emerrill@tippy.uucp (10/28/89)
Is there a Y-adapter to split the ADB cord from my IIgs into two cords, one connected to the keyboard and the other to the mouse? The connect I have been using to plug in my keyboard has gone bad, so I have a functioning keyboard, and a sometimes functioning mouse. :-( I've noticed a weird problem that corresponds to this--sometimes my computer will start to go super-slow (takes 5 secs to draw the control panel screen) and will only go back to normal (actually "fast") when I unplug the mouse from the faulty connector. No, I'm not handy with a solder iron... :-) And I don't think I really trust my local Apple dealer to fix this, but that's another story... Any suggestions to keep me from having to buy a new keyboard would be greatly appreciated! _________________________________________________________ | | | Eric Merrill tippy!emerrill@newton.physics.purdue.edu | | | | My other witty .sig is in the shop being repaired. | |_________________________________________________________|
fadden@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Andy McFadden) (10/30/89)
In article <145300012@tippy> emerrill@tippy.uucp writes: [snip] > The connect >I have been using to plug in my keyboard has gone bad, so I have a >functioning keyboard, and a sometimes functioning mouse. :-( I've >noticed a weird problem that corresponds to this--sometimes my computer >will start to go super-slow (takes 5 secs to draw the control panel screen) >and will only go back to normal (actually "fast") when I unplug the mouse >from the faulty connector. I have the exact same problem, and it was also mentioned in the recent (November) A2-Central (back page). Has anybody been able to successfully recover from this? If I plug the keyboard into the wrong one, strange things happen. If I plug just the mouse into the bad one, the *really* strange things (like the above) start to happen... >No, I'm not handy with a solder iron... :-) And I don't think I really >trust my local Apple dealer to fix this, but that's another story... Your Apple dealer won't fix it, he'll charge you $80+ for a new keyboard. Here we go again, getting screwed by Apple Dealers for lousy Apple design practices (can you say "dead //gs battery"?) Maybe somebody will come up with an easy fix like they did for the "replaceable" battery... Actually, Apple probably will. After all, it affects Macintoshes as well. > | Eric Merrill tippy!emerrill@newton.physics.purdue.edu | -- fadden@cory.berkeley.edu (Andy McFadden) ...!ucbvax!cory!fadden
mattd@Apple.COM (Matt Deatherage) (10/30/89)
fadden@cory.Berkeley.EDU.UUCP (Andy McFadden) writes: >[snip] > >Your Apple dealer won't fix it, he'll charge you $80+ for a new keyboard. >Here we go again, getting screwed by Apple Dealers for lousy Apple design >practices (can you say "dead //gs battery"?) Maybe somebody will come up >with an easy fix like they did for the "replaceable" battery... > >Actually, Apple probably will. After all, it affects Macintoshes as well. > >fadden@cory.berkeley.edu (Andy McFadden) >...!ucbvax!cory!fadden Down, Andy. Some dealers are Apple-certified to solder and do all that other kind of whizzy electronics stuff we all expect. It's just that not all of them are. A dealer in his area might very well be able to repair the keyboard ADB connector without replacing the entire unit. And get off the battery bit, will everyone?!?!?! [Note: The above was an example of good-natured whining, probably precipitated by earthquake anxiety. Just play along and Matt will be fine. --the Eds.] We honestly thought the battery life in IIgs's was going to be about 12 years each and therefore we weren't worried about soldering them to the motherboard. When it turned out we were not right, we changed it. You can't ask for more than correcting mistakes on the next production change, can you? Of course you can, but please don't. The impossible we do, the unrealisti takes longer. :) -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matt Deatherage, Apple Computer, Inc. | "The opinions expressed in this tome Send PERSONAL mail ONLY (please) to: | should not be construed to imply that Amer. Online: Matt DTS | Apple Computer, Inc., or any of its ThisNet: mattd@apple.com | subsidiaries, in whole or in part, ThatNet: (stuff)!ames!apple!mattd | have any opinion on any subject." Other mail by request only, please. | "So there." -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
hackman@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Otto "Hack-Man" Heuer) (10/30/89)
fadden@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Andy McFadden) writes: >In article <145300012@tippy> emerrill@tippy.uucp writes: >[snip] >> The connect >>I have been using to plug in my keyboard has gone bad, so I have a >>functioning keyboard, and a sometimes functioning mouse. :-( I've >>noticed a weird problem that corresponds to this--sometimes my computer >>will start to go super-slow (takes 5 secs to draw the control panel screen) >>and will only go back to normal (actually "fast") when I unplug the mouse >>from the faulty connector. > >I have the exact same problem, and it was also mentioned in the recent >(November) A2-Central (back page). Has anybody been able to successfully >recover from this? Yeah, I had the same problem. I had it soldered. That fixed it for a month or two, then the same problem came back. I had it re-re-soldered, but it didn't help this time. The only other advice I've seen is to look at Radio Shack (or equiv) for parts (I assume the connector). >If I plug the keyboard into the wrong one, strange things happen. If I >plug just the mouse into the bad one, the *really* strange things (like >the above) start to happen... Yup. EXACTLY the same symptoms as I had. Sigh. >> | Eric Merrill tippy!emerrill@newton.physics.purdue.edu | >fadden@cory.berkeley.edu (Andy McFadden) --HACK-MAN DISCLAIMER: I speak for myself, my computers, and (to some degree) my company. -- _____ _________ _ "The innovator for software solutions." | ___|| _______|| | INET: hackman@pnet.orb.mn.org FSD, Inc. | |__ | |___ ___| | amdahl!bungia chinet Dr. Otto E. Heuer, CEO | __| |___ || _ | UUCP: >-------->!orbit!pnet51!hackman | | _______| || |_| | uunet!rosevax killer |_||_________||_____| ARPA: crash!orbit!pnet51!hackman@nosc.mil
dtroup@carroll1.UUCP (David C. Troup - Skunk Works : 2600hz) (10/30/89)
Kinda on the same lines as the Y-adaptor for the keyboard. My problems
is that the keyboard cable for my keyboard is too short for the desk
mounting that I am using. Does anyone know where one can get ahold of a
longer cable or the previously mentioned Y-adaptor? (If it exsists?) I
suppose that I could do the wire patch myself, but it's so....you
know...non commercial! :-)
thanks....
--
"We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, knowin' that ain't allowed"__ _______ _______________ |David C. Troup / Surf Rat
_______)(______ | |dtroup@carroll1.cc.edu : mail
________________________________|414-524-6809______________________________fadden@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Andy McFadden) (10/30/89)
In article <36034@apple.Apple.COM> mattd@Apple.COM (Matt Deatherage) writes: [ stuff about the //gs battery problems ] > You can't ask for more >than correcting mistakes on the next production change, can you? (the ROM03 //gs was, IMHO, more of a recognition of design flaws (sound, memory, CDAs, QuickDraw, battery). Want people to quiet down about no upgrade policy? Update the 128K ROMs with all the bug fixes, just no new tools... sell it for a reasonable price, and people will quiet down. For about a week, but you have to enjoy the silence while it lasts). Okay, is the Apple design team aware that their keyboard connectors die after a little while? Are they planning to re-work their design to prevent such things? I realize this is not exactly your department, but unless the Mac keyboards are built differently, *every* owner of a newer Mac or //gs is going to have problems some time in the near future. Can we upgrade our keyboards for free? :-) ^^^ (that's a joke. Honest.) >Matt Deatherage, Apple Computer, Inc. | "The opinions expressed in this tome -- fadden@cory.berkeley.edu (Andy McFadden) ...!ucbvax!cory!fadden
cwilson@NISC.SRI.COM (Chan Wilson) (10/31/89)
Hmm.. I haven't had any problems with the keyboard as of yet, but I
haven't had my GS for very long...
But, I immediately noticed that the keyboard cable was obscenely
short. Even when 'uncurled,' it still doesn't reach six feet, much to
my dismay. So, after journeying down to the local Macintosh store,
where they have long keyboard (ADB) cables, and noticing that they
wanted an *outrageous* sum of money ($35!) for a 12 foot ADB cable, I
built my own ADB cable.
Just get ahold of two 4 pin mini-din female connectors, some 4
conductor cable, and solder it all together. In my case, I couldn't
find any 4 conductor cable, but noticed I had a large length of
telephone cord, along with some pc-mount female RJ11 jacks, so I just
wired together some connectors, and now I have a 50 foot ADB cable!
Simple, really. If anyone wants one, send me email, and I'm sure we
can work something out...
--Chan Wilson
"The vision of the future-- here, and now..." -- Sigue Sigue Sputnik
cwilson@nisc.sri.com or cwilson@nic.ddn.mil
`and now for something completely different.'