Macintosh Portable: LuggablePi

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

TrackPad candidate desired. Could be fitted with or without the trackball button, full size if possible or within a printed bezel. I'm a vociferous opponent of planar pointing devices, but this module could work in a stock Luggable with USB->ADB interfaces now being available. Clickable USB Pad might be nice. The option ofaking it a bit wider by not using the divider (per NumPad config IIRC?) helps considerably in sourcing a large clickable or tap type pad similar the one that matches the newfangled chickletized KBDs from Apple. any way to avoid using a surround would be great. I figure a right angle hack for the opening a/o a printable spacer reproduction ought to be easily enough accomplished, dunno, can't do either myself.

I've been mulling over a replacement bezel w/o trackball indents for an LCD I've yet to identify/source for many years. I've been planning on using my NumPad for the hack, but the allure of a Spherically Incorrect pointing device might be better in this one instance.



The allure of A/B switching a 1080p panel between a Luggable video port adaptation and my OrangePi fitted into the HDD bay along with SCSI2SD is becoming harder and harder to resist.

Dunno, figured it was time to toss this one out there in case some of you would lile to run with the ball. The prospect of modeling a printable 3D replacement bezel, printed, laser cut and digital magic bits to make the hack fully reversible has changed my outlook on the concept radically. It's also now outside the bounds of what talents I possess. :/



If the panel adaptation can better be accomplished digitally from the LCD interface, interpolated and driven in 1080p at Luggable res by the "offline" Pi in the HDD bay for Mac Portable mode, it wouldn't be necessary to replace the Luggable's HD-15 video out connector with headers to keep an analog conversion internal, to find cubic for the Analog VGA to digital board for the LCD or even figure out how to get the video out port to do its thing for conversion.

I was thinking along the lines of using my DOA HDD as the chassis with a clear vacuumformed replacement lid.



But a printable adaptation of the HDD form factor might make fitment of the various bits a lot easier and be useful on its own as a campy PiBox?



Extra points awarded for designing either that printable HDD like chassis making use of the HDD's carrier or a printable ABS mimic of the Floppy Retainer (looks like the original is stamped metal?) and some ponoco'd clear plexi bits instead of doing the HDD lookin' thing.

Dunno how to do hardly any of this modern prototyping, digital magic or evenplay with the OrangePi yet, so have at it gang. []

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

I did some searching and may have found an 11.6" 1080p LCD that just might fit and will definitely look good if it does. Its visible area stretches from inside edge to inside edge of the trackball indents of the stock lid bezel and the height of the visible area looks really good. It's a matter of whether the outer frame will fit available cubic. These panels are so thin, I'm hoping the ribs in the top half of the lid may remain untouched.

Also came up with a notion for the mostly empty bezel space and cubic behind where the indents will have disappeared. Stereo Speakers anyone?

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Forgot to mention adapting the KBD switch matrix to ADB. There seems to be quite a bit of wedge shaped cubic available underneath its PCB. Haven't checked it out, but making up a slitted IDC ribbon cable looks like it'll snake around the side to a PCB underneath. As mentioned in another thread, ADB is present on that cable and documented the connector's spec, so feeding it back to the now empty Portable board connector from a Pi shield adaptation would be easy peasy. []



There's a lot of room for Pi filling in this crust after all!

BTW, 11.6" 1080p LCD infusion also includes backlighting for the Luggable!

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

One more thing, there's no shielding in the way of a WiFi antenna for a SCSINnetPi recipe.

I'm talking to myself again in this thread.  :mellow: Has anyone got something new to add to the LuggablePi wish list or suggestions on how to accomplish the notions I've outlined?

Overcoming power limitations are a concern, but tapping a "re-celled" battery in a printed case directly is the first thing that pops into my noggin. Would some Ni-Cads  stashed away somewhere along with a charger hooked into the Luggable's power connector be a problem? Can a 100 series AC Adapter be limited to Luggable amperage with the power to spare for all this extra crud in the case?