Macintosh Portable SLIM cards

[SuperSVGA]

Based on the images and the patent drawings, it doesn't seem like those readers had any extra logic, unless it was hiding on top of the PDS connector. For something compatible with the ROMs that were shipped, there would have to be extra registers (logic that handles the state of both readers simultaneously, so it wouldn't make sense for the logic to be inside the individual readers).

 

[eharmon]

Based on the images and the patent drawings, it doesn't seem like those readers had any extra logic, unless it was hiding on top of the PDS connector. For something compatible with the ROMs that were shipped, there would have to be extra registers (logic that handles the state of both readers simultaneously, so it wouldn't make sense for the logic to be inside the individual readers).

Could be using the reserved C1/C2 as cable select? I kinda doubt it but you never know.

 

[Disappearing inc]

I note that the SlimCard I opened up appears to have been assembled at the tail end of 1987, or perhaps early early 1988, while the Portable ROM notes in the first post begin in June of 1988. That's just enough time that we could be looking at some redesigns in between.

I wonder whether anyone who worked on the Portable would be willing to comment on it...

 

[SuperSVGA]

Could be using the reserved C1/C2 as cable select? I kinda doubt it but you never know.

Most of the card's signals would be connected directly to the PDS slot, except for write protect and card detect.
The rest of the functionality (i.e. functions not on the card itself) would need additional logic to present the registers to the system, including:

• Adapter is present
• Separate registers for the two slots for
  • Card inserted
  • Card read only
  • Card write protected
  • Card eject

 

[Joopmac]

Wow, this is insane! Those cards were pretty far in the development stage!


Does anybody have the icons for this at hand? I'd like to copy paste it on my bluescsi bootdrive

 

[Snial]

Apple would have been ahead of the market and the Portable would have been slightly lighter if these had come into fruition back in 1989.

Sorry to briefly hijack this interesting thread, but in this respect, Apple would have been merely catching up with Psion, which had support for RAM, ROM, EPROM and Flash cards up to 512kB in their MC ultra-portables in 1989.

The Psion MC400 was a ground-breaking laptop design, much smaller than laptops of the day and based entirely around solid-state storage with 2 expansion bays. It had an 8MHz CMOS 8086 and a full multi-tasking operating system (not MSDOS, but EPOC). It had 40-60 hours of battery life. It was about the same size as a PowerBook 145.

They missed the trick of putting the pointing device at the front, but it had a strange, slightly squishy trackpad behind the keyboard for the pointer. It also had a pair of touch-sense scrolling strips you can see at either side. The trackpad was touch-sense too, though it used absolute coordinates rather than relative movement, so you'd have to roll your finger a bit to get accurate positioning.

The deșign was a _real_ design, with a design language, unlike most PC laptops of the day and was slate grey instead of beige, thus predating the dark colour of PowerBook series by a couple of years.

Exploring the Psion MC400: A Vintage Mobile Computer

The Psion MC400 – a laptop way ahead of its time: Full-size keyboard, instant on, trackpad, SSDs and over 50hrs battery life from 8 x AAs

zedstarr.com

The MC400 wasn't terribly successful, though it did get a bit part in Die Hard 2, being the only contemporary laptop small enough to fit comfortably on an aircraft seat tray! Holly Gennaro-McClaine used it, because unlike John Mclaine, she was a techie! (this is a contrivance for the film, as the bad guys have a very high-tech approach to hijacking the airport).

Starring The Computer: Holly's Psion MC400 In Die Hard 2

Well Die Hard 2 fans! This is the moment you’ve been waiting for… What laptop was Holly Gennaro-McClaine using on the plane??? It turns out ...

oneweekwonder.blogspot.com

Although the MC400 wasn't successful, its sequel, the Psion 3.. 3c organiser series were: PDA-sized versions of the same technology, OS and SSDs (but just one drive bay). The Psion 3 was followed by the Psion 5, an early ARM-based PDA. Its fully-object-oriented C++ OS (EPOC32) formed the basis of the extremely popular Nokia Smartphones up until the appearance of the iPhone.