🚀 go-pugleaf

Subject: Early 520ST Keyboard problem

[line eater?]

I am sending this at the request of a friend who does not have access
to the net. Based on my glowing descriptions of the Atari 520 ST, he
was one of the first people in Houston to buy the machine ( signing
up on a waiting list to get it in fact ). The problem is that there
is some kind of problem with very early ST keyboards that results in
mouse/joystick activity in port 0 sending signals as if keys on the
keyboard were being pressed.

He went to the store where he bought it ( where they seemed familiar with
the problem, apparently ) and was told that since it was past the warranty
period, the only fix available was to get the keyboard replaced at $150.

His question is : isn't there some other way to fix this problem? If not,
is the store gouging him on the price? Could he get the fix cheaper from
Atari? He tried buying what he described as a new keyboard decoder chip,
but the new chip doesn't even work at all with his current keyboard.

If anyone else has seen this problem, we would appreciate hearing about
it, and especially about any fixes.

Please reply to me by e-mail as well as to the net, since my local access
to info-atari16 may be going away soon.

    Thanks,

    Doug Monk

    bro@rice.edu

Imagine an incredibly complete and thourough disclaimer here.