Printer · The Beige Era · 1985
Apple LaserWriter
The LaserWriter was expensive but revolutionary: paired with PageMaker and the Mac, it made professional-looking desktop publishing possible from an office desk.
Apple LaserWriter: key facts
When was the Apple LaserWriter released?
The Apple LaserWriter was released in March 1985. Apple discontinued it in 1987.
How much did the Apple LaserWriter cost?
The Apple LaserWriter launched at $6,995 in 1985 — about $20,810 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What are the Apple LaserWriter’s specs?
The Apple LaserWriter used a Motorola 68000 running at 12 MHz, with 512 KB of memory. It ran Driver / firmware support.
Why does the Apple LaserWriter matter?
Helped create desktop publishing with PostScript and the Macintosh.
Full specifications
| CPU | Motorola 68000 · 12 MHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 1 |
| Memory (RAM) | 512 KB |
| Storage | — |
| Display | None |
| GPU | N/A |
| Ports | AppleTalk / serial |
| Weight | Varies by model |
| Dimensions | Laser printer |
| Operating system | Driver / firmware support |
| Released | March 1985 |
| Discontinued | 1987 |
| Launch price | $6,995 |
How the Apple LaserWriter compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 32,800× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 12 MHz, the clock is roughly 267× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro — and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
Launched at $6,995 in 1985 — about $20,810 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Cross-architecture speed figures are clock-only and approximate; inflation figures use US CPI.
Did you know?
It had a faster CPU than the original Macintosh it printed from.
Related Printer models
Open the Apple LaserWriter in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-06-27