Macintosh 512Ke Macintosh 512Ke

Macintosh 512Ke Explained

On April 14th, 1986, Apple introduced the Macintosh 512Ke, a personal computer that would become a part of the Macintosh series. At a starting price of $1,999, the Macintosh 512Ke promised to deliver powerful performance and a sleek design.

The Macintosh 512Ke featured an 8 MHz Motorola 68000 processor, a 9-inch monochrome display, 512 KB of RAM, and an 800 KB floppy disk drive. It also came with a dedicated operating system, Macintosh System Software, which was designed to make the computer easy to use.

However, despite its impressive specs and user-friendly design, the Macintosh 512Ke was only manufactured and sold by Apple for a year, from 1986 to 1987. On September 1st, 1987, the computer was discontinued, making it 37 years old today.

While the Macintosh 512Ke may be a piece of tech history, it was a significant step forward for Apple and played a major role in the company’s journey to becoming the technology giant it is today.

Macintosh 512Ke
Source: podstawczynski.com – Macintosh 512Ke

Macintosh 512Ke Details

IntroducedApril 14, 1986
DiscontinuedSeptember 1, 1987
Model Identifier3
Order NumberM0001E (512Ke)
M0001D (512K/800)
M0001ED (EDU 512Ke)
Original Price$1,999
ColorsBeige
Weight16.5 Ibs.
7.484 KG
Dimensions13.6” H x 9.6” W x 10.9” D
34.54 cm H x 24.38 cm W x 27.68 cm D

Mac 512Ke Tech Specs

ProcessorMotorola 68000
Processor Speed8 MHz
Number of Cores1
System Bus8 MHz
CacheNone
CoprocessorNone

Memory

StorageNone
Built-in Memory512 KB
Maximum Memory512 KB
Memory SlotsNone
Interleaving SupportNo

Graphics

Graphics CardNone
Graphics ConnectionNone
Graphics MemoryNone

Display

Built-in Display9” monochrome display
Resolution512 x 342
Pixel Density72 ppi

Connections

EthernetNone
ModemNone
ADBNone
Serial2 – RS-422
1 – DE-9
SCSINone
Audio Out1 – Built-in speaker 8-bit 22-kHz
DisplayNone

Expansion

SlotsNone
Hard Drive InterfaceNone
Media800 KB floppy disk drive
Floppy Port1 – DB-19

Accessories

Software

Original OSSystem Software 0.7
Maximum OSSystem Software 6.0.8
FirmwareMacintosh ROM

Power

Backup Battery4.5 V Alkaline
Maximum Continuous Power60 W
Line Voltage110-120V AC (M0001E, M0001D, M0001ED)

Further Reading and References

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: April 8, 2023