User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:54 pm

I wanted to do something nice for my A2000 this year. I use her a ton but she hasn't seen much of the limelight lately. I started thinking, "What could I possibly get this machine that seems to have it all, yet gives me so much?"

So I looked. And I looked.

Then I remembered the very cool clear plastic keyboard cover I'd gotten my C64C MK2 Reloaded Mechboard. It was a perfect fit and is almost invisible. They are made brand new by a shop in Poland called Retronics and they are very high quality for the most part. I say for the most part because every so often there might be a tiny air bubble which under certain lighting conditions can cause shadows. But when that happens it's super minor.
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Here's the new dust cover I got for my A2000. It fits the 3000 and 4000, too. It's like a sexy glove. Or a prophylactic. To stay safe from my fingers. I mean dust!

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Closeup of the dust cover on my A2000 keyboard. The keyboard's all, "Hey! How are you supposed to type on me while that thing is on here, huh? Huh?? What do you mean you're going to power me off?"

These dust covers look like something you would find on a shelf at your local Fryes Electronics store in a giant stack. Except they are for machines 30 years old, so that would never happen. But the packaging looks amazing and legit. Frankly, the boxes (when not damaged by the shipping process) are gorgeous things to behold.
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This here is one nice box when the USPS doen't 'F' it all up. I have a C64 cover, and the box is so nice I use it to store an extra C64! This banged up box will soon store my backup A2000 keyboard.

And, in the grand scheme of things, it's a worthwhile investment. Unless you really like taking your keyboard apart every couple of years to clean it (which can cause mild abrasions on the keys when you pull them) this is a nice way to keep the dust at bay.

She deserves it.

Oh - and they make these covers for lots of different makes and models. I even offered to pay less than the retail price and they accepted my offer. So you can do a little bit of marketplace bargaining if you're so inclined. To be clear, I bought this new off of Ebay.
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It's kind of cool that they included a receipt of the purchase with the Polish price. I love that. Not to mention they also (always) include some tasty candy in the box, too. This must be a European thing, because my Mechboard came with some awesome licorice. More companies should put candy in their packaging, don't ya think? I do.

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Retronics also let me know about a bad ass 8-bit retro party I'll never go to. I wish I could, but the tix from Seattle to Warsaw are $$$$. But it would be cool to go, no doubt.

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And now I have a new ritual every night before the A2000 can go to sleep - to put her clothes on. I'm a responsible guy, after all.


User avatar
oldbull

Posted Mon Mar 18, 2019 10:15 pm

Very nice.

My 3.1.4 parcel also came with extras. There was an AmigaOne reverse sticker like for a window and also a memopad (remember those?) with a post-Commodore Amiga logo printed on it. The invoice even had a handwritten "Thank you for your order! Jeff & Arron"

User avatar
Mr.Toast
Roseville, CA

Posted Tue Mar 19, 2019 9:29 am

Very nice on that dust cover. We should chase down a large vacuum former and do some customized dust covers for the A500/1200 and A1000 keyboards.

Speaking of which, I went to Joann's Fabrics this weekend and picked up a few yards of creamy marine grade vinyl upholstery with the intent of stitching up some custom dustcovers for various retro computers. The material is almost identical to the original brown C64 dust covers, although slightly thicker backing. If I can get decent with it on the sewing machine, I might be able to come up with a reasonable solution for the C128. That's a big if as I am not that talented when it comes to running stitch.

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Tue Mar 19, 2019 11:31 am

@Toast
There is a woman in Texas on Ebay who makes "leatherette" covers for a lot of various retro machines, including consoles.

Here's one I got for my breadbin C64.

It's really nice quality, and I like the logo being stitched on there, too. I am awaiting a uniquely designed one for my Vectrex, as a matter of fact, as well as one for my SNES.

She'd be a good one to try and mimic, as she's figured it out.

User avatar
Mr.Toast
Roseville, CA

Posted Tue Mar 19, 2019 1:32 pm

Ahh very good! Thanks for that link-was not aware. And no miggy? <sadface>

Those covers look fantastic!





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