[weblacky]

The 13w3 -> VGA cables I linked to have great shielding and I've never experienced any ghosting or other problems. I'm not going say the same for the stubby adapters. Then again I think I've only encountered one stubby adapter in my life that was correct SGI and not secretly for SUN.  20+ years ago I learned to go blind to the stubby 13W3 adapters. I physically cannot see them and never consider them, they don't exist.

Before I start on keyboard and mice please be aware that there are only a few SGI systems that have proprietary peripherals. Without telling you all the ones that might I will simply say of the list you provided (indigo2's, o2's, octanes) none of them have proprietary peripherals.  Those three systems are all standard PS/2 models just like you used in PCs they are not different. The only models you have to really watch out for is the original indigo and I think the original Onyx and potentially those families of mini fridge size systems of that vintage were proprietary. The stations you mentioned are all standard and are not proprietary whatsoever for their day. However be aware that PS/2 did undergo several character code revisions and so it's possible to get a late model PS/2 keyboard that doesn't 100% work.  That's very rare though I've only heard of it maybe twice.

We have had some people come to us with mice and keyboard problems though it doesn't commonly occur. We've never found some special USB to PS2 adapter genetically that works with modern USB peripherals off the street. Obviously there were transitional keyboards for USB in the early 2000s that included a special PS/2 adapter just for that keyboard and those I believe tend to work just fine.

I do not own enough SGI peripherals to cover every system I own. It's likely about 30%. A couple years ago I went and bought four new in the box sets of Microsoft PS/2 keyboard and mouse sets from about the year 2003 to 2006 era. I finally they work wonderfully well and so that's what I use. As I use one of these sets all the time. Therefore I don't need to bother with my SGI peripherals and can keep them safe and don't need to keep them out getting dirty or potentially spilling things on them.

According to my records, the model I bought was: Microsoft CA9-00001 (Black Kbd & Mouse sets).

So far I've never come across an SGI that doesn't love them. I've used them on Indy, indig2, fuel, and I think my Tezro but maybe not those are still in repair bays.

Only the last model of SGI's were ever compatible with USB HID mice and keyboards, given the rarity I've never tried them. Though they might work just fine. That would be Fuel and Tezro (with the appropriate USB PCI adapter card on Tezro).  Personally I had no interest in making it harder to do diagnostic work so PS/2 it will always be. 

In terms of the vfo files you mentioned I've never used them one bit, some people have who are trying to squeeze performance out of late model Octane graphics cards and Fuel and Tezro V10/V12 use them to some success - but the problem is that's part of the OS and not part of the firmware. You need to understand that your SGI may not work all the time and you need to be able to talk to it in graphical firmware mode. That firmware mode doesn't give two sh*ts about what you're running Irix OS on it's going to run only on a very narrow setting.  You need to have a monitor that supports 1280 x 1024 at between 70 to 75 Hz. Because that's what it's going to try when you get into what you would consider the "bios". 

You have to understand that I'm someone who's more interested in repairing SGI's and keeping them for their beauty and aesthetic as well as keeping them functioning just as you would have a functional vintage supercar in your garage but you occasionally take out to drive. I don't care personally what the maximum resolution of them is because there's no reason I need that. Their processors are so weak they can't play an HD video to save their life for the most part. Again the late model systems under the right video format (MPEG2 streams) can but you're not going take VLC and get a Blu-ray/DVD rip with an MKV and watch it on your SGI. That's never going to happen!

1280 x 1024 was a very high resolution for the day and even for the Internet it mostly functions just fine, again you won't be surfing the Internet but it's still a point.  I just don't see the benefit of fiddling with the video because when things go wrong it wants it's standard parameters and if you're running something different now you have an extra layer of problems to fight through just a troubleshoot what your actual problem was.

I just run them as they come right out of the box, at the native resolution, at the correct settings, I don't change any boot parameters and I don't fiddle with any drive IDs to make special drives boot, I don't do any of that because if I lose the settings due to a bad RTC battery or something happens on the system I'm now fighting through custom settings to then fix what my problem is. You will experience this as an SGI owner as it's part of learning.

Properly taken care of so far they've proven to be pretty darn long live machines. Realistically as long as you store them in a low humidity environment using common home thermostat settings they will literally just sit there looking great. It's when you relocate them to the garage or a shed that they'll start rusting up and go to crap.

You've got a great opportunity to get these systems. My only advice is that you a treat them with the utmost delicacy as they are more fragile than you can possibly believe. Those plastics are like peanut brittle and they're not easily replaceable if at all. Don't take any chances whatsoever. And secondly take your time and go slow. You'll see lots of stories here on the forums of us helping people where sometimes it takes six months to get their systems working and they had to trade one or two parts to get there. Sometimes that's the way it works. There's normally a way to solve the problem but it does take resources to pay for parts and as you can see parts are shooting through the roof in price so it can be an issue where you have to invest additional funds to get them working. Obviously they don't hold their value to what they originally sold for when they were new, but in the retro market now they have been holding value pretty well for the past 15 or so years. I personally think it's worth getting them working and in good shape and if you decide they need a good home you will have buyers as far as we are concerned.

With the state of emulation and the interest in them by younger generations there is a demand for these stations.  And since I'm the demographic who likes them for the aesthetic I could care less if there was emulation.

Also you'll see my repair stuff start to take off more and as people have maybe been warning you around here those power supplies are not getting any younger. So two things I would recommend you do is don't run the stations without their skins because it can overheat them. And be very serious if you want to keep using those power supplies or if you want to wait to get the power supplies rebuilt after you test the systems and know they seem to basically work then shut them down and wait for rebuilds to come online.