Guest Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 Couple of questions: 1] what make/model of keycaps are used on the 600XL/800XL/1200XL and XE range of computers? 2] are there any known sources of suitable "blank" replacements - in any colour - doesn't have to be brown or light-grey thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 (edited) I think the 1200XL's keyboard is Mitsumi, and there may be one model of 800 keyboard from which you'd be able to swap keys. The 600XL and 800XL had a bunch of different keyboards by different manufacturers, all with completely different and mostly incompatible keycaps. There's a thread here about 800XL keyboard variants. The XEs used Mitsumi and one other keyboard type whose name I can't remember, and again the keycaps are not interchangeable. I know of no "off the shelf" equivalents. Generally, missing keys require a donor board. Edited November 27, 2016 by flashjazzcat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 (edited) shame really, as I was looking for alternative keycaps for a project idea. it wouldn't matter what colour or make as long as they fitted over the existing XL/XE plungers, and fitted the gaps obviously. it's an odd one - as you'd think that the computers of the time would all use same or very similar keycaps...but they don't. Edited November 27, 2016 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+kheller2 Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 it's an odd one - as you'd think that the computers of the time would all use same or very similar keycaps...but they don't. I'm curious why you would think that. I could understand thinking a keyboard manufacturer would use the same parts for various brand home computers... but then again everything was basically custom in size, color etc.. While the mechanical switches of some keyboards might be the same, the caps themselves would be different in order to fit the specific size and layout of whatever computer was being made. IE, a C=64 bread bin keyboard size is different in layout and size than any Atari, or TI, or Coleco, or Apple or.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 well, when you look at many of the IT fo that time - you do see some repetition and similarity. lots of parts are strikingly similar - so I suppose that if a key has a "same footprint" then why couldn't keycaps be interchangable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matej Posted December 2, 2016 Share Posted December 2, 2016 (edited) I will do 3D printed keycaps for my 3D printed XE enclosure project. All files will be freeware on my github. Edited December 2, 2016 by Matej 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 (edited) ok, I'd like to add to this old thread... this ebay sale is why I asked if there were replacement keycaps - and it kind of proves i was right. Look at the plain white keyboard at front of picture...it's ALL blank keys but on an XL keyboard! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lot-of-Atari-600XL-Game-Computer-Keyboards-Console-for-Spare-Parts-and-Covers-/122457288861?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=Djdel7w21C0nuUfqkHwY3a11gF4%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc so does anyone know what "type" of keycaps the 600/800XL uses - they're obviously not cherry, but they must conform to some standard? Edited May 11, 2017 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 (edited) I keep hearing... you will learn to type faster with nothing on the keys... he he he but no they're proto like in look. Blank keys are awesome! Edited May 11, 2017 by _The Doctor__ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLund1 Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 The gray keycaps (lower left) are from a prototype keyboard, and not available anywhere. The only standard is the output signal, output ribbon cable, and where the screw holes are. The keycap connection on the bottom for each of the known Atari XL keyboards are not exactly the same. They can not easily be switched from one manufacture's version to another. Since it was ATARI ordering these keyboards, the manufactures knew in advance that there would large orders. So they mostly likely did use custom molds, that were not used elsewhere. Atari may have also put a clause in the contract stating not to use these for competitors. If they had I'm sure by now the Atari community would have gained that knowledge by now. So I think we are all stuck with brown keyboards. But there have been many solutions in here somewhere for external keyboard setups. Then there is the 3D printing possibility listed above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 I will do 3D printed keycaps for my 3D printed XE enclosure project. All files will be freeware on my github. and would you be able to do XL keycaps also? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred_M Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 Interesting! I am looking for someone who can print the "Help" key for the XEGS keyboard for quite a long time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matej Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 What I can do is XE keycaps and XEGS keycaps as I own those keyboards. I do not own XL. But maybe I will buy one... I will post progress here. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 so does anyone know what "type" of keycaps the 600/800XL uses - they're obviously not cherry, but they must conform to some standard? There were many different manufacturers of keyboards back in the day and they all used different proprietary keycaps. On the 600XL/800XL alone there are 4 or 5 different types of keys that are not interchangeable because Atari kept switching keyboards. Getting new keys would require some custom manufacturing or swapping out keys intended for a keyboard from the same manufacturer. Look at this thread: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/105170-600800xl-keyboard-variants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Stephen Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 Wondering out loud when the "ball" to "barrel" switchover happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred_M Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 What I can do is XE keycaps and XEGS keycaps as I own those keyboards. I do not own XL. But maybe I will buy one... I will post progress here. If you can do the HELP key of the XEGS I would very much appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leech Posted August 8, 2017 Share Posted August 8, 2017 I was thinking about this a while back, but if we could get slightly different keycaps 3D printed for the Cherry MX switches, and make a custom keyboard, we could all have mechanical keyboards for our 8-bits. Not sure how hard it'd be to create the controller / ribbon set up though. A bit off topic, but I've been looking pretty much for keycaps to replace some on my Falcon as well, or even some of the same color to swap out an ST keyboard for my Falcon's UK one... Is it hard to model the keycaps? I was considering getting a 3D printer just for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcamp48 Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 On 8/8/2017 at 12:55 PM, leech said: I was thinking about this a while back, but if we could get slightly different keycaps 3D printed for the Cherry MX switches, and make a custom keyboard, we could all have mechanical keyboards for our 8-bits. Not sure how hard it'd be to create the controller / ribbon set up though. A bit off topic, but I've been looking pretty much for keycaps to replace some on my Falcon as well, or even some of the same color to swap out an ST keyboard for my Falcon's UK one... Is it hard to model the keycaps? I was considering getting a 3D printer just for that. I am in the process of doing rainbow colored keycaps for my friend 800xl, and the one I am getting ..... just need to find the right STL files... Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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