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yann64andClaude Opus 5.5 b274874139 All machines linked to their forum thread (full comment import)
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Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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---
title: Apple MACINTOSH SE 30
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1989'
cpus:
- Motorola MC 68030
params:
name: MACINTOSH SE 30
image: /media/museum/photos/apple_mac_se30.jpg
company: /companies/apple
company_name: Apple
specs:
- label: NAME
value: MACINTOSH SE 30
- label: MANUFACTURER
value: Apple
- label: TYPE
value: Professional Computer
- label: ORIGIN
value: U.S.A.
- label: YEAR
value: January 1989
- label: END OF PRODUCTION
value: 21th october 1990
- label: CPU
value: Motorola MC 68030
- label: SPEED
value: 15.77 MHz
- label: CO-PROCESSOR
value: 'FPU: 16 MHz 68882'
- label: RAM
value: 1 / 4 MB (up to 128 MB) + 256 bytes of PRAM
- label: VRAM
value: 64 KB
- label: ROM
value: 256 KB
- label: GRAPHIC MODES
value: 512 x 342
- label: COLORS
value: monochrome (9'' black & white display)
- label: SOUND
value: four stereo channels
- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
value: 13.6'' x 9.6'' x 10.9'' / 19.5 lb
- label: I/O PORTS
value: two serial RS232/422 ports; two ADB ports (keyboard, mouse), Stereo, Floppy disk connector, SCSI, 68030 Processor Direct Slot (to connect graphic cards, or network card)
- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
value: One double sided 3.5'' disk drive (1,4 MB)
- label: OS
value: MAC OS 6.0.3 or later versions
- label: POWER SUPPLY
value: 'internal batteries: 3.6V lithium'
- label: PRICE
value: $4400 (USA, 1989)
tabs:
- emulators
- links
forum_thread: 173
emulators:
- 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: 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: Executor
url: http://www.ardi.com/
platform: Unix / Linux
text: Demo version of a commercial software (Linux / NextStep)
- 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/Groupes.html
text: (french)
- title: CMQ - Groupes d'usagers Apple
url: http://www.cmq.qc.ca/cmq.html
text: (french)
- 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/compact/se30.shtml
text: Excellent Mac SE/30 page
- 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: 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-ii
- /museum/apple-macintosh-plus
- /museum/apple-macintosh-portable
- /museum/apple-macintosh-se
oc_id: 162
source:
url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608221539/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=162
date: '2023-06-08'
---
The Macintosh SE/30 was the successor to the [Apple Macintosh SE](/museum/apple-macintosh-se/) and the [Macintosh Plus](/museum/apple-macintosh-plus/). It ran under Mac OS 6.0.3 or A/UX (Apple’s Unix variant).
Apple had been naming all computers using the 68030 processers with an "x", such as the IIx and IIcx. When it came time to put the 68030 processor into the SE series, they prudently decided that calling it the Macintosh "SEx" wasn't the best marketing idea, so they settled on "SE 30".
Except for the 68030, one of its main differences with the old Mac SE was its separate video RAM (64 KB which could be accessed without slowing down CPU access to the RAM). Its sound system was a limited version of the Apple II GS sound system.
Although the SE-30 had a gray-scale monitor, the onboard video actually supported color. The cost of incorporating a 9" color CRT would have made the machine far too pricey, resulting in the the grayscale CRT. However, the idea of a color CRT would be taken up again with the [Colour Classic](/museum/apple-macintosh-color-classic/).\
The SE-30 also had an expansion slot that could support a variety of 3rd party cards, an example being a combination 10BaseT Ethernet / color video out card.
---
Some information provided by **Andrew Granger**:\
The SE/30 could address up to 128MB of RAM, the SE/30 was essentially a Mac IIx/Mac IIcx crammed into a Mac 128/512/Plus/SE-sized case. The one caveat to this maximum RAM configuration is that the ROMs were not "32-bit clean." The ROM implementation was only 24 bits wide, with the result that if you installed any more than 8MB into the SE/30, you wouldn't see any more than 8MB available, but the System Software listing in the "About this Macintosh..." menu item would be \*huge\* (this same situation happened on the Mac IIx and IIcx also). In order to address more than 8MB of RAM, you needed to either install Connectix's Mode32 extension, or (later) Apple's 32-bit Enabler extension. These extensions patched the ROM code to make the machine 32-bit clean, thus allowing you to have as much RAM as your heart desired, up to 128MB.
Video extension by **Luca Rescigno**:\
SE/30s have been hacked to an even greater extent. There are many different things people have done, but one popular (if rare, and dangerous!) upgrade is to find a Micron XCeed graphics chip. This chip fits into the neck of the CRT, which is a dangerous place to work because of all the built up charge. When installed, it will allow the monochrome 512x384 display to use **256 grays at 640x480!** In addition to the 128 MB RAM upgrades some crazy souls have added, others have found out how to install systems beyond 7.5.5 onto 68030 machines. I think the software is called BornAgain, and it lets you run 7.6, 8.0 and 8.1 on old 68030s, although I don't think 68030s can use the HFS+ filesystem introduced with 8.1.