Best Electronics XE Touch upgrade

[nitrohepcat]

Just finished the install of a Best Electronics XE Touch upgrade. WOW! What an amazing upgrade for very little money and effort!! The Brewing Academy replacement mylar and XE Touch upgrade has made my 130XE keyboard feel much more like a modern keyboard. I'm just amazed at the difference.

Edited August 6, 2022 by nitrohepcat
clarification on description

[+DarkLord]

The ST version works great as well. I've always put them in any

Atari of mine that would accept them.  

 

[+Stephen]

Same here - I've done my 2 130XEs and a 520ST (with 1MB RAM upgrade as well).

[TheNameOfTheGame]

Have XE Touch in my 130XE and it's great.  My STEs and Falcons have the TT Touch ones as well.  Recommended upgrade!

[Sirius7]

On 8/5/2022 at 9:58 PM, nitrohepcat said:

Just finished the install of a Best Electronics XE Touch upgrade. WOW! What an amazing upgrade for very little money and effort!! The Brewing Academy replacement mylar and XE Touch upgrade has made my 130XE keyboard feel much more like a modern keyboard. I'm just amazed at the difference.

What is the part number (or link) to buy the XE Touch upgrade?  Their website is confusing.

Edited September 9, 2022 by Sirius7

[adam242]

1 hour ago, Sirius7 said:

 Their website is confusing.

 

Understatement of the year.

 

To order from Best, one must either send an email directly to Brad, or call him on the phone.

 

And I'll throw in my voice behind this upgrade. The difference is really stunning.

[bfollowell]

2 hours ago, Sirius7 said:

What is the part number (or link) to buy the XE Touch upgrade?  Their website is confusing.

 

According to Brad's addendum, he's completely sold out of TT Touch, XE Touch, and every other "touch" product that he's ever had, with the slight exception of some touch tablet products. If I recall, he changed the status on those various keyboard "touch" upgrades to Sold Out several months ago.

 

[+slx]

4 hours ago, bfollowell said:

 

According to Brad's addendum, he's completely sold out of TT Touch, XE Touch, and every other "touch" product that he's ever had, with the slight exception of some touch tablet products. If I recall, he changed the status on those various keyboard "touch" upgrades to Sold Out several months ago.

 

That‘s a pity. That is/was a great and easy to install upgrade.

[XL Freak]

On 9/9/2022 at 8:57 PM, bfollowell said:

According to Brad's addendum, he's completely sold out of TT Touch, XE Touch

actually, I ordered a set of touch xe key cups two weeks ago and have been delivered. so don't go by what you read. call him...

 

my two cents on the upgrade... well, if I wasn't spoiled with my gmmk tkl with brown switches, maybe i'd be impressed. but all the upgrade seemed to do for me was make the keys just a wee bit less stiff, and give some feedback. it's still stiff and much harder to press than my gmmk. speed typing on my 130xe is a no-go. so i'm looking at making a cherry mx mechanical keyboard from @ScreamingAtTheRadio thread here

Edited September 11, 2022 by XL Freak

[gilsaluki]

22 minutes ago, XL Freak said:

actually, I ordered a set of touch xe key cups two weeks ago and have been delivered. so don't go by what you read. call him...

 

my two cents on the upgrade... well, if I wasn't spoiled with my gmmk tkl with brown switches, maybe i'd be impressed. but all the upgrade seemed to do for me was make the keys just a wee bit less stiff, and give some feedback. it's still stiff and much harder to press than my gmmk. speed typing on my 130xe is a no-go. so i'm looking at making a cherry mx mechanical keyboard from @ScreamingAtTheRadio thread here

I have to agree.  I did the TT Touch to my XE many years ago.  It's not that noticeable of an improvement.  Hyped, in fact.  They are still just rubber cups with carbon contacts. Squishy, still.  DMB.  This is why I have been using an IBM Model M with true clicky keys.  A joy to use.  

[+Stephen]

Odd - I have been using exclusively mechanical keyboards since I started with PCs (late) in 94.  I love my 130XE with the upgraded keycaps.  I can type so fast on it that Pokey can't keep up.  While I certainly don't prefer that machine to something with mechanical KB, the difference was absolutely night and day between stock.  I prefer that machine over the 1200XL and even 800 keyboards.

 

That being said, I have never used a brown switch before.  I always have the very noisy click-clack similar to a Model M.

 

One thing is for sure - preferred keyboards are like women and music, entirely subjective and ask 50 people, you will likely get 50 answers.

[+DarkLord]

I'd have to agree with Stephen. Until I got the better keyboards in my Mega ST,

Mega STe, and STacy, I put TT-Touch keyboard upgrades in every single ST model

I owned.

 

Big improvement - but I also agree with his comments on subjectivity.   

 

[XL Freak]

10 hours ago, Stephen said:

entirely subjective and ask 50 people, you will likely get 50 answers.

I'll agree with that wholeheartedly! and it's entirely possible my NOS 130xe already had decent caps so I didn't notice the difference. if anyone else noticed, the old cups were just clear and the new cups were a light red or pink clear with a noticeably black contacts. 

[Muzz73]

That reminds me... I bought a set of TT Touch silicone cups a few years ago and still haven't used it. I'm thinking that I will slip them into my 520ST and be the 51st subjective person you could ask for an answer... 😁

Edited September 22, 2022 by Muzz73

[Mark2008]

Just a quick addition to the XE Touch Upgrade thread - Best says they ran out of the original XE Touch upgrade and are now selling "2nd generation."

 

So, this is the version I bought, and recently installed in a 130XE.  I bought a 130Xe with Sugiyama keyboard just to try this upgrade - I've always wondered about if a 130xe could have a good keyboard.  

 

Unfortunately, mine is not an improvement.  It's very stiff, very noticeably stiff.    So, it has the element of giving the tactile feedback that I would've hoped for, but with this new issue of being so hard to depress the keys, it doesn't lead to improved touch typing.  I find I miss a lot of letters because I haven't trained my fingers to strike the keys that hard yet.   So, in terms of typos, they have dramatically increased with this keyboard, not decreased.

 

Now, could I train myself - perhaps.  And I'll find that out, because I'm not going to uninstall it.   To me it's a side grade, another poor keyboard, but workable.   Anyway, such is my subjective experience with the 2nd generation product.

 

As for my particular tastes, I actually like most keyboards I use, like the one on the hp laptop I'm using right now - excellent.   Most days I type on a stock dell keyboard that came with the machine - flimsy but doesn't bother me at all in terms of typing quality.  It's the 130XE, and actually many 800XL keyboards that I don't like. (and 400).  But an Atari 800 or 1200XL I generally think are good keyboards too, those never bothered me.

 

 

 

 

[+Stephen]

I'd be interested in trying one of these.  Since I am old, I started typing on manual typewriters.  I have a very hard typing style because of that - and the fact I went from typewriter to Model-M style KBs, and have never used anything but mechanical KBs.  This is why I like my 800 - the keys are meant to be hammered   Thanks for the heads up that these are available again - I thought stock was out, and there would be no more.

[_The Doctor__]

depends on the day....

[Mclaneinc]

I must admit I prefer a microswitch keyboard but in truth, as long as the keys work, I'm not too bothered. If there's one keyboard I least prefer, it's the 130XE, too spongy, but if the keys work I'll use it. To be fair, I don't use the machines for anything where typing is a main concern. My days in the office are over, I used to type at a pretty good rate and accuracy, but these days it's so hit-and-miss because I rarely type a lot.

[sideburn]

On 1/13/2023 at 8:03 PM, Stephen said:

I'd be interested in trying one of these.  Since I am old, I started typing on manual typewriters.  I have a very hard typing style because of that - and the fact I went from typewriter to Model-M style KBs, and have never used anything but mechanical KBs.  This is why I like my 800 - the keys are meant to be hammered   Thanks for the heads up that these are available again - I thought stock was out, and there would be no more.

If you still want these I am selling mine on eBay and one set is left. Will save on shipping and best has a minimum order too I think. 

[sideburn]

On 1/13/2023 at 4:01 PM, Mark2008 said:

Just a quick addition to the XE Touch Upgrade thread - Best says they ran out of the original XE Touch upgrade and are now selling "2nd generation."

 

So, this is the version I bought, and recently installed in a 130XE.  I bought a 130Xe with Sugiyama keyboard just to try this upgrade - I've always wondered about if a 130xe could have a good keyboard.  

 

Unfortunately, mine is not an improvement.  It's very stiff, very noticeably stiff.    So, it has the element of giving the tactile feedback that I would've hoped for, but with this new issue of being so hard to depress the keys, it doesn't lead to improved touch typing.  I find I miss a lot of letters because I haven't trained my fingers to strike the keys that hard yet.   So, in terms of typos, they have dramatically increased with this keyboard, not decreased.

 

Now, could I train myself - perhaps.  And I'll find that out, because I'm not going to uninstall it.   To me it's a side grade, another poor keyboard, but workable.   Anyway, such is my subjective experience with the 2nd generation product.

 

As for my particular tastes, I actually like most keyboards I use, like the one on the hp laptop I'm using right now - excellent.   Most days I type on a stock dell keyboard that came with the machine - flimsy but doesn't bother me at all in terms of typing quality.  It's the 130XE, and actually many 800XL keyboards that I don't like. (and 400).  But an Atari 800 or 1200XL I generally think are good keyboards too, those never bothered me.

 

 

 

 

I had the same experience 2nd gen and way too stiff for my liking.  I’m used to the macbook chicklet keys. Called Brad to mention it and he said I’m the only one out of thousands that don’t like them. lol 

Edited June 1 by sideburn

[+slx]

6 hours ago, sideburn said:

I had the same experience 2nd gen and way too stiff for my liking.  I’m used to the macbook chicklet keys. Called Brad to mention it and he said I’m the only one out of thousands that don’t like them. lol 

You’re probably the only one out of thousands who bothered to inform him of your dislike  

[_The Doctor__]

Use the old springs with the new domes and see how you like it.

Use the old domes with the new springs and see how you like it.

 

Many people made it hybrid and were happy with their results. No one bothers talking about it to the man in control of their supply!

 

[sideburn]

1 hour ago, slx said:

You’re probably the only one out of thousands who bothered to inform him of your dislike  

That’s what I was thinking ! 😆 I  enjoy talking to him though he’s quite the character. I love how no matter how hard I try, I can’t read off my credit card slow enuf ….  566-“hold on slow down!” 😂 

Edited June 1 by sideburn

[sideburn]

56 minutes ago, _The Doctor__ said:

Use the old springs with the new domes and see how you like it.

Use the old domes with the new springs and see how you like it.

 

Many people made it hybrid and were happy with their results. No one bothers talking about it to the man in control of their supply!

 

Springs? On the xe keyboard? I have one on the spacebar and that’s it. 

[Beeblebrox]

8 hours ago, sideburn said:

Springs? On the xe keyboard? I have one on the spacebar and that’s it. 

There are two different types of XE keyboard. You have the dome one. There is a spring based one also, with a wide spring between the key cap and the main chassis, with it all held in place with the little plastic widget/plunger that clicks into the key cap and ultimately engages with the mylar. The latter, when a key cap is in place, means all is secure. 

 

With the dome version you have, if you disassemble the keyboard plate and are unfortunate enough to flip it up, all the little rubber domes go flying about Heh Heh! The dome version also has an internal plunger widget of sorts, which engages the dome and pushes the two layers of mylar together. 

 

If I recall correctly with the dome version, it's the rubber dome that provides the recoil in the key, but of course the space bar needs an additional spring also, given the length, (where just having the dome rubber for recoil isn't gonna cut it).

 

Most of my XE keyboards are the spring type. 

 

Springs (single layer) and rubber cap double/folded) mylar versions :

 

 

Edited June 1 by Beeblebrox