Macintosh 128k - 1984 - Fremont CA model - Drexel University

[DharmaMechanic]

Hello,

I own the above referenced Mac. The serial number indicates that the computer has produced in the sixth week of 1984. An expert, online, who has seen pictures of the machine, says that the on/off button indicates that the power source is from 1987-1992. Another expert says that, because there are no red lights seen inside the floppy drive slot, the machine must have an upgraded hard drive. The computer has never left my family's house since it was brought home in 1984 and it has never been opened.

It is a Drexel University model--very rare. Drexel was the first college to require incoming students to buy a Mac in 1984. Were these models delivered with a 512k hard drive in a 128k case and is the statement about the on/off button true?

Thanks.

 

[MacTech68]

The power switch on the back is part of the Analog Board (Power/Sweep Board). Since the switch protrudes and is visible from the outside of the case, the color of the switch was changed from beige to 'platinum' around 1987, some time after the MacPlus was introduced. Over time, if your Analog board developed a fault (extremely likely), it would have been exchanged via Apple. It's possible at that point in time that the exchanged board had the newer color switch. The brightness knob color was also changed, but the knob itself can be easily slipped off and swapped, whereas the switch on the back is soldered and riveted to the board.

Apple also offered 'upgrades' for the original Mac 128 to 512K and then 512Ke (a 512K with a double-sided, 800K floppy drive). These were sold as kits and required the old parts to be returned to Apple. They included a new motherboard, floppy drive and ROM chips. The outer casing, chassis, picture tube and Power/Sweep board remained original.

The original 400K floppy drives in the 128K and 512K had a red LED just inside the slot, whereas the 800K double-sided drive in a 512Ke or MacPlus does not.

Whilst the machine may not have been "tampered" with (for want of a better phrase), repairs and upgrades were probably offered by an official Apple service center, either on-campus or other method.

A non-upgraded machine would be worth more, but AFAIK, the real unique difference is the 'D' on the front panel. I'm not sure if the label on the back is any different.

There is also another official Apple upgrade kit which would take the machine up to a MacPlus spec. This included a motherboard with new ROMS, an 800K floppy drive and a new rear case, sine the ports at the back were different. If your machine has a 25pin connector on the rear, then this is what you have.

Pics of the front, the rear label, rear ports and the power switch would be helpful, and also appreciated for those who've not seen one of these.

 

[havokalien]

By the way there is no Hard Drive in any of the original macs all the way to the Mac SE. Once the Mac SE was introduced models could become fitted wih a hard drive. A Mac 128 had 128K of memory, a 512 had 512k of ram. Everything was used off floppy unless you bought an external Hard Disk.