Early 520ST keyboards different?

[troed]

I have two 520STs. One from 1985, one from 1987. The keyboard on the one from 1985 is very heavy, the backside of it is all metal (see photo) and the keys don't have the rubbery-soft feeling of all other ST keyboards. It feels much more like the Mega ST/Mega STE/TT ones.

After market mod? I can't say it looks like it, so the question is whether Atari started out with something more expensive.

IMG_20181028_164103_0439.JPG

IMG_20181028_164030_0438.JPG

[exxos]

Never seen that... I still need to look at the shifters in my ST's.. will try and do that these week, also will take note of the keyboards.

[DoG]

Where is the mouse and joystick port? The keyboard connector is usually 7 lines(8 pin connector).

Is the the 1985 computer a 520 ST+? I think those had the port on the right side and not on the keyboard. Never seen one with metal shielding though.

EDIT: Yup. Seems to be a 520+(1040 with piggyback RAM modules) or a 520STf. Those have larger connector.

[stephen_usher]

Where is the mouse and joystick port? The keyboard connector is usually 7 lines(8 pin connector).

The original ST and STM, which didn't have an internal floppy, didn't have the joystick ports on the keyboard, they were on the main circuit board on the right of the machine.

[mikro]

Where is the mouse and joystick port? The keyboard connector is usually 7 lines(8 pin connector).

The original ST and STM, which didn't have an internal floppy, didn't have the joystick ports on the keyboard, they were on the main circuit board on the right of the machine.

IMO that makes them very pretty and very XE-sque. One of the reasons why I wanted to have a 260/520 ST, to have a 16-bit machine in an 8-bit case. :-)

[IngoQ]

Funnily I am thinking of equipping my 800XL with a RAPIDUS (65C816 with 20MHz) and therefore having a 16-Bit machine in an 8-bit case as well :-P

[stephen_usher]

The 800XL redesign was to match the new styling of the ST and was announced at the same time.