Adrian’s Digital Basement takes a look at repairing a classic Apple Mac SE.

The Apple Macintosh SE, introduced in March 1987, was a significant addition to Apple’s line of personal computers. It featured a compact all-in-one design, combining the CPU, memory, storage, and display in a single unit. The SE stood for “System Expansion,” highlighting its capability for expansion through its unique design. With a 9-inch black-and-white CRT display with a resolution of 512×342 pixels, the Macintosh SE offered crisp graphics and legible text for its time, making it suitable for a variety of tasks including word processing, graphic design, and desktop publishing. The machine was powered by a Motorola 68000 processor running at 8 MHz, delivering respectable performance for its era.

One notable feature of the Macintosh SE was its expandability, with two expansion slots allowing users to add additional functionality such as networking capabilities or extra storage. Additionally, it was one of the first Macintosh models to feature a built-in SCSI port, enabling easy connection to external devices such as hard drives and scanners. The SE was available in several configurations, including options for different amounts of RAM and storage capacities. Despite its compact size, the Macintosh SE was a versatile and capable machine that played a significant role in shaping the personal computing landscape of the late 1980s and early 1990s, contributing to Apple’s reputation for innovation and user-friendly design.