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1200XL Pizza Box w/detachable keyboard...


Curt Vendel

  

132 members have voted

  1. 1. Would you buy the 1200XL upgrade kit?

    • Yes, if it is no more then $75
      46
    • Yes, if it is no more then $100
      60
    • No way, not buying at all.
      29

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I need to gauge a SERIOUS interest check on this. This would be a replacement top for a 1200XL to make it into a pizza-box design, with the ability to use an IBM PC keyboard.

 

Would include:

 

Replacement top plastic

Keyboard interface

Special "XL" color matched PC keyboard (I've spoken with a firm that will do an existing mold in Brown/Creme ala "XL" to match the system.)

 

 

I don't want to feature creep this and make it more expensive then it needs to be, so this would be the basic upgrade kit, but I need to know how many people will seriously buy it so I can see if the tooling costs will be covered for the new top plastic.

 

Just a very very VERY rough mockup of the look

 

post-23-125997318209_thumb.jpg

Front View

 

post-23-125997319759_thumb.jpg

Left Side View

 

post-23-125997321325_thumb.jpg

Right Side View

 

 

Curt

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I'd certainly buy at least one, probably two. I've got two 1200XL machines, one with some wear on the top cover, so this would be perfect.

 

Two questions: first, will the top be reinforced in any way? It would be nice to be able to place a flat-panel monitor/TV on top of it. And second, since I'm sure a molded raised Atari logo (like the one on the XEGS) would be too expensive to tool, would it be possible to add a flat area to the front for custom case badges/labels? I understand the temptation to succumb to feature creep, so if you want to stick with the simple design as it is, that would be perfectly fine too.

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That is seriously cool... I would certainly buy one.

 

Forget about feature creep, this would help the end user add modifications themselves. This would create all kinds of space inside the case (and panel space) for memory upgrades, stereo POKEY, SIO2PC, an SIO2SD drive and more.

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Yes,

 

It would have a reinforcement grid to support a display on top of it. I would like to avoid using the Atari name or logo on anything for legal reasons. I will generate a label for the keyboard. People can apply it if they want on their own, I won't do it directly again - for legal reasons.

 

 

Curt

 

I'd certainly buy at least one, probably two. I've got two 1200XL machines, one with some wear on the top cover, so this would be perfect.

 

Two questions: first, will the top be reinforced in any way? It would be nice to be able to place a flat-panel monitor/TV on top of it. And second, since I'm sure a molded raised Atari logo (like the one on the XEGS) would be too expensive to tool, would it be possible to add a flat area to the front for custom case badges/labels? I understand the temptation to succumb to feature creep, so if you want to stick with the simple design as it is, that would be perfectly fine too.

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Yes,

 

It would have a reinforcement grid to support a display on top of it. I would like to avoid using the Atari name or logo on anything for legal reasons. I will generate a label for the keyboard. People can apply it if they want on their own, I won't do it directly again - for legal reasons.

 

 

Curt

Understood. Thanks for including the reinforcement grid.

 

One more question: will the PC keyboard port (I'm assuming PS/2) be molded into the new top, or will we need to make our own somewhere in the existing plastic in the back?

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what i think would be killer is a brushed aluminum strip across the front at the top/bottom split with Atari 1200XLc (c for component, or similar small cap letter) on left and maybe a power led on right side... but if i could get the $$$ i would be in, the one 1200XL i have has a horrible top half...

 

sloopy.

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There will be a square opening on the left side of the new top plastic for the PS/2 keyboard interface plug.

 

The interface design is working decently so far, just need to fine tune it after the holidays are past. What I wanted to go for was a ZERO SOLDER interface, just remove your 1200XL keyboard cables, plug the new interface right into the kb connector on the 1200XL and you are good to go.

 

 

Curt

 

Yes,

 

It would have a reinforcement grid to support a display on top of it. I would like to avoid using the Atari name or logo on anything for legal reasons. I will generate a label for the keyboard. People can apply it if they want on their own, I won't do it directly again - for legal reasons.

 

 

Curt

Understood. Thanks for including the reinforcement grid.

 

One more question: will the PC keyboard port (I'm assuming PS/2) be molded into the new top, or will we need to make our own somewhere in the existing plastic in the back?

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There will be a square opening on the left side of the new top plastic for the PS/2 keyboard interface plug.

 

The interface design is working decently so far, just need to fine tune it after the holidays are past. What I wanted to go for was a ZERO SOLDER interface, just remove your 1200XL keyboard cables, plug the new interface right into the kb connector on the 1200XL and you are good to go.

 

 

Curt

Excellent. The left side is the perfect place for it, as that's where the joystick ports are.

 

Not to think too far ahead, but might there be any chance of making that PS/2 interface available separately, for other models? I think that XE owners in particular would be excited to have the ability to plug in a replacement keyboard; I'm sure I would buy one for each of my XEGS machines.

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Sure, I'd buy 25, or so...

 

(kidding - maybe 4 or 5)

 

What would really be nice is to have colored keycaps made for the old PS/2 keyboards for OPTION, SELECT and such.

 

Will the top be designed for mounting things like floppy drives and CF cards? How does the interface work? Can you just supply the top cover?

 

Looks very cool!

 

Bob

 

 

 

 

 

I need to gauge a SERIOUS interest check on this. This would be a replacement top for a 1200XL to make it into a pizza-box design, with the ability to use an IBM PC keyboard.

 

Would include:

 

Replacement top plastic

Keyboard interface

Special "XL" color matched PC keyboard (I've spoken with a firm that will do an existing mold in Brown/Creme ala "XL" to match the system.)

 

 

I don't want to feature creep this and make it more expensive then it needs to be, so this would be the basic upgrade kit, but I need to know how many people will seriously buy it so I can see if the tooling costs will be covered for the new top plastic.

 

Just a very very VERY rough mockup of the look

 

 

Curt

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Hi Bob,

 

I was thinking along the same lines and I'm adding mount points inside of the top plastic that can be drilled out for screws to mount HD brackets and other devices.

 

The interface is an MCU based board that takes PS/2 keypresses and outputs corresponding row/columns to match the pinouts of the an Atari 1200XL keyboard. I will most likely make the interface and plastic tops available separately or a slightly reduced price when bought together.

 

I was planning on ordering the keytops in XL brown with white silkscreening, I don't know if they'll do F1-F4 in Atari 800 Reset/Option/Select/Start colors, I have to find the Pantone values for those, I don't have any info on them.

 

Well, if I can get around 50 firm orders, that'll be enough to cover tooling costs and have the new plastic top done.

 

 

Curt

 

 

Sure, I'd buy 25, or so...

 

(kidding - maybe 4 or 5)

 

What would really be nice is to have colored keycaps made for the old PS/2 keyboards for OPTION, SELECT and such.

 

Will the top be designed for mounting things like floppy drives and CF cards? How does the interface work? Can you just supply the top cover?

 

Looks very cool!

 

Bob

 

 

 

 

 

I need to gauge a SERIOUS interest check on this. This would be a replacement top for a 1200XL to make it into a pizza-box design, with the ability to use an IBM PC keyboard.

 

Would include:

 

Replacement top plastic

Keyboard interface

Special "XL" color matched PC keyboard (I've spoken with a firm that will do an existing mold in Brown/Creme ala "XL" to match the system.)

 

 

I don't want to feature creep this and make it more expensive then it needs to be, so this would be the basic upgrade kit, but I need to know how many people will seriously buy it so I can see if the tooling costs will be covered for the new top plastic.

 

Just a very very VERY rough mockup of the look

 

 

Curt

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Curt,

 

I don't own a 1200XL, but I guess somethng like this could be done for the 800XL as well, right? Maybe the 600XL? There is one 800XL that I have that could really use something like this, as it has a weird error (repeating character on the screen, I think it's a keyboard error), so using a separate removable keyboard would be the greatest thing for it. It's spare, after all, my main one works great.

 

If I were to get one, would it fit on the 800XL? Would it need to be modded?

 

Just curious, there aren't that many 1200XL owners compared to the 800XL owners, why did you choose that system (and not the 800XL)??

 

Nathan

 

/edit I passed this along to the great folks at vintage-computer, very interesting idea and makes me wish I had a 1200XL :)

Edited by nathanallan
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