Apple Mac

Macintosh 128K & 512K — Hello, Mac!

Released in January 1984, the Macintosh 128K was Apple’s first mass-market personal computer featuring a graphical user interface (GUI). Powered by a Motorola 68000 CPU, the Mac debuted alongside two iconic applications: MacPaint and MacWrite.

• The Macintosh 128K launched at $2,495 (approximately $6,950 in 2023 money) and sold over 70,000 units
• Its successor, the Macintosh 512K, introduced in September 1984 at $3,195 (about $8,900 in 2023 money, achieved even greater success due to its expanded memory.

MAC AT A GLANCE

• Operating System: Mac OS 1.0 ("System 1.0")
• Display: 9-inch built-in monochrome CRT
• Processor: Motorola 68000 @ 7.8336 MHz (effective 6.0 MHz)
• Memory:
  • 128 KB RAM (expandable to 4 MB via third-party upgrades)
  • 64 KB ROM
• Storage: 400 KB single-sided 3.5-inch floppy disk drive (Sony)
• Included Peripherals: One-button mouse and Keyboard (M0110 came with the original Macintosh, and M0110A with the Plus.

Operating System

The Macintosh 128K came with Mac OS 1.0, known as "System 1.0." There were three updates before the 128K was discontinued.

• GUI-based OS: System 1.0
• Bundled Software: MacPaint, MacWrite
• Other Software: Microsoft Word, MacProject, MacTerminal
• Programming Languages: MacBASIC, MacPascal
• Note: Microsoft Multiplan required 512 KB of RAM and thus only ran on the 512K

Colors & Graphic Modes

• Resolution: 512 × 342 pixels
• Colors: Black & White (2-color monochrome display)

Audio Capabilities

The MAC offered an internal speaker generating 8-bit monaural sound.

• Internal speaker
• 8-bit monaural sound
• 22.25 kHz sampling rate
• Pulse-width modulation using TTL and analog chips

I/O Ports

The MAC featured 2 x RS-422 serial ports (for devices such as printers and modems), plus an external drive.

• 2 x RS-422 (non-standard) DE-9 serial ports
• Proprietary connector (19-pin D-sub) for an external floppy drive

Expansions & Upgrades

Several upgrades were optional (third parties):

• Up to 4 MB RAM
• Internal SCSI hard drive (20 MB)
• External SCSI port
• 68881 FPU @ 16 MHz
• 68020 CPU accelerator @ 16 MHz
• Cooling fan

Related Models: The Macintosh 512K

Released in September 1984, the Macintosh 512K was nearly identical to the 128K, with expanded memory being the primary enhancement.

• 512 KB RAM
• Supported Mac OS 1.0 through 4.1

■ Macintosh 128/512K

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