--- title: Apple MACINTOSH II categories: - Computers types: - Professional Computer origins: - U.S.A. years: - '1987' cpus: - Motorola MC 68020 params: name: MACINTOSH II image: /media/museum/photos/apple_mac2.jpg company: /companies/apple company_name: Apple specs: - label: NAME value: MACINTOSH II - label: MANUFACTURER value: Apple - label: TYPE value: Professional Computer - label: ORIGIN value: U.S.A. - label: YEAR value: '1987' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: None - label: KEYBOARD value: |- Full stroke 81 keys with numeric keypad and cursor keys\ Optional extended 105 key keyboard with 15 function keys ($229!) - label: CPU value: Motorola MC 68020 - label: SPEED value: 15.66 MHz - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: Motorola 68881 (numeric coprocessor) - label: RAM value: 1 MB, up to 8 MB on board and 2 GB via NuBus add-on slots - label: ROM value: 256 KB - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 640 x 480 (The MAC II uses a NUBUS video card, this card could be replaced with any other more powerful one). - label: COLORS value: 16 or 256 among 16.7 millions - label: SOUND value: Apple sound chip - 4 voices 1 channel. Can drive external stereo equipment - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 47.4 (W) x 36.4 (D) x 14 (H) cm / 12 Kg - label: I/O PORTS value: 'Six Internal NUBUS slots (10 MHz, 32 bits), ADB (2 : Keyboard, mouse), RS232/422 (2), Disk, Monitor' - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: 1 or 2 3.5'' floppy disc drives - label: OS value: Macintosh System 4.0 + Finder 5.4 (can boot up to System 7.5.5) - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Self configuring switching power supply unit - label: PERIPHERALS value: 20 to 80 MB SCSI hard disk - label: PRICE value: |- $3769 (1 x 800 KB FDD, 1 MB of RAM)\ Hard discs: 20 MB ($999), 40 MB ($1599), 80 MB ($2699) tabs: - photos - adverts - emulators - links forum_thread: 171 photos: - title: MAIN BOARD EXPLAINED subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** SCSI, VIA1, VIA2, SCC and ADB chips\ **(2)** 1 to 8 MB RAM in SIMM modules\ **(3)** 256 KB toolbox ROM\ **(4)** Memory management custom chip\ **(5)** Motorola 68020 processor\ **(6)** Custom gate array chip\ **(7)** 68881 floating-point coprocessor\ **(8)** Apple Sound chip\ **(9)** Internal floppy disk connectors\ **(10)** NuBus control logic\ **(11)** NuBus tranceivers\ **(12)** NuBus slots\ **(13)** Internal SCSI connector image: /media/museum/photos/apple_macii_mainboard_s1.jpg adverts: - title: MOTOROLA AD. subtitle: '' text: |- In fact, this advert didn't promote the Macintosh II computer but the 68020 microprocessor.\ Advert said: ...While Apple's choice of the MC 68020 was a smart move, there's no licence on genius: the 68020 is the microprocessor of choice in advanced business system design by such industry leaders as Altos, Alpha Micro, Casio, C.Itoh, Fujitsu, Honneywell Bull, NEC, NCR, Olivetti, Plexus, Ricoh, Sanyo, Sharp, TI, Toshiba and Unisys... image: /media/museum/pubs/apple_macii_pub_1.jpg emulators: - title: Executor url: http://www.ardi.com/ platform: Windows text: Demonstration version of a commercial software (MS DOS & Win95) - title: Executor url: http://www.ardi.com/ platform: Windows text: Demonstration version of a commercial software (MS DOS & Win95) - title: Gemulator url: http://www.emulators.com/ platform: Windows text: A commercial Software which emulates the Atari ST/TT and the Mac 128/Plus/2 (Win95 / Win NT) - title: Gemulator url: http://www.emulators.com/ platform: Windows text: A commercial Software which emulates the Atari ST/TT and the Mac 128/Plus/2 (Win95 / Win NT) - title: LisaEm url: http://lisa.sunder.net/ platform: Windows text: Same as Apple lisa emulator for unix but ported to windows - title: PearPC url: http://pearpc.sourceforge.net/ platform: Windows text: PearPC is an architecture-independent PowerPC platform emulator capable of running most PowerPC operating systems. - title: SoftMac url: http://www.emulators.com/ platform: Windows text: good 68K Emulator For Windows - title: vMAC (Virtual MAC) url: http://www.leb.net/vmac platform: Windows text: A Mac 128 Emulator for MS DOS / Win97 (available for OS/2 too) - title: vMAC (Virtual MAC) url: http://www.leb.net/vmac platform: Apple text: A Mac 128 Emulator for Macintosh !!! - title: Executor url: http://www.ardi.com/ platform: Unix / Linux text: Demo version of a commercial software (Linux / NextStep) - title: Executor url: http://www.ardi.com/ platform: Unix / Linux text: Demo version of a commercial software (Linux / NextStep) - title: Macintosh Application Environment (MAE) url: http://www.mae.apple.com/ platform: Unix / Linux text: for HP-UX and Solaris - title: The Official ShapeShifter Home Page url: http://www.uni-mainz.de/~bauec002/SSMain.html platform: Amiga OS text: '' - title: vMac - The Virtual Macintosh Emulator Project url: http://www.leb.net/vmac/ platform: Other platform text: '' - title: Basilisk II url: http://basilisk.cebix.net/ platform: Multiplatform text: Basilisk II is an Open Source 68k Macintosh emulator. Good emulator, runs on several platforms, even Amiga - title: Mini vMac url: http://minivmac.sourceforge.net/ platform: Multiplatform text: Mini vMac, a spin off of the program vMac, emulates a Macintosh Plus and Macintosh SE. So far it works on Macintosh OS, Microsoft Windows, and the X Window System. links: - title: Apple History url: http://www.apple-history.com/ text: History of Apple computers with detail information about all of the computers to come out of Apple. - title: Applefritter url: http://www.applefritter.com text: Excellent site about all Apple models,clones,prototypes,etc... A must see ! - title: CMQ - Groupes d'usagers Apple url: http://www.cmq.qc.ca/cmq.html text: (french) - title: CMQ - Groupes d'usagers Apple url: http://www.cmq.qc.ca/Groupes.html text: (french) - title: Everything for the Mac url: http://www.everythingmac.com/ text: '' - title: Homepage of Gamba url: http://home.earthlink.net/~gamba2/index.html text: A lot of interesting Mac links, for example "How To Transfer Files From PC to MAC " - title: Jag's House url: http://www.jagshouse.com/ text: Lot of info on all non PowerMac models - title: Low End Mac url: http://www.lowendmac.com text: Great site with a full catalog of ALL old macintoshes. - title: Mac Forums at MacForumz.com url: http://www.MacForumz.com text: Mac forums, a resource on the latest and greatest, as well as vintage, Macintosh hardware, software, and internet. Free registration. - title: MacDebate url: http://www.macdebate.com text: Macintosh discussion forum - title: Nerd World MACINTOSH COMPUTERS url: http://www.nerdworld.com/cgi-bin/page.cgi?MACINTOSH_COMPUTERS/503 text: '' - title: The Vintage Mac Museum url: http://www.d4.dion.ne.jp/~motohiko/ text: Nice dedicated website with tons of screenshots ! - title: Titlemax - Apple products url: https://www.titlemax.com/discovery-center/lifestyle/every-product-apple-has-made-so-far/ text: Nice graphic of every product Apple Has Made So Far (thanks Lily) - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com text: Discussion of Macintosh software system related: - /museum/apple-lisa-lisa-2-mac-xl - /museum/apple-macintosh - /museum/apple-macintosh-color-classic - /museum/apple-macintosh-plus - /museum/apple-macintosh-portable - /museum/apple-macintosh-se - /museum/apple-macintosh-se-30 oc_id: 160 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230528101509/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=160 date: '2023-05-28' --- The Apple Macintosh II was launched in 1987 at the same time as the [Macintosh SE](/museum/apple-macintosh-se/). It was considered "revolutionary" because, for the first time, the Macintosh was expandable thanks to its internal slots and had colours (the previous Macintoshes all had monochrome displays). The Mac II also marked Apple's entry into the realm of serious computing. It used a more classic keyboard (which looked like a PC keyboard) and proprietary RGB monitor (see 'Read more' section). The internal SCSI hard disk could be replaced with an 80 MB disk. It could run under A/UX (The Apple version of Unix System V version 2). The Macintosh II was followed in September 1988 by the Macintosh IIx. The IIx had the same specifications as the Mac II. It used a 68030 CPU and a 68882 FPU instead of the 68020 and the 68881, an 1.44 MB 3.5" floppy drive and removable system ROMs for easier updates.
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