Atari equipment vendor website

[flashjazzcat]

I wonder if someone can help me... A few weeks ago there was a topic with a link to a large Atari website which had second-hand equipment for sale. Try as I might, I can't locate it again. The site may have been American - not sure - but one of the pages had a large unillustrated catalogue of Atari systems and prices. I thought it was called Atari Vintage Computers or something but I can't find it using Google. I'm looking around for a new 65XE or 130XE bacause the case and keyboard on my upgraded 65XE are looking pretty shabby. I think there would be a definite market for someone producing moulded shell casings and keys for old systems like these; as we know, the plastic suffers terribly from prolonged exposure to sunlight.

[mimo]

You could try Best They are American but have pretty much everything you could need. I have bought from Bradley a few times and his service is excellent

You could also try B+C again I have bought from Bruce and Cathy on numerous occasions and they have very good service. B+C sell PAL 130XEs New for $60 but I think they have the faulty GTIA chips.Or they sell at $95 the "good" ones.

Edited January 26, 2009 by mimo

[flashjazzcat]

You could try Best They are American but have pretty much everything you could need. I have bought from Bradley a few times and his service is excellent

You could also try B+C again I have bought from Bruce and Cathy on numerous occasions and they have very good service. B+C sell PAL 130XEs New for $60 but I think they have the faulty GTIA chips.Or they sell at $95 the "good" ones.

Thanks for those links! I think the site I remember was a different one, but those two look just as good.

 

They have querty keyboards here:

 

Best Electronics

 

For $36, that looks to be what I'm after, since it's primarily the keyboard which is looking a mess. I'll get in touch with them.

Edited January 26, 2009 by flashjazzcat

[flashjazzcat]

I emailed both websites about replacement keyboards on Monday, but no replies yet.

Edited January 27, 2009 by flashjazzcat

[NuY]

I'm in the UK, and I've had nothing but excellent service from Best. Damn quick to deliver too considering normal transatlantic mail.

 

If you're in the market for an XE though, try here for a place in Europe. I've had an XE from them and it arrived in lovely condition no yellowing at all.

[mimo]

I'm in the UK, and I've had nothing but excellent service from Best. Damn quick to deliver too considering normal transatlantic mail.

 

If you're in the market for an XE though, try here for a place in Europe. I've had an XE from them and it arrived in lovely condition no yellowing at all.

Brilliant service from Atari Shop, I got a really nice 600XL from them. As of last week they do not have any XEs in stock.

 

I'm sure that if you put Atari in the subject line to Best then you will be getting a reply fairly soon. B+C can take a while longer, but you will get a reply

[sl0re]

I emailed both websites about replacement keyboards on Monday, but no replies yet.

 

All of these stereo / pokey boards that also have 'aki' can allow you to use an external PC keyboard.

 

Then hide the computer.

 

I'm thinking of going that way with 1200xls where the keyboard fix doesn't work.

 

But if you really want a keyboard, I'd try calling Best (maybe your in a spam trap or something). They answer the phone and they tend to ship the same day...

[flashjazzcat]

I emailed both websites about replacement keyboards on Monday, but no replies yet.

 

All of these stereo / pokey boards that also have 'aki' can allow you to use an external PC keyboard.

 

Then hide the computer.

 

I'm thinking of going that way with 1200xls where the keyboard fix doesn't work.

 

But if you really want a keyboard, I'd try calling Best (maybe your in a spam trap or something). They answer the phone and they tend to ship the same day...

Yep - there was an email in my inbox from Best today. Total cost for a new keyboard, including the cheapest postage, is around £38. I guess that's much cheaper than a new machine - bearing in mind there's nothing wrong with the case and motherboard - so I might go for that. If I'd been going for a new machine I would have been upgrading the RAM straight away. I'm still considering boosting the RAM on the existing machine. It's a 65XE with the extra 64K fitted to the motherboard in the empty slots. Not sure how to proceed to bring it up to something like a 320XE. Will have to investigate; maybe use the cash I'd have spent on a new machine on a decent memory upgrade instead.

[spookt]

I emailed both websites about replacement keyboards on Monday, but no replies yet.

 

All of these stereo / pokey boards that also have 'aki' can allow you to use an external PC keyboard.

 

Then hide the computer.

 

I'm thinking of going that way with 1200xls where the keyboard fix doesn't work.

 

But if you really want a keyboard, I'd try calling Best (maybe your in a spam trap or something). They answer the phone and they tend to ship the same day...

Yep - there was an email in my inbox from Best today. Total cost for a new keyboard, including the cheapest postage, is around £38. I guess that's much cheaper than a new machine - bearing in mind there's nothing wrong with the case and motherboard - so I might go for that. If I'd been going for a new machine I would have been upgrading the RAM straight away. I'm still considering boosting the RAM on the existing machine. It's a 65XE with the extra 64K fitted to the motherboard in the empty slots. Not sure how to proceed to bring it up to something like a 320XE. Will have to investigate; maybe use the cash I'd have spent on a new machine on a decent memory upgrade instead.

 

Ask Best about RAM upgrades. I know they sell a kit for the 130XE to take it to 320Kb for about $20 IIRC. Not sure if it will fly in an expanded 65XE though.

[flashjazzcat]

Ask Best about RAM upgrades. I know they sell a kit for the 130XE to take it to 320Kb for about $20 IIRC. Not sure if it will fly in an expanded 65XE though.

I've mailed them back to see what they've got. IIRC, my 65XE was basically a 130XE with 64K of memory (don't know if they were all like that). I think the upgrade I fitted was just an extra 64K of RAM soldered into the empty slots.

[mimo]

Ask Best about RAM upgrades. I know they sell a kit for the 130XE to take it to 320Kb for about $20 IIRC. Not sure if it will fly in an expanded 65XE though.

I've mailed them back to see what they've got. IIRC, my 65XE was basically a 130XE with 64K of memory (don't know if they were all like that). I think the upgrade I fitted was just an extra 64K of RAM soldered into the empty slots.

That would still give you 64K unless you add the Custom IC at U34 iirc. The dead 65 that I have opened up today has the 130 mother board.

[carmel_andrews]

I dunno about American xe computers but i have a feeling that Uk/European xe computer's all used the same 130xe mobo (i guess to save on production/manufacturing costs)

[flashjazzcat]

I dunno about American xe computers but i have a feeling that Uk/European xe computer's all used the same 130xe mobo (i guess to save on production/manufacturing costs)

I get the feeling that's the case with my 65XE (I'll take the top off and have a look later).