Apple Macintosh SE/30

Apple Macintosh SE/30 was introduced in 19 January 1989 and placed Macintosh II-class processing inside the compact SE enclosure. It used a Motorola 68030 at 15.6672 MHz with 1MB standard; expandable to 128MB with appropriate software. 68030 processor and 32-bit data path greatly exceeded the ordinary SE.

Exceptional expansion and performance made the SE/30 a long-lived favourite among power users, servers and collectors.

Notable Features

• 68030 processor and 32-bit data path greatly exceeded the ordinary SE.
• 128MB physical memory ceiling was extraordinary for a compact Macintosh.
• PDS cards added colour video, Ethernet and accelerators.

Historical Significance

• Exceptional expansion and performance made the SE/30 a long-lived favourite among power users, servers and collectors.
• Its place in the range reflects Apple's progression from the original compact Macintosh toward broader professional, educational and portable markets.

Collector’s Notes

• Leaking surface-mount capacitors and PRAM batteries require prompt inspection
• Original keyboards, mice, storage devices and model-specific accessories help document a complete period configuration.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Apple Macintosh SE/30
Manufacturer	Apple
Launched	Thursday, January 19, 1989
Country	United States
CPU	Motorola 68030 at 15.6672 MHz
Units Sold
Operating System	System 6.0.3 through Mac OS 8.1 with support
I/O	SCSI, two serial, ADB, audio and one 030 PDS slot
Keyboard	External ADB keyboard and mouse
Storage	1.44MB floppy and internal SCSI hard disk
Sound	Eight-bit mono sound
Graphics	512 x 342 one-bit graphics; colour possible through expansion
Display	Built-in 9-inch 512 x 342 monochrome display
ROM	256KB ROM
RAM	1MB standard; expandable to 128MB with appropriate software
CPU Speed	15.6672 MHz