Check your cable stashes, because this old Apple dongle is worth $200
The demise of one obscure adapter has vintage Mac fans in a mild uproar because it's the only way older devices can connect to modern digital displays without a hardware swap.
This is what the fuss is about: an ADC to DVI cable. (Source: ebay via 404 Media)
It's the adapter you've never heard of, and whose name trips off the tongue -- the Belkin F2E9142-WHT ADC to DVI cable. But its importance is such that AppleInsider forum members were clamoring for it a decade ago.
Long out of production, the tiny adapter currently commands prices of well over $200, when it can even be found on sale. Consequently, a petition has been launched on Change.org, calling for its return to manufacture.
"As a passionate member of the worldwide vintage Apple Mac community," wrote petitioner Grant Woodward, as first spotted by 404 media, "I am deeply concerned about the discontinuation of the Belkin F2E9142-WHT ADC to DVI cable."
"For those unfamiliar with its significance, this cable allows vintage Apple Macintosh computers to connect with more recent monitors, breathing new life into these iconic machines," wrote Woodward. "It is an invaluable tool for restoring, collecting, and preserving these pieces of computing history."
History of the popular adapter
Apple's ADC connector was short-lived. It was another Apple attempt at an "all-in-one" connector that carried power and data, in one cable. Unlike today's Thunderbolt, it carried power from the host computer to the display.
The most famous product, or infamous depending on your point of view, that used it was the Mac G4 Cube.
The only other alternative on older hardware that lacks a VGA port is swapping out the video card for one that has a VGA or DVI port. But, that too is a costly endeavor.
Most -- but not all -- of the video cards used on the Blue and White G3, and assorted G4 towers also had a VGA connector. But, monitors that have a native VGA port are few and far between in 2023. And, going from a VGA video card to a HDMI monitor requires an active and powered converter versus a $7 cable.
Notably, this ADC to DVI adapter is uni-directional. The DVI to ADC adapter allows a ADC monitor to connect to a DVI computer, and it is a much larger adapter incorporating a power supply. Complete, it too can get expensive.
Urging for the adapter's return
Woodward says that the petition is about "urging Belkin and other tech producers to recognize the demand for the Belkin F2E9142-WHT ADC to DVI cable or a suitable alternative."
At time of writing, the petition has been live for a week, and has been signed by 25 people.
We've checked our sometimes deep cable stashes, and while we have AAUI adapters, an assortment of PhoneNet connectors, HDI-45 dongles, SCSI terminators both active and passive, and even some USB to ADB connectors, we don't have any of these. Sorry.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
Ebay link (be careful):
https://www.ebay.com/b/Apple-Dvi-To-Adc/158840/bn_7023396339
https://www.priceblaze.com/F2E9142WHTAPL-Belkin-Cable
HDMI to VGA is expensive. VGA to VGA is not. I should have been more clear.
Belkin and other suppliers probably looked at their cost to stock the unit, and their MBAs decided they were not selling enough units to justify storage space.
Pocketscience (above) may have the best approach (buy a bunch of miscellaneous old Apple stuff, and hope for the best). Other likely places would be Goodwill (possibly with an old G4 or one of the old displays).
It is possible that nobody makes new ADC connectors. I'd expect any manufacturer to be in Asia and require a minimum order of a few thousand.
Have already eliminated all of my TB-2, PS2, parallel, serial, twinaxial and VGA stuff. Next to go will likely be USB-A/B (except 30-pin for iPod Classics). RCA plugs/composite still in use for some DVD & VHS recorders/players.
I had a similar issue with a connector for a 1997 Saturn SL2 back in 2009. My mechanic at the time had to wire around a broken connector, then order one from Canada. The connector took several weeks to arrive. (GM had sold Saturn and their parts to Canadian company Magna, if I remember correctly.) I'd expect similar problems with Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Mercury vehicles. Plastic engine compartment parts for BMWs are notoriously expensive ($300-500), and start breaking after a few years - money pit.