On January 1st, 1985, Apple introduced the Macintosh XL, a powerful personal computer that was part of the Macintosh series. At a starting price of $9,995, the Macintosh XL was geared toward professionals and power users looking for a high-performance machine.
The Macintosh XL featured a 5 MHz Motorola 68000 processor, which was considered fast at the time. It also came with a 12″ monochrome display, 512 KB of RAM, 10 MB of hard drive storage, and a 400 KB floppy disk drive. These specs were impressive for the time and made the Macintosh XL a formidable machine for its day.
However, despite its impressive specs, the Macintosh XL was only available for a little over a year. On August 1st, 1986, Apple discontinued the Macintosh XL, making it a short-lived but notable addition to the Macintosh lineup. Today, 38 years after its discontinuation, the Macintosh XL remains a piece of Apple’s history and a reminder of the company’s early efforts to push the boundaries of personal computing.
Macintosh XL Release Date and Original Price
Introduced | January 1, 1985 |
Discontinued | August 1, 1986 |
Model Identifier | 2 |
Model Number | Unknown |
Original Price | $9,995 |
Colors | Beige |
Weight | 55 Ibs. 24.947 KG |
Dimensions | 13.8” H x 18.5” W x 15.2” D 35.05 cm H x 47 cm W x 38.6 cm D |
Tech Specs
Processor | Motorola 68000 |
Processor Speed | 5 MHz |
Architecture | 16-bit |
Number of Cores | 1 |
Coprocessor | None |
Cache | None |
System Bus | 5 MHz |
Storage | Built-in 10 MB hard disk drive and optional external 5 or 10 MB Apple ProFile hard disk drive |
Built-in Memory | 512 KB |
Maximum Memory | 2 MB |
Memory Slots | 2 – Apple Lisa memory boards |
Minimum Speed | 150 ns |
ROM | 16 KB |
Display
Built-in Display | 12″ monochrome display |
Resolution | 720 x 364 |
Graphics
Graphics Card | None |
Graphics Memory | None |
Software
Original OS | MacWorks XL (support for up to System Software 1.1) |
Maximum OS | MacWorks Plus II (support for up to System 7.5.5) |
Firmware | N/A |
Connections
Modem | None |
Ethernet | None |
ADB | None |
SCSI | None |
Serial | 2 – RS-232C 1 – DE-9 |
Parallel | 1 – D-25 |
Audio In | None |
Audio Out | 1 – Built-in speaker |
Floppy Port | None |
Display | 1 – RCA composite video output |
Expansion Slots | 3 – Apple Lisa expansion slots |
Media | Built-in 400 KB 3.5-inch floppy disk drive |
Accessories
Keyboard | 76-key Selectric-style, detached keyboard with 10-key pad |
Power
Backup Battery | 4.8 V NICAD or None |
Maximum Continuous Power | 150 W |
Line Voltage | 115 or 230V AC |
References:
Apple Support – Macintosh XL: Technical Specifications