XEGS

[walter_J64bit]

I see a lot of XEGS on eBay without a keyboards but I've read something on the net the first XEGS came without a keyboard is this true? It wouldn't surprise me if Atari did this.

[+kheller2]

I thought they sold a "game" package and also a "computer" package. I've only ever seen the systems in a box with keyboard.

[Gregory DG]

Never heard of an XEGS package without a keyboard. How would you play the packaged Flight Simulator without the keyboard?

[ApolloBoy]

Never heard of an XEGS package without a keyboard. How would you play the packaged Flight Simulator without the keyboard?

 

I think maybe the keyboard-less XEGSes were only sold in Europe. Of course, if they didn't include a keyboard, they'd probably take out Flight Simulator II as well.

[+Guitarman]

From another site.....

 

The Atari XE Game System was virtually identical to the Atari 65XE computer. Only the marketing was different. Early versions of the XEGS shipped without a keyboard; the keyboard was available separately. Later, the system was bundled with a keyboard.

[+davidcalgary29]

Never heard of an XEGS package without a keyboard. How would you play the packaged Flight Simulator without the keyboard?

 

I think maybe the keyboard-less XEGSes were only sold in Europe. Of course, if they didn't include a keyboard, they'd probably take out Flight Simulator II as well.

 

The XEGS was sold without a keyboard in some parts of Canada. The first bare XEGS unit that I saw was bundled with Bug Hunt and the light gun; I can't recall if FS2 was in that particular package. Units with keyboards started appearing several months after my first sighting (southern Ontario).

 

I think that the "computer" package was much more popular, though, and Atari Canada bundled their XEGS units with a few bonus items. The first XEGS I bought was a minty system from Newfoundland, that contained all elements of the "computer" package, plus a 1050 disk drive. The DD fit into a discrete space in the styrofoam molding, so I don't think that this was simply an afterthought, either. The box still had a $249.95 price tag from KMart.

Edited May 24, 2007 by davidcalgary29

[+kheller2]

Never heard of an XEGS package without a keyboard. How would you play the packaged Flight Simulator without the keyboard?

 

I think maybe the keyboard-less XEGSes were only sold in Europe. Of course, if they didn't include a keyboard, they'd probably take out Flight Simulator II as well.

 

The XEGS was sold without a keyboard in some parts of Canada. The first bare XEGS unit that I saw was bundled with Bug Hunt and the light gun; I can't recall if FS2 was in that particular package. Units with keyboards started appearing several months after my first sighting (southern Ontario).

 

I think that the "computer" package was much more popular, though, and Atari Canada bundled their XEGS units with a few bonus items. The first XEGS I bought was a minty system from Newfoundland, that contained all elements of the "computer" package, plus a 1050 disk drive. The DD fit into a discrete space in the styrofoam molding, so I don't think that this was simply an afterthought, either. The box still had a $249.95 price tag from KMart.

 

Got pics?

[walter_J64bit]

Wow, Atari did sale XEGS without a keyboard. Most of the ones I've seen in a came with a keyboard.

[+davidcalgary29]

Never heard of an XEGS package without a keyboard. How would you play the packaged Flight Simulator without the keyboard?

 

I think maybe the keyboard-less XEGSes were only sold in Europe. Of course, if they didn't include a keyboard, they'd probably take out Flight Simulator II as well.

 

The XEGS was sold without a keyboard in some parts of Canada. The first bare XEGS unit that I saw was bundled with Bug Hunt and the light gun; I can't recall if FS2 was in that particular package. Units with keyboards started appearing several months after my first sighting (southern Ontario).

 

I think that the "computer" package was much more popular, though, and Atari Canada bundled their XEGS units with a few bonus items. The first XEGS I bought was a minty system from Newfoundland, that contained all elements of the "computer" package, plus a 1050 disk drive. The DD fit into a discrete space in the styrofoam molding, so I don't think that this was simply an afterthought, either. The box still had a $249.95 price tag from KMart.

 

Got pics?

 

I will look for it tonight, but fear it might be at my parents' ranch ("deep storage"). To tell you the truth, when I got it, and saw the disk drive inside, I simply thought "interesting!", grabbed the bare unit, and threw the disk drive and packing materials aside. I just wasn't thinking about packaging in 2002.

 

The seller who sold me my unit must have come across a lot of them, as I noted six or seven XEGS auctions from Newfoundland in the succeeding few months. I haven't seen anything for auction from that part of Canada since then, though.

[Jet-X]

From another site.....

 

The Atari XE Game System was virtually identical to the Atari 65XE computer. Only the marketing was different. Early versions of the XEGS shipped without a keyboard; the keyboard was available separately. Later, the system was bundled with a keyboard.

 

 

In the United States, the XE system was only sold as a set (with keyboard). In fact, I don't think the XE in the U.S. was ever sold without a keyboard.

 

Internationally, I'm not sure of the time line of keyboard-less units, but I did find a pic of a French unit.