AST Computer Logo, Unknown-1994 Logo, 1994-2004
Country: United States Industry: Desktop and Notebook Computers Founded: July 25, 1980, as AST Research, Inc. Founders: Albert Wong, Safi Qureshey, Thomas Yuen Defunct: February 28, 2001 Fate: Acquired by Samsung in 1997, Shuttered in 1999, Dissolved in 2001 Number of Employees: 6000 (1995)

AST Computer

Logo, Unknown-1994

Logo, 1994-2004

Country: United States

Industry: Desktop and Notebook Computers

Founded: July 25, 1980, as AST Research, Inc.

Founders: Albert Wong, Safi Qureshey, Thomas Yuen

Defunct: February 28, 2001

Fate: Acquired by Samsung in 1997, Shuttered in 1999, Dissolved in 2001

Number of Employees: 6000 (1995)

Welcome to the AST Laptop Homepage on MacDat!

AST Research Inc (later known as AST Computer) was a US-based computer hardware company that was in business from 1980 through 2001. They first gained popularity as a manufacturer of expansion cards for IBM PC-Compatibles, then later became a PC manufacturer themselves. AST enjoyed some good years of success as a PC manufacturer, but suffered starting in around 1995 due to increased competition from other vendors. Around this time, Samsung took a stake in the company, eventually buying them out completely in 1997. They failed to turn the company around, and were forced to close operations in 1999, in part due to a generic ecomonic downturn facing Asia at that time. The company was then restructured into ARI Service, which provided remaining support for AST products until 2001, when it was dissolved.

Samsung sold the AST trademark to Packard Bell co-founder Beny Alagem in 1999, who then attempted to restart the company. This eventually failed, with the new venture being defunct by 2004, marking the final end of AST.

Model List (sorted by age)

I believe this list to be exhaustive.

	AST Premium Exec 386SX Series/Advantage! NB-SX20/SX25/SX25 Color Released: November 1990 Processor: 386SX ODM Manufacturer: In-House		AST PowerExec Series Released: 1992 Processor: 386 & 486 ODM Manufacturer: In-House
	AST Bravo NB/Ascentia 700N Series/Advantage! Explorer 486SX/33 Released: 1993 Processor: 486SX ODM Manufacturer: Quanta		AST Advantage! NB 486SX/33 Released: May 1994 Processor: 486SX ODM Manufacturer: TwinHead
	AST Ascentia 900N Released: June 1994 Processor: 486DX2 or DX4 ODM Manufacturer: In-House		AST Ascentia 800N Released: August 1994 Processor: 486SX, 486DX2 ODM Manufacturer: Quanta
	AST Ascentia 500S Released: September 1994 (if at all) Processor: 486SX ODM Manufacturer: Very likely Quanta		AST Advantage! Explorer DX4-100 (Explorer 212) Released: 1995 Processor: 486DX4 ODM Manufacturer: Samsung
	AST Ascentia 810N Released: May 1995 Processor: Cyrix 486DX2 ODM Manufacturer: Quanta		AST Ascentia 910N Released: 1995 Processor: 486DX2 or DX4 ODM Manufacturer: In-House
	AST Ascentia 950N Released: 1995 Processor: Intel Pentium ODM Manufacturer: In-House		AST Ascentia J Series Released: 1996 Processor: Intel Pentium ODM Manufacturer: Compal
	AST Ascentia P Series Released: 1996 Processor: Intel Pentium MMX ODM Manufacturer: Quanta		AST Ascentia A Series Released: 1996 Processor: Intel Pentium or Pentium MMX ODM Manufacturer: Samsung
	AST Ascentia M Series Released: 1998 Processor: Intel Pentium MMX ODM Manufacturer: Samsung	NO IMAGE	AST Ascentia VL Series Released: Processor: ODM Manufacturer: Samsung
	AST Ascentia 280M Released: 1999 Processor: Cyrix MediaGX ODM Manufacturer: Uniwill	NO IMAGE	AST Ascentia PS Released: 1999 Processor: Intel Pentium II ODM Manufacturer: Unknown
NO IMAGE	AST Ascentia 520i Released: 1999 Processor: Intel Pentium II ODM Manufacturer: Uniwill