Thoughts on Atari XEGM?

[peteym5]

I think the XEGS was a good ideal a little too late, it should have been done instead of the 5200 around the time Atari was getting ready to do the XL series. Would have been compatible with all the software and peripherals. Also could have been released at the same time as the 65XE and 130XE, or even been done instead of the 65XE/800XE. I agree the console buttons were kinda funky looking. Another issue is it was release at the same time as the 7800 and that probably confused the consumer. Remember this was a Jack Tremial thing to compete against Nintendo and Sega and probably was done too late. Atari was already loosing ground in the video game market.

[+Larry]

If you take apart your XEGS keyboard, you will find that all those keys are already there. For some reason only the "Help" was made accessible from the top of the keyboard. The XEGS uses the same standard keyboards as the rest of the XE line.

 

That would be an easy upgrade. Just add the three missing switches.

 

I was thinking about that before, just never got around to it. Don't know why Atari didn't do it themselves. I know you need them on the console if you don't use the keyboard, but it wouldn't have hurt to have them on the cousole and keyboard.

 

...and then *paint* those pastel function keys XE gray to help hide them!

 

-Larry

[Mathy]

Hello Guys

 

... it wouldn't have hurt to have them on the cousole and keyboard.

...and then *paint* those pastel function keys XE gray to help hide them!

You guys do know that this is ATARI we are talking about here, do ye'?

 

Greetings

 

Mathy

[ZarK]

I got an XE GM went I got the urge to re-live my Atari 8-Bit days. Originally had the 130XE and my Father had the 800XL, but being a teenager I always felt the XEGM would have been the better buy and is why I opted for one now.

 

Things I really like about the XE GM:

Separate Keyboard

Pastel Coloured Keys (Don't Judge Me! Lol)

Boxy look that reminds me of the more "serious" business machines of the day

Things I don't like:

Pastel Coloured Keys (Hey, Love Hate thing...

Keyboard and Joystick Ports are hard to use, and am thinking of using 6" dongles or extenders to keep wear and tear to a minimum. And gluing or bolting the jacks to PCB...

Hardware Mods are lacking, like memory upgrades or Timing fixes or lack of PBI (which I still don't know what it's used for)

 

Planning on painting mine black using krylon fusion plastic paint, just so the Pastels have something to bounce off but doubt I will do it... and may only clear coat it to prevent yellowing.

Got Atarimax's IDE interface, but stalled formatting it as this doesn't seem to like any flash media... http://www.atarimax.com/flashcart/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1102&hilit=ZarK

 

Anyway, Mostly Gaming and Introducing my Son to the vintage gaming. But trying to utilize modern tech to make things easy and portable.

[MEtalGuy66]

Nothing that comes from a spray can is worth putting on your equipment.. Krylon fusion is no different than any other spray paint. If you (or kids, especially) actually use the console, the corners will be wearing through the paint in no time. If you really want it black, get someone who does automotive or industrial paint to spray it with something that actually chemically hardens (a multi-part mixture that consists of base, tint, and activator).

 

Also, Id reccomend if you do that, dont do the keyboard enclosure. They look retarded with black case and the keys still grey. You can't paint the keycaps unless you're willing to settle for stick-on decals to put the symbols back on them afterwards. (or unless you can find some replacement keycaps that just happen to fit, but in black)..

 

And if you are gonna go through the trouble to actually paint the thing with something that won't wear off, I'd go ahead and paint the pastel buttons all the same color too.. Red or blue.. or neon green even.. That would look kewl.

[WizWor]

In the day, we knew nothing of mods or video enhancements, so the obvious appeal of the XEGS was the composite output which finally vanquished RF interference. While I have had fantasies of extending the keyboard cable, it almost always makes more sense to extend the video cable.

[Fres]

I was thinking that the function keys in the detachable keyboard (while present) do not work through the 15 pin connector. Also, some of the plastic under the location where one of the function keys would have been was filed off last couple of times I looked at an XEGM/S keyboard, if I remember correctly.

Edited July 30, 2013 by Fres

[oky2000]

I like the external keyboard idea but the cartridge port smack bang dead centre on the top is the most stupid design decision ever. If it wasn't for that you could put a nice monitor on top of it like a mini Atari Mega ST style computer and it would look great.

 

I've not used the keyboard so can't comment but the XE keyboards (65/130 that is) are pretty horrible, nowhere near as nice as the 800 or 800XL keyboards I've used. Perhaps a hybrid rehousing of a yellowed 800XL into a Mega ST case and re-housing the entire 800XL keyboard including system buttons would be a good project?

[MrMaddog]

Only thing I liked about the XEGS was it introduced more new cart games I could play on my 130XE. But I still had a NES because that's all that was sold in the small town I lived in at the time.

 

Antic once had an interesting article on how you can mod the XEGS - http://www.atarimagazines.com/v7n4/firstlook.html And there was even a memory upgrade that took it up to 256K if you don't mind not being able to play Missile Command (no biggie...)

[Roydea6]

http://www.atarimagazines.com/v7n4/firstlook.html