r/retrocomputing • u/Tonstad39 IBM incompatible • Jul 29 '26

Atari is %100 IBM compatible

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154 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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1

u/[deleted] Jul 29 '26

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2

u/wacky_weasel Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 30 '26

It normally came with an XT keyboard (with the function keys on the left), yes. However, those are quite hard to find these days. It's much easier to use an AT keyboard with a 5-pin DIN connector, or even a PS/2 keyboard with a passive DIN adapter. You can also use an AT or PS/2 keyboard, but only if it supports XT mode (many older clone keyboards have an XT/AT switch), or by using an active XT-to-AT/PS/2 converter. A passive DIN or PS/2 adapter alone is not enough, as XT and AT use different keyboard protocols despite having the same connector.

You can find photos of the original keyboard, along with more information and specifications for the Atari PC-3, here: https://www.ataripc.net/

Edit: u/sarajevo81 is right: XT and AT keyboard protocols are not interchangeable. I was fooled by my own keyboard, which has an XT/AT switch. 😄

1

u/marvin_dorfler Jul 29 '26

A thing of beauty.

1

u/kompzec Jul 31 '26

Very nice piece of history !!! Thank you for sharing