128k Mac clarification

[AlexEmme]

Ciao to all, question for the experts!

Just acquired what I thought was a 128k mac. The back sticker is a M0001P (euro type) and has the "Macintosh" logo (without "128k").
The serial number is F42202GM0001P ; tried to decode it with this result :

Manufactured in: F => Fremont, California, USA
Year of production: 1984
Week of production: 22
Production number: 02G => 84
Model ID: M0001P => Macintosh 128k/512k

Your Macintosh 128k/512k was the 84th Mac manufactured during the 22th week of 1984 in Fremont, California, USA.

Loaded the system disk and saw that it was really a 512K.

Is something wrong with this mac, like a case mismatch or something? Why there's no 512k logo on the back?

Thanks in advance for your help,
Alex

 

[chabig]

M0001P was a 128K Mac. The P model was made for European power. Yours was probably upgraded to 512K by replacing the RAM chips.

Apple Macintosh 128K - Computer - Computing History

The Macintosh 128K machine, released as the Apple Macintosh , was the original Apple Macintosh personal computer.The Macintosh 128K machine, released as the Apple Macintosh , was the original Apple...

www.computinghistory.org.uk

 

[AlexEmme]

M0001P was a 128K Mac. Yours was probably upgraded to 512K by replacing the RAM chips.

That was my first thought. However, the motherboard is this one.

 

[MacTech68]

Given that the small sample of ICs in your logic board pic shows an ASG blank manufactured Week 46 of 1984, the motherboard is NOT original and has probably been swapped out at some stage of it's life. Not unusual, given hold old they are now.

 

[AlexEmme]

Given that the small sample of ICs in your logic board pic shows an ASG blank manufactured Week 46 of 1984, the motherboard is NOT original and has probably been swapped out at some stage of it's life. Not unusual, given hold old they are now.

Ouch...smart move. My brain wasn't thinking about the production period of the other chips....

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Many many many many 128k systems were upgraded to 512k. Apple offered an official motherboard swap, and many third parties made unofficial RAM upgrades.

The fact that yours has a 512k logic board almost guarantees it was via Apple-official.

I'd say that at this point, there are probably more "128k" Macintoshes with 512k of RAM than the original 128k.

 

[AlexEmme]

I bought it for about 500 euros...except the motherboard, all the rest is from a 128k mac. Not sure if it was a good deal...

 

[bunnspecial]

I haven't tracked compact Mac prices lately other than to know that they are up from the last time I bought one.

With that said, I paid considerably less than that for my May 84 "Macintosh" with its original LoBo(albeit a replacement analog board-doubt one that was ever even used has its original analog board). When I'd made sure that's what it was, I moved on it. I think I paid $250 or so, although with a Plus keyboard and not an original one(fortunately I had a spare original style).

TBH, for me a computer with an upgrade, Apple or not, is not worth what I'd pay for one with a true 128K LoBo. Of course if you're only going to have one compact and want to use it, 128Ks are pretty crummy computers, but still.

I have a March 84 SN one with a Plus LoBo/rear bucket(and the HD20 that was paired with it). I know its provenance decently well and it was given to me by the wife of the original owner, both of them professors who I greatly admire and respected when I was in graduate school(and who have since both passed). I'd never sell it, but to me it's a Plus and if I were to sell it I'd value it as such and note the early SN.