Apple’s Macintosh Plus launched with the same Motorola 68000 CPU as the original Mac, but buyers benefited from a default 1MB of RAM (expandable to 4MB with its 4x standard 30-pin SIMM slots), an 800KB 3.5-inch floppy drive, and a SCSI port for peripherals like HDDs and printers.
Though it appealed to graphic artists, largely due to the direction of its software library driven by the Mac’s pioneering GUI adoption, these machines (original and Plus) were built around a tiny 9-inch monochrome CRT with 512 x 342 pixels resolution. That’s why, even with the ‘Big Mac,’ the screen looks kinda small, while the keyboard is comically large in 2026.
The Macintosh Plus launched at $2,599 in 1986, for the configuration outlined above. That’s over $7,500 in 2026 money. Still, it was a workhorse fully supported by Apple System releases for a decade, with Mac OS 7.5.5 maintaining support for the little all-in-one when it was released in Sept 1996.
The Computer History Museum teases that more info on the Big Mac is coming next week. Its social media post tag suggests this computer will form part of its Apple at 50 celebrations, which kickoff in March.
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/premium
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/case-mods/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/case-mods/computer-history-museum-unveils-comically-large-scale-rendition-of-the-1986-apple-macintosh-plus-towering-all-in-ones-keyboard-looks-disproportionately-huge-today#main
- Retail DDR5 memory prices slowly drop in Europe despite ongoing shortages — overdue pricing correction could be beginning in some regions
- Akasa launches its latest-generation fanless Mini-ITX case — Euler CMX supports modern Intel Core Ultra processors up to 35W TDP and standard mini-ITX mobos
- Hands-on: G’AIM’E 30th Anniversary Time Crisis Light Gun Game
- California bill would restrict 3D printer sales to state-approved models to prevent printing gun parts — joins Washington and NY on legal offensive
- Hard drive pricing in the UK is so high that a person flew to the US to buy them instead, saving money despite flight and hotel costs — HDD deal seeker saved mo
Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.