Mac · The Beige Era · 1990
Macintosh Classic
The Classic put the original Mac silhouette within reach of ordinary buyers at last. Underpowered even at launch, it sold by the truckload to schools and families.
Macintosh Classic: key facts
When was the Macintosh Classic released?
The Macintosh Classic was released in October 1990. Apple discontinued it in September 1992.
How much did the Macintosh Classic cost?
The Macintosh Classic launched at $999 in 1990 — about $2,428 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What are the Macintosh Classic’s specs?
The Macintosh Classic used a Motorola 68000 running at 7.83 MHz, with 1 MB of memory and 40 MB of storage. It ran System 6.0.7.
Why does the Macintosh Classic matter?
First Macintosh to break the $1,000 barrier.
Full specifications
| CPU | Motorola 68000 · 7.83 MHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 1 |
| Memory (RAM) | 1 MB (up to 4 MB) |
| Storage | 40 MB |
| Display | 9" monochrome, 512×342 |
| GPU | Bitmapped framebuffer |
| Ports | SCSI, ADB, floppy |
| Weight | 7.3 kg |
| Dimensions | Compact all-in-one |
| Operating system | System 6.0.7 |
| Released | October 1990 |
| Discontinued | September 1992 |
| Launch price | $999 |
How the Macintosh Classic compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 16,400× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 7.83 MHz, the clock is roughly 409× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro — and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
All of this storage holds about 10 modern phone photos.
Launched at $999 in 1990 — about $2,428 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 could boot System 6 straight from ROM with a secret key combo.
Related Mac models
Open the Macintosh Classic in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-06-25