Mac Plus window case- anyone seen this?

[lowbelly]

Got this on craigslist. The lady said she got it from an Apple employee in the 80's, that it was a display model for retailers?

It's a Macintosh Plus w/ 4MB ram. There's a plexiglass window on the right and back, no window on the left.

I can't find any reference to this on the internet, has anyone ever heard of it? Any idea what it might be worth? (not that I'm gonna let this thing go )

Edit:
Okay I took a few more photos. I hafta say I doubt this is a mod done by a retailer, everything about the installation is very professional. There's some sort of number etched in the bottom of the left window, pictured.

Any insights, anyone?

 

[Hrududu]

My guess would be that the retailer made it and not Apple. I would be more interested in how the glass is installed.

 

[lowbelly]

Added some additional pics and info to first post. This doesn't look like a mod at all, no indication that the casing has been cut in any way-- looks more like it was molded with window cutouts included, as the interior edges of the windows seem to be textured the same as the rest of the casing.

 

[dmr727]

That's the first one I've seen. Looks pretty cool, though - especially if the work was done as cleanly as you say. Nice find!

 

[cocacolakid]

I swear I've read about these before in one of the many Apple books I've consumed in the last couple of years. I think, if I recall correctly, that Apple had a few of them for their engineers to use. I don't recall if the book (or article) said why, but I do recall reading that they had some Macs at the time that had special glass cases. I've read so many books that I can't keep the info straight, sorry, but most of the stuff I've read in the last year or two have been older books from the 80's and very early 90's.

 

[JoeG4]

Usually those look like this:

 

[apunkrockmonk]

Never seen either! Makes me miss my old SE/30 8MB/80MB/7.5.5 with RAM Doubler!

 

[cocacolakid]

Usually those look like this:
Image

Ahh, thanks.

 

[MacTech68]

..the interior edges of the windows seem to be textured the same as the rest of the casing.

Wow, wow, and just... wow.

If that's the case (pardon the pun) then it's more than likely a special Apple build.

Never seen or heard of this. Did the lady know anything else? Like where the person was from?

 

[lowbelly]

Never seen or heard of this. Did the lady know anything else? Like where the person was from?

Nah she didn't say anything else… the woman lives in Santa Cruz now, and we actually met up in Cupertino for the exchange

 

[LimeiBook86]

Well it's very cool either way! I have a feeling it may have been built by either Apple or a retailer. Or maybe it was a demo unit of some sort. It definitively looks like a professional job though. Great find!

 

[gkarris]

It may be something Apple made for some retailers. Ask Woz?

Awesome find if it's from Apple...

 

[Yaboze]

Usually those look like this:
Image

Now THAT is freaking cool.

That's the problem with these old "beige" Apple products, the color gets funky and you can't fix it. My old IIgs is looking all funky even though it's clean, virtually spotless.

 

[max¥¥]

there's one thing that strikes me, "Macintosh Plus" is not written on the front of it, which gives me 2 theories about it:

1) It has a window to show how a proper 128K / 512K -> Plus upgrade should be done.

2) It is a Pr-Relase (either development or pre-production run) hence the window to show the workings of their new comp

 

[MacTech68]

...That's the problem with these old "beige" Apple products, the color gets funky and you can't fix it...

Actually, you can.

See : https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/799679/

there's one thing that strikes me, "Macintosh Plus" is not written on the front of it...

Ahhh, how did I miss that? Well observed.

To the OP: What is the serial number under the front ledge, and are there any markings on the bottom?

 

[lowbelly]

Yeah I noted that the front looked like an 128k, but then i did some googling and found some other mac plus's that didn't say 'mac plus' on the front, so I edited my post.

The serial number on bottom is F6402SFM0001A. I ran it through a decoder and it said some unremarkable sounding things:

Manufactured in: F => Fremont, California, USA
Year of production: 1986
Week of production: 40
Production number: 2SF => 3211
Modell ID: M0001A => Macintosh Plus

Your Macintosh Plus was the 3211th Mac manufactured during the 40th week of 1986 in Fremont, California, USA.

 

[MacTech68]

Yeah I noted that the front looked like an 128k, but then i did some googling and found some other mac plus's that didn't say 'mac plus' on the front, so I edited my post.

The serial number on bottom is F6402SFM0001A. I ran it through a decoder and it said some unremarkable sounding things:

Manufactured in: F => Fremont, California, USA
Year of production: 1986
Week of production: 40
Production number: 2SF => 3211
Modell ID: M0001A => Macintosh Plus

Your Macintosh Plus was the 3211th Mac manufactured during the 40th week of 1986 in Fremont, California, USA.

Hmmm... the MacPlus was introduced in January 1986, so this is fairly late in the game. Week 40 is Sept 29th to Oct 5th.

Mac Plus' without "Macintosh Plus" on the front are upgraded Mac128K 512K or 512Ke Macs using the genuine Apple Upgrade Kit. The kit included a MacPlus logic board, floppy drive and rear case, so the front panel remained the same. I can't recall if the kit included a new serial number label. The 512Ke was terminated a year after this serial number.

A hi-res picture of the logic board would be interesting.

 

[Mac_Max]

Does it run?

 

[lowbelly]

Yes it runs great… it was given to me with an external HDD, but it didn't have anything interesting on it, the computer was clearly used as a family machine after the woman got it from her 'apple employee friend'. I'll post some photos of the logic board soon.

 

[Apple2]

A family machine? How long was she using this for lol