Hi,
I was wondering whether it would be possible to have a mac laptop trackpad and keyboard and put it altogether in someway to make a keyboard/mouse that looked like a tam one? I would like it to be adb of course!
Any ideas?
Oli
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i had an old PC keyboard with a built in trackpad, and i have an old adb trackpad(dont remember the brand) its probably possible, if you could find one of those adb trackpads and one of those old pc keyboards with a trackpad built in you could put the guts of all the mac stuff in the case of the old pc keyboard, this would involve some dremeling and good luck findding one of those pc keyboards. cool idea though. in the long run it would probably be cheaper just to buy a TAM keyboard
I don't see any problem using one of the ADB TrackBalls, but I don't know if the TrackPads are ADB. The only one I ever tried successfully with a 68k 'Book was the 5300's with a 190 mobo, the 2300's with a 230 (maybe a 280?) didn't seem to work.
. . . didn't try very hard though, I hate trackpads. I unhooked the one in my Adesso TrueForm KBD because it never really worked right and it screwed up the whole ADB chain. I think they gave me an RMA, but I never even used it. I don't know if that controller could be adapted to a PB's Key Matrix, I'm pretty sure the 'Pad was ADB though. If you're really interested in that approach, I'll dig it out, crack it open and add pics to my misc. peripherals gallery if I get a chance.
Meanwhile check it out:
http://homepage.mac.com/jwt1863/TrashedHacks/PhotoAlbum15.html
The "ADB controller hack set" would be my suggestion for a solution . . . dont' remember the mfr. though. The ball/button assy. was in the cursor key position though, you ought to be able to Google (image search?) the product ID easily enough. There may even be a site in the links project with the info. IIRC, it wasn't DataDesk, who makes the TrackBoard.
jt
If you're willing to work its more than possible. The hard part would be a controller for the PB KB key matrix, but there are programable controllers out there (keywarrior ICs)If you don't want to pay for that then some combination hardware hacking software hacking could adapt a controller from an Apple Extended KB to the PB Keyboard then do a software remaping.
The track pad would be harder to adapt but you can get a 3rd party ADB trackpad for next to nothing on eBay. Thats what I did for one of my hacks
I've got an Adesso down in the lab. IIRC the track pad is a basic Alps pad, but I've not taken it apart to see how it is wired in. I have however taken apart my Alps Glidpoint keyboard, and it connects into a little ciruitboard somewhere. I think that circuit board may be the one that turns the setup into the "PC comaptible" as labeled on the back. If they make the same thing in an ADB, I bet they just switched the contoller board out. I'm guessing that using the plain trackpad might not work with the controller. I have thought about hacking a TAM-alike keyboard, but I would probably make one using USB and one of the mini sized or keypad-less USB kbs as a base and graft on a decent USB trackpad.