robb@mntgfx.mentor.com (Rob Bartel) (11/30/87)
This is a, somewhat belated, summary of the response to my question about a month ago about extending the keyboard cable on my 512e. First, uxc.cso.uiuc.edu!dorner sent me an explanation of why the apple didnt use the regular cable. ---------------------------------------------------------- Several companies advertised longer cables for the mac keyboards. I haven't looked recently, though. You might check the ads in the back of MacWorld. Me, I intend to buy a regular phone handset cord, and cut-strip-wrap-solder- tape away... The reason apple didn't use a regular handset cord is that the wires are not straight through. No problem if you have just a mac and a keyboard, but they used to sell a numeric keypad as well. Using flipped connectors would have required the user to hook up the cords to the numeric keypad in part- icular positions--too much to expect of apple's targeted market. Steve --------------------------------------------------------- Several people mentioned that BMUG has or had cables available One person observed that there was a company named Tacklind Design Inc that sold the cables. The cable business was sold, however, to Aesthetics Inc. 415-322-2257. My call was taken by someone who told me they were out right now but that he would call back when they were available (which he indicated would be within a few days.) I never heard from him again. They wanted $15 for them. Others suggested that I use a modular plug connector to hook the standard cable with the keyboard cable. This idea would work, but the modular connector is for the wrong plug, of course, and the connection is tenuous. What I wound up doing was buying on of those modular connector crimping tools and cutting the ends off two headset cords, replacing them with the modular connectors and connecting them with the inline coupler. Many thanks to those of you who answered my query. -- Rob Bartel ...!tektronix!sequent!mntgfx!robb