content: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                                          
                               WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                                          
                                          
                                      FORM 8-K
                                          
                                   CURRENT REPORT
  
  
       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                                          
                                          
                                          
                  Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported)
  
                                          
                                          
                            JULY 12, 1996 (JULY 11, 1996)
  
                                          
                                                                                  
                                 AST RESEARCH, INC.
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  
  
                                                                                  
                                      DELAWARE
                   (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
  
                                          
                                                                                  
                    0-13941                         95-3525565
            (Commission File Number)    (IRS Employer Identification No.)
  
  
  
               16215 ALTON PARKWAY
                IRVINE, CALIFORNIA                     92718
     (Address of principal executive offices)        (Zip Code)
  
  
                 Registrant's telephone number, including area code
                                   (714) 727-4141
  
  
                                   NOT APPLICABLE
           (Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)
                                          
  
  ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS
  
  On July 12, 1996, AST Research, Inc. (the "Company") announced that it has
  repaid a $90 million promissory note due to Tandy Corporation ("Tandy") related
  to the 1993 acquisition of Tandy's PC manufacturing operations.
  
  Under terms of the repayment, on July 11, 1996, the Company issued 4,498,594
  shares of common stock to Tandy representing $30 million of the $90 million
  promissory note and paid Tandy $60 million in cash to complete payment of the
  principal of the note.
  
  Subsequent to that transaction, also on July 11, 1996, the Company issued
  8,499,336 shares of common stock to Samsung Electronic Co. Ltd. ("Samsung") in
  exchange for $60 million in cash that was used to fund the $60 million cash
  payment to Tandy.  This issuance was at Samsung's discretion pursuant to the
  1995 Letter of Credit Agreement between the Company and Samsung.  The total
  amount of newly issued common stock of 12,997,930 represents approximately 22.5
  percent of the Company's total outstanding common stock after all of the shares
  were issued.  The total number of shares of common stock outstanding after
  issuance of all shares is 57,734,830.  Samsung, including stock held by
  Samsung's U.S. subsidiary, now owns 26,389,336 shares of common stock
  representing 45.7 percent of the outstanding shares.  In addition, Samsung owns
  an option to purchase 4,400,000 shares of common stock at $.01 per share that
  was issued as part of the Additional Support Agreement dated December 21, 1995
  between the Company and Samsung.  Samsung's ownership percentage would increase
  to 49.55 percent upon exercise of this option and based on the current number
  of shares outstanding.
  
  Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 place certain
  limitations on U.S. net operating loss carryforwards and excess credits if one
  or more shareholders have increased their ownership by more than 50 percentage
  points.  Taken together, Tandy and Samsung have increased more than 50
  percentage points, and the Company believes it will be subject to the Section
  382 and 383 limitations.  The limitation caused by this change does not apply to
  net operating losses and excess credits incurred subsequent to this change.
  
  
  ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
  
  Exhibit
  Number    Description
  - -------   --------------------------------------------------------
  99.1      Press release issued by the Registrant on July 12, 1996,
            announcing that the Company completed the repayment of
            a $90 million promissory note due to Tandy Corporation
            through the issuance of common stock representing $30
            million and cash of $60 million.  In addition, the 
            Company announced that it issued common stock for $60 
            million in exchange for cash advanced from Samsung 
            which was used to fund the $60 million cash payment to
            Tandy.
  
  
                                     SIGNATURES
  
  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
  registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
                                      AST Research, Inc.
                           _______________________________________
                                         (Registrant)
  
  
                                   By   /s/ DENNIS R. LEIBEL
                                        Dennis R. Leibel
                                        Senior Vice President,
                                        Legal, Administration and Secretary
  
  Date:  July 12, 1996
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text: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                                          
                               WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                                          
                                          
                                      FORM 8-K
                                          
                                   CURRENT REPORT
  
       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                                          
                                          
                                          
                  Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported)
  
                                          
                                          
                            JULY 12, 1996 (JULY 11, 1996)
  
                                          
                                                                                  
                                 AST RESEARCH, INC.
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  
                                                                                  
                                      DELAWARE
                   (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
  
                                          
                                                                                  
                    0-13941                         95-3525565
            (Commission File Number)    (IRS Employer Identification No.)
  
               16215 ALTON PARKWAY
                IRVINE, CALIFORNIA                     92718
     (Address of principal executive offices)        (Zip Code)
  
                 Registrant's telephone number, including area code
                                   (714) 727-4141
  
                                   NOT APPLICABLE
           (Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)
                                          
  
  ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS
  
  On July 12, 1996, AST Research, Inc. (the "Company") announced that it has
  repaid a $90 million promissory note due to Tandy Corporation ("Tandy") related
  to the 1993 acquisition of Tandy's PC manufacturing operations.
  
  Under terms of the repayment, on July 11, 1996, the Company issued 4,498,594
  shares of common stock to Tandy representing $30 million of the $90 million
  promissory note and paid Tandy $60 million in cash to complete payment of the
  principal of the note.
  
  Subsequent to that transaction, also on July 11, 1996, the Company issued
  8,499,336 shares of common stock to Samsung Electronic Co. Ltd. ("Samsung") in
  exchange for $60 million in cash that was used to fund the $60 million cash
  payment to Tandy.  This issuance was at Samsung's discretion pursuant to the
  1995 Letter of Credit Agreement between the Company and Samsung.  The total
  amount of newly issued common stock of 12,997,930 represents approximately 22.5
  percent of the Company's total outstanding common stock after all of the shares
  were issued.  The total number of shares of common stock outstanding after
  issuance of all shares is 57,734,830.  Samsung, including stock held by
  Samsung's U.S. subsidiary, now owns 26,389,336 shares of common stock
  representing 45.7 percent of the outstanding shares.  In addition, Samsung owns
  an option to purchase 4,400,000 shares of common stock at $.01 per share that
  was issued as part of the Additional Support Agreement dated December 21, 1995
  between the Company and Samsung.  Samsung's ownership percentage would increase
  to 49.55 percent upon exercise of this option and based on the current number
  of shares outstanding.
  
  Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 place certain
  limitations on U.S. net operating loss carryforwards and excess credits if one
  or more shareholders have increased their ownership by more than 50 percentage
  points.  Taken together, Tandy and Samsung have increased more than 50
  percentage points, and the Company believes it will be subject to the Section
  382 and 383 limitations.  The limitation caused by this change does not apply to
  net operating losses and excess credits incurred subsequent to this change.
  
  ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
  
  Exhibit
  Number    Description
  - -------   --------------------------------------------------------
  99.1      Press release issued by the Registrant on July 12, 1996,
            announcing that the Company completed the repayment of
            a $90 million promissory note due to Tandy Corporation
            through the issuance of common stock representing $30
            million and cash of $60 million.  In addition, the 
            Company announced that it issued common stock for $60 
            million in exchange for cash advanced from Samsung 
            which was used to fund the $60 million cash payment to
            Tandy.
  
                                     SIGNATURES
  
  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
  registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
                                      AST Research, Inc.
                           _______________________________________
                                         (Registrant)
  
                                   By   /s/ DENNIS R. LEIBEL
                                        Dennis R. Leibel
                                        Senior Vice President,
                                        Legal, Administration and Secretary
  
  Date:  July 12, 1996