OLD IS GOLD

1984 marked an era in innovation when the state of the art Mac was
introduced, and it is since then the world is divided in two groups, the
ones who have mac and others who don’t. The new technology
marked the beginning of the style that had never been seen before.
Equipped with high speed, longer battery life and most importantly
elegant style, these oldies influenced the computer industry at large
and lead to machines like Mac book pro.

1. Macintosh 128K – The First Macintosh (1984)

Release Date January 24, 1984

Introductory Price $2,495
Discontinued October 1, 1985
Operating System 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 2.1, 3.0, 3.2
CPU Motorola 68000 @ 8 MHz
Memory 128 KB (built-in)

The first Macintosh, Macintosh 128k 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
command-line interface. Its beige case contained a 9 in (23 cm)
monitor and came with a keyboard and mouse. An indentation in the
top of the case allowed the computer to be lifted and carried. It had a
selling price of US$2,495. By today’s standards, its specs are
laughably anemic. But the beloved box of bits was a far more
affordable implementation of the graphical user interface. The built-
in display was a one-bit black-and-white and contained a 400 kB,
single-sided 3.5-inch floppy disk drive and dedicated no space to
other internal mechanical storage. The unit lacked a cooling fan.The
Macintosh was designed to achieve adequate graphics 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
efficient design which traded off expandability but met or exceeded
the baseline performance of its competitors.

The limitations of the first Mac soon became clear. In October 1985,
Apple increased the Mac’s memory to 512 KB, but it was
inconvenient and difficult to expand the memory of a 128 KB Mac.

2. Macintosh Plus (1986)

Release Date January 16, 1986
Introductory Price $2599
Discontinued October 15, 1990
Operating System 3.0–6.0.8, 7.0-7.5.5
CPU Motorola 68000 @ 8 MHz
Memory 1 MB, expandable to 4 MB (150 ns 30-pin SIMM)

The 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 US$2599. As an evolutionary improvement
over the 512K, it shipped with 1 MB of RAM standard, expandable to
4 MB, and an external SCSI peripheral bus, among smaller
improvements. It originally had the same generally beige-colored case
as the original Macintosh, but in 1987, the case color was changed to
the long-lived, warm gray “Platinum” color.

Introduced as the Macintosh Plus, it was the first Macintosh model to

include a SCSI port, which launched the popularity of external SCSI
devices for Macs, including hard disks, tape drives, CD-ROM drives,
printers, and even monitors. Its SCSI implementation was engineered
shortly before the initial SCSI spec was finalized and, as such, is not
100% SCSI-compliant. SCSI ports remained standard equipment for
all Macs until the introduction of the iMac in 1998. The Macintosh
Plus was the last classic Mac to have a phone cord-like port on the
front of the unit for the keyboard, as well as the DE-9 connector for
the mouse; models released after the Macintosh Plus would use ADB
ports. The Mac Plus was the first of many Macintoshes to use SIMMs.
It had a new 3.5-inch double-sided 800 KB floppy drive, offering
double the capacity of previous Macs along with backward
compatibility. A compact Mac, the Plus had a 9-inch 512×342 pixel
monochrome display with a resolution of 72 PPI.

3. Macintosh XL (1985)

Release Date January 1, 1985

Introductory Price $3,995
Discontinued August 1, 1986
Operating System MacWorks XL/System 1.1, MacWorks Plus
II/System 1.1–6.0.8, 7.0–7.5.5
CPU Motorola 68000 @ 5 MHz
Memory 512 KB, expandable to 2 MB (Lisa DRAM card)

Macintosh XL was a modified version of the Apple Lisa personal

computer made by Apple Computer, Inc. In the Macintosh XL
configuration, the computer shipped with MacWorks XL, a Lisa
program that allowed 64 K Macintosh ROM emulation. An identical
machine was previously sold as the Lisa 2/10 with the Lisa OS only.
The Macintosh XL had a 400K 3.5″ floppy drive and an internal
10 MB proprietary Widget hard drive with provision for an optional 5
or 10 MB external ProFile hard drive with the addition of a Parallel
interface card. At the time of release, the Macintosh XL was
colloquially referred to as the “Hackintosh”, although this name has
also been used more generally to describe Macintosh computers
assembled from unusual combinations of parts. Despite its relative
success, the Macintosh XL was discontinued because it was literally
unavailable. Parts had not been ordered to keep the XL in production
and once the last of the parts ran out, Apple made the decision to shut
down production for good.

4. Macintosh II (1987)
Release Date March 2, 1987
Introductory Price US $5500
Discontinued January 15, 1990
Operating System 3.3– 6.0.8, 7.0-7.5.5 or with 68030 32-bit
upgrade Mac OS 7.6.1
CPU Motorola 68020 @ 16 MHz
Memory 1 MB, expandable to 20 MB (68 MB via FDHD upgrade kit)
(120 ns 30-pin SIMM)

The Macintosh II models were “modular” systems which did not

include built-in monitors and were intended for business use.
Beginning with the Macintosh II and culminating in the Macintosh
IIfx, the Mac II series was Apple Computer’s high-end line from
1987 to 1991. The Apple Macintosh II was the first personal
computer model of the Macintosh II series in the Apple Macintosh
line. (Not to be confused with the Apple II series of non-Macintosh
computers.) Introduced in March, 1987 and retailing for US $5,498,
the Macintosh II was the first “modular” Macintosh model, so called
because it came in a horizontal desktop case like many PCs of the
time. All previous Macintosh computers used an all-in-one design
with a built-in black-and-white CRT. The Macintosh II introduced
space for an internal hard disk (originally 20 MB or 40 MB) and an
optional second floppy disk drive. It also was the first Macintosh
computer, simultaneously with the Macintosh SE, to use the Apple
Desktop Bus (ADB), introduced with the Apple IIGS, for keyboard
and mouse interface. The primary improvement in the Mac II was
Color QuickDraw in ROM, a color version of the graphics language
which was the heart of the machine.

5. Macintosh SE (1987)

Release date March 2, 1987

 Introductory $2900 (dual floppy) US$3900 (with 20MB hard
price drive)
Discontinued October 15, 1990
Operating system 3.3-3.4, 4.0–6.0.2, 6.0.3–6.0.8, 7.0-7.5.5
CPU Motorola 68000 @ 8 MHz
Memory (150 ns 30-pin SIMM)

During the same year, was released the Macintosh SE, 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. It had a similar case to the original Macintosh
computer, but with slight differences in color and styling. First
compact Macintosh with space for an internal hard disk (originally
20 MB or 40 MB), or, if the user preferred, dual floppy drives. First
compact Macintosh that featured an expansion slot (SE stood for
“System Expansion”). Used the Apple Desktop Bus (ADB), introduced
with the Apple IIGS, for keyboard and mouse interface. Improved
SCSI support with faster data throughput. Better reliability and
longer life expectancy due to the addition of a fan.

6. Macintosh Portable (1989)

Release Date September 20, 1989 (Original), October 15, 1990
(Backlit)
Introductory Price $6,500
Discontinued October 15, 1990 (Original), October 21, 1991
(Backlit)
Operating System 6.0.4 (Original) 6.0.7 (Backlit) – 7.5.5
CPU Motorola 68000 @ 16 MHz
Memory 1 MiB, expandable to 9 MiB, 8 MiB backlit version (SRAM)

The Macintosh Portable was Apple Computer’s first attempt at

making a battery-powered portable Macintosh personal computer
that held the power of a desktop Macintosh. Released on September
20, 1989, it was received with excitement from most critics but with
very poor sales to consumers. Seemingly no expense was spared in
the construction of the machine. It featured a black and white active-
matrix LCD screen in a hinged cover that covered the keyboard when
the machine was not in use. The mouse function was handled by a
built-in trackball that could be removed and located on either side of
the keyboard. It used expensive SRAM in an effort to maximize
battery life and to provide an “instant on” low power sleep mode.

7. Macintosh LC “The Pizza Box Series” (1990s)

Release Date variable in series

Introductory Price variable in series
Discontinued variable in series
Operating System Bundled Mac OS
CPU PowerPC processors instead of Motorola 68k-based (except in
LC-580)
Memory4 MB (max 36 MB)
The Macintosh LC (meaning low-cost color) was Apple Computer’s
product family of low-end consumer Macintosh personal computers
in the early 1990s. The original Macintosh LC was released in 1990
and was the first affordable color-capable Macintosh. Due to its
affordability and Apple II compatibility the LC was adopted primarily
in the education and home markets. Together with the Mac IIsi, it
introduced built-in audio input on the Mac. The “LC” name was
subsequently used for a line of low-end Macintosh computers for
several years and spanned the 68k to PowerPC transition.

8. Macintosh Quadra (1991)

Release Date October 21, 1991 (Quadra 700)
Introductory Price $6000
Discontinued September 15, 1994
Operating System System 7.0.1-System 7.1.2, System 7.5-Mac OS
8.1, or with PowerPC upgrade, Mac OS 9.1
CPU Motorola 68040 @ 25 MHz
Memory4 MiB, expandable to 68 MiB (80 ns 30-pin SIMM)
The Macintosh Quadra series was Apple Computer’s product
family of professional high-end Apple Macintosh personal computers
built using the Motorola 68040 CPU. The first two models in the
Quadra line were introduced in 1991, and the name was used until the
Power Mac was introduced in 1994. The product manager for the
Quadra family was Frank Casanova who was also the Product
Manager for the Macintosh IIfx. The first models were the Quadra
700 and Quadra 900, both introduced in 1991. The Quadra replaced
the Macintosh II series as the high end computer in the Macintosh
product line.

9. Powerbook “First Mac Laptop” (1991)

Release Date October 21, 1991
Introductory Price US$2,300
Discontinued September 3, 1992
Operating System System 6.0.8L, 7.0.1–7.5.5
CPU Motorola 68000 16 MHz
Memory 2 to 8 MB

The PowerBook 100 was the low-end model of the first three
simultaneously released PowerBooks. Its CPU and overall speed
closely resembled those of its predecessor, the Macintosh Portable. In
October 1991 Apple released the first three PowerBooks: the low-end
PowerBook 100, the more powerful PowerBook 140, and the high end
PowerBook 170, the only one with an active matrix display. These
machines caused a stir in the industry with their compact dark grey
cases, use of a trackball, and the clever positioning of the keyboard
which left room for palmrests on either side of the pointing device.
Portable PC computers at the time tended to have the keyboard
forward towards the user, with empty space behind it, so this was a
surprising innovation and set the standard layout all future notebook
computers would follow.

10. Macintosh Color Classic (1993)

Release date February 10, 1993, October 01, 1993 (CC II)
Introductory
1400
price
Discontinued May 16, 1994, May 16, 1995 (CC II)
Operating
System 7.1, System 7.1.1-Mac OS 7.6.1
system
CPU Motorola 68030 @ 16 MHz, 33 MHz (CC II)
4 MB, expandable to 10 MB/36 MB (CC II) (80 ns
Memory
72-pin SIMM)
The Macintosh Color Classic was the first color compact Apple
Macintosh computer. It was essentially a Macintosh LC II with an
integrated 10″ Sony Trinitron color display with the same 512×384
pixel resolution as an LC II with the Macintosh 12” RGB monitor.
This integrated unit resembled the original Mac series, albeit slightly
expanded. The combination of the low-cost color Macintosh and
Apple IIe compatibility was intended to encourage the education
market’s transition from Apple II models to Macintoshes.

11. Power Mac (1994)

Release Date 1994

Introductory Price variable in series
Discontinued 2006
Operating System Mac OS
CPU PowerPC
Memory variable in series
Power Macintosh, later Power Mac, was a line of Apple
Macintosh workstation-class personal computers based on various
models of PowerPC microprocessors that was developed, marketed,
and supported by Apple Inc. from March 1994 until August 2006. The
first models were the Power Macintosh 6100, 7100, and 8100, which
offered speeds ranging from 60 to 110 MHz. These machines replaced
Apple’s Quadra series of personal computers, and were housed in
cases very similar to systems sold by Apple up to that point.

The Power Macintosh 6100 was Apple Computer’s first computer

to use the new PowerPC RISC type processor created by IBM and
Motorola. It came in the Centris 610′s “pizza box” low-profile case,
and superseded the Quadra series that used Motorola’s 68040
processor, Apple’s previous high end workstation line. The Power
Mac went on to become the mainstay of Apple’s top-end offerings for
twelve years, through a succession of case designs, four major
generations of PowerPC chips, and a great deal of press coverage,
design accolades, and technical controversy. In August 2006, the
Power Mac’s retirement was announced at Apple’s Worldwide
Developers Conference by Steve Jobs and Phil Schiller, making way
for its replacement, the Mac Pro.

12. Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh “TAM” (1997)

Release Date March 20, 1997
Introductory Price US$7,499
Discontinued March 14, 1998
Operating System Mac OS
CPU PowerPC 603e
Memory 2 slots: 32 MiB, max 128 MiB (2 × 64 MiB)

The Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh was a limited-edition

home computer produced by Apple Computer, Inc., in 1997 in
celebration of its 20th anniversary. While the machine is often
regarded as a stylistic landmark, it was met with lukewarm sales, and
was derided for its price and for championing form over function.

13. iMac (1998)

 Release date August 15, 1998 (iMac G3)
Discontinued March 18, 2003
Operating system Mac OS 8, Mac OS 9, Mac OS X
CPU PowerPC 750, 233 MHz – 700 MHz (SE)

The iMac G3 was the first model of the iMac line of personal
computers made by Apple Inc. (formerly Apple Computer, Inc.). The
iMac G3 is an all-in-one personal computer, encompassing both the
monitor and the system unit in a single enclosure. Originally released
in striking bondi blue and later a range of other brightly colored,
translucent plastic casings, the iMac shipped with a keyboard and
mouse in matching tints. Aesthetically, the iMac was dramatically
different from any other mainstream computer ever released. The
iMac was the first computer to exclusively offer USB ports as
standard. A radical step was to abandon the 3½-inch diskette drive
(which had been present in every Mac since the first one in 1984).
Apple argued that recordable CDs, the internet, and office networks
were quickly making diskettes obsolete.

14. iBook (1999)

Release date July 21, 1999

Discontinued May 1, 2000
CPU PowerPC G3, 300–466 MHz

The iBook was another of Jonathan Ive’s babies. Although ridiculed

as a Hello Kitty toilet seat, Apple’s first portable computer brought
Wi-Fi to the masses with its optional AirPort wireless networking.
The line was targeted at the consumer and education markets, with
lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple’s higher-
end line of laptop computers. Three distinct designs of the iBook were
introduced during its lifetime. The first design, known as the
“Clamshell”, was a significant departure from portable computer
designs at the time due to its shape, bright colors, incorporation of a
handle, and wireless networking. Two years later, a second line
abandoned the original form factor in favor of a more conventional
rectangular design. In October 2003, the third design added a
PowerPC G4 chip and a slot-loading drive.Apple replaced the iBook
line with the MacBook in May 2006 during Apple’s transition to Intel
processors.

15. G4 Cube (2001)

Introductory price $1599

Discontinued July 2001
 CPU PowerPC G4, 450–500 MHz

The Power Mac G4 Cube demonstrated that Apple was capable of a

mental meltdown. The 8-inch cube looked cool, and it got a chilly
reception. Sure, it had radical industrial design, but it was too
expensive, underpowered and hard to upgrade. The diminutive 8″ x
8″ x 8″ cube, suspended in a 10″ tall Acrylic (PMMA) enclosure,
housed a PowerPC G4 processor running at 450 or 500 megahertz,
and had an unconventional vertical slot-loading DVD-ROM or CD-
RW drive. A separate monitor — with either an ADC or VGA
connection — was required for the Cube, in contrast to the all-in-one
iMac series. Also unlike the iMacs, it had an upgradeable video card
in a standard AGP slot. However, there was not enough space for full-
length cards. The Cube also featured two FireWire ports and two USB
ports for connecting peripherals. Sound was provided by an external
USB amplifier and a pair of Harman Kardon speakers. Although the
USB amplifier had a standard mini-plug headphone output, it lacked
any audio input. The Cube also used a silent, fanless, convection-
based cooling system like the iMacs of the time.

Source.
Posted: 30 Jul 2010 08:07 AM PDT

1984 marked an era in innovation when the state of the art Mac was
introduced, and it is since then the world is divided in two groups, the
ones who have mac and others who don’t. The new technology
marked the beginning of the style that had never been seen before.
Equipped with high speed, longer battery life and most importantly
elegant style, these oldies influenced the computer industry at large
and lead to machines like Mac book pro.

Source. http://www.smashinglists.com/15-unforgettable-mac-computers-
old-is-gold/