LEVCO Prodigy4
- Thread starter nekogahora280
- Start date
Very interesting. Well, I don't own a Macintosh Plus, nor have I ever used that accelerator board. But I did find some info you can investigate. Please open the web page below and then search the page for these keywords: Levco Prodigy 4
You'll then see a lot of links that look like this...
As to what might be wrong... well... Maybe a bad RAM chip on the board? Bad connection might be another possibility.
If it's possible for to remove the board without damaging anything, assuming it has RAM, you could then try to test the motherboard in its stock condition. Then if that works, you know 100% the problem is either on the Levco board or its connection to your motherboard. But if you remove the Levco board and your Mac Plus still won't boot, then the problem is somewhere on the motherboard. Anything is possible if there was water damage. Corrosion inside chip sockets is very possible too.
You'll then see a lot of links that look like this...
As to what might be wrong... well... Maybe a bad RAM chip on the board? Bad connection might be another possibility.
If it's possible for to remove the board without damaging anything, assuming it has RAM, you could then try to test the motherboard in its stock condition. Then if that works, you know 100% the problem is either on the Levco board or its connection to your motherboard. But if you remove the Levco board and your Mac Plus still won't boot, then the problem is somewhere on the motherboard. Anything is possible if there was water damage. Corrosion inside chip sockets is very possible too.
In Japan, some Mac magazines advertised its astonishing performance at launch, calling it "the next-generationMac II." My heart raced when I found a junk unit on eBay. According to old advertisements, a RAM failurerequires specialized RAM. This mysterious Mac Plus had it installed, but it was severely damaged. Unlike mass-produced models, this Macintosh somehow has a differently shaped Apple logo. The current board sometimesdisplays the 128K screen, but other times it shows a "jailbar" pattern. I desperately want to see it runningnormally again.
Attachments
Very sad. That damage is severe. It looks almost like someone dropped that poor Mac, kicked it, or even tried to destroy it. That sort of strong shock could have damaged the motherboard.
You might want to check the solder side of the motherboard with a magnifying glass for possible cracks. Cracks can cut PCB traces, and that could be the root problem. Water damage is yet another reason for concern.
I understand how you feel. Each of us has nostalgia for different Macs and upgrades from the past, and for you, I see it is that board. So I know how desperate you must be to fix the problems! But like I said, you should check for cracks. Then see if you can remove the board so you can test the motherboard without the accelerator. Standard troubleshooting procedures apply.
You might want to check the solder side of the motherboard with a magnifying glass for possible cracks. Cracks can cut PCB traces, and that could be the root problem. Water damage is yet another reason for concern.
I understand how you feel. Each of us has nostalgia for different Macs and upgrades from the past, and for you, I see it is that board. So I know how desperate you must be to fix the problems! But like I said, you should check for cracks. Then see if you can remove the board so you can test the motherboard without the accelerator. Standard troubleshooting procedures apply.
When it was powered on in the past, the Finder screen appeared, confirming it was a Macintosh 128k. However, there were no signs of the accelerator working, and the memory was displayed as 128k. It’s likely that there’s an issue with the Prodigy side, or it may not function without an external power supply. Originally, it even had an internal hard drive, making it quite heavy. It has a LEVCO mark. This product is probably one of the earliest accelerators for the Macintosh 128k.
The case it came with is also curious. While it bears the "Macintosh Plus" label, the case is smooth, unlike the textured finish typical of the Plus. Additionally, there is a recess where the Apple logo would normally be, likely meant to hold a plate. As you can see, it is severely damaged, but it differs from the conventional Mac Plus. I speculate it might be a prototype case from before mass production.
Attachments
You have what appears to be a very unique and rare item! It is all the more a tragedy that the previous owner(s) allowed the machine to be crushed into pieces.
Your machine's logo area...
Normal Mac Plus logo area...
I cannot say why the case would be smooth unless it was sanded and painted. Or was your machine a pre-production prototype?
It's all very curious!
Your machine's logo area...
Normal Mac Plus logo area...
I cannot say why the case would be smooth unless it was sanded and painted. Or was your machine a pre-production prototype?
It's all very curious!
@nekogahora280
Forum member @jmacz does incredible restoration work, as you can see from his BEFORE/AFTER photos below:
image source
Here are more details about how he accomplished the above.
He might have some tips for you about restoring your own severely damaged plastic case. That would be great because your plastic case seems to be quite rare.
Forum member @jmacz does incredible restoration work, as you can see from his BEFORE/AFTER photos below:
image source
Here are more details about how he accomplished the above.
He might have some tips for you about restoring your own severely damaged plastic case. That would be great because your plastic case seems to be quite rare.
Last edited:
I considered restoring the case as well. It was heavily damaged, having been left in a junkyard for an awfully long time. Currently, I only have the front case in my possession. I thought about grafting missing parts to restore it, like reconstructing ancient pottery, but for now, it remains as is. I believe the case was from a Macintosh Plus or something similar, but despite searching online, I couldn’t find any images of a prototype Mac Plus. I’m sharing this here in hopes that people in your country might have some information.
Attachments
僕はアメリカで生まれましたが、過去30年間ずっと日本で暮らしています。ですので、あまりお役に立てないかもしれません。でも、このスレッドで他の方の意見もぜひ聞けたらと思っています。今のところ、僕たち二人だけのやり取りになっていますね。
Since it’s one of the earliest accelerators, I think it’s understandable. If the GeminiULTRA were 50MHz, the response might be a bit different. For the past few years, I’ve been trying to make the world’s fastest Mac Plus by upgrading to a Gemini II 50MHz, but it’s not stable. Back to the point, the Prodigy 4 is an early model, extremely expensive, and produced in limited quantities, so even if it doesn’t work, I think it’s valuable as a piece of Mac cultural history.僕はアメリカで生まれましたが、過去30年間ずっと日本で暮らしています。ですので、あまりお役に立てないかもしれません。でも、このスレッドで他の方の意見もぜひ聞けたらと思っています。今のところ、僕たち二人だけのやり取りになっていますね。
