Macintosh 128K Teardown
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 17 Steps
Join us as we take a fun trip back in time—the vintage, nostalgic world of the Macintosh 128K. To celebrate its 30th birthday, we got our hands on an original ’84 model, and we’re about to take it apart—no walls were harmed in the process! This step-by-step guide is brought to you with some great support from Cult of Mac and The Vintage Mac Museum. Rest assured, no vintage Macs were damaged during this repair, as our own 128K had already seen better days before this project. Fire up your tools and follow along—if you need help, you can always schedule a repair. Check out our Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and get some nostalgic vibes from our Instagram. Looking for some cool Mac 128K wallpapers? We’ve got you covered!
Step 1
Despite inflation, this classic ’80s gadget didn’t cost us a dime. Big thanks to the Vintage Mac Museum for lending us this retro piece, and to Cult of Mac for adding some extra ’80s flair to the teardown!
– Back in the day, the first Mac was priced at $2,495—that’s roughly $5,594.11 today. So, what were you actually getting for all that cash?
– Powered by an 8 MHz Motorola 68000 processor, this vintage beauty packs some serious retro vibes.
– It comes with 128 KB of DRAM—plenty of memory to keep things running smoothly for its time.
– Enjoy a 9-inch black-and-white CRT display, outputting at 512 x 342 resolution (72 dpi)—nostalgic and charming.
– Storage was a breeze with 400 KB total space, all stored on a single-sided 3.5-inch floppy disk drive.
– Control was simple with a single-button mouse paired with a sturdy keyboard, making user interaction straightforward.
Step 2
– Before we dive into this classic device, let’s take a quick look at how much tech has changed over thirty years.
– Apple’s pushing Thunderbolt at 20 Gb/s these days, but this old-school Serial port? Its speed is measured in thousands of bps, not billions.
– One thing hasn’t changed, though—the AC plug is still the same old reliable.
Let’s take a quick trip down display memory lane. The Macintosh 128K from 1984 sported a 9-inch CRT screen with a resolution of 512 by 342 pixels, showing off two colors—black and white. Fast forward to late 2013, and the iMac got a sleek upgrade with a 21.5-inch display, boasting a crisp 1920 by 1080 pixel resolution and a million shades of color to make everything look vibrant. Meanwhile, the original iPhone packed a 480 by 320 pixel screen at 163 pixels per inch, proving that smaller screens can still pack a punch.
Step 3
– Three decades of tech upgrades and now our keyboards and mice are looking sleek, wireless, and rocking some seriously sturdy metal. No more yellowing plastic here.
– Arrow keys are finally here! Apple originally left them out on the first Mac to nudge everyone into using the mouse—a wild idea back then.
– Check out this head-to-head: one’s a classic one-button voice command device, the other’s a gesture-savvy, wireless Magic Mouse that looks like it came from the future.
– For the record, that chunky rectangle is the Apple Mouse II, Model M0100, with a DE-9 serial connector. The shiny egg? That’s the Magic Mouse.
Back in 1998, Apple shook things up by dropping SCSI and serial ports with the debut of the first iMac, paving the way for USB to become the new standard. As they say, plus ça change, plus c’est pareil — the more things change, the more they stay the same. It’s a reminder that tech trends keep evolving, but the drive to innovate keeps going strong. If you need help with any upgrades or repairs, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 4
Here we go—the start of your repair adventure! Time to tackle the challenge and claim your right to fix your own stuff.
– Check out that model number: Macintosh Model M0001. (Apple left a little wiggle room for future versions!)
– These early labels might bring a frown— even in Apple’s adventurous days, they preferred folks not to poke around inside their devices.
– That FCC label is serious business: if you’re planning to dive into your Mac, be aware of the potential for local radio interference. (We bet Pandora wasn’t on the radar back in 1984.)
Step 5
Good news: these early Macs weren’t glued shut and even let you swap out the battery yourself.
– Doesn’t matter when your Mac was born—our Pro Tech Toolkit handles vintage vibes and the latest models, all in one go.
– Our flex extension is ready to dive deep and tackle those hidden T15 screws in the case, no sweat.
– In classic Apple style, there’s a sneaky screw under the clock battery door. We found it, popped it out, and now it’s time to get spudger-happy!
Tools Used
Step 6
They say true creators leave a signature touch. Yours might be fingerprints… or maybe a sticker.
– We unlock and reveal the treasure trove inside; it’s a bit of a letdown that we don’t get a dramatic pneumatic whoosh.
– The whole unit glides out from the back casing, unveiling the power supply, CRT display, the classic 3.5-inch floppy drive, and, tucked away below it all, the logic board.
– Etched into the inner rear plastic casing are the legendary signatures of tech pioneers from the past, like the iconic Steven Jobs, Woz, Bill Atkinson, Andy Hertzfeld, Bruce Horn, Jef Raskin, and the rest of the historic crew.
Step 7
CRTs were a wild ride—easier to crack open than today’s compact screens, but seriously, those high-voltage parts meant business. Handle with care, because those warning labels aren’t just for show!
– Alright, you’ve made it to the top-secret zone! Here you’ll spot some tiny calibration knobs ready for you to fine-tune the display to perfection.
– Say hello to a blast from the past—old-school meets new-school right here. Who knows, maybe in a few decades, the future will swing by for a reunion.
– There’s lead (Pb) in the CRT glass—probably more than you’d expect. Not exactly comedy gold, but hey, let’s keep things safe and keep moving!
Step 8
Honestly, we’d take apart a classic 128K Mac over a modern iMac any day—so much easier and way less of a puzzle!
– Disconnecting this power supply is a little suspenseful—think defusing a high-voltage surprise between the CRT and those chunky capacitors.
– Apple tried to keep things exclusive with Torx screws on the outside, but inside you’ll find a whole party of screw types: Phillips, flathead, you name it. Grab your trusty screwdriver set and get ready for a hardware adventure!
Step 9
We think hitting 60 watts peak is pretty darn cool for a whole computer and CRT display.
– With a little flair, we safely and swiftly disconnect the power supply—no shocking moments for our tech writers today!
– This nifty 60-watt power supply is identified by Apple Part number 630-0102.
– For a fun comparison, our iMac sports a robust 186-watt power supply, snugly fitting onto a much smaller circuit board than the 128K’s.
Step 10
Fun fact: The OG Macintosh rocked a 1-bit black & white display—no shades of gray, just pixel party time. Still, it kicked off the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) revolution, making desktop publishing way cooler and more accessible.
– Let’s take a look at how far Mac displays have come. This massive old CRT monitor is a world away from the sleek, crisp Retina screens you see today.
– Back in the ’80s, these big, heavy CRTs with their electron guns and chunky coils were the real deal. Retro tech at its most classic!
Step 11
The 68k chip wasn’t just powering the Mac—it was also behind the Lisa, which came before the Mac. A pretty cool piece of history in the world of Apple’s innovations!
– Can you believe it? Even three decades back, Apple knew how to keep things neat and tidy! With a little gentle persuasion, that logic board will glide right out of its cozy little tray.
– This Mac doesn’t come with any fancy cooling systems. The Motorola 68000 enjoys a bit of space, but that’s about it!
– Meet the 68k, a processor that’s surprisingly popular! Besides making the Macintosh tick, you’ll also find it in the Sega Genesis, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, and even the TI-89 graphing calculator!
Step 12
The 128K’s claim to fame was its fixed RAM array. But Apple engineers were thinking ahead. They had already designed the logic board to easily support a 512KB version, which was released just nine months later. They must have had some serious foresight to pull that off.
– Check out the main chips hanging out on your Mac 128K logic board:
– Motorola MC68000G8: The brains of the operation.
– Fairchild Semiconductor 74LS393: Handles all your video counting needs.
– Micron 4264 64 kb RAM: There are 16 of these little guys, for a total of 1024 kb (which gives you 128 KB).
– Simtek C19728 and C19729: Two 32 KB ROM chips, teaming up for 64 KB.
– Simtek 344-0041-A: This chip is your ‘Integrated Woz Machine’ Disk Controller.
– Zilog Z8530PS: Takes care of serial communications, so your Mac can talk to the outside world.
Step 13
The Macintosh almost came with the same 5.25-inch ‘Twiggy’ floppy disk drive that the early Lisa used, but the Sony 3.5-inch drive snatched the job in a pretty entertaining way.
– What’s this? A Sony… is it a printer? A planer? Or maybe the Turbo Encabulator in disguise?
– You’re spot on—it’s the classic 3.5-inch floppy disk, taking the lead and pushing the old 5.25-inch drives to the history books.
Step 14
Some folks find the rhythmic click of a mechanical keyboard oddly calming, and we’re right there with them. Also, shout-out to user vwlou89 for cracking the code—your prize is on its way in the mail. Keep at it, and if you ever need a hand, schedule a repair with Salvation Repair.
– CLICK CLACK CLICKITY CLACKITY
– Whoever can guess what we’re typing in the video first will get a cool pocket-sized battery removal tool as a prize. Good luck!
– Some folks say, ‘LISTEN TO MY LOUD KEYBOARD!’ — but we prefer to keep it chill and get the job done smoothly.
Step 15
But we don’t get much further from here. Each mechanical button is soldered to the board, so unless you’re up for 12 steps of popping off the plastic keys, we’re in a bit of a hold-up…
The keyboard cable uses a standard RJ9 telephone handset connector, but with a twist—its pin wiring is different. That means your regular phone cords won’t work as a quick fix.
– Unscrewing a handful of screws gives us a sneak peek into the keyboard’s world.
– And just like that, the epic saga of phone meets computer has reached its grand finale.
Step 16
By shifting the complicated guts from the mouse to the desktop, this design made mice cheaper and more dependable—setting the stage for affordable desktop mice for years to come.
And on a nostalgic note: anyone else remember the strangely satisfying ritual of cleaning out those old mechanical mice?
– Time to crack open the mouse! Don’t worry, this will be way less dramatic than anything from biology class.
– Give the eye ball a gentle twist and pop it out.
– Inside, you’ll spot a bunch of plastic parts, a pair of quadrature encoders, and a few resistors. That’s pretty much the whole lineup!
Step 17
– The Macintosh 128K earns a repairability score of 7 out of 10 (with 10 being the easiest to fix). Once you’re inside, replacing main parts like the floppy drive, power supply, logic board, or CRT display is pretty straightforward. No tricky adhesive holds things together here. The clock battery is user-replaceable, making it easy to keep the system ticking. Keep in mind, upgrading options are limited: the RAM is soldered onto the logic board and there’s no slot for additional internal drives, but you can expand storage by adding an external floppy drive. Opening the case can be a bit of a challenge due to deep-set screws and a snug panel fit. Also, be cautious—there are high voltages on the power supply and CRT that can be dangerous. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.