• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Hardware Secrets

Hardware Secrets

Uncomplicating the complicated

  • Case
  • Cooling
  • Memory
  • Mobile
    • Laptops
    • Smartphones
    • Tablets
  • Motherboard
  • Networking
  • Other
    • Audio
    • Cameras
    • Consumer Electronics
    • Desktops
    • Museum
    • Software
    • Tradeshows & Events
  • Peripherals
    • Headset
    • Keyboard
    • Mouse
    • Printers
  • Power
  • Storage
  • Video

Inside the Macintosh 512K

Let’s take a look at the hardware of the Macintosh 512K, the second Mac to be released, back in 1985.

Home » Inside the Macintosh 512K

Introduction

Contents

  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. The Macintosh 512K
  • 3. Inside the Macintosh 512K
  • 4. The Motherboard

Following the release of the original Macintosh in 1984, Apple released the Macintosh 512K in 1985. The main difference between the two was the increase in RAM to 512 kB. The original Macintosh had 128 kB and started to be called the 128K after plans to release the 512K were revealed.

Just like the original Macintosh, the Macintosh 512K came originally with a 3.5” 400 kB floppy disk drive (at the time, most computers used 5.25” 360 kB floppy disk drives) and a 9-inch black-and-white video monitor with a resolution of 512 x 342 integrated on the computer’s body. The 512K was based on the Motorola 68000 microprocessor, which was one of the most powerful CPUs available at the time.

An upgrade version of the 512K with an 800 kB floppy disk drive was released in April 1986 and was called the 512Ke (for “Enhanced”). This model had the part number “M0001E”.

At the end of the Macintosh 512K’s life, Apple cut its price and renamed it to Macintosh ED, and targeted it to the educational market. This model had the part number “M0001D” or “M0001ED.”

The computer didn’t come with a hard drive, so the operating system and programs must have been loaded through floppy disks. All of the time we see people listing old Macs on eBay, saying that it is “defective” because the operating system is not loading and the computer is showing an icon with a floppy disk and a question mark. (The person selling the computer does not realize that old computers didn’t come with a hard drive.) This is the normal behavior of the computer when it doesn’t find a floppy containing the operating system, and it means the computer is working as expected.

The Macintosh 512K kept the same yellow color as the Macintosh 128K and the Apple IIe.

Macintosh 512KFigure 1: The Macintosh 512K

Nowadays, the first thing you will notice looking at the Macintosh 512K is how small it was. In Figure 2 we compare it to a 21-inch LCD monitor.

Macintosh 512KFigure 2: The Macintosh 512K compared to a 21-inch LCD monitor

Differently from the Apple II and Apple III, the keyboard was not part of the body of the computer. It was connected to the computer using a spiraled cable similar to the ones used by telephones. The keyboard was mechanical and almost identical to the one used with the Apple IIe, except that the old Open Apple and Solid Apple keys were replaced by the Command and the Option keys, respectively. This keyboard was identical to the one used with the Macintosh 128K. Later, Apple released a version of the 512Ke with the same keyboard that came with the Macintosh Plus, dubbed the 512Ke/800. This model had the part number “M0001D.”

Macintosh 512KFigure 3: The keyboard

The mouse was rectangular with a single button. To this day, Apple mice still have only one button. It was connected to the computer through a DE-9 connector identical to the one used on the Macintosh’s serial ports, but the mouse port used a proprietary format.

Macintosh 512KFigure 4: The mouse

Continue: The Macintosh 512K

Museum Tutorials

Primary Sidebar

As a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, this site may earn from qualifying purchases. We may also earn commissions on purchases from other retail websites.

gigabit ethernet device

The Ultimate 2022 Guide on Gigabit Ethernet

Everything you need to know about Gigabit Ethernet.

spdif connection

What You Should Know About the SPDIF Connection (2022 Guide)

Learn about the digital audio connection called SPDIF and when and how to use it.

Everything You Need to Know About the CPU Power Management

The CPU has several power saving modes called C-states. In this tutorial we will explain what these modes are, what they do and the modes supported by each processor.

Understanding RAM Timings

Learn in detail what numbers like 7-7-7-21, 8-8-8-24, or 9-9-9-24 after the memory specification mean.

How to Connect Two PCs Using a USB to USB Cable in 2022

Learn how to connect two PCs using an USB-USB cable to transfer files and share your Internet connection.

Footer

For Performance

  • PCI Express 3.0 vs. 2.0: Is There a Gaming Performance Gain?
  • Does dual-channel memory make difference on integrated video performance?
  • Overclocking Pros and Cons
  • All Core i7 Models
  • Understanding RAM Timings

Everything you need to know

  • Everything You Need to Know About the Dual-, Triple-, and Quad-Channel Memory Architectures
  • What You Should Know About the SPDIF Connection (2022 Guide)
  • Everything You Need to Know About the Intel Virtualization Technology
  • Everything You Need to Know About the CPU Power Management

Follow Us

Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · All rights reserved - Hardwaresecrets.com
About Us · Privacy Policy · Contact