Original Intellivision keyboard component

[JustinMSalvato]

I'm pretty sure the keyboard for the Intellivision didn't go on sale until the second, non-woody Intellivision came out.

 

My question is, how many working keyboard components (prototypes?) were made for the woody system? Are any still around and functional?

 

That's so awesome!

[+JasonlikesINTV]

I believe around 4000 originally went out, but most were recalled. Buyers were compensated with vouchers for games and probably made out pretty well. I believe you had to sign a waiver to keep your underfunctioning expensive equipment, but most didn't. There aren't many left. A wildly speculative guess would be under 30 and most of those are non-functioning. Others could probably give a better answer.

[+Lathe26]

The most common problem I've heard (2nd hand) is that the rubber belts for the tape drive have degraded. I don't know how replaceable the belts are.

[pimpmaul69]

The most common problem I've heard (2nd hand) is that the rubber belts for the tape drive have degraded. I don't know how replaceable the belts are.

shouldnt be too hard to find replacements. A buddy of mine had me modify an old 80's sony walkman with a fake cassette usb hub that i powered and connected to the pc through the actual walkman. When i opened it up the rubber belt had turned back into tar. If there was a piece of belt that was recognizable as part of the belt and you touched it, it turned to goo. Was a huge pain to clean out of the system and it really stained my hands. Im sure that these could possibly have the same issue. Better to take it apart and replace without trying to play it. Edited April 15, 2017 by pimpmaul69

[mr_me]

http://papaintellivision.com/pdfs/CCF10232011_00016.pd

According to this document the KC was test marketed in 1980 in Fresno, Ca and then redesigned. In 1981 it was for sale in Seattle and New Orleans. So most people, like myself, would have thought it never came out. If you contacted Mattel they would sell you one directly. In 1982 it was cancelled and recalled. They refunded 100% of the purchase price. Offering more in credit, if you kept it, was a better deal for everyone. All this happened before the Intellivision II came out in 1983. Today, most seem to still work except for the tape drive. And those drives were unreliable from the beginning.

[JustinMSalvato]

I love that hardware and I WILL get one after I win the lottery. Thanks for the info JasonlikesINTV and mr_me

[Shintar66]

My neighbor threw their original keyboard component as well as the master component in the trash.. I was NOT pleased to hear this at all!

Edited April 17, 2017 by Shintar66

[+Lathe26]

My neighbor threw their original keyboard component as well as the master component in the trash.. I was NOT pleased to hear this at all!

 

[JustinMSalvato]

My neighbor threw their original keyboard component as well as the master component in the trash.. I was NOT pleased to hear this at all!

[Shintar66]

 

My neighbor threw their original keyboard component as well as the master component in the trash.. I was NOT pleased to hear this at all!

 

LoL Justin, that pic you posted was how I reacted when I asked the neighbor if they still had it stored away - in mind of nabbing it for myself. Then he told me they just disposed of the system a couple of weeks ago. The wife wanted to 'De-Clutter' the house, so it got tossed the rubbish bin. These are so rare today arrghh. Mind you this was a few years ago now.

Edited April 18, 2017 by Shintar66