Macintosh Classic (1990)

Macintosh Classic: the affordable 1990 entry, not Classic II or a new architectural leap.

Specs

Launch and context

Apple dates its introduction to October 15, 1990. An 8 MHz Motorola 68000, monochrome 512 × 342 display and 1.44 MB floppy. The base configuration had 1 MB RAM; Low End Mac distinguishes a 2 MB version with 40 MB SCSI disk. Expansion reached 4 MB, but going beyond 1 MB required the specific memory expansion card. [Apple, Low End Mac] Production continued until September 14, 1992 (EveryMac).

How Apple presented it

The pitch was a Macintosh below $1000: $999 floppy-only or $1499 with 2 MB and 40 MB disk, historical US prices recorded by Low End Mac. Lower price did not mean higher speed: 8 MHz 68000 remained limited beside contemporary Macs. ADB and SCSI were present, not USB or built-in Ethernet. [Low End Mac, Apple]

Documented issues

RAM limits and the required expansion card affect the configuration of an incomplete machine. The cited sources do not establish a universal Classic fault: black screens and disk failures can have different causes. Restoration requires qualified assessment of configuration and condition. The CRT can retain dangerous voltage even when off. The photograph shows a keyboard and mouse together with the computer, without establishing that both accompanied every configuration sold. [Apple, iFixit, Wikimedia Commons]

Sources

Sources used: Low End Mac · Wikimedia Commons · Apple · iFixit. Details and links on the Sources page.

Indicative price

New (launch, US): $999 (1 MB RAM) · $1,499 (2 MB + 40 MB hard drive) · EveryMac (checked 2026-10-29).

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