Mac · The Beige Era · 1993
Macintosh TV
A rare all-black Color Classic that doubled as a cable television — but you couldn’t show TV in a window, only full-screen. Only about 10,000 were made before it was pulled.
Macintosh TV: key facts
When was the Macintosh TV released?
The Macintosh TV was released in October 1993. Apple discontinued it in February 1994.
How much did the Macintosh TV cost?
The Macintosh TV launched at $2,099 in 1993 — about $4,576 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What are the Macintosh TV’s specs?
The Macintosh TV used a Motorola 68030 running at 32 MHz, with 5 MB of memory and 160 MB of storage. It ran System 7.1.
Why does the Macintosh TV matter?
First (and only) all-in-one Mac with a built-in TV tuner — and the first black Mac.
Full specifications
| CPU | Motorola 68030 · 32 MHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 1 |
| Memory (RAM) | 5 MB (up to 8 MB) |
| Storage | 160 MB |
| Display | 14" Sony Trinitron, 640×480 + TV tuner |
| GPU | Integrated |
| Ports | SCSI, ADB, coax (cable TV) |
| Weight | 18 kg |
| Dimensions | All-in-one (black!) |
| Operating system | System 7.1 |
| Released | October 1993 |
| Discontinued | February 1994 |
| Launch price | $2,099 |
How the Macintosh TV compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 3,280× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 32 MHz, the clock is roughly 100× 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 40 modern phone photos.
Launched at $2,099 in 1993 — about $4,576 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 came with a remote control and is now a prized collector’s oddity.
Related Mac models
Open the Macintosh TV in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-06-25