On September 10, 1984, Apple introduced the Macintosh 512K, a personal computer that would go on to become a staple in the Macintosh series. The Macintosh 512K was designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple from 1984 to 1986, and at its launch, its price started at $3,195.
The Macintosh 512K featured an 8 MHz Motorola 68000 processor, a 9″ monochrome display, 512 KB of RAM, a 400 KB floppy disk drive, and a dedicated operating system: Macintosh System Software. This computer was a significant step forward for Apple, as it marked the beginning of a new era in personal computing.
Macintosh 512K was similar to the Macintosh 128K. The main difference between these two was the amount of RAM memory built-in in both Macs. Macintosh 128K has 128 KB of RAM while Macintosh 512K has 512 KB of RAM. It was a massive difference at the time. On Mac 512K users could load more data into memory from the floppy disks.
However, the Macintosh 512K’s time in the spotlight was short-lived, as it was discontinued on April 14, 1986. It was replaced by the Macintosh 512Ke, which offered some slight upgrades and improvements. Today, the Macintosh 512K is 40 years old, and although it is no longer in production, it remains a significant piece of technology history.
Macintosh 512K Details
| Introduced | September 10, 1984 |
| Discontinued | April 14, 1986 |
| Model Identifier | 2 |
| Order Number | M0001W M0001WP |
| Original Price | $3,195 |
| Colors | Beige |
| Weight | 16.5 Ibs. 7.484 KG |
| Dimensions | 13.6” H x 9.6” W x 10.9” D 34.54 cm H x 24.38 cm W x 27.68 cm D |
Mac 512K Tech Specs
Processor
| Processor | Motorola 68000 |
| Processor Speed | 8 MHz |
| Number of Cores | 1 |
| System Bus | 8 MHz |
| Cache | None |
| Coprocessor | None |
| Interleaving Support | No |
Memory
| Storage | None |
| Built-in Memory | 512 KB |
| Maximum Memory | 512 KB |
| Memory Slots | None |
Graphics
| Graphics Card | None |
| Graphics Connection | None |
| Graphics Memory | None |
Display
| Built-in Display | 9” monochrome display |
| Resolution | 512 x 342 |
| Pixel Density | 72 ppi |
Connections
| Ethernet | None |
| Modem | None |
| ADB | None |
| Serial | 2 – RS-422 1 – DE-9 |
| SCSI | None |
| Audio Out | 1 – Built-in speaker 8-bit 22-kHz |
| Display | None |
| Expansion Slots | None |
| Hard Drive Interface | None |
| Media | 400 KB floppy disk drive |
| Floppy Port | 1 – DB-19 |
Accessories
Software
| Original OS | Macintosh System Software 0.1 |
| Maximum OS | System Software 2.0.1 |
| Firmware | Macintosh ROM |
Power
| Backup Battery | 4.5 V Alkaline |
| Maximum Continuous Power | 60 W |
| Line Voltage | 110-120V AC (M0001W) 220-240V AC (M00001WP) |
Macintosh on Video
Further Reading and References
- Macintosh 512K: Technical Specifications – Apple Support
- Macintosh 512K – Wikipedia
- Mac 512K Fat Mac – Low End Mac
- Apple Macintosh 512k – The Centre for Computing History
- Mac 512K Blog – Mac GUI
- Today in Apple history: Macintosh 512K, aka the ‘Fat Mac,’ quadruples the memory – Cult of Mac
- Macintosh 512K – Old Crap Vintage Computing
Disclaimer: The data presented in this article is under continuous development and has been manually collected from various sources based on their availability. The author of this article may revise this dataset as additional research is conducted and reviewed. Please note that the information is provided “as is” and “as available” without express or implied warranties. The author cannot be held responsible for any omissions, inaccuracies, or errors in the published information. Any warranties relating to this information are hereby disclaimed.
Last updated: March 12, 2023
