{"id":21491,"date":"2025-07-02T14:23:29","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T18:23:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?page_id=21491"},"modified":"2026-06-19T14:47:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T18:47:46","slug":"vin65","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin65\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple Macintosh Classic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-5xl  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n            <div class=\"cu-textmedia flex flex-col lg:flex-row mx-auto gap-6 md:gap-10 my-6 md:my-12 first:mt-0 max-w-5xl\">\n        <div class=\"justify-start cu-textmedia-content cu-prose-first-last\" style=\"flex: 0 0 100%;\">\n            <header class=\"font-light prose-xl cu-pageheader md:prose-2xl cu-component-updated cu-prose-first-last\">\n                                    <h1 class=\"cu-prose-first-last font-semibold !mt-2 mb-4 md:mb-6 relative after:absolute after:h-px after:bottom-0 after:bg-cu-red after:left-px text-3xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl lg:leading-[3.5rem] pb-5 after:w-10 text-cu-black-700 not-prose\">\n                        Apple Macintosh Classic\n                    <\/h1>\n                \n                                \n                            <\/header>\n\n                    <\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\">Vintage Computing Collection<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"apple-macintosh-classic\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Apple Macintosh Classic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>[Vin65]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250702_181039271-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250702_181039271-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Apple Mac Classic\" class=\"wp-image-21498\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250702_181039271-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250702_181039271-160x120.jpg 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250702_181039271-240x180.jpg 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250702_181039271-768x577.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250702_181039271-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250702_181039271-2048x1538.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250702_181039271-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/PXL_20250702_181039271-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Apple Macintosh Classic, released in 1990, was notable for being the first Macintosh to sell for under $1,000, making the Macintosh experience accessible to a much wider audience. Its most distinctive features included a compact all-in-one design with a 9-inch monochrome display, an 8 MHz Motorola 68000 processor, and the inclusion of the Apple SuperDrive, which could read and write multiple disk formats. The Macintosh Classic played a crucial role in expanding Apple\u2019s market share during a time when inexpensive IBM PC clones were flooding the market, and it set the stage for Apple\u2019s ongoing emphasis on design simplicity and accessibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Manufacturer<\/strong>: Apple Computer Inc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Released<\/strong>: 1990<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Type<\/strong>: Personal Desktop Computer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cost at release<\/strong>: USD $999 (CAD ~$2,400 adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>MIPS<\/strong>: 0.7 (700 KIPS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"hardware-specifications\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW169789978 BCX0\">Hardware Specifications<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>CPU<\/strong>: Motorola 68000, 8 MHz<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>RAM<\/strong>: 1 MB standard, expandable up to 4 MB using 30-pin SIMMs and a memory expansion card<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>ROM<\/strong>: 512 KB<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Display<\/strong>: 9-inch monochrome CRT, 512 \u00d7 342 pixel resolution<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Storage<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1.44 MB SuperDrive floppy disk (standard)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Optional 40 MB SCSI hard disk drive<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ports<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1 \u00d7 ADB (keyboard\/mouse)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2 \u00d7 mini-DIN-8 RS-422 serial ports (printer, modem, AppleTalk)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 \u00d7 DB-19 (external floppy)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 \u00d7 DB-25 SCSI (external hard drive, scanner)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 \u00d7 3.5 mm headphone jack<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Audio<\/strong>: 8-bit mono, 22 kHz output<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Expansion<\/strong>: No internal expansion slots except for RAM<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Power Supply<\/strong>: 76 watts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weight<\/strong>: 16 lbs (7.26 kg)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"operating-system-programming-languages\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW50331614 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW50331614 BCX0\">Operating System &amp; Programming Languages<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW50331614 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:0}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>O\/S<\/strong>: System 6.0.7 and supported all versions up to System 7.5.5. It also included a hidden System 6.0.3 in ROM, which could be accessed with a specific key combination during boot<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Programming Languages<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pascal (the standard language for early Mac development; Apple\u2019s APIs and documentation were written for Pascal, and tools like Think Pascal and MPW Pascal were widely used).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>C and C++ (became increasingly popular in the 1990s, with environments like Think C and MPW supporting them).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assembly language (68k assembler was used for performance-critical code and low-level programming).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>BASIC (such as MacBASIC, though Apple discontinued official support in the mid-1980s, and third-party BASIC interpreters were available).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Other languages: Free Pascal and other Pascal dialects could be used, and scripting or interpreted languages like HyperTalk (for HyperCard) were also available.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"notables\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Notables<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Macintosh Classic was the first Macintosh to sell for under $1,000, making it Apple\u2019s most affordable Mac at the time and broadening access to the Macintosh ecosystem. it is&nbsp; remembered as a pivotal model that democratized Macintosh ownership, making Apple computers accessible to students, educators, and home users.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It featured a secret internal ROM disk: by holding Command\u2013Option\u2013O\u2013X at startup, users could boot from a hidden 357 KB System 6.0.3 disk in ROM\u2014unique among Macs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Classic was essentially a slightly faster, rebranded Mac Plus, with only modest improvements, prompting some criticism for its outdated specs even at launch.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It lacked expansion slots, a cost-saving measure that returned to the sealed, simple design philosophy of the original Macintosh.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The brightness knob was eliminated; screen brightness was controlled by software instead.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Its industrial design was the final adaptation of Jerry Manock and Terry Oyama\u2019s original Macintosh 128K case, with a more curved front bezel that influenced Apple\u2019s 1990s product aesthetics.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Classic was widely adopted in schools and education due to its low price and robust library of educational software<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Donated by<\/strong>: Doron Nussbaum<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\">Vintage Computing Collection<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Apple Macintosh Classic [Vin65] The Apple Macintosh Classic, released in 1990, was notable for being the first Macintosh to sell for under $1,000, making the Macintosh experience accessible to a much wider audience. Its most distinctive features included a compact all-in-one design with a 9-inch monochrome display, an 8 MHz Motorola 68000 processor, and the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":19704,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cu_dining_location_slug":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_page_type":[130,127,90,123],"class_list":["post-21491","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","cu_page_type-mac","cu_page_type-pc","cu_page_type-vintage-computing","cu_page_type-vintage-inventory"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21491"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21491\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24898,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21491\/revisions\/24898"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_page_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_page_type?post=21491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}