The E-Machines EtherDock (originally marketed as DeskNet)[1] is a portable docking station that was developed by SuperMac Technology and released in Fall 1993 under its E-Machines brand for the PowerBook Duo line from Apple Computer.[2]
Features[]
Like Apple's own Duo MiniDock, the EtherDock interfaced with a PowerBook Duo notebook through a custom 152-pin docking connector. A lever was used to secure and release the devices. All the ports, drives, and expansion slots of the dock would become accessible by the PowerBook Duo as a NuBus device. It contained 512KB of video RAM that could support up to 8-bit color on a 832 x 624 external display, while the built-in LCD was operating simultaneously. During bootup, any attached external monitor would show the E-Machines logo. The distinctive feature of the EtherDock is that the pass-through RJ11 modem port was replaced with a RJ45 Ethernet port.[3][4]
Variants[]
The EtherDock was based on Apple Computer's Duo MiniDock, which SuperMac Technology manufactured on behalf of Apple.[3]
Issues[]
With repeated use of excessive force, the plastic ejection lever is known to be prone to breakage.[3] The EtherDock also does not support sleep, so the PowerBook Duo must be shut down completely before the dock is disengaged.[5]
Supported models[]
The EtherDock hardware is known to have gone through at least 4 revisions (A, B, C, and D). Though all revisions can physically fit with every released model of the PowerBook Duo line, revisions A, B, and C only support the 68030-based models:
- PowerBook Duo 210 (25 MHz 68030)
- PowerBook Duo 230 (33 MHz 68030)
- PowerBook Duo 250 (33 MHz 68030)
- PowerBook Duo 270c (33 MHz 68030)
Revision D can support the 68LC040-based models:
- PowerBook Duo 280 (66/33 MHz 68LC040)
- PowerBook Duo 280c (66/33 MHz 68LC040)
A Revision E was to have supported the PowerBook Duo 2300c, which was based around a 100 MHz PowerPC 601 processor. However, it is unknown whether this revision had ever shipped.[3]
References[]
- ↑ 拡張性/ドック類:何のためにドックは必要か? (Japanese) by Nao, Duo-Zone Kansai, FC2. 2005-05-23.
- ↑ New Products, Computerworld. p.39. 1993-10-04.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 E-Machines EtherDock for the PowerBook Duo series by Sean2300c, RetroMacCast. 2009-01-05.
- ↑ Apple Duo Dock pinout, Pinouts.ru. 2017-05-30.
- ↑ Dockのスリープ時の脱着 (Japanese) by まーくん, Linkclub. 1998.
External links[]
- E-Machines EtherDock Q&A at Radius (1995-12-13, archived 1998-05-29) (mirror)
- E-Machines EtherDock Innards at the 68k Macintosh Liberation Army (2016-12-19)
- SuperMac E-Machines EtherDoc[sic] at WorthPoint