Here it is, the machine that changed computing as we know it - the Macintosh.

It is interesting to note that this example is an earlier one - acording to the serial # on the logicboard, one of the first 6000 (#0005670). Even though the 128K and 512K Macs seem to be plentiful (in my travels), this one is rarer. How can you tell? The badge on the rear panel simply says "Macintosh" rather than "Macintosh 128K" or "Macintosh 512K" (see below). I was fortunate to get this machine from a friend that no longer wanted it. The machine was purchased in 1984 by a programmer. She (yes, she) bought it with the external floppy drive and Imagewriter pictured here. She killed the original keyboard (shown), and replaced it with the extended keyboard (see below). The machine also included two audio tapes with accompanying floppy disk as tutorials, and the manuals all in a nifty plastic case (photo coming eventually).

So, was this the machine of the future? Check out the specs, keeping in mind that this was factory stock and 1984:

• 32-bit Motorola 68000 processor running @ 7.8336 MHz
• 400K 3.5" Sony floppy drive
• high resolution 512 x 342 built in monitor
• built in CMOS clock/calendar
• built in mouse support
• 64K ROM containing much of the system software
• 128K DRAM (that's right - DRAM)
• 16-bit data bus
• 4 voice, 12 octave sound @ 22 kHz
• two RS-232/422 serial ports
• silent operation (no noisy cooling fan)
• light weight - total package weighs 22 lbs, lighter than many portables of the time

Pretty good specs. Why did the Mac not plow over the IBM compatibles? Many reasons:

• Apple refused to license the OS or the hardware. There were rumors of a Chinese company shipping Mac clones in 1985, but they never showed.
• 128K of RAM was not enough. This machine was originally designed to have 256K standard, but DRAM prices were too high.
• Single floppy system was too much a pain in the butt, and external floppy drives were hard to find.

Well, nowadays, the Mac has much going for it: G3s, fastest desktop and laptop machines available, RISC processors, new technologies, etc...the Mac lives on.

Price list:

• 128K Macintosh, with keyboard & mouse, MacWrite, MacPaint: $2495.00
• External 400K floppy drive: $495.00
• Apple ImageWriter printer: $695.00 ($495.00 if purchased with Mac)
• 300 Baud modem: $225.00
• 1200 Baud modem: $495.00
• Numeric keypad: $129.00

• Machine: Apple Macintosh
• Processor: Motorola 68000 @ 7.8336 Mhz
• RAM: 128K
• Display: 9" bit mapped,512 x 342 pixels, black and white
• Storage: 400K internal floppy drive, 400K external drive optional
• Expansion slots: 0
• Ports: two serial, mouse, external floppy drive, sound out
• Operator Input: 58 key keyboard, mouse
• Cost (as shown): $2495.00+ ($3485.00)
• Production: January 1984 - 1986, unknown # of units

This is the standard keyboard. Notice the lack of arrow keys - Apple believed the mouse was so great, you did not need them!

Here is the original keyboard with the optional keypad. The keypad also had the missing arrow keys - turns out the mouse is not as fast as keys are.

This is the extended keyboard. I believe it was first offered with the Mac 512Ke. The Mac Plus keyboard is identical (before the Plus was Platinum colored).

Rear of the original Mac. Ports (l-r): mouse, ext. floppy drive, serial (printer), serial (modem), sound out.

The badge just says "Macintosh". The white sticker below that is from Pentenary, the machine was bumped to 512K by Pentenary of Providence, RI 3/31/86. This was a removal of your old RAM, then socketed 150 ns 256K RAM chips were put on. Cost: $190.00 + $11.40 tax.

For Fun:

This gadget is a Mac Private-Eye. This allowed one to grab B&W still frames from a VCR or video camera - it really works. No Quicktime in '84, so no movies!

This is a SCSI card for a 128K. To install, you remove the two ROM chips, plug this card into the empty ROM sockets, then put the ROMs into sockets on the card. Pretty clever.

Other offerings from Pententary at the time:

• 128K - 512K RAM upgrade: $190.00
• 512K - 1 MB RAM upgrade: $500.00
• BAL 800K external floppy drive: $299.00
• BAL 400K external floppy drive: $199.00
• MacBreeze piezo-electric cooling "fan": $59.95
• 20MB internal hard drive: $1495.00

They also list (without prices) a 2 MB RAM upgrade, a SCSI port upgrade, a 68020 @ 16 MHz w/ 4 MB RAM and FPU upgrade. These were all made by Levco of California.

Back to Main Page

 

Last modified: 8/22/99

Please note: All photographs and info are copyright 1996-98 Justin Mayrand - if you would like to copy items, e-mail me with which one and what you would like to do with it, I should be back to you in 24 hours. Thanks!