website/content/museum/apple-macintosh-ii.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Apple MACINTOSH II	Computers	Professional Computer	U.S.A.	1987	Motorola MC 68020	name company company_name specs tabs photos adverts emulators links comments related oc_id source MACINTOSH II /companies/apple Apple label value NAME MACINTOSH II label value MANUFACTURER Apple label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR 1987 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE None label value KEYBOARD Full stroke 81 keys with numeric keypad and cursor keys\ Optional extended 105 key keyboard with 15 function keys ($229!) label value CPU Motorola MC 68020 label value SPEED 15.66 MHz label value CO-PROCESSOR Motorola 68881 (numeric coprocessor) label value RAM 1 MB, up to 8 MB on board and 2 GB via NuBus add-on slots label value ROM 256 KB label value GRAPHIC MODES 640 x 480 (The MAC II uses a NUBUS video card, this card could be replaced with any other more powerful one). label value COLORS 16 or 256 among 16.7 millions label value SOUND Apple sound chip - 4 voices 1 channel. Can drive external stereo equipment label value SIZE / WEIGHT 47.4 (W) x 36.4 (D) x 14 (H) cm / 12 Kg label value I/O PORTS Six Internal NUBUS slots (10 MHz, 32 bits), ADB (2 : Keyboard, mouse), RS232/422 (2), Disk, Monitor label value BUILT IN MEDIA 1 or 2 3.5'' floppy disc drives label value OS Macintosh System 4.0 + Finder 5.4 (can boot up to System 7.5.5) label value POWER SUPPLY Self configuring switching power supply unit label value PERIPHERALS 20 to 80 MB SCSI hard disk label value PRICE $3769 (1 x 800 KB FDD, 1 MB of RAM)\ Hard discs: 20 MB ($999), 40 MB ($1599), 80 MB ($2699) photos adverts emulators links title subtitle text image MAIN BOARD EXPLAINED **(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 null title subtitle text image MOTOROLA AD. 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... null title url platform text Executor http://www.ardi.com/ Windows Demonstration version of a commercial software (MS DOS & Win95) title url platform text Executor http://www.ardi.com/ Windows Demonstration version of a commercial software (MS DOS & Win95) title url platform text Gemulator http://www.emulators.com/ Windows A commercial Software which emulates the Atari ST/TT and the Mac 128/Plus/2 (Win95 / Win NT) title url platform text Gemulator http://www.emulators.com/ Windows A commercial Software which emulates the Atari ST/TT and the Mac 128/Plus/2 (Win95 / Win NT) title url platform text LisaEm http://lisa.sunder.net/ Windows Same as Apple lisa emulator for unix but ported to windows title url platform text PearPC http://pearpc.sourceforge.net/ Windows PearPC is an architecture-independent PowerPC platform emulator capable of running most PowerPC operating systems. title url platform text SoftMac http://www.emulators.com/ Windows good 68K Emulator For Windows title url platform text vMAC (Virtual MAC) http://www.leb.net/vmac Windows A Mac 128 Emulator for MS DOS / Win97 (available for OS/2 too) title url platform text vMAC (Virtual MAC) http://www.leb.net/vmac Apple A Mac 128 Emulator for Macintosh !!! title url platform text Executor http://www.ardi.com/ Unix / Linux Demo version of a commercial software (Linux / NextStep) title url platform text Executor http://www.ardi.com/ Unix / Linux Demo version of a commercial software (Linux / NextStep) title url platform text Macintosh Application Environment (MAE) http://www.mae.apple.com/ Unix / Linux for HP-UX and Solaris title url platform text The Official ShapeShifter Home Page http://www.uni-mainz.de/~bauec002/SSMain.html Amiga OS title url platform text vMac - The Virtual Macintosh Emulator Project http://www.leb.net/vmac/ Other platform title url platform text Basilisk II http://basilisk.cebix.net/ Multiplatform Basilisk II is an Open Source 68k Macintosh emulator. Good emulator, runs on several platforms, even Amiga title url platform text Mini vMac http://minivmac.sourceforge.net/ Multiplatform 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. title url text Apple History http://www.apple-history.com/ History of Apple computers with detail information about all of the computers to come out of Apple. title url text Applefritter http://www.applefritter.com Excellent site about all Apple models,clones,prototypes,etc... A must see ! title url text CMQ - Groupes d'usagers Apple http://www.cmq.qc.ca/cmq.html (french) title url text CMQ - Groupes d'usagers Apple http://www.cmq.qc.ca/Groupes.html (french) title url text Everything for the Mac http://www.everythingmac.com/ title url text Homepage of Gamba http://home.earthlink.net/~gamba2/index.html A lot of interesting Mac links, for example "How To Transfer Files From PC to MAC " title url text Jag's House http://www.jagshouse.com/ Lot of info on all non PowerMac models title url text Low End Mac http://www.lowendmac.com Great site with a full catalog of ALL old macintoshes. title url text Mac Forums at MacForumz.com http://www.MacForumz.com Mac forums, a resource on the latest and greatest, as well as vintage, Macintosh hardware, software, and internet. Free registration. title url text MacDebate http://www.macdebate.com Macintosh discussion forum title url text Nerd World MACINTOSH COMPUTERS http://www.nerdworld.com/cgi-bin/page.cgi?MACINTOSH_COMPUTERS/503 title url text The Vintage Mac Museum http://www.d4.dion.ne.jp/~motohiko/ Nice dedicated website with tons of screenshots ! title url text Titlemax - Apple products https://www.titlemax.com/discovery-center/lifestyle/every-product-apple-has-made-so-far/ Nice graphic of every product Apple Has Made So Far (thanks Lily) title url text Web Wiz CAPTCHA http://www.webwizcaptcha.com Discussion of Macintosh software system author date text Dean Filliol (Canada) Thursday 25th March 2021 I was wondering if I could get some feed back about the value on these computer parts I picked up this is what''s on the motherboard Macintosh II Apple computer 1987 820-0163-03 630-0140 The cpu is Motorola 68881RC16A OB79C8726 Thanks Dean any Info author date text Régis Schmidt (France) Saturday 20th August 2016 The first Color Macintosh of the lab. It drived a double-line CCD sensor for astronomical applications. author date text mike brohez (United States) Wednesday 16th November 2011 i need to talk to a macII owner about software copy author date text Ernest Saturday 15th October 2011 To Wally from Ohio, I think your statistics are a bit skewed. I would like to know how a 15Mhz difference in CPU speed (25Mhz of the A3000 to 40Mhz of Mac IIfx) would result in a 10 fold performance increase. I could go on at length as to why the Amiga was superior to the Macintosh. The Amiga 3000 started at just over $3000, while the Mac IIfx started at $9000 and went up to $12000. For less than half the base price of a Mac IIfx I could have added a few extras to an A3000 that would run circles around even a higher end Mac IIfx. Hardware aside, even the AmigaOS was superior to MacOS. The first AmigaOS supported true pre-emptive multitasking since it''s initial release in 1985. A feature that Mac didn''t get until OSX was released in 1999. While Mac and Amiga did at times play leap-frog with each other capability wise, Amiga held it''s lead for the first 2+ years of it''s release and continued to release hardware that would outstrip a comparable Mac at a fraction of the Mac''s price tag. author date text MIKE T (USA) Thursday 10th February 2011 I have an Apple II, I was just wondering how much they go for. Like on ebay? author date text wally (Ohio, US) Thursday 6th January 2011 The best thing about the Macintosh IIfx was that it stripped the then competing Amiga 3000 system 10 fold. A 40 MHz 68030 CPU was used and the Amiga 3000 only had 25 MHz It was the only 32-bit clean variation of the Mac II series. author date text Markus (Germany) Wednesday 4th August 2010 The Mac II series was quite good, for the most part.\ It was possible to swap the motherboards of the Mac II for the one of the Macintosh IIx or IIfx. THAT is compatibility. Every Mac II could have been upgraded with a FDHD SuperDrive upgrade, including disk drives and some chips (and the IWM disk controller was swapped in for a SWIM, compatible with OS/2, DOS/FAT 12 and Apple II ProDOS disks). And the design of the case still lookes good. But RAM was limited to 8 MB (due to the 24-bit addressing mode used) without Mode32, and limited to 20 MB with Mode32, but WITHOUT the SuperDrive upgrade. Maximum Mac OS is version 7.5.5 for Mac II and Mac IIx because of the "32-bit dirty" ROM. author date text Erik N (Australia) Friday 4th June 2010 I used to own a Mac II - well, my dad had one at his work and they were giving them away when I was 4-5 years old. I got one complete with working monitor, played games and stuff on it, sold it last year - but to this day I am still puzzled at how high resolution high quality images could fit on a 3.5" 800k disk. author date text Andrew Pantini Tuesday 1st April 2008 I was working for an Apple computer dealer (yes, they had dealers in those days), when the Mac II came out and it was the hottest thing since sliced bread. Because Apple had made inroads in the desktop publishing market, this was highly prized by publishers because it was much easier to expand than the all-in-one Mac systems. Two things stand out that come to mind. The first was that this was the first computer I knew that could support large monitors. It was not uncommon for customers to purchase 21 inch color monitors that would allow them to lay out publications in a side-by-side page format. The second is the price. This was a VERY expensive computer - nearly $4000 just for the box and it wasn't uncommon to spend another $5000 on a large color monitor and 24-bit video card. author date text Ricardo (Earth) Friday 9th March 2007 The Macintosh II was a ultimateley expandable Mac for times, you can run it uo to System 7.5 which. The Mac II was an important computer in the Desktop publishing era. author date text Link (Hyrule) Friday 8th April 2005 Yes, the bondi iMac did use VGA. The internal monitor connects to a standard DB15 port inside the case. author date text Thor Madsen (Chicago) Monday 15th March 2004 Talk about a great design. I once sold graphic systems - and walked through setting up a card/software in a PC and then this. Nightmare v. Pleasure. The next day I went out and bought a Mac SE. author date text The Clothist (Seattle) Friday 2nd May 2003 Glad to see the Mac II in it's fair place in a museum such as this. I believe that the original Macintosh II series computers were some of the best products Apple ever put out, and I have gone to lengths to rescue them from garbage dumps, etc., and find them good homes. As a matter of fact, I am writing this on a model IIsi ^_^ author date text Bennett Harris (Racine, Wisconsin) Saturday 15th June 2002 Are you selling your Mac2 becase if you are I would be quit interested /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-30 160 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230528101509/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=160 2023-05-28

The Apple Macintosh II was launched in 1987 at the same time as the 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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