Printer · The Beige Era · 1990
Personal LaserWriter
The Personal LaserWriter brought laser output closer to ordinary desks, shrinking both the printer and the price.
Personal LaserWriter: key facts
When was the Personal LaserWriter released?
The Personal LaserWriter was released in 1990. Apple discontinued it in 1993.
How much did the Personal LaserWriter cost?
The Personal LaserWriter launched at $1,799 in 1990 — about $4,372 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What are the Personal LaserWriter’s specs?
The Personal LaserWriter used a Printer controller, with None of memory. It ran Driver / firmware support.
Why does the Personal LaserWriter matter?
Lower-cost desktop laser printer for personal Mac users.
Full specifications
| CPU | Printer controller |
|---|---|
| Cores | — |
| Memory (RAM) | None |
| Storage | — |
| Display | None |
| GPU | N/A |
| Ports | Serial / AppleTalk |
| Weight | Varies by model |
| Dimensions | Compact laser printer |
| Operating system | Driver / firmware support |
| Released | 1990 |
| Discontinued | 1993 |
| Launch price | $1,799 |
How the Personal LaserWriter compares to today
Launched at $1,799 in 1990 — about $4,372 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 is the kind of model collectors use to map Apple’s complicated family tree.
Related Printer models
Open the Personal LaserWriter in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-06-27