I have a couple of the ArcaneByte Cameo/Aphid drive emulators and they're fantastic. The things that swung me to also pick up an X/ProFile are:
- Power. The X/ProFile uses the Widget's power cable, whereas the ArcaneByte's solution needs a 5v USB plug - which you need to somehow run inside the machine if you want it to live inside the machine, i.e. where the Widget used to be. This can be done by leaving one of the Lisa's expansion port covers off and running a microUSB power cable through the chassis into the drive cage area.
- Port compatibility. The ArcaneByte solution will boot LOS when connected to the 2/10's internal (Widget) parallel port, but not when it's connected to a port on the parallel expansion card. So you'll have to live with it being inside your machine. Personally, I think it looks fantastic hanging off the back of the machine when connected to the parallel expansion card, where delivering USB power is easy and the ArcaneByte drive's power button is easily accessible - but you lose the ability to boot some operating systems (including LOS) in that configuration.
- Disk image management. Want to run Lisa Office System or MacWorks or Xenix on your Lisa? Just swap the X/ProFile's CF card out for the one you want. The ArcaneByte drive emulator allows you to choose the disk image you want to use in its boot menu, which is nice, but you have to run through that menu each time you power it off / on.
- Mounting and drive activity light. The X/ProFile was designed to be mounted inside the drive cage, as a replacement for the Widget. So it mounts in a very sturdy fashion against the cage and the read/write disk activity LED aligns perfectly with the Lisa front bezel's clear plastic indicator. It's a very clean solution. You'll have to devise a mounting solution for the ArcaneByte drive.
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