VGA to DA-15 (Not the other way around) Adapter

[vacputer]

Say, hypothetically, that I'd stumbled upon a shrinkwrapped ATI Radeon Mac Edition in a local shop that'd been collecting dust for many, many years.

Hypothetically, I got a whiff of that pre-RoHS 'New electronics' smell I've not experienced in a decade or so, but that's hypothetically neither here nor there.

It appears that my hypothetical purchase has a hypothetical VGA male to DA-15 female adapter that allows an Apple monitor to be plugged into basically anything- could someone give me a general idea of the scarcity of such objects?

(This sample of my book, 'How to Ineffectively Beat Around the Bush' brought to you by ATI Technologies)

 

[unity]

I assume you mean this? This will take a standard VGA port and make it a Mac display port. Opposite of what most need. Correct?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Genuine-Apple-Macintosh-DB-15-Female-to-VGA-Male-Monitor-Adapter-590-0993-A-/291265546619

 

[vacputer]

I assume you mean this? This will take a standard VGA port and make it a Mac display port. Opposite of what most need. Correct?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Genuine-Apple-Macintosh-DB-15-Female-to-VGA-Male-Monitor-Adapter-590-0993-A-/291265546619

Precisely. I don't know that I've ever seen one before.

 

[unity]

They are less common simply because most people use Apple displays on Macs and many mac display cards have Apple display ports. And most people with PCs don't use Apple displays. But for cards with standard VGA ports, etc they were needed so they were made. I think I might even have a few on hand but never used them.

 

[Gorgonops]

As a word of caution, I'm pretty sure that those things only work "trivially" with a subset of Apple monitors, mainly the "Multiple Scan" ones made in the latter half of the 1990's. Those monitors support VESA standard video modes and I believe they also support VGA-compatible DDC/EDID signaling. The older fixed-frequency monitors that use the old hardwired video mode selection lines are less successful.

 

[vacputer]

As a word of caution, I'm pretty sure that those things only work "trivially" with a subset of Apple monitors, mainly the "Multiple Scan" ones made in the latter half of the 1990's. Those monitors support VESA standard video modes and I believe they also support VGA-compatible DDC/EDID signaling. The older fixed-frequency monitors that use the old hardwired video mode selection lines are less successful.

I'll be honest, I've got no intention of using anything other than an old Mac with such low-resolution monitors in any case.

That said, I could see it coming in handy should I ever come accross a first-generation LCD Studio Display.

 

[finkmac]

This is the Apple adapter:

It came with several Mac models, in different colours (platinum, black, transparent)… Like the BW G3s and G4s.

This was also Apple's headless solution.

 

[unity]

^ Without pics of the ends, its hard to say. But that could be. I did not think Apple included those, just the other ones.

 

[Cory5412]

The adapter FinkMac pictured is Mac SVGA Female and PC VGA Male. Basically, as the post said, it came with a variety of Macs to let you use AppleVision, Multiple Scan, and Studio displays with newer Macs that only had VGA ports. (PowerBook G3s often had VGA ports, a bit ahead of the rest of Apple's product line, for example, for reasons of both physical space and practicality (projectors in meeting rooms.)

 

[TheWhiteFalcon]

I think I have one of those, came with my PowerBook 180 along with some other stuff.

 

[unity]

Never thought of the PBs, that makes sense.

 

[TheWhiteFalcon]

I just checked, it's exactly as pictured and described. Still in its little plastic baggie, never used.

 

[LazarusNine]

I’m really sorry for necro-ing this post, but I’m after one of these adapters so I can plug one of my hefty multiple-scan Apple monitors into the VGA port on my MDD G4 or my 8600’s Radeon 7000 (or even *gasp* to test on my gaming PC). Has anyone had any luck sourcing these recently?

I found this random site selling what looks like the kind of adapter I’m after, but I’m not sure if it’s legit:

http://www.cablesonline.com/hdvgamaltodb.html

 

[Cory5412]

There are a handful on ebay right now:

(the one that came with some PowerBooks)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Monitor-DB15-Female-to-HD15-Male-VGA-adapter-590-1118-A-G3-G4-PowerBook/143537020383?hash=item216b791ddf:g:UREAAOSw~QVeTZ48

(the one that came with some Multiple Scan/AppleVision/ColorSync displays)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Vintage-Mac-to-VGA-DB15-female-to-HD15-male-Adapter-589-3022-A/174182672446?epid=1601814201&hash=item288e18a83e:g:-ZwAAOSwjateOzHH

I'd search your local eBay or other preferred auction or deals site (or even put a WTB up here) for Apple db15 to VGA adapter and these popped up among the typical "use a VGA monitor on a Mac" solutions. For whatever reason, the black ones, 590-1118-A seem to be selling for a little less than the gray ones, 590-0332-A.

(I scrolled down more, this one's in the UK)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Monitor-DB15F-to-HD15M-VGA-adapter-590-0322-A-grey-G3-G4-PowerMac/163910711135?hash=item2629d6f75f:g:L4EAAOSwffRdqhYh 

EDIT: I don't remember whether I was using it this way back in 2015, but these adapters do work well with the multiple scan displays for this purpose. I have a Multiple Scan 20 I use on various PCs with this adapter.

Old Lore holds that AppleVision/ColorSync displays need something special to work on other computers, but I don't have one and I don't know how true that really is.

 

[LazarusNine]

There are a handful on ebay right now:

(the one that came with some PowerBooks)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Monitor-DB15-Female-to-HD15-Male-VGA-adapter-590-1118-A-G3-G4-PowerBook/143537020383?hash=item216b791ddf:g:UREAAOSw~QVeTZ48

(the one that came with some Multiple Scan/AppleVision/ColorSync displays)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Vintage-Mac-to-VGA-DB15-female-to-HD15-male-Adapter-589-3022-A/174182672446?epid=1601814201&hash=item288e18a83e:g:-ZwAAOSwjateOzHH

I'd search your local eBay or other preferred auction or deals site (or even put a WTB up here) for Apple db15 to VGA adapter and these popped up among the typical "use a VGA monitor on a Mac" solutions. For whatever reason, the black ones, 590-1118-A seem to be selling for a little less than the gray ones, 590-0332-A.

(I scrolled down more, this one's in the UK)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Monitor-DB15F-to-HD15M-VGA-adapter-590-0322-A-grey-G3-G4-PowerMac/163910711135?hash=item2629d6f75f:g:L4EAAOSwffRdqhYh 

That’s really helpful. Thanks for the links. Yes, it’s strange that the black ones are selling for less than the grey ones, given that they’re essentially the same. Will pick up one of the offerings from the UK.

 

[defor]

Here's ATI's version (came with a boxed Radeon 7000 Mac Edition)

 

[LazarusNine]

Here's ATI's version (came with a boxed Radeon 7000 Mac Edition)

Oh nice one. I hadn’t realised that there were third party versions of these at the time. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Michael_b]

Any idea what the benefits are of purchasing one of these adapters with DIP Switches vs without? I have a version going the other direction with DIP switches, but I don't see a table listing out DIP positions for this one...

I'm hoping to use it to connect an MDD with a very old (pre-MDD) AGP card to a Macintosh 12" monochrome display

 

[Cory5412]

This adapter should let that work, presuming the card is old enough and it's the Mac version of the card and you're using it in a Mac. (I've been meaning to try this with vtools  and/or my tibook and the  Macintosh Color Display 14/16 or AudioVision 14).

As far as I know, there aren't versions of these with DIP switches.  The regular VGA monitor on old mac adapters with DIP switches are for using multiscan  monitors and non-mac monitors on macs that expect certain sense pin configurations. (Mac II stuff, early LCs, that kind of thing.)