What is this?

[coolrock1]

 

[Amethyst1]

An adapter from Apple 8-pin mini-DIN serial ports to USB.

 

[coolrock1]

An adapter from Apple 8-pin mini-DIN serial ports to USB.

What can I use it for?

 

[Amethyst1]

What can I use it for?

Connect a Newton MessagePad to a modern Mac

 

[coolrock1]

Connect a Newton MessagePad to a modern Mac

What about a HP Deskwriter?

 

[Amethyst1]

What about a HP Deskwriter?

Does it have an 8-pin serial port? It probably has a 25-pin parallel port, so that wouldn't work.

 

[Biffs]

Early Macs used a networking system called appletalk, using connections like this. When the iMac was first launched they didn't come with the appletalk port, just the very new - for then - USB. I'm guessing this is an adapter to allow new iMacs to network with SE30s, IIcxs, laserwriters, etc

 

[mfram]

Weren't those ports used for ADB (Apple Desktop Bus)? Stuff like mice and keyboards. Maybe printers. That's from way back in the Apple IIgs era and I think Macs of those vintage.

 

[Arctic Moose]

Weren't those ports used for ADB (Apple Desktop Bus)?

Correct, beat me to it!

ADB was dropped when USB was introduced on the iMac in 1998, and was phased out of all other Macs after that.

You can use it to connect the best keyboard of all time (Apple Extended Keyboard II) to a modern Mac.

I’ll buy it if you don’t want it.