Was the keyboard ever released?

[chairmonkey4406]

I was reading the Atari Age magazine Volume 2 Issue 1 and on page 10 it had a whole page about the atari keyboard component. Was it ever released? I've never heard of it before. I know Atari would sometimes say things were coming out but they were never released. Thanks and Happy Holidays!

[Susuwatari]

Atari never released that keyboard. The closest you can get to Atari's keyboard is a Basic Programming overlays and 2 keypad controllers.

 

There are at least 2 keyboard for 2600 that were made but saw very limited distribution in USA or never sold in USA. Compumate (Spectravideo) keyboard was designed to sit on top of the VCS and provided everything you'd expect in a home computer.

 

Another one can also be used to program game but uinlike Compumate, this one only has a hex keypad and can only be programmed in machine language.

 

There may be more but that's all I know of.

[Susuwatari]

Found another picture on my computer for another 2600 based keyboard. I really need to get My Document folder organized (it's got almost 19,000 files in disorganized chaos.)

[Vic George 2K3]

You know, the CompuMate keyboard looks even better plugged into the Atari 2600 Junior model.

[ATARIPITBULL]

A NTSC model of the compumate is a hard item to get, but the PAL type is not too hard.

 

[video game addict]

The force is with you young Pitbull, but you are not an Atari Master yet.

[Oliver Antwerpen]

I owned the computer keyboard and started coding basic with it aged 8 or 9.

[keithbk]

Being a huge fan of the Commodore 64, I found a Windows Keyboard lying around, but couldn't figure how to connect it to my TV.

 

Okay, that is not true, but I wonder if it ever happened.