Macintosh conversion
{{short description|Aftermarket modification of a genuine Apple Mac computer}}
To date, two methods have been used to make a personal computer, not offered by Apple, but able to run a Mac operating system: either create a Macintosh conversion or build a Macintosh clone.
Unlike Mac clones that contain little or no original Apple hardware, Mac conversions are essentially modification kits that require the core components of a previously purchased, genuine Apple Mac computer, such as the Macintosh ROM or the motherboard, in order to become a functional computer system.
This places the commercial production of a Mac conversion under the protection of the first-sale doctrine in the U.S. and similar legal concepts in most other countries.
Background
Since the early days of Macintosh computers, manufacturers have sought to fulfill the needs of customers who wanted to have a computer with Mac OS, but with a functionality not provided by Apple’s existing Macintosh (later called Mac) lineup.
Companies making Mac conversions start with a previously purchased, genuine Apple Mac computer, and use them in combination with their own manufactured components to assemble their custom Mac solution. Modifications can be as minor as the addition of a touch-sensitive display bezel to an otherwise factory standard iMac to create for example a kiosk system,{{cite web
|url=https://www.macworld.com/article/1017545/touchscreen.html
|title=Touchscreen system for new iBooks announced
|author=Sellers, Dennis
|date =May 17, 2001
|publisher =Macworld
|quote =Touchscreens and kiosks utilizing Apple's consumer products seem to be a booming industry. Last month a company called Third Stream Media announced plans to roll out its Touch Stand retail kiosk based on iMac systems and Termimac Informations systems unveiled their own line of iMac-based information kiosk systems}}{{cite web
|url = http://maccentral.macworld.com:80/news/0104/26.touchstand.shtml
|title = Termimac offers slick iMac kiosk
|author = Cohen, Peter
|date = April 26, 2001
|publisher = MacCentral Online
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20010604211927/http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0104/26.touchstand.shtml
|archive-date = June 4, 2001
|quote = The branded kiosks feature touchscreen-equipped iMac systems, as well.
|url-status = dead
}} or as extensive as the complete replacement of a MacBook's laptop enclosure to create a Tablet Mac.{{cite web
|url=http://www.techshout.com/hardware/2007/10/modbook-the-first-true-mac-tablet-arrives-at-macworld/
|title=ModBook – the First True Mac Tablet Arrives at Macworld
|author=Dubey, Krati
|year =2007
|publisher =TechShout
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =If your favored input device is the pen, then this is the Mac tablet solution for you}}
While this business model of aftermarket modification is most commonly used in the car industry, with one of the most famous examples being the Shelby Mustang, a high performance variant of the Ford Mustang, it has been applied with equal success in the Mac market.
Whereas Mac clones typically aim to compete directly with Apple's solutions through lower prices, commercial Mac conversions rely on offering features/solutions not available from Apple, and where the need for that particular Mac solution is high enough to justify the combined cost of the full price of the Mac donor computer plus the price of the conversion kit and labor.{{cite web
|url=http://www.seyboldreports.com/SRDP/dp5/DP05-01.htm
|title=Souped-up fx
|date =September 10, 1990
|publisher =Seybold Report on Desktop Publishing, Volume 05, Number 01
|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20060523125507/http://www.seyboldreports.com/SRDP/dp5/DP05-01.htm
|archive-date =May 23, 2006
|quote =just introduced a IIfx version of the Dash 30. For $11,500, you get a Mac IIfx (40-MHz 68030 CPU and 68882 math chip), 8 MB of high-bandwidth main memory and a 180-MB disk drive rated for 15-ms access time}} Commercially successful Mac conversions were discontinued when Apple introduced products with competing features.{{cite web
|url=https://everymac.com/systems/outbound/
|title=Outbound
|author=
|website =EveryMac.com
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =Ultimately, the inexpensive, sleek and lightweight PowerBook 100, co-designed by Apple and Sony, forced Outbound out of business}}
Legality
By definition, a Macintosh conversion is an aftermarket modification of a previously purchased, genuine Apple Mac computer or laptop, while preserving the core components required to run the Mac operating system, such as the donor Mac's motherboard. Conversions are thus completely compatible with Macintosh software,{{Cite magazine |last=Walker |first=Nick |date=January 1987 |title=Dynamac |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Personal-Computer-World/80s/PCW-1987-01-S-OCR.pdf |access-date=2024-10-08 |magazine=Personal Computer World |pages=130-136}} and avoid any of the copyright misuse, DMCA or Mac operating system licensing issues that form the basis of the legal threat unlicensed Mac clone manufacturers have to face.
Apple's 1986 agreement to sell Macintosh computers to Dynamac at a discounted price indicated the former's tolerance of the latter company's conversions. Other companies stated that they were also negotiating with Apple, but would continue to purchase Macs at retail for conversion without such an agreement. Apple only sold complete computers for conversion, refusing to sell individual components such as motherboards{{r|oconnor19861124}} despite conversion vendors' wishes,{{r|spiegelman19861031}} although inviting them to become value-added resellers.{{r|spiegelman19870330}} The performance of aftermarket modifications is in the U.S. protected by the First-sale doctrine and similar legal concepts in most other countries.{{cite web
|url=http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKHL/1986/7.html
|title=British Leyland Motor Corp & Ors v Armstrong Patents Company Ltd & Ors
|date =February 27, 1986
|publisher =United Kingdom House of Lords Decisions
|quote =It seems to me that when one is considering machinery which is not the subject of any patent protection, it is unnecessary and may be misleading to introduce the concept of an implied licence. The owner of a car must be entitled to do whatever is necessary to keep it in running order and to effect whatever repairs may be necessary in the most economical way possible. To derive this entitlement from an implied licence granted by the original manufacturer seems to me quite artificial. It is a right inherent in the ownership of the car itself. There is an inconsistency between marketing cars and thereby creating whatever rights attach to their ownership on the one hand and acting to restrain the free exercise of those rights on the other. The law does not countenance such inconsistencies.}}{{cite web
|url=http://swarb.co.uk/british-leyland-motor-corporation-ltd-v-armstrong-patents-co-ltd-hl-1986/
|title=BRITISH LEYLAND MOTOR CORPORATION LTD V ARMSTRONG PATENTS CO LTD: HL 1986
|author=
|date =March 22, 2017
|website =Swarb.co.uk
|quote =Every owner of a car has the right to repair it. That right would be useless if suppliers of spare parts were not entitled to anticipate the need for repair. The right cannot, in my view, be withheld by the manufacturer of the car by contract with the first purchaser and cannot be withheld from any subsequent owner.}} Its legality has been tested through litigation, most notably in the automotive industry, where automobile manufacturers have attempted to hinder or suppress automotive aftermarket businesses by means of copyright and/or patent infringement lawsuits.
The application of the aftermarket process makes for a critical legal distinction between Macintosh conversions and Macintosh clones. Whereas none of the Mac conversions of the companies listed below have seen legal action, Psystar, an unlicensed Mac clone maker, was sued by Apple in federal court within months{{cite web
|url=https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/16/apple-sues-psystar-to-block-macintosh-clone-sales/
|title=Apple Sues Psystar to Block Macintosh Clone Sales
|author=Taub, Eric A.
|date =June 16, 2008
|work =The New York Times
|quote =On July 3, Apple filed suit in the Federal District Court for Northern California, asserting that the Florida-based company had breached its trademark agreements by selling non-Apple hardware, including servers, that could run modified versions of the Mac OS X Leopard operating system.}} of the introduction of their first Mac clones.{{cite web
|url=http://www.crn.com/blogs-op-ed/the-apple-channel/207200440/psystar-releases-mac-clone-but-has-apple-shut-them-down.htm
|title=Psystar Releases Mac Clone, But Has Apple Shut Them Down?
|author=Lainski, Jennifer
|date =April 14, 2008
|publisher =CRN
|quote =A company called Psystar announced ... that it has created a Mac-clone for $399 that will run Apple's OS Leopard}}
Companies
The following companies have created commercially available Mac conversion solutions:
=Axiotron, Inc.=
Axiotron, Inc., was founded as a Delaware corporation in 2005{{cite web
|url=https://icis.corp.delaware.gov/Ecorp/EntitySearch/NameSearch.aspx
|title=California Department of State: Division of Corporations: Dynamac Computer Products Inc.
|publisher =California Department of State
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =Delaware Corporation: AXIOTRON, INC.; File Number: 3908075; Founded: May 1st, 2005}} with headquarters in Los Angeles, California. It was acquired in 2008{{cite web
|url=http://sip-trunking.tmcnet.com/news/2008/08/27/3620907.htm
|title=Axiotron Corp.: Axiotron Completes Equity/Debt Financings and Closes Qualifying Transaction
|author=
|date =August 26, 2008
|publisher =SIP TRUNKING REPORT
|quote =Axiotron Corp. (AXO - TSX Venture) ... today announced that it has closed its ... acquisition of ... El Segundo, California-based, Axiotron, Inc.
}} by the publicly traded Toronto, Canada-based Axiotron Corp. (TSX-V: AXO) and dissolved in 2010.{{cite web
|url=http://pdf.free-press-release.com/pdf/download/201007/1277940689.pdf?32743
|title=Shareholders Approve Dissolution of Axiotron, Inc.
|date =June 1, 2010
|website =Free-Press-Release.com
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|format =PDF
|quote =was dissolved today upon a unanimous vote by its shareholders, following foreclosure against all of its assets by its secured creditors}}{{cite web
|url=http://www.investorpoint.com/stock/AXO.H:CA-Axiotron%20Corp./news/36649630/
|title=Axiotron Announces Transfer of Listing to NEX Board of TSX Venture Exchange
|date =December 16, 2010
|website =InvestorPoint.com
|quote =Trading in the Company's shares will remain suspended in accordance with a general cease trade order issued by the Company's principal regulator, the Ontario Securities Commission, on June 23, 2010}}
The company was the first Mac conversion manufacturer to create a pen-enabled tablet Mac computer.{{cite web
|url=https://www.macworld.com/article/1131356/modbook.html
|title=ModBook tablet Mac finally ships
|author=Cohen, Peter
|date =January 2, 2008
|publisher =Macworld
|quote =It's the first pen tablet-based Mac.}}
Notable products include:
- Modbook – the first true Tablet Mac,{{cite web
|url=http://www.techshout.com/hardware/2007/10/modbook-the-first-true-mac-tablet-arrives-at-macworld/
|title=ModBook – the First True Mac Tablet Arrives at Macworld
|author=Dubey, Krati
|year =2007
|publisher =TechShout
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =ModBook the First True Mac Tablet}} this Mac conversion was based on the polycarbonate white MacBook and featured a pen-enabled, but not finger-touch-sensitive screen. The Modbook retained the entire bottom half of the donor MacBook enclosure, only removing the display and the keyboard section, replacing it with the pen-enabled 13.3-inch wide-viewing-angle display in a chrome-plated cast-magnesium bezel.{{cite web
|url=https://www.macworld.com/article/1131356/modbook.html
|title=ModBook tablet Mac finally ships
|author=Cohen, Peter
|date =January 2, 2008
|publisher =Macworld
|quote =Modbook Product Specs}}{{cite web
|url=https://www.engadget.com/2008/01/01/axiotron-finally-ships-modbook-os-x-tablet/
|title=Axiotron finally ships Modbook OSX Tablet
|author=Blass, Evan
|date =January 1, 2008
|publisher =Engadget
|quote =Modbook Product Specs}} Discontinued in 2010.
=Colby Systems, Inc.=
{{Main|Chuck Colby}}
Founded in 1982{{cite web
|url=https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/CBS/SearchResults?SearchType=CORP&SearchCriteria=Colby+systems&SearchSubType=Keyword
|title=California Secretary of State: Business Entities: Colby Systems Inc.
|publisher =California Department of State
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =California Corporation: Colby Systems Inc.; File Number: C1129026; Founded: 12/01/1982}} by Chuck Colby and operating out of Fresno, California, Colby Systems, Inc. launched its first Macintosh portable computer in 1987,{{Cite journal |last=Spiegelman |first=Lisa L. |date=30 March 1987 |title=Developers Ready Mac SE-Compatible Portables |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MTwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA25 |journal=InfoWorld |publisher=InfoWorld Media Group, Inc. |volume=9 |issue=13 |pages=1– |issn=0199-6649 |access-date=31 October 2012}} after attempting to negotiate purchasing Macintosh components from Apple.{{Cite journal |last=Spiegelman |first=Lisa L. |date=11 October 1986 |title=Colby Negotiates With Apple To Build Mac Portable by '87 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pDwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 |journal=InfoWorld |volume=8 |issue=41 |pages=1,6 |issn=0199-6649 |access-date=31 October 2012}}{{r|oconnor19861124}} In 1991, after introducing but never shipping its final portable Mac solution, the company left the Mac conversion business to work with video technology{{cite web
|url=https://www.macworld.com/article/2015145/the-unusual-world-of-mac-prototypes.html
|title=The unusual world of Mac prototypes
|author=Edwards, Benj
|date =November 23, 2012
|publisher =Macworld
|quote =Colby left the Macintosh development world to work with video technology.}} and was dissolved in 2016.{{cite web
|url=https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/CBS/SearchResults?SearchType=CORP&SearchCriteria=Colby+systems&SearchSubType=Keyword
|title=California Secretary of State: Business Entities: Colby Systems Inc.
|publisher =California Department of State
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =California Corporation: Colby Systems Inc.; File Number: C1129026; Dissolved: 02/09/2016}}
Notable products include:
- Lap-Mac{{r|spiegelman19870330}} – Macintosh Plus converted into a 16-pound, portable Mac computer with a detachable gas plasma screen allowing users to place a monitor on top of the device instead. Featuring 1MB RAM, one 800k floppy drive, and optional external battery pack, it had space for a modem and an ink-jet printer. Pricing started at $4,995 and the product was discontinued with the introduction of the company's WalkMac in 1987.
- The first WalkMac{{cite web
|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/walkmac-revisited-the-inside-story-of-the-first-portable-mac/
|title=Walkmac revisited: The inside story of the 'first' portable Mac
|author=Carnoy, David
|date =May 30, 2013
|publisher =CNET}} was a Mac conversion based upon a Mac Plus logic board, and it featured an orange plasma display. Only a mouse-pad was supplied, and a mouse, a keyboard and an external battery were needed. Special connectors on the side allowed the connection of an external FDD and/or HDD module. A collector has recently documented the acquisition and repair of one of this original WalkMac machine.{{cite web
|url=https://68kmla.org/forums/index.php?app=forums&module=forums&controller=topic&id=60718
|title=WalkMac from Colby's Estate
}} The WalkMac SE{{cite web
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pDsEAAAAMBAJ&q=colby+macintosh+portable&pg=PA8
|title=Colby to Sell SE Model of Walk-Mac
|author=Flynn, Laurie
|date =October 31, 1988
|publisher =InfoWorld News
|quote =Colby SE Product Specs}}{{cite web
|url=https://everymac.com/systems/colby/walkmac/walkmac_se.html
|title=Mac Clones: Colby: WalkMac SE Specs
|author=
|website =EveryMac.com
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =Colby WalkMac SE Product Specs}}{{Cite magazine |last=Crabb |first=Don |date=February 1989 |title=Hey Apple, I Need a Laptop |url=https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1989-02_OCR/page/n205/mode/2up?view=theater |access-date=2024-10-08 |magazine=BYTE |pages=151-154}} and SE-30{{cite web
|url=https://everymac.com/systems/colby/walkmac/walkmac_se30.html
|title=Mac Clones: Colby: WalkMac SE-30 Specs
|author=
|website =EveryMac.com
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =Colby WalkMac SE-30 Product Specs}}{{cite web
|url=http://lowendmac.com/1989/mac-se30/
|title=Mac SE/30
|author=
|website =LowEndMac.com
|date=19 January 1989
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =Colby WalkMac SE-30 Product Specs}} – replacing the original WalkMac, were based on a Macintosh SE and Macintosh SE/30 respectively, and transformed the donor computers from all-in-one desktops to Mac portables with 9-inch monochrome backlit LCD Supertwist displays and internal batteries. Pricing started a $5,600 for the WalkMac SE and $6,800 for the WalkMac SE-30.
- Colby Classmate{{cite web
|url=http://lowendmac.com/2016/colby-classmate-portable-computer/
|title=Colby Classmate Portable Computer
|author=
|website =LowEndMac.com
|date=3 July 2016
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =Colby Classmate Portable Product Specs}}{{cite web
|url=http://www.chuckcolby.com/classmatetablet.html
|title=Classmate Portable Computer
|author=
|publisher =Chuck Colby
|quote =Colby WalkMac SE-30 Product Specs}} – based on a Macintosh Classic and introduced in 1991, it would have been the first Mac in a tablet-like form factor with a built-in trackball and a membrane keyboard positioned under the display. However the Classmate never went into production.{{cite web
|url=https://www.macworld.com/article/2015145/the-unusual-world-of-mac-prototypes.html
|title=The unusual world of Mac prototypes
|author=Edwards, Benj
|date =November 23, 2012
|publisher =Macworld
|quote =Never reached the market}}
={{anchor|Dynamac Computer Products, Inc.}} Dynamac Corporation=
Dynamac Corporation, out of Denver, Colorado, also known as Dynamac Computer Products Inc., was founded as a Delaware corporation in 1970{{cite web
|url=https://icis.corp.delaware.gov/Ecorp/EntitySearch/NameSearch.aspx
|title=California Department of State: Division of Corporations: Dynamac Computer Products Inc.
|publisher =California Department of State
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =Delaware Corporation: DYNAMAC CORPORATION; File Number: 750817; Founded: May 1st, 1970}} and offered Mac portable computer systems between 1986{{cite web
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hTwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA5
|title=Apple Backs Portable Mac By Dynamac
|author=O'Connor, Rory J.
|date =November 24, 1986
|publisher =InfoWorld News
|quote =Dynamac said its first machines, also called Dynamac, will be available for sale early next year}} and 1991.{{cite web
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fVAEAAAAMBAJ&q=Outbound+Systems+Inc.+Boulder%2C+Colorado&pg=PA34
|title=Outbound, Dynamac Show Laptops
|author=Flynn, Laurie and Krohn, Nico
|date =January 21, 1991
|publisher =Macintosh News
|quote =January 22, 1991 Dynamac shows Laptop}} In 1986 it became the first Mac portable vendor to purchase Macintosh computers from Apple at a discounted price.{{Cite magazine |last=O'Connor |first=Rory J. |date=1986-11-24 |title=Apple Backs Portable Mac By Dynamac |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hTwEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA43&pg=PA5#v=onepage&q&f=true |access-date=2024-11-13 |magazine=InfoWorld |page=5}}
Notable products include:
- Dynamac{{cite web
|url=http://lowendmac.com/2016/dynamac-and-dynamac-el/
|title=Dynamac and Dynamac EL
|author=
|date =July 3, 2016
|website =LowEndMac.com
|quote =Details, Dynamac}}{{cite web
|url=http://www.digibarn.com/collections/systems/dynamac/index.html
|title=The Dynamac, a Macintosh clone (and first true Mac portable)
|author=
|publisher =DigiBarn Computer Museum
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =The following Dynamac was used by Niel MacDonald and others at Apple, and traveled all the way to Signapore [sic] once.}}{{Cite magazine |last=Walker |first=Nick |date=January 1987 |title=Dynamac |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Personal-Computer-World/80s/PCW-1987-01-S-OCR.pdf |access-date=2024-10-08 |magazine=Personal Computer World |pages=130-136}} – Macintosh Plus converted into a black metal, 24-pound, portable Mac computer with a 9-inch back-lit amber electroluminescent screen and an optional, external battery pack. Based on an 8MHz 68000 CPU, and with pricing starting at $7,000, the Dynamac became obsolete with the introduction of the Apple Macintosh Portable in 1989.{{cite web
|url=https://everymac.com/systems/apple/powerbook/specs/mac_portable.html
|title=Apple Portable (Original) Specs
|author=
|website =EveryMac.com
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =Introduction Date: September 20, 1989}} Discontinued.
- Dynamac EL{{cite web
|url=https://everymac.com/systems/dynamac/laptops/dynamac_el.html
|title=Dynamac EL Specs
|author=
|website =EveryMac.com
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =Dynamac EL Specs}} – based on the same Macintosh Plus system as the Dynamac, the EL used a black Cycolac plastic enclosure, reducing the weight to 18-pound and dropping the starting price to $6,000. It also became obsolete with the introduction of the Apple Macintosh Portable in 1989.{{cite web
|url=https://everymac.com/systems/apple/powerbook/specs/mac_portable.html
|title=Apple Portable (Original) Specs
|author=
|website =EveryMac.com
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =Introduction Date: September 20, 1989}} Discontinued.
- Dynamac LC Display{{cite web
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fVAEAAAAMBAJ&q=Outbound+Systems+Inc.+Boulder%2C+Colorado&pg=PA34
|title=Outbound, Dynamac Show Laptops
|author=Flynn, Laurie and Krohn, Nico
|date =January 21, 1991
|publisher =Macintosh News
|quote =Dynamac offers Portable Display}} – converted a Macintosh LC into a 13 ¾-pound portable Mac by attaching a 9.5-inch LCD display with 640-by-480 pixels resolution and 16 shades of grey to a Macintosh LC base system. Adding the optional battery added 2 ½ pound to the system's weight. Pricing started at $1,299 for the display kit, plus the cost of the Macintosh LC. Discontinued.
- Dynamac IIsf{{cite web
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fVAEAAAAMBAJ&q=Outbound+Systems+Inc.+Boulder%2C+Colorado&pg=PA34
|title=Outbound, Dynamac Show Laptops
|author=Flynn, Laurie and Krohn, Nico
|date =January 21, 1991
|publisher =Macintosh News
|quote =The Dynamac IIsf}} and IIsf/30{{cite web
|url=http://lowendmac.com/1991/dynamac-iisf-and-iisf30/
|title=Dynamac IIsf and IIsf/30
|author=Knight, Dan
|date =January 14, 1991
|website =LowEndMac.com
|quote =The Dynamac IIsf is a leather-cased portable with an LC motherboard and a 640 x 480 pixel, 16-gray backlit, flat-panel display. It includes a touch pad, has a battery life of three hours, and comes with 2 megabytes of RAM and a 40 megabyte hard-disk drive. The IIsf can drive Apple’s 12-inch RGB and monochrome displays.}} – this 11-pound Mac portable was based on converting a Macintosh LC into a leather-cased Mac portable with a built-in 9.5-inch LCD display with 640-by-480 pixels resolution and 16 shades of grey, a touchpad and an internal battery. The solution came either with the original donor Mac’s 68020 CPU (IIsf) starting at a price of $4,995 or an 68030 CPU (IIsf/30) starting at a price of $6,995. Discontinued.
=Intelitec Systems Corporation=
Intelitec Systems Corporation, based out of Fairfield, Iowa, offered Macintosh portable computers from 1987{{r|spiegelman19870330}} until 1989 when the introduction of the Apple Macintosh Portable made their product obsolete.{{cite web
|url=https://everymac.com/systems/apple/powerbook/specs/mac_portable.html
|title=Apple Portable (Original) Specs
|author=
|website =EveryMac.com
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =Introduction Date: September 20, 1989}}
Notable products include:
- MX Plus{{r|spiegelman19870330}} – based on a Macintosh Plus, converted into a 15-pounds portable computer in an aluminum attache case, it featured a Supertwist LCD display, 1MB of RAM, two 800k Floppy drives, an internal battery, a mouse and had space for a modem and a printer. Pricing started at $5,000 and it was discontinued in 1989 with the introduction of the Apple Macintosh Portable.
=Modbook Inc.=
Founded in February 2012, Modbook Inc., a privately held{{cite web
|url=https://www.onlineprnews.com/news/213276-1331583908-modbook-inc-completes-startup-financing.html
|title=Modbook Inc. Completes Startup Financing
|author=
|date =March 12, 2012
|publisher =Online PR Media
|quote =a privately held company ... today announced that it has successfully secured private equity funding}} U.S. company based out of Los Angeles, California,{{cite web
|url=https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/CBS/SearchResults?SearchType=CORP&SearchCriteria=modbook&SearchSubType=Keyword
|title=California Secretary of State: Business Entities: Modbook Inc.
|publisher =California Department of State
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =California Corporation: Modbook Inc.; File Number: C3438933; Founded: 2/2/2012}} is currently the only active Mac conversion manufacturer. The company offers mid- and high-end pen-enabled Tablet Mac solutions for creative professionals.
Notable products include:
- Modbook Pro – introduced in 2012, this Mac conversion, built for the non-Retina 13.3-inch Apple MacBook Pro, replaces the entire enclosure of its donor Mac with a CNC-machined, all-aluminum chassis, turning it into a pen-enabled, slate-style tablet computer. Pricing starts at $1,799 plus the cost for the donor MacBook Pro, and is available from the company's webstore{{cite web
|url=http://store.modbook.com/
|title=Modbook Online Store
|publisher =Modbook Inc.
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =Modbook Online Store}} and through Amazon.{{cite web
|url=https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=modbook
|title=Amazon: Modbook
|website =Amazon.com
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =Amazon: Modbook}}
- Modbook Pro X – initially conceived as a one-off Kickstarter project at the end of 2014,{{cite web
|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/modbook/modbook-pro-x-154-retina-quad-core-mac-os-x-tablet
|title=Modbook Pro X — 15.4" Retina Quad-Core Mac OS X Tablet
|author=Modbook Inc.
|website =Kickstarter.com
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =Project Page}} the project was merged at the end of 2016{{cite web
|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/modbook/modbook-pro-x-154-retina-quad-core-mac-os-x-tablet/posts/1775160
|title=Questionnaire Results
|author=Modbook Inc.
|date =December 31, 2016
|website =Kickstarter.com
|quote =[85.4% voted to] getting the Pro X compatible with the latest Touch Bar MacBook Pro generation and fill your Kickstarter rewards with those.}} into the development of the company's next flagship product, the Modbook Pro X with Touch Bar. In September 2017, the company announced the end of 2017/early 2018 as the anticipated launch date{{cite web
|url=http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/36366314/modbook-inc-launched-equity-crowdfunding-campaign-on-wefunder-and-introduced-the-modbook-pro-x-worlds-first-convertible-tablet-mac
|title=Modbook Inc. Launched Equity Crowdfunding Campaign on Wefunder and Introduced the Modbook Pro X, World's First Convertible Tablet Mac
|author=
|date =September 14, 2017
|publisher =Hawaii News Now
|quote =Introduced the Modbook Pro X, World's First Convertible Tablet Mac}}{{cite web
|url=https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mac4ever.com%2Factu%2F125057_le-nouveau-modbook-pro-x-transforme-un-macbook-pro-15-en-mac-tactile
|title=Le nouveau "Modbook Pro X" transforme un MacBook Pro 15" en Mac tactile
|author=
|date =September 14, 2017
|publisher =Mac4Ever
|language =French
|trans-title =The new "Modbook Pro X" turns a MacBook Pro 15 "into Mac touch
|quote =The new Modbook X is based on a MacBook Pro 15 "2017 and transforms it into a tablet}} and pricing is expected to start at $2,499 plus the cost for the donor 15.4-inch Retina MacBook Pro.
=Outbound Systems, Inc.=
{{main|Outbound Systems}}
Outbound Systems Inc., based in Boulder, Colorado, and founded in 1989,{{cite web
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bPS1AAAAIAAJ&q=%22outbound+systems,+inc%22+1989
|title=Electronic Business, Volume 16, Issues 9-16
|author=
|year =1990
|publisher =Cahners Publishing Company
|quote =founded in 1989}} offered Mac portable computer systems between 1989{{cite web
|url=http://lowendmac.com/2016/outbound-laptop-and-notebook/
|title=Outbound Laptop and Notebook
|author=
|date =July 3, 2016
|website =LowEndMac.com
|quote =It was announced in August 1989}} and 1991,{{cite web
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fVAEAAAAMBAJ&q=Outbound+Systems+Inc.+Boulder%2C+Colorado&pg=PA34
|title=Outbound, Dynamac Show Laptops
|author=Flynn, Laurie and Krohn, Nico
|date =January 21, 1991
|publisher =Macintosh News
|quote =Outbound Adds Classic Support}} and left the Mac conversion business in 1992 to build windows-based PC solutions.{{cite web
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KlEEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22outbound+systems%22+registered+corporation&pg=PA44
|title=Outbound offers network-ready PC
|author=Lee, Yvonne
|date =November 9, 1992
|publisher =InfoWorld News
|quote =Outbound Systems has used its experience making Macintosh-compatible notebooks to create an Intel-based miniature computer}}{{cite web
|url=http://www.nzdl.org/gsdlmod?e=d-00000-00---off-0tcc--00-0----0-10-0---0---0direct-10---4-------0-1l--11-en-50---20-about---00-0-1-00-0--4----0-0-11-10-0utfZz-8-10&a=d&cl=CL2.2&d=HASH7d69b67bd31defc6295143.3
|title=News - industry troubles
|author=
|date =December 16, 1992
|publisher =The computists' weekly
|quote =Outbound Systems Inc. (Boulder) is ceasing production. }}
Notable products include:
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/14/science/personal-computers-a-9-pound-mac-clone.html
|title=PERSONAL COMPUTERS; A 9-Pound Mac Clone
|author=Lewis, Peter H.
|date =August 14, 1990
|work =The New York Times
|quote =Outbound Laptop}}{{cite web
|url=http://www.applefritter.com/node/3359
|title=Outbound Laptop
|author=Owad, Tom
|date =May 18, 2004
|website =applefritter.com
|quote =Outbound Laptop}}{{cite web
|url=http://www.sinasohn.com/cgi-bin/clascomp/bldhtm.pl?computer=outlap
|title=Outbound Laptop - An innovative portable Mac
|author=Sinasohn, Roger
|year =2002
|quote =Outbound Laptop}} – announced in 1989, this Mac laptop conversion came very close to being a Mac clone as Outbound manufactured the entire computer, including the motherboard, and only required the transfer of the Mac ROM from a Macintosh Plus or SE donor computer. The company successfully characterized its solution as an extension of the donor Mac by supporting a “hive” mode. The “lobotomized” Mac could be connected to the Outbound Laptop and started normally, using the Laptop’s Mac ROM and faster 15 MHz 68HC000 CPU. Costing between $2,999 and $3,999, depending on the options (and without accounting for the cost of the donor Mac), it weighed 9.2 pounds, making it lighter and less expensive than Apple’s Macintosh Portable (15.5 pounds and $4,799 to $5,499 respectively). It was discontinued with the introduction of the Outbound Notebook in 1991.
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fVAEAAAAMBAJ&q=Outbound+Systems+Inc.+Boulder%2C+Colorado&pg=PA34
|title=Outbound, Dynamac Show Laptops
|author=Flynn, Laurie and Krohn, Nico
|date =January 21, 1991
|publisher =Macintosh News
|quote =Outbound Adds Classic Support}}{{cite web
|url=http://www.obsoletecomputermuseum.org/outbound/
|title=Outbound Notebook System
|author=
|publisher =Obsolete Computer Museum
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =It uses camcorder batteries}}{{cite web
|url=http://www.sinasohn.com/cgi-bin/clascomp/bldhtm.pl?computer=outbnd
|title=Outbound Notebook
|author=
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =Product Specs}} – introduced in 1991, and built like its predecessor the Wallaby with only the use of a ROM from a Macintosh Plus or SE donor, the Outbound featured a true clamshell notebook design with a 10″ Supertwist 640 x 400 pixels b&w display, a replaceable daughtercard design that allowed for easy CPU and FPU upgrades, standard 30-pin SIMM RAM memory modules, and could connect through its SCSI port to the Outbound Outrigger full-page external monochrome monitor. Pricing started at $3,500 and it was discontinued in 1992.
=Sixty-Eight Thousand, Inc.=
Sixty-Eight Thousand, Inc., a California corporation based out of Scotts Valley, operated between 1987{{cite web
|url=https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/CBS/SearchResults?SearchType=CORP&SearchCriteria=Sixty+Eight+Thousand&SearchSubType=Keyword
|title=California Department of State: Division of Corporations: Sixty-Eight Thousand, Inc.
|publisher =California Department of State
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =California Corporation: Sixty-Eight Thousand, Inc.; File Number: C1417299; Founded: September 10th, 1987}} and 1994,{{cite web|url=http://edgar.secdatabase.com/724/100127798000037/filing-main.htm |title=Sixty-Eight Thousand, Inc, Form 10KSB, Filing Date Apr 15, 1998 |publisher=secdatabase.com |accessdate =May 14, 2018 |quote =In June 1994, Sixty-Eight Thousand, Inc., a company which made Macintosh compatible workstations, filed for bankruptcy protection in San Jose, California (Case No.: 94-54123)}} offering performance-enhanced tower workstation solutions for the high and top-end professional Mac market.
Notable products include:
- Dash 30{{cite web
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JzoEAAAAMBAJ&q=sixty+eight+thousand+inc&pg=PT4
|title=Mac II Programs Run Faster On Non-Apple Workstation
|author=Flynn, Laurie
|date =February 20, 1989
|publisher =InfoWorld News
|quote =Sixty-Eight Thousand, Inc. released earlier this month a 68030-based workstation}} - based on the Macintosh II, this Mac conversion moved the Mac donor’s motherboard and assorted other components into a stainless steel tower enclosure with multiple storage bays, replaced the CPU with a much faster 32-MHz Motorola 68030 microprocessor, added a Pronto SCSI accelerator, a math coprocessor and high-speed RAM cache, allowing the system to run at several times the speed of the donor Macintosh II. Pricing started at $15,000 including the donor Macintosh II. The system was replaced by its successor, the Dash 30fx in 1990.
- Dash 30fx{{cite web
|url=http://lowendmac.com/2016/the-68000-dash-30fx-an-accelerate-mac-iifx/
|title=The 68000 Dash 30fx, an Accelerated Mac IIfx
|author=
|date =July 5, 2016
|website =LowEndMac.com
|quote =Product Specs}} – introduced in 1990,{{cite web
|url=http://www.seyboldreports.com/SRDP/dp5/DP05-01.htm
|title=Souped-up fx
|date =September 10, 1990
|publisher =Seybold Report on Desktop Publishing, Volume 05, Number 01
|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20060523125507/http://www.seyboldreports.com/SRDP/dp5/DP05-01.htm
|archive-date =May 23, 2006
|quote =The company has just introduced a IIfx version of the Dash 30}}{{cite web
|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/100515825?q&versionId=113893537
|title=Review: Dash 30fx workstation.
|author=Rimmer, Steve
|date =September 1, 1991
|publisher =Moorshead Publications Ltd. (Canada)
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =Product/ Service Evaluation Magazine/ Journal article}} the Dash 30fx, using the same enclosure and Mac conversion model as the previous Dash 30, was based on the Macintosh IIfx and included additional hardware to run the 68030 CPU at 50-MHz, a 25% speed increase over the unmodified donor Mac. Pricing for just the enclosure and the donor Macintosh IIfx started at $11,500 and $20,470 including the basic set of performance enhancements (overclocked CPU, high-speed RAM cache, SCSI accelerator)[7]. The system was replaced by its successor, the Dash 40q in 1993.
- Dash 40Q{{cite web
|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/SIXTY+EIGHT+THOUSAND+INC.+ANNOUNCES+PRIVATE+PLACEMENT-a013134195
|title=SIXTY EIGHT THOUSAND INC. ANNOUNCES PRIVATE PLACEMENT
|author=
|date =April 5, 1993
|publisher =The Free Library
|quote =Press release}}{{cite web
|url=http://www.davintosh.com/2005/11/13/p1010035/
|title=Comment 2006/05/04
|author=Littlefield, Giles
|date =May 4, 2006
|website =Davintosh.com
|quote =there was also a machine called the 40Q, which was an overclocked quadra 950 in a very very large case. We used to sell them as an upgrade for the quadra 950}} – introduced in 1993, targeting primarily the publishing industry in the prepress and color separation portions of the market, it used the same Mac conversion model and basic enclosure as the previous Dash iterations, but was based on the Macintosh Quadra 950. The 68040 CPU could be accelerated up to clock speeds of over 50 MHz and available options included a 100 MHz PowerPC 601 processor upgrade,{{cite web
|url=https://everymac.com/upgrade_cards/sonnettech/presto/presto_ppc.html
|title=Presto PowerPC Specs
|author=
|website =EveryMac.com
|access-date =September 27, 2017
|quote =Product Specs}} SCSI accelerator, high-speed RAM cache, and various storage bay drives. Pricing was similar to the Dash 30fx, with $12,000 for the donor Macintosh Quadra 950 plus the deskside tower enclosure, and $22,000 including the basic performance enhancements (overclocked CPU, high-speed RAM cache, SCSI accelerator). Discontinued in 1994.
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macintosh conversions}}