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Apple Macintosh 128K vs Apple Macintosh Plus

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleMacintosh 128KAppleMacintosh Plus
Overview
ReleasedJanuary 1984January 1986
Performance
Processor68000 8 MHz (Macintosh 128K)68000 8 MHz (Macintosh Plus)
CPU cores11
Memory128 KB1 MB
CPU8 MHz 68000; maker lists no PMMU, FPU, cache or second processor8 MHz 68000 with 16-bit data path; no PMMU, FPU, cache or second processor. BYTE descriptive coverage identifies Motorola and 7.8336 MHz; maker's nominal 8 MHz retained
Memory typeFixed 128 KB RAM and 64 KB ROM, Apple's original SE/30 owner manual Macintosh product-line appendix and contemporaneous reviews. Retained Apple support sheet incorrectly labels RAM 0.125 MB; no built-in expansion, with third-party upgrades described separately1 MB standard, expandable to 4 MB using four 30-pin SIMM slots; maker lists 256K or 1 MB modules installed in pairs, minimum speed 150 ns, and excludes two-chip 1 MB SIMMs. 128K ROM
Storage typeBuilt-in 400 KB removable floppy drive, manually loaded and automatically ejected; no internal hard drive or hard-drive interface. Floppy capacity remains removable-media detail, not main internal storage800K removable floppy drive with automatic loading; no internal hard drive or hard-drive interface. External storage connects over SCSI
Expansion slotsNoneNone
Display
Screen size9″9″
Resolution512 × 342512 × 342
PanelCRTCRT
Display type9-inch monochrome CRT, 512 × 342 pixels; 9-inch diagonal confirmed in Apple's original SE/30 owner manual, Macintosh product-line appendix; generic maker table 512 × 384 conflicts with its explicit note 512 × 342Built-in one-bit monochrome CRT; 9-inch diagonal confirmed in Apple's original SE/30 owner manual, Macintosh product-line appendix. Maker's explicit 512 × 342 note corrects its generic 512 × 384 table
Display featuresOne-bit black-and-white bitmap display; no separate text mode, as described in BYTE–
Connections
PortsHeadphone jackHeadphone jack
Back portsExternal floppy DB-19, printer and modem serial ports, keyboard, mouse and speaker/headphone output; no USB, ADB, SCSI, Ethernet, FireWire or external video. Maker warns serial ports lack handshaking and synchronous modem supportDB-25 SCSI, DB-19 external floppy, printer and modem serial ports, speaker/headphone output; separate keyboard and mouse connections. No Ethernet or external video
Keyboard and mouse–Separate mouse and keyboard; BYTE describes the keyboard's numeric keypad and cursor keys
Design and power
TypeAll-in-oneAll-in-one
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Size and weight detailMaker 16.5 lb and 13.6 in height × 9.6 in width × 10.9 in depth; original units retainedMaker 16.5 lb; 13.6 in height × 9.6 in width × 10.9 in depth, retained in original units
Power supplyMaker maximum 60 W, 105–125 V, 50–60 Hz, 0.5 A; 4.5 V alkalineMaximum 60 W, 105–125 V, 50–60 Hz, 0.5 A; 4.5 V alkaline
In the boxSeparate keyboard and mouse; initial MacWrite/MacPaint bundle described by LA Times. Apple introduction 24 January 1984; January retail month supported by actual 29 January LA Times review, not inferred exact first-sale day. BYTE identifies Motorola 68000; support sheet omits supplierOriginal system software 1.1; maker introduced 16 January 1986, discontinued 15 October 1990. Release month from Macworld's historical timeline; exact first-sale day unverified

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