64 replies to this topic

[HP Atari King of Michigan]

The XE Game System (or XEGS) was released in 1987 during the revival of the 2600 and release of the 7800. It featured a console, one joystick (the same CX-40 joystick used with the 2600, only it was white), XE Light Gun (compatible with the 2600 and 7800 as well), and a computer keyboard. Some consider this to be part of Atari's regular XL/XE computer line, and some consider this to be one of their game systems (2600, 5200, et. al.), and some consider it to be both. I want to know your thoughts on this subject and if you own one, what do you think of it.

Edited by HP Atari King of Michigan, Tue Sep 13, 2005 9:20 AM.

[Goochman]

Its a game console - it was designed and marketed that way - it works without the keyboard plugged in.

However,
Should you want to become the next bill gates you could add a disk drive, machine language cart and a printer

[deathtrappomegranate]

It's a computer that was marketed as a game console.

[ZylonBane]

All consoles are computers. The only thing that makes a computer a console is how it's marketed. Therefore the XEGS is a console, as much as any system can be considered a console.

Edited by ZylonBane, Mon Sep 12, 2005 5:59 PM.

[drac030]

Goochman, on Mon Sep 12, 2005 3:40 PM, said:

Its a game console - it was designed and marketed that way - it works without the keyboard plugged in.

For that matter, every XL/XE computer works without the keyboard plugged in

[Goochman]

Difference being the XEGS is designed for the keyboard to be removed by the user

[Bryan]

ZylonBane, on Mon Sep 12, 2005 7:58 PM, said:

All consoles are computers. The only thing that makes a computer a console is how it's marketed. Therefore the XEGS is a console, as much as any system can be considered a console.

The Odyssey wasn't a computer.

I vote for 'computer' because it was a repackaging of an existing computer design.

-Bry

[else]

Console. Computers by their nature are sold with some type of storage mechanism (otherwise what else are they good for). The XEGS never had any storage device manufactured for it. Yes, I know that the existing line of Atari tape and disk drives will connect to it, but these were XL / XE devices that didn't match the styling of the XEGS. So I say console all the way....

[Lord Thag]

The XEGS is kind of the video game equivalent of a cross-dresser

It's kinda both, and not quite either

Gotta love the big pastel buttons though. The worlds ONLY pastel system, yessir!

[Atari Smeghead]

The XEGS, as far as I am concerned, is a great computer.

It's my primary Atari, since it functions as a 65XE, basically. After adding an extension to the keyboard cable, I now have a machine I can type on while sitting across the room.

It is an odd looking machine to be sure, all pastelly and angled like it is. But it's a fine XE.

The biggest selling point for me, other than the detachable keyboard, is that it is a lot more slender than my other favourite Atari, the 800. I'll never give up the beige tank, but the XEGS sits in the living room, under a table, and runs all my favourite games. The 800 sits up here in my bedroom, wondering why it's been demoted to the tiny Black and White portable TV. "Haven't I always been fateful to you," it asks me. I just shrug and smile at it.

Smeg

[Gury]

Atari Smeghead, on Mon Sep 12, 2005 8:57 PM, said:

The XEGS, as far as I am concerned, is a great computer.

It's my primary Atari, since it functions as a 65XE, basically.  After adding an extension to the keyboard cable, I now have a machine I can type on while sitting across the room.

It is an odd looking machine to be sure, all pastelly and angled like it is.  But it's a fine XE.

The biggest selling point for me, other than the detachable keyboard, is that it is a lot more slender than my other favourite Atari, the 800.  I'll never give up the beige tank, but the XEGS sits in the living room, under a table, and runs all my favourite games.  The 800 sits up here in my bedroom, wondering why it's been demoted to the tiny Black and White portable TV.  "Haven't I always been fateful to you," it asks me.  I just shrug and smile at it. 

Smeg

Nice thoughts about your fateful Ataris I have my Atari 130XE in my room, waiting to be connected. I have a color PAL TV for it, and I am delighted every time Atari is turned on. This old beast runs without flaws, now I also have old 1050 disk drive which I bought from my friend with many disks. I will never give up my Atari.

[carmel_andrews]

Gury, on Tue Sep 13, 2005 7:15 AM, said:

Atari Smeghead, on Mon Sep 12, 2005 8:57 PM, said:

The XEGS, as far as I am concerned, is a great computer.

It's my primary Atari, since it functions as a 65XE, basically.  After adding an extension to the keyboard cable, I now have a machine I can type on while sitting across the room.

It is an odd looking machine to be sure, all pastelly and angled like it is.  But it's a fine XE.

The biggest selling point for me, other than the detachable keyboard, is that it is a lot more slender than my other favourite Atari, the 800.  I'll never give up the beige tank, but the XEGS sits in the living room, under a table, and runs all my favourite games.  The 800 sits up here in my bedroom, wondering why it's been demoted to the tiny Black and White portable TV.  "Haven't I always been fateful to you," it asks me.  I just shrug and smile at it.  

Smeg

Nice thoughts about your fateful Ataris I have my Atari 130XE in my room, waiting to be connected. I have a color PAL TV for it, and I am delighted every time Atari is turned on. This old beast runs without flaws, now I also have old 1050 disk drive which I bought from my friend with many disks. I will never give up my Atari.

The XEGS, basically the tramiel version of the 5200 (with a keyboard and this time all the A/P/G registers in the right locations)

[Goochman]

Bryan, on Tue Sep 13, 2005 1:06 AM, said:

ZylonBane, on Mon Sep 12, 2005 7:58 PM, said:

All consoles are computers. The only thing that makes a computer a console is how it's marketed. Therefore the XEGS is a console, as much as any system can be considered a console.

The Odyssey wasn't a computer.

I vote for 'computer' because it was a repackaging of an existing computer design.

-Bry

By this definition the 5200 is a computer also then? It is a repackaged 400.

[Lord Helmet]

What ar the differences under the hood between the XEGS, 65XE, 5200, and 400? I know that the registers are different for the 5200.

Edited by Lord Helmet, Tue Sep 13, 2005 8:19 AM.

[Markimus of K.]

Atari Smeghead, on Mon Sep 12, 2005 10:57 PM, said:

The XEGS, as far as I am concerned, is a great computer.

It's my primary Atari, since it functions as a 65XE, basically.  After adding an extension to the keyboard cable, I now have a machine I can type on while sitting across the room.

Smeg

Just curious, how did you obtain or make a keyboard extension cable for that beast? I'd like one myself, but after looking at the connector I just thougt good luck!

[walter_J64bit]

If you upgrade the XEGS RAM to 128k you'll have an 130XE with a detachable keyboard!

[remowilliams]

Markimus of K., on Tue Sep 13, 2005 9:36 AM, said:

Just curious, how did you obtain or make a keyboard extension cable for that beast? I'd like one myself, but after looking at the connector I just thougt good luck!

You just need to get a hold of a PC joystick extension cable (15 pin) works fine

[kevin242]

else, on Mon Sep 12, 2005 8:34 PM, said:

Console.  Computers by their nature are sold with some type of storage mechanism (otherwise what else are they good for).  The XEGS never had any storage device manufactured for it.  Yes, I know that the existing line of Atari tape and disk drives will connect to it, but these were XL / XE devices that didn't match the styling of the XEGS.  So I say console all the way....

this is not true, back in the 80's computers were sold without storage devices (including
all of Atari's 8bit computers) and the XF551 floppy came out after the XEGS.

BTW my vote is for BOTH. It is clearly designed to be a console and or computer.

[Brian R.]

Bryan, on Mon Sep 12, 2005 8:06 PM, said:

ZylonBane, on Mon Sep 12, 2005 7:58 PM, said:

All consoles are computers. The only thing that makes a computer a console is how it's marketed. Therefore the XEGS is a console, as much as any system can be considered a console.

The Odyssey wasn't a computer.

I vote for 'computer' because it was a repackaging of an existing computer design.

-Bry

Then you should call the 5200 a computer also, because wasn't it just a repackaging of the Atari 400?

I have an XEGS, and think of it as a game console. But then, it never really fit well in the 2600-5200-7800 console lineup.

[kevin242]

Brian R., on Tue Sep 13, 2005 3:54 PM, said:

Then you should call the 5200 a computer also, because wasn't it just a repackaging of the Atari 400?

Yea but the 5200 did not include an SIO port or keyboard, so despite having similar
internals to an Atari 400 it could not be used as a computer.

[tjlazer]

else, on Mon Sep 12, 2005 8:34 PM, said:

Console.  Computers by their nature are sold with some type of storage mechanism (otherwise what else are they good for).  The XEGS never had any storage device manufactured for it.  Yes, I know that the existing line of Atari tape and disk drives will connect to it, but these were XL / XE devices that didn't match the styling of the XEGS.  So I say console all the way....

I disagree completely. The XEGS matches the XE style to a "T". And the XF551 disk drive matches the XEGS perfectly! And the Atari 130XE, along with every other 8-bit Atari computer, was sold without a storage device included. You had to buy the tape or disk drive seperatly. So the XEGS is basically a Atari 8-bit computer marketed as a games system.

Edited by tjlazer, Tue Sep 13, 2005 6:45 PM.

[jaybird3rd]

Leaving aside the fact that ANY game console is really a computer at heart, as an XEGS owner I'd consider it a computer first and a game console second. It was an incarnation of the 400/800 series that was meant to emphasize its strengths as a game machine, but it is essentially the same as any of the XL/XE computers (with the exception of a lack of a built-in PBI/ECI interface). The style of the case was a bit of a departure, but the color scheme and port labels were exactly the same as the other XE machines, and I believe the keyboard mechanism is also the same (I opened mine up once and found that the Start/Select/Option/Reset/Help function key switches were all intact even though the Help button was the only one that was accessible from the outside). As for the storage device issue, the back of the XEGS box showed an XF551 connected to the unit (as well as XE printers and modems), and the ROM routines for booting from the cassette drive were left intact, so Atari was clearly counting on its capabilities as a computer to sell more peripherals.

Edited by jaybird3rd, Tue Sep 13, 2005 7:02 PM.

[kheller2]

The 5200, a redesigned 400/800/1200 architecture, is a game system. The XEGS, on the other hand has the Atari 8bit computer OS. So, its more computer than game system. However, I consider it a game system for its looks alone.

[Brian R.]

kheller2, on Tue Sep 13, 2005 8:33 PM, said:

The 5200, a redesigned 400/800/1200 architecture, is a game system.  The XEGS, on the other hand has the Atari 8bit computer OS.  So, its more computer than game system.  However, I consider it a game system for its looks alone.

I'm sure many would disagree, but it could be said that many of Atari's so-called "computers" were just game machines, because of the cartridge port, for instance. I had a 600 XL and I used it more so for games than anything else. But maybe that's because my parents never bought me a disk drive, printer or software to make use of it beyond video games.

Yes, Atari "made" computers, but it is first and foremost remembered for home game consoles, if remembered at all.

I guess looking back from now, with what we have now, it's hard to really think of the "keyboard computers" like the 600 XL, Commodore 64, etc as being real "computers." No built-in hard drives, modems, graphical operating systems like Windows. There's so much I can do with my PC so easily. I turn on the 800 XL I have, and all I see is a flashing cursor and "READY."

[Goochman]

Atelast the 'Blue Screen' on your Atari means 'Ready for Business' - where the Blue Screen on your Windoze machine means 'Death'

I did ALOT of Word Processing and Spreadsheet stuff on my 130XE way back - I even did banners and cards through Printshop. Chatted with the outside world through the modem network.

It was a business computer like all others back in the day.