I recently purchased a VGA Adapter for the Macintosh Portable from Joe's Computer Museum. This device attaches to the back of the Portable to convert the Portable's proprietary video to ordinary VGA so that the screen can be mirrored on an external monitor. This is very helpful when repairing bare boards, as you don't need to prop up the Portable's LCD screen. It is also helpful if your LCD is suffering from vinegar syndrome, tunnel vision, bad lines, or a failing ribbon cable.
I've had this adapter for several years, but decided to buy a backup because it is so critical. My current one might get lost or broken.
Here is the link to purchase:
I was motivated to make this post as I was pleasantly surprised by the 3D printed case that Joe provides. In the image below, note the original bare board vs the encased board. (Shout out to @Androda for creating the tech.) Because I often have the board laying on the bench, it remains a real possibility that it will come in contact with other circuits or wires and cause a short. So, the 3D printed case is a godsend.
The case has a number of nice touches worth mentioning.
First, the fasteners are also plastic, to prevent shorts. They include a nut on the bottom that seems to raise the board to just the right height to mate with the Portable case. I like that the case design has the fastener blocks outside of the main case's borders. It reminds me of the minimalist original Apple ADB keyboard.
The case includes printed warning ("No cables") about not using extension cables on the Portable connection. That's because a VGA cable may not be a straight through connection. If any of the wires in the cable are connected, it could short out and damage the Portable. Instead, connect the VGA adapter directly to the back of the Portable.
This brings up the other nice thing about the case. It has a little notch (or step back) where the VGA out connector meets the back of the Portable. This allows the case to fit snugly.
Nice touches!
- David
I've had this adapter for several years, but decided to buy a backup because it is so critical. My current one might get lost or broken.
Here is the link to purchase:
I was motivated to make this post as I was pleasantly surprised by the 3D printed case that Joe provides. In the image below, note the original bare board vs the encased board. (Shout out to @Androda for creating the tech.) Because I often have the board laying on the bench, it remains a real possibility that it will come in contact with other circuits or wires and cause a short. So, the 3D printed case is a godsend.
The case has a number of nice touches worth mentioning.
First, the fasteners are also plastic, to prevent shorts. They include a nut on the bottom that seems to raise the board to just the right height to mate with the Portable case. I like that the case design has the fastener blocks outside of the main case's borders. It reminds me of the minimalist original Apple ADB keyboard.
The case includes printed warning ("No cables") about not using extension cables on the Portable connection. That's because a VGA cable may not be a straight through connection. If any of the wires in the cable are connected, it could short out and damage the Portable. Instead, connect the VGA adapter directly to the back of the Portable.
This brings up the other nice thing about the case. It has a little notch (or step back) where the VGA out connector meets the back of the Portable. This allows the case to fit snugly.
Nice touches!
- David
