Atari Keyboard

[atari70s]

Hi

 

what ever happened to teh atari VCS Keyboard?

 

Spectravision released a compumate keyword for the atari 2600 , but i read in a old compute mag( Yea i got that froma old libary) i believe MAY 1983 atari made a keyboard that was goign to sell for $90-100$. what happened to the atari inc. keyboard?

any ideas?

[Ze_ro]

It got tossed into the pile along with the Mindlink controller, the RC Stella, 2600 Tempest, and others.

 

Seriously though, I'd assume the crash hit before they really got a chance to release this. I'm sure another big factor was the fact that there were already other more powerful computers around that would have destroyed it as far as sales go. Keeping the thing around $100 while still including enough hardware to make the Atari compete would have been VERY difficult (Other than the CPU, RF Modulator and joystick ports, everything else is woefully underpowered to be a computer)

 

--Zero

[atari70s]

think there are mock up versions out there?

[Nukey Shay]

I know that there was at least one that they were showing pics of at the time (called the "Graduate"). Dunno how functional it was, but it was no longer mentioned when you could buy a Timex, Spectrum, or closeout Vic20 near or below $100 (NIB, or you could settle for a reconditioned Atari800 for about 50 bucks...which is what I did).

[JagDiesel]

What about the 7800 Prosystem addons? I know there was a keyboard and several others demo'd for it..

[+-^CrossBow^-]

the 2600 keyboard was killed thanks again to the Tramiels. After all..why would they want to release and support a keyboard add on making the 2600 a computer when they already had the 400/800 out there?

 

As for the 7800 add ons. They are still being worked on thanks the time, patience and devotion of Curt Vendel who was the man back in the day behind these things anyway if I remember correctly? Anyway Curt already released the high score cart for the 7800 (Still need to get one sometime..I hope..). And he is working on the 7800 keyboard add on. The only other add on I know of was that the expansion port was gonna be used to allow the hooking up of a special Laser Disc type device that would allow the games Dragon's Lair and Space Ace...etc...to be played through the 7800!!..that would have kicked ass.

 

Oh well, we can always dream...

[atari70s]

cross, not sure why maybe casue in 1983 the 400 and 800 systems were between 300 to 600 $ and the keyboard was cheap at 100 maybe poeple thoguht it might be cheaper to go that way but u think about it where can you hook the printer to ?? lol maybe u can program save on a casetter though a supercharger orsomethign like that i dont know i think it woudl make a perfect addition for basic programming but thats abotu it.

[mos6507]

I got my Atari 8-bit because The Graduate never came out. I was really waiting for it with great anticipation. It would have been a lot cheaper at the time than buying a home computer until prices started coming down thanks to competition with the C=64.

 

It was the 5200 that should have been an Atari 400 without a keyboard...

 

That's the keyboard expansion they really missed out on, later to appear as the XEGS.