I found a Lisa 2/10 in a basement and it works! The drive is dead, but I was able to buy an X/Profile drive--very exciting.
To finish upgrading it to a MacXL, so I can play LodeRunner, I'm hoping to buy:
1) the "video mod" -- and instructions on how to install it
2) the MaxXL ROM chips to replace the Lisa ROM chips, so that the whole thing works.
I would be very grateful for guidance and advice!
Warm regards,
John
QuoteTo finish upgrading it to a MacXL, so I can play LodeRunner, I'm hoping to buy:
IIRC, you don't need to install the screen modification kit (which gives you square pixels) to run LodeRunner; you'll just need to run MacWorks XL 3.0 (which comes in two versions, one for the stock screen-rectangular pixels, and one for the modified screen-square pixels).
edit: I apologize for apparently dodging the actual question...
The modification kit includes two 2764 EPROMs and a 20 pin bipolar PROM which are installed on the CPU board, and a small autotransformer that is connected between the Video Board and the CRT yoke coil.
The EPROMs are easy to source, and the PROM is rare but a standard part. IIRC, the contents can be found on BitSavers (Thanks Al) if you have access to an EPROM programmer. The autotransformer is a custom part which isn't so easy to find. If you are comfortable working around the dangers of a CRT, then it is possible to make your own.
Finally, you'll need the screen modification kit version of MacWorks XL 3.0, or use one of the later screen-agnostic varieties of MacWorks Plus or MacWorks Plus II.
With the modification kit installed, you can no longer run environments other than MacWorks (and utilities such as BLU if those count as environments).
Quote from: sigma7 on December 09, 2025, 07:44:19 PMIIRC, you don't need to install the screen modification kit (which gives you square pixels) to run LodeRunner; you'll just need to run MacWorks XL 3.0 (which comes in two versions, one for the stock screen-rectangular pixels, and one for the modified screen-square pixels).
Yeah, unless you have a really specific reason to use the screen mod, I would just stick with the stock Lisa ROMs if I were you. Switching over to the screen mod ROMs locks you into using nothing but MacWorks, and the slightly nicer-looking screen in Mac OS isn't at all worth it in my opinion.
Quote... you'll just need to run MacWorks XL 3.0 (which comes in two versions, one for the stock screen-rectangular pixels, and one for the modified screen-square pixels).
I did not know that. The more I read about screen mods, the more confused I am. Where can I find online the installation floppy images for these two versions?
There is always the "lo-fi" video mod as applied by the high school that previously owned my 2/10: pop open the top cover and twist the vertical size adjustment so that it squishes the display into something closer to square pixels. My veteran machine's CRT has the burn-in showing evidence of this technique at work :)
It's not optimal in that it "letterboxes" your Mac experience rather severely, but it's easily reversible, the Lisa Office System and other Lisa environments still run, and it's as cheap as free. Just be a bit careful poking around on the video board as high voltages are nearby.
Call it MacWorks in CinemaScope if you like. Or, speaking of movies, I wonder if you could take the Terry Gilliam approach (https://www.reddit.com/r/vintagecomputing/comments/1ia5u6i/a_little_off_topic_but_how_about_the_data/) and get some kind of anamorphic Fresnel lens in front of the screen to squish the pixels into square.
QuoteWhere can I find online ...
These sometimes have the odd thing or two from the past:
bitsavers.org/bits/Apple/Lisa
www.macintoshrepository.org
macintoshgarden.org
archive.org
;D
Super great news here. I will try to get it running with MacWorks 3.0 and LodeRunner. Then, rock piles will be mine!
Thanks!