Editing Macintosh SE

{{Short description|Fourth model of Apple's Macintosh computer line}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Multiple issues|{{Primary sources|date=April 2023}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2023}}}}
{{Infobox information appliance
| name = Macintosh SE
| aka = Macintosh SE FDHD<br>Macintosh SE SuperDrive
| image = Macintosh SE b.jpg
| caption = Macintosh SE with dual floppy drives
| manufacturer = [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer]]
| family = [[Compact Macintosh]]
| type = [[All-in-one computer|All-in-one]]
| releasedate = {{Start date and age|1987|03|02}}
| lifespan = 
| price = US$2,900 ({{Inflation|US|2900|1987|fmt=eq|r=-2}}) (dual floppy)<br>US$3,900 ({{Inflation|US|3900|1987|fmt=eq|r=-2}}) (with {{nowrap|20 MB}} hard drive)
| discontinued = {{End date and age|1990|10|15}}
| unitssold = 
| unitsshipped = 
| os = [[Classic Mac OS|System 4.0]] – {{nowrap|[[System 7|System 7.5.5]]}}
| cpu = [[Motorola 68000]] @ 7.8 MHz
| memory = 1 MB RAM, expandable to 4 MB
| RAMtype = 150 ns 30-pin [[SIMM]]
| storage = 
| display = {{convert|9|in|cm|abbr=on}} monochrome, 512 × 342
| graphics = 
| sound = 
| dimensions = Height: {{convert|13.6|in|cm|abbr=on}}<br>Width: {{convert|9.69|in|cm|abbr=on}}<br>Depth: {{convert|10.9|in|cm|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|17|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
| predecessor = [[Macintosh 512Ke]]<br>[[Macintosh Plus]]
| successor = [[Macintosh SE/30]]<br>[[Macintosh Classic]]
| related = [[Macintosh II]]
}}

The '''Macintosh SE''' is a [[personal computer]] designed, manufactured, and sold by [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer]], from March 1987<ref name="announce">{{cite newsgroup
| url = http://macgui.com/usenet/?group=14&id=1509
| title = Macintosh II and Macintosh SE announced
| author = Joel West
| date = 1987-03-02
| message-id= 2790@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU
| newsgroup= comp.sys.mac
| access-date = 2014-01-26
}}</ref> to October 1990. It marked a significant improvement on the [[Macintosh Plus]] design and was introduced by Apple at the same time as the [[Macintosh II]].

The SE retains the same [[Compact Macintosh]] form factor as the [[Macintosh 128K|original Macintosh]] computer introduced three years earlier and uses the same design language used by the Macintosh II. An enhanced model, the [[Macintosh SE/30|SE/30]], was introduced in January 1989; sales of the original SE continued. The Macintosh SE was updated in August 1989 to include a [[SuperDrive]], with this updated version being called the "Macintosh SE FDHD" and later the "Macintosh SE SuperDrive". The Macintosh SE was replaced with the [[Macintosh Classic]], a very similar model which retained the same [[central processing unit]] and form factor, but at a lower price point.

== Overview ==
The Macintosh SE was introduced at the AppleWorld conference in [[Los Angeles]] on March 2, 1987.  The "SE" is an initialism for "System Expansion".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Goodin |first=Sue |last2=Wilson |first2=Dave |date=April 1987 |title=Programming the New Macs |url=http://www.mactech.com/articles/mactech/Vol.03/03.05/MacII,SE/index.html |magazine=MacTech |publisher= |volume=3 |issue=5}}</ref> Its notable new features, compared to its similar predecessor, the [[Macintosh Plus]], were:
* First [[compact Macintosh]] with an internal [[drive bay]] for a hard disk (originally 20&nbsp;MB or 40&nbsp;MB) or a second [[floppy disk]] drive.
* First compact Macintosh to feature an expansion slot.
* First Macintosh to support the [[Apple Desktop Bus]] (ADB), previously only available on the [[Apple IIGS]], for keyboard and mouse connections.
* Improved [[SCSI]] support, providing faster data throughput (double that of the Macintosh Plus) and a standard 50-pin internal SCSI connector.
* Better reliability and longer life expectancy (15 years of continuous use)<ref name=macworlddiffers /> due to the addition of a [[computer fan|cooling fan]].
* 25 percent greater speed when accessing RAM, resulting in a lower percentage of CPU time being spent drawing the screen. In practice this results in a 10-20 percent performance improvement.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.vectronicsappleworld.com/archives/vintage/0014.php
| title = Vectronic's Macintosh SE
| access-date = October 15, 2017
| archive-date = October 4, 2017
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171004155624/http://www.vectronicsappleworld.com/archives/vintage/0014.php
| url-status = live
}}</ref>
* Additional fonts and kerning routines in the [[Macintosh Toolbox|Toolbox ROM]]<ref name=macworlddiffers>{{cite magazine
| url = https://archive.org/stream/MacWorld_8705_May_1987#page/n119/mode/2up
| page = 116
| title = How the SE Really Differs
| date = May 1987
| magazine = [[MacWorld]]
| volume   = 4
| issue    = 5
| first    = Jerry
| last     = Borrell
}}</ref>
* [[Disk First Aid]] is included on the system disk

The SE and [[Macintosh II]] were the first Apple computers since the [[Apple I]] to be sold without a keyboard. Instead the customer was offered the choice of the new ADB [[Macintosh keyboard#Apple (Standard) Keyboard (M0116)|Apple Keyboard]] or the [[Apple Extended Keyboard]].

Apple produced ten SEs with transparent cases as [[prototype]]s for promotional shots and employees. They are extremely rare and command a premium price for collectors.<ref>{{cite web|title=Transparent Macintosh SE|publisher=Low End Mac|url=http://lowendmac.com/2015/transparent-mac-se/|access-date=February 8, 2007|archive-date=May 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150510233851/http://lowendmac.com/2015/transparent-mac-se/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Operating system ===
The Macintosh SE shipped with System 4.0 and Finder 5.4; this version is specific to this computer.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://earlymacintosh.org/index.html#software
| title = Macintosh hardware releases
| publisher = earlymacintosh.org
| access-date = October 15, 2017
| archive-date = November 26, 2021
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211126143151/http://www.earlymacintosh.org/index.html#software
| url-status = live
}}</ref> (The Macintosh II, which was announced at the same time but shipped a month later, included System 4.1 and Finder 5.5.) The [[README]] file included with the installation disks for the SE and II is the first place Apple ever used the term "Macintosh System Software", and after 1998 these two versions were retroactively given the name "Macintosh System Software 2.0.1".<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://support.apple.com/kb/TA31885
| title = Macintosh: System Software Version History
| access-date = October 15, 2017
| archive-date = March 10, 2014
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140310055815/http://support.apple.com/kb/ta31885
| url-status = live
}}</ref>

== Hardware ==
{{More citations needed|section|date=April 2023}}
'''Processor''': [[Motorola 68000]], 8&nbsp;MHz, with an 8&nbsp;MHz system bus and a 16-bit data path

'''RAM''': The SE came with 1 MB of RAM as standard, and is expandable to 4 MB.  The logic board has four 30-pin SIMM slots; memory must be installed in pairs and must be 150 ns or faster.

'''Video''': The built-in 512 × 342 monochrome screen uses 21,888 bytes of main memory as video memory.

'''Storage''': The SE can accommodate either one or two floppy drives, or a floppy drive and a hard drive. After-market brackets were designed to allow the SE to accommodate two floppy drives as well as a hard drive; however, this was not a configuration supported by Apple. In addition, an [[Macintosh External Disk Drive#Apple 3.5" Drive|external floppy disk drive]] may also be connected, making the SE the only Macintosh besides the [[Macintosh Portable]] which could support three floppy drives, though its increased storage, RAM capacity and optional internal hard drive rendered the external drives less of a necessity than for its predecessors.  Single-floppy SE models also featured a drive-access light in the spot where the second floppy drive would be.  Hard-drive equipped models came with a 20 MB [[SCSI]] hard disk.

'''Battery''': A 3.6&nbsp;V 1/2AA lithium battery, which must be present in order for basic settings to persist between power cycles, is located on the logic board.  Macintosh SE machines which have sat for a long time have experienced [[Battery leakage|battery corrosion and leakage]], resulting in a damaged case and logic board. Some SE models feature a board-mounted battery holder, while others have the battery soldered directly in place.

'''Expansion''': A [[Processor Direct Slot]] on the logic board allows for expansion cards, such as accelerators, to be installed. The SE can be upgraded to 50&nbsp;MHz and more than 5&nbsp;MB with the [[MicroMac]] accelerators. In the past other accelerators were also available such as the Sonnet Allegro. Since installing a card required opening the computer's case and exposing the user to high voltages from the internal [[Cathode-ray tube|CRT]], Apple recommended that only authorized Apple dealers install the cards; the case was sealed with then-uncommon [[Torx]] screws.

'''Upgrades''': After Apple introduced the [[Macintosh SE/30]] in January, 1989, a logic board upgrade was sold by Apple dealers for US$1,699 as a high-cost upgrade for the SE, consisting of a new SE/30 motherboard, case front and internal chassis to accommodate the upgrade components.

'''ROM/Easter egg''': The SE ROM size increased from 64 KB in the original Mac (and 128 KB in the Mac Plus) to 256 KB, which allowed the development team to include an [[Easter egg (media)|Easter Egg]] hidden in the ROMs. By jumping to address 0x41D89A (or reading from the ROM chips), it is possible to display four images of the engineering team.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1999-09-12 |title=Macintosh Plus Easter Egg - Image of Designers in ROM |url=http://www.eeggs.com/items/2258.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328095136/http://eeggs.com/items/2258.html |archive-date=March 28, 2014 |access-date=2014-01-26}}; {{Cite web |last=Trammell Hudson |author-link=Trammell Hudson |date=2012-08-21 |title=Ghosts in the ROM |url=http://www.nycresistor.com/2012/08/21/ghosts-in-the-rom/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217050949/http://www.nycresistor.com/2012/08/21/ghosts-in-the-rom/ |archive-date=February 17, 2015 |access-date=2014-01-26 |publisher=[[NYC Resistor]]}}</ref>
[[File:Macintosh SE Inside.jpg|thumb|Inside the Macintosh SE]]
[[File:Apple Macintosh SE Main PCB.jpg|thumb|The main PCB from a 1988 Macintosh SE]]

== Models ==
Introduced March 2, 1987:
* '''Macintosh SE'''<ref name=se-specs>{{cite web
| url = http://support.apple.com/kb/SP191
| title = Macintosh SE: Technical Specifications
| publisher = Apple
| access-date = January 26, 2014
| archive-date = June 23, 2013
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130623233709/http://support.apple.com/kb/sp191
| url-status = live
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Macintosh SE Specs: EveryMac.com |url=https://everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_classic/specs/mac_se.html |access-date=2023-05-28 |website=everymac.com}}</ref> with 1 MB RAM and two 800k drives
* '''Macintosh SE 1/20''' with 1 MB RAM, one 800k drive and 20 MB hard disk.

In December 1987 Apple began using a quieter fan after many complaints, and offered it to existing customers for $90.<ref name="flynn19880118">{{Cite magazine |last=Flynn |first=Laurie |date=18 January 1988 |title=Apple Provides Quieter Fan For Owners of Its Macintosh SE |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dz8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA92657 |access-date=2025-05-25 |magazine=[[InfoWorld]] |page=29 |volume=10 |issue=3}}</ref>

Introduced August 1, 1988:
* '''Macintosh SE 1/40''': The same of the Macintosh SE with a 40 MB hard disk in place of 20 MB.
Introduced August 1, 1989:
* '''Macintosh SE FDHD''': Includes the new [[SuperDrive]], a floppy disk drive that can handle 1.4 MB High Density (HD) floppy disks.  FDHD is an initialism for "Floppy Disk High Density"; later some Macintosh SE FDHDs were labeled '''Macintosh SE SuperDrive''', to conform to Apple's marketing change with respect to their new drive. High-density floppies would become the de facto standard on both the Macintosh and PC computers from then on. An upgrade kit was sold for the original Macintosh SE which included new [[Read-only memory|ROM]] chips and a new [[disk controller]] chip, to replace the originals.<ref name=fdhd-specs>{{cite web
| url = https://support.apple.com/kb/SP192
| title = Macintosh SE FDHD: Technical Specifications
| publisher = Apple
| access-date = October 9, 2017
| archive-date = July 8, 2014
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140708035256/http://support.apple.com/kb/SP192
| url-status = live
}}</ref>

== Timeline ==
{{Timeline of compact Macintosh models}}

==See also==
* [[Mini vMac]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Macintosh SE}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY8Vd_Q8uGI 1987 Apple Computer, Inc. promotional video "Own-a-Mac - The Movie"]
* [http://www.ccadams.org/se/ The Mac SE Support Pages] Repair & upgrade advice. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20190708205153/http://www.ccadams.org/se/ Wayback Machine Archived Version])
* [http://lowendmac.com/1987/mac-se/ Mac SE] Low End Mac

{{Apple hardware before 1998}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Compact Macintosh|SE]]
[[Category:68k Macintosh computers|SE]]
[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 1987]]
[[Category:Products and services discontinued in 1990]]