DX2 and Windows 3.1... yet the mac version will run on a 68030?  Like could you imagine that game running on a Falcon?  (Drool).

Guess that's just a matter of what developers wanted to do. ? ?