The
Macintosh is the original Apple
MacintoshThe Macintosh, or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced on January 24 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a graphical user interface rather than a...
personal computerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator...
. Its
beigeBeige is a very pale yellowish-cream color.The term originates from beige cloth, a cotton fabric left in its natural color. It has since come to be used for a range of light tints chosen for their neutral or cool appearance....
case contains a 9-inch monitor and comes with a keyboard and mouse. An indentation in the top of the case allows the computer to be lifted and carried. It had a selling price of
US$The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States. The U.S. dollar is normally abbreviated as the dollar sign, $, or as USD or US$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies and from others that use the $ symbol. It is divided into 100 cents .The U.S...
2,495. The Macintosh was introduced by the now famous US$1.5 million television commercial by
Ridley ScottSir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer known for his stylish visuals and an obsession for detail. His films include Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, Hannibal, Black Hawk Down, Matchstick Men, Kingdom of Heaven, American Gangster and Body of Lies...
, "1984", that most notably aired on
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
during the third quarter of
Super Bowl XVIIISuper Bowl XVIII was an American football game that was played on January 22, 1984 at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1983 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Los Angeles Raiders defeated the National Football...
on January 22, 1984. The sales of the Macintosh were strong from its initial release and reached 70,000 on May 3, 1984; afterwards sales plummeted. After its successor, the
Macintosh 512KThe Macintosh 512K Personal Computer, the second of a long line of Apple Macintosh computers, was the first update to the original Macintosh 128K. It was virtually identical to the previous Mac, differing primarily in the amount of built-in memory , which quadrupled the original's. This large...
, was introduced it was rebadged as the
Macintosh 128K to differentiate it.
Features
The Macintosh was designed to achieve adequate
graphicsComputer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of pictorial data by a computer....
performance, which had previously required hardware costing over $10,000 US, at a price accessible to the middle class. This narrow goal resulted in an elegant, efficient design which traded off expandibility but met or exceeded the baseline performance of its competitors.
Processor and memory
The centerpiece of the machine is an 8 MHz
Motorola 68000The Motorola 68000 is a 16/32-bit
CISC microprocessor core designed and marketed by Freescale Semiconductor...
microprocessorA microprocessor incorporates most or all of the functions of a central processing unit on a single integrated circuit . The first microprocessors emerged in the early 1970s and were used for electronic calculators, using binary-coded decimal arithmetic on 4-bit words...
connected to a 128
KBThe kilobyte is a unit of digital information storage equal to either 1,000 bytes or 1,024 bytes , depending on context....
DRAMDram or DRAM may refer to:As a unit of measure:* Dram , an imperial unit of mass and volume* Armenian dram, a monetary unit* Dirham, a unit of currency in several Arab nationsOther uses:* Dynamic random access memory...
by a
16-bit-16-bit architecture:The HP BPC, introduced in 1975, was the world's first 16-bit microprocessor.Prominent 16-bit processors include the PDP-11, Intel 8086, Intel 80286 and the WDC 65C816...
data bus. Lack of RAM proved to be a fatal constraint to much multimedia software, and although this baseline was similar to its competitors it could not be upgraded. A 64 KB ROM chip boosts the effective memory to 192 KB, but this is offset by the display's 22 KB
framebufferA framebuffer is a video output device that drives a video display from a memory buffer containing a complete frame of data. The same term is also often used to denote the actual memory used to hold a picture frame, depending on computer systems and context. The information in the buffer typically...
, which is shared with the
DMADirect memory access is a feature of modern computers and microprocessors that allows certain hardware subsystems within the computer to access system memory for reading and/or writing independently of the central processing unit. Many hardware systems use DMA including disk drive controllers,...
video controller.
Peripherals
The built-in display is a one-bit
black-and-whiteBlack-and-white is a number of monochrome forms in visual arts. Most forms of visual technology start out in black and white, then slowly evolve into color as technology progresses....
, 9-inch
CRT-In computing:* The C runtime library , in programming]-In medicine:* Capillary refill time, a medical sign* Corneal Refractive Therapy, in optometrics* Cognitive Retention Therapy, a dementia treatment...
with a resolution of 512×342
pixelIn digital imaging, a pixel is the smallest item of information in an image. Pixels are normally arranged in a 2-dimensional grid, and are often represented using dots or squares. Each pixel is a sample of an original image, where more samples typically provide more-accurate representations of the...
s, establishing the
desktop publishingDesktop publishing combines a personal computer and WYSIWYG page layout software to create publication documents on a computer for either large scale publishing or small scale local multifunction peripheral output and distribution....
standard of 72
PPIPixels per inch or pixel density is a measurement of the resolution of devices in various contexts; typically computer displays, image scanners or digital camera image sensors....
. Expansion and networking are achieved using two standard RS-422 DE-9 serial ports named "printer" and "modem", albeit they do not support hardware
handshakingIn information technology, telecommunications, and related fields, handshaking is an automated process of negotiation that dynamically sets parameters of a communications channel established between two entities before normal communication over the channel begins...
. An external
floppy diskA floppy disk is a data storage medium that is composed of a disk of thin, flexible magnetic storage medium encased in a square or rectangular plastic shell. Floppy disks are read and written by a floppy disk drive or FDD, the initials of which should not be confused with "fixed disk drive," which...
drive can be added using a proprietary connector. The keyboard and mouse use simple proprietary protocols, allowing some third-party upgrades. The keyboard has no
arrow keysCursor movement keys or arrow keys are buttons on a computer keyboard that are either programmed or designated to move the cursor in a specified direction....
or numeric keypad — although later, a numeric keypad could be purchased separately. As with the
Apple LisaThe Apple Lisa was a personal computer designed at Apple Computer, Inc. during the early 1980s.The Lisa project was started at Apple in 1978 and evolved into a project to design a powerful personal computer with a graphical user interface that would be targeted toward business customers.Around...
before it, the mouse has only a single button. Standard headphones can also be connected to a monaural jack. Apple also offered their 300 and 1200 bit/s modems originally released for the Apple II line. Initially the only printer available was the Apple
ImageWriterImageWriter is a dot matrix printer sold between 1982 and 1986 by Apple. The original ImageWriter was a re-packaged 9-pin dot matrix printer from C. Itoh Electronics , released in 1983. It was originally intended to be used with the Apple II, replacing the earlier Apple Dot Matrix Printer...
. Eventually, the
LaserWriterThe Apple LaserWriter was one of the first laser printers available to the mass market. The combination of the LaserWriter printer with its built-in PostScript interpreter, publishing software Aldus PageMaker, and the GUI-based Macintosh, was an industry-standard configuration at the beginning of...
and other printers were capable of being connected using
AppleTalkAppleTalk is a proprietary suite of protocols developed by Apple Inc. for networking computers. It was included in the original Macintosh released in 1984, and is now unsupported with the release of Mac OS X v10.6 in 2009 in favor of TCP/IP networking...
, Apple's built-in networking system.
Storage
The Macintosh contains a 400 kB, single-sided 3.5-
inchAn inch is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, and United States customary units. There are 36 inches in a yard and 12 inches in a foot...
floppy diskA floppy disk is a data storage medium that is composed of a disk of thin, flexible magnetic storage medium encased in a square or rectangular plastic shell. Floppy disks are read and written by a floppy disk drive or FDD, the initials of which should not be confused with "fixed disk drive," which...
drive and dedicates no space to other internal mechanical storage. The Mac OS was disk-based from the beginning, as RAM had to be conserved, but this "Startup Disk" can still be temporarily ejected. (Ejecting the root filesystem remained an unusual feature of the Classic Mac OS until it was retired.) One floppy disk could be sufficient to store the System Software, an application, and the data files created with the application. Indeed, the 400 kB drive capacity is larger than the PC XT's 360 kB 5.25-inch drive. However, more sophisticated work environments of the time required separate disks for documents and the system installation. The
Macintosh External Disk DriveThe Macintosh External Disk Drive was the original of a series of external 3.5" floppy disk drives manufactured and sold by Apple Computer exclusively for the Macintosh series of computers introduced in January, 1984. Later, Apple would unify their external drives to work cross-platform between the...
(mechanically identical to the internal one, piggybacking on the same controller) was a popular add-on at $495. Third-party hard drives were considerably more expensive and connected to the slower
serial portIn computing, a serial port is a serial communication physical interface through which information transfers in or out one bit at a time...
(as specified by Apple), though a few manufacturers chose to use the faster non-standard floppy port. The 128K can only use the original
Macintosh File SystemMacintosh File System is a volume format created by Apple Computer for storing files on 400K floppy disks. MFS was introduced with the Macintosh 128K in January 1984....
for storage.
Cooling
The unit does not include a fan, but instead relies on convection cooling, which made it quiet while in operation.
Steve JobsSteven Paul "Steve" Jobs is an American businessman, and the co-founder and chief executive officer of Apple Inc. Jobs previously served as CEO of Pixar Animation Studios....
insisted that the Macintosh ship without a fan, a marketing (not engineering) decision that persisted until the introduction of the
Macintosh SEThe Macintosh SE was a personal computer manufactured by Apple between March 1987 and October 1990. This computer marked a significant improvement on the Macintosh Plus design and was introduced by Apple at the same time as the Macintosh II....
in 1987. This was the source of many common — and very expensive — component failures in the first four Macintosh models, so much so that
Larry PinaLarry Pina is an author of five do-it-yourself repair manuals for Apple Macintosh computers and peripherals. According to several of the books, Pina was living in Westport, Massachusetts when they were published, but he seems to have disappeared of late.- Books :*Macintosh Repair & Upgrade Secrets...
wrote two very successful how-to repair manuals,
The Dead Mac ScrollsThe Dead Mac Scrolls is a 484 page do-it-yourself guide to repairing Apple Macintosh personal computer hardware problems in the most cost-effective way. Written by Larry Pina, the book was amongst other titles written by Pina for repairing Macintoshes. The book is out of print, and was first...
and
Macintosh Repair & Upgrade SecretsMacintosh Repair & Upgrade Secrets is a hardback book for repairing and upgrading Apple Macintosh personal computers from the Macintosh 128K to Macintosh SE models. The book was written by Larry Pina and is out of print. It was first published in 1990 by Hayden Books, with ISBN 0672484528....
. The persistent overheating, and the design of the floppy disk drive, led to the nickname "The beige toaster". This led a number of third party manufacturers to offer very profitable, self-contained, add-on fans and combination power strips, which mounted in various configurations on the top of the Mac, drawing air up through the existing vents.
Software
The Macintosh shipped with the very first
SystemOn January 24, 1984, Apple Computer Inc. introduced the Macintosh personal computer, with the Macintosh 128K model, which came bundled with the Mac OS operating system, then known as the System Software....
and Finder application, known to the public as "System 1.0" (actually version 0.97 in the original release, followed by 1.1). The original Macintosh saw three upgrades to both before it was discontinued. Apple recommends System 2.0 and Finder 4.2, with System 3.2 and Finder 5.3 as the maximum. System 4.0 officially dropped support for the Macintosh 128K as evidenced by its distribution on 800K floppy disks, which the 128K could not use.
The applications
MacPaintMacPaint was a bitmap-based graphics painting software program developed by Apple Computer and released with the original Macintosh personal computer on January 22, 1984. It was sold separately for US$195 with its word processor counterpart, MacWrite. MacPaint was notable because it could generate...
and
MacWriteMacWrite was a word processor application released along with the first Apple Macintosh systems in 1984. It was the first such program that was widely available to the public to offer WYSIWYG operation, with multiple fonts and styles...
were bundled with the Mac. Other programs available included
MacProjectMacProject was a project management and scheduling business application released along with the first Apple Macintosh systems in 1984. MacProject was one of the first major business tools for the Macintosh which enabled users to calculate the "critical path" to completion and estimate costs in...
,
MacTerminalMacTerminal was the first telecommunications and terminal emulation application software program available for Mac OS. MacTerminal enabled users to connect via modem or serial port to bulletin board systems and online services , and to other computers...
and
MicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is a multinational computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices...
's
WordMicrosoft Word is a word processor designed by Microsoft. It was first released in 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems. Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS , the Apple Macintosh , Atari ST , SCO UNIX, OS/2, and Microsoft...
. The Macintosh also came with a manual and a unique guided tour cassette tape which worked together with the guided tour diskette as a tutorial for both the Macintosh itself and the bundled applications, since almost no one had ever used a mouse before, much less manipulated a
graphical user interfaceA graphical user interface is a type of user interface item that allows people to interact with programs in more ways than typing such as computers; hand-held devices such as MP3 Players, Portable Media Players or Gaming devices; household appliances and office equipment with images rather than...
.
Models
Released in 1984 as simply the Apple
Macintosh, following the release of the
Macintosh 512KThe Macintosh 512K Personal Computer, the second of a long line of Apple Macintosh computers, was the first update to the original Macintosh 128K. It was virtually identical to the previous Mac, differing primarily in the amount of built-in memory , which quadrupled the original's. This large...
which expanded the memory from 128 KB to 512 KB, the original Macintosh was re-branded
Macintosh 128K and nicknamed the 'thin Mac', and the new 512K model the 'fat Mac'. While functionally the same, as closed systems, the
Macintosh and
Macintosh 128K were technically two different computers, with the re-badged
128K containing a completely redesigned logicboard to easily accommodate both 128K and 512K RAM configurations during manufacture. Though the RAM was still permanently soldered to the logicboard, the new design allowed for easier, though unsanctioned, third-party upgrades to 512K than the previous model had. In addition, most of the newer models contained the 1984 revision
B of the ROM to accommodate changes in the 400K floppy disk drive.
The increased RAM was vitally important for the Macintosh as it finally allowed for powerful software applications such as the popular program
Microsoft MultiplanMultiplan was an early spreadsheet program developed by Microsoft. Known initially by the code name "EP" , it was introduced in 1982 as a competitor for VisiCalc....
(eventually replaced by
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Excel is a spreadsheet-application written and distributed by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables and a macro programming language called VBA...
.) However, Apple continued to market the
128K for over a year as an entry-level computer, to the mid-level
512K and high end
LisaThe Apple Lisa was a personal computer designed at Apple Computer, Inc. during the early 1980s.The Lisa project was started at Apple in 1978 and evolved into a project to design a powerful personal computer with a graphical user interface that would be targeted toward business customers.Around...
(and claiming it could be easily expanded should the user ever need more RAM).
Expansion
The Macintosh 128K was severely limited by a lack of upgrades. With cost as the dominant driving force behind its engineering, there was no provision for an upgrade card. Improving on the hard-wired RAM thus required a motherboard replacement (which unfortunately was priced similarly to a new computer), or a third-party chip replacement upgrade, which was not only expensive but would void Apple's warranty. The difficulty of fitting software into its free memory discouraged software vendors from supporting it, leaving the 128K with a relatively small software library. Whereas the
Macintosh PlusThe Macintosh Plus computer was the third model in the Macintosh line, introduced on January 16, 1986, two years after the original Macintosh and a little more than a year after the Macintosh 512K, with a price tag of 2599 USD . As an evolutionary improvement over the 512K, it introduced RAM...
, and to a lesser extent the
Macintosh 512KThe Macintosh 512K Personal Computer, the second of a long line of Apple Macintosh computers, was the first update to the original Macintosh 128K. It was virtually identical to the previous Mac, differing primarily in the amount of built-in memory , which quadrupled the original's. This large...
, are compatible with much later software, the 128K is limited to specially crafted programs. In fact due to the lack of memory, Apple intentionally chose to exclude the 128K from three of its most important early developments, effectively orphaning it from the rest of the Macintosh family: The
Hard Disk 20The Macintosh Hard Disk 20 was the first hard drive developed by Apple Computer specifically for use with the Macintosh 512K. Introduced on September 17, 1985, it was part of Apple's long awaited solution toward completing the Macintosh Office announced in January 1985...
(Apple's first hard drive for the Macintosh), 800K floppy disk drive and
AppleShareAppleShare was a product from Apple Computer which implemented various network services. Its main purpose was acting as a file server, using the AFP protocol...
(Apple's built-in networking file sharing technology), all of which required the
Hierarchical File SystemHierarchical File System , is a file system developed by Apple Inc. for use in computer systems running Mac OS. Originally designed for use on floppy and hard disks, it can also be found on read-only media such as CD-ROMs...
introduced in September 1985, which the 128K could not use with its limited
RAM-Ram, ram, or RAM as a non-acronymic word:As a non-acronymic word Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to:-Animals:*Bighorn Sheep, A North American mountain sheep species*Sheep, an uncastrated male of which is called a ram...
. This made it more of an
applianceIn general terms, an information appliance or information device is any machine or device that is usable for the purposes of computing, telecommunicating, reproducing, and presenting encoded information in myriad forms and applications....
than the rest of the Macintosh series, to the chagrin of many customers who expected a well-rounded entry-level computer. As a result, the 128K generally "felt" like a hybrid between its 8-bit ancestors and more capable successors.
OEM upgrades
Apple did provide an expensive "official" upgrade path for the Macintosh 128K, which included a motherboard replacement effectively making it a
Macintosh 512KThe Macintosh 512K Personal Computer, the second of a long line of Apple Macintosh computers, was the first update to the original Macintosh 128K. It was virtually identical to the previous Mac, differing primarily in the amount of built-in memory , which quadrupled the original's. This large...
.
Additionally, Apple offered an 800K floppy disk drive kit, including updated 128K
ROMOld World ROM Macintosh computers are the Macintosh models that use a Macintosh Toolbox ROM chip, usually in a socket . All Macs prior to the iMac use Old World ROM, while the iMac and all subsequent models until the introduction of the Intel-based EFI Models are New World ROM machines...
s, which required the 512K logic board upgrade, resulting in a
Macintosh 512KeThe Macintosh 512K enhanced was introduced as a cheaper alternative to the top-of-the-line Macintosh Plus. It was the same as the Macintosh 512K but with the 800K disk drive and 128K of ROM like the Plus. Like its predecessors, there was little room for expansion...
.
Finally, the upgraded
128K-to-
512Ke could be upgraded to a
Macintosh PlusThe Macintosh Plus computer was the third model in the Macintosh line, introduced on January 16, 1986, two years after the original Macintosh and a little more than a year after the Macintosh 512K, with a price tag of 2599 USD . As an evolutionary improvement over the 512K, it introduced RAM...
by swapping the logicboard as well as the case back (to accommodate the slightly different port configuration) and optionally adding the
Macintosh PlusThe Macintosh Plus computer was the third model in the Macintosh line, introduced on January 16, 1986, two years after the original Macintosh and a little more than a year after the Macintosh 512K, with a price tag of 2599 USD . As an evolutionary improvement over the 512K, it introduced RAM...
extended keyboard. Any of the kits could be purchased alone or together at any time, to upgrade the Macintosh 128K piecemeal or all-at-once. All upgrades were required to be performed by professional Apple technicians.
Credits
The original Macintosh was unusual in that it included the signatures of the Macintosh Division as of early 1982 molded on the inside of the case. The names were Peggy Aleixo, Colette Askeland,
Bill AtkinsonBill Atkinson is an American computer engineer and photographer. Atkinson worked at Apple Computer from 1978 to 1990. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego, where Apple Macintosh developer Jef Raskin was one of his professors...
, Steve Balog, Bob Belleville, Mike Boich, Bill Bull, Matt Carter, Berry Cash, Debbie Coleman,
George CrowGeorge L. Crow Jr. was a member of the original Apple Macintosh team in 1984 at Apple Computer. Crow left Apple in 1985 to become a co-founder of Steve Jobs' NeXT. Prior to working at Apple, Crow worked at HP; after leaving NeXT he worked for SuperMac and then Truevision...
, Donn Denman, Christopher Espinosa,
Bill FernandezBill Fernandez is a user interface architect who was Apple Computer's first employee when they incorporated in 1977. He was assigned employee number 4. He worked on both the Apple I and Apple II personal computers, and in the 1980s was a member of the Apple Macintosh development team...
, Martin Haeberli,
Andy HertzfeldAndy Hertzfeld was a key member of the original Apple Macintosh development team during the 1980s. After buying an Apple II in January 1978, he went to work for Apple Computer from August 1979 until March 1984, where he was a key designer of the Macintosh system software...
,
Joanna HoffmanJoanna Hoffman was the fifth person hired by Jef Raskin to be part of the original Apple Macintosh developer team. She acted as the team's only marketing person for more than a year; among her contributions was writing the first draft of the Macintosh User Interface Guidelines.Before joining...
, Rod Holt,
Bruce HornBruce Lawrence Horn, a programmer with Apple Computer, was the creator of the Macintosh Finder and the Macintosh Resource Manager. His signature is amongst those molded to the case of the Macintosh 128K....
, Hap Horn, Brian Howard,
Steven JobsSteven Paul "Steve" Jobs is an American businessman, and the co-founder and chief executive officer of Apple Inc. Jobs previously served as CEO of Pixar Animation Studios....
, Larry Kenyon, Patti King,
Daniel KottkeDaniel Kottke, born April 4, 1954 in Bronxville, New York is a U.S. computer engineer and the first official employee of Apple Inc. His official employee number was 12, having been assigned a few months after he originally started working...
, Angeline Lo, Ivan Mach, Gerald Manock, Mary Ellen McCammon, Vicki Milledge, Mike Murray, Ron Nicholson Jr, Terry Oyama, Benjamin Pang,
Jef RaskinJef Raskin was an American human-computer interface expert best-known for starting the Macintosh project for Apple Computer in the late 1970s.-Early years and education:...
, Brian Robertson, Dave Roots, Patricia Sharp,
Burrell SmithBurrell Carver Smith is an engineer who, while working at Apple Computer, designed the digital board for the original Macintosh. He was Apple employee #282, and was hired in February, 1979, initially as an Apple II service technician...
, Bryan Stearns, Lynn Takahashi,
Randy WiggintonRandy Wigginton was one of Apple Computer's first employees , creator of MacWrite, Full Impact, and numerous other Mac applications. He used to work in development at eBay, Quigo, Inc, and now works for Move.com...
, Linda Wilkin,
WozStephen Gary "Woz" Wozniak is an American computer engineer who founded Apple Computer, Inc. with Steve Jobs. His inventions and machines are credited with contributing significantly to the personal computer revolution of the 1970s. Wozniak created the Apple I and Apple II computers in...
, Pamela Wyman, Laszlo Zidek, and two others.
See also
- Mini vMac Macintosh 128k emulator
- Technical information on the Mac 128K
- 1984 (television commercial)
"1984" is an American television commercial which introduced the Macintosh personal computer for the first time. It is now considered a watershed event and a masterpiece in advertising. It was directed by Ridley Scott, conceived by Steve Hayden, Brent Thomas and Lee Clow at Chiat/Day, Venice, and...
External links