Goto 10: Retro Computing & Gaming

Goto 10: Retro Computing & Gaming

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Goto 10: Retro Computing & Gaming
Goto 10: Retro Computing & Gaming
The Eiffel Keyboard Interface
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The Eiffel Keyboard Interface

Use PC keyboard and mouse with a Mega ST/STE/TT

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Paul Lefebvre
Jul 24, 2023
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Goto 10: Retro Computing & Gaming
Goto 10: Retro Computing & Gaming
The Eiffel Keyboard Interface
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The Atari ST computers are not known for their great keyboards. The built-in keyboards in the Atari 520ST, 1040ST and Falcon030 all use rather “fat” keys and the key action is also considered mushy.

When Atari introduced the Mega ST series in 1987, the computers had an improved external keyboard. Although it still has the fat keys, the key action was improved with the use of cherry keyswitches. You can identify this external keyboard because it still has the rhomboid function keys at the top. My Dad had a Mega ST2 and I remember its keyboard the great feel of its keyboard.

Not a mechanical keyboard but I always liked the Atari ST keyboard,  sensible keypad, actual help and undo keys (those function keys were awful  though). : r/MechanicalKeyboards
Meta ST keyboard

The external keyboard uses a telephone-style connector to connect to the computer, unlike the large, round DIN-style plug used by IBM keyboards. The two joystick/mouse ports are also on the keyboard itself (technically underneath it, making them a little hard to reach) rather than on the computer.

The Atari TT030 and Mega STe also have an external keyboard and it was slightly different than the Mega ST keyboard. Other than the colors (TT was white, Mega STe was gray), these newer keyboards were identical to each other and also improved in several ways.

Atari Mega STe keyboard (German version)

After the break, keep reading about ST keyboards and the Eiffel adapter with a paid subscription to Goto 10. If you enjoy Goto 10, a paid subscription helps to support my work and costs less than 50 cents per article. You’ll get access to additional weekly content and 150+ posts in the Goto 10 archive. Consider it like buying a magazine subscription back in the 80s, but cooler!

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