{"id":25942,"date":"2026-08-27T15:32:55","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T19:32:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?page_id=25942"},"modified":"2026-08-31T11:00:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T15:00:46","slug":"vin213","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin213\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple Macintosh SE FDHD"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-5xl  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n            <div class=\"cu-textmedia flex flex-col lg:flex-row mx-auto gap-6 md:gap-10 my-6 md:my-12 first:mt-0 max-w-5xl\">\n        <div class=\"justify-start cu-textmedia-content cu-prose-first-last\" style=\"flex: 0 0 100%;\">\n            <header class=\"font-light prose-xl cu-pageheader md:prose-2xl cu-component-updated cu-prose-first-last\">\n                                    <h1 class=\"cu-prose-first-last font-semibold !mt-2 mb-4 md:mb-6 relative after:absolute after:h-px after:bottom-0 after:bg-cu-red after:left-px text-3xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl lg:leading-[3.5rem] pb-5 after:w-10 text-cu-black-700 not-prose\">\n                        Apple Macintosh SE FDHD\n                    <\/h1>\n                \n                                \n                                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Introduced in August 1989, the Macintosh SE FDHD was the final mainstream refinement of Apple\u2019s classic compact 9-inch monochrome Macintosh: an 8 MHz Motorola 68000 machine with expandable memory, internal SCSI hard disk support, and most notably a 1.44 MB SuperDrive floppy mechanism.<\/p>\n\n\n                            <\/header>\n\n                    <\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\">Vintage Computing Collection<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[Vin213]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"769\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/2026\/08\/PXL_20260827_192331503-1-1024x769.jpg\" alt=\"Apple Macintosh SE FDHD\" class=\"wp-image-25945\" style=\"width:525px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/2026\/08\/PXL_20260827_192331503-1-1024x769.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/2026\/08\/PXL_20260827_192331503-1-512x384.jpg 512w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/2026\/08\/PXL_20260827_192331503-1-320x240.jpg 320w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/2026\/08\/PXL_20260827_192331503-1-768x577.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/2026\/08\/PXL_20260827_192331503-1-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/260\/2026\/08\/PXL_20260827_192331503-1-2048x1538.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Manufacturer<\/strong>: Apple Computer Inc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Model<\/strong>: Macintosh SE FDHD<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Released<\/strong>: Aug. 1, 1989<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Type<\/strong>: Personal Desktop Computer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cost at release<\/strong>: ~$9,500 (adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>MIPS<\/strong>: 0.7 (700 KIPS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"hardware-specifications\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW169789978 BCX0\">Hardware Specifications<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>CPU<\/strong>: Motorola MC68000, 8 MHz<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>RAM<\/strong>: 1 MB standard, expandable to 4 MB <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>ROM<\/strong>: 256 KB<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Display<\/strong>: 9-inch built-in monochrome CRT, 512 \u00d7 342 pixels<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Floppy drive<\/strong>: One internal 3.5-inch 1.44 MB SuperDrive, with automatic disk insertion\/ejection.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sound<\/strong>: Mono speaker, sound out port<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Input ports<\/strong>: Two Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) ports for keyboard and mouse.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Serial ports<\/strong>: Two RS-422 serial ports, typically used for printers, modems, and networking.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">External storage ports<\/strong>: DB-25 SCSI port and DB-19 external floppy-drive connector.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weight<\/strong>: 17 lbs (7.7 kg)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"operating-system-programming-languages\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW50331614 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW50331614 BCX0\">Operating System &amp; Programming Languages<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW50331614 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:0}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>O\/S<\/strong>: Macintosh System Software (Mac OS) versions 6 through 7.5.5<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Programming Languages<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pascal: One of the most important early Macintosh development languages. THINK Pascal, MPW Pascal, and Turbo Pascal were available, and much of Apple\u2019s early Macintosh documentation and API culture was Pascal-oriented.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>C: Widely used for commercial Macintosh software and system-level programming. Popular development systems included LightSpeed C, later renamed THINK C, plus MPW C and Hippo-C.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Motorola 68000 assembly language: Used for low-level programming, hardware access, compact code, and speed-critical routines. Apple\u2019s Macintosh Programmer\u2019s Workshop (MPW) supplied serious development tools, including an assembler.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>BASIC: Microsoft BASIC and third-party BASIC implementations could run on the Mac. BASIC was accessible for learning and utilities, although it was less central to Macintosh development than Pascal and C.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>HyperTalk: HyperCard\u2019s approachable scripting language. It enabled users to create linked \u201ccard stacks,\u201d interactive databases, educational programs, presentations, and simple games without writing a conventional compiled application. HyperCard was a major creative-programming environment of the System 6 period.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Forth: Available through third-party implementations, typically aimed at enthusiasts, experimentation, and compact interactive programs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lisp: Available in some third-party forms, though the SE FDHD\u2019s limited standard memory made it more constrained than larger workstation-class systems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Modula-2: Supported through third-party compilers and development tools, although it had a much smaller Macintosh user base than Pascal or C.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"notables\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Notables<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201c<strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">FDHD<\/strong>\u201d meant Floppy Disk High Density: the Macintosh SE FDHD was essentially an 8 MHz Macintosh SE revised with Apple\u2019s 1.44 MB high-density floppy drive, replacing the earlier 800 KB mechanism.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Its celebrated feature was the <strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">SuperDrive<\/strong>: it could use 400 KB, 800 KB, and 1.44 MB Macintosh disks, while also reading and writing 720 KB\/1.44 MB MS-DOS, OS\/2, and ProDOS disks. This made it an unusually practical bridge between Macintosh, IBM-PC-compatible, and Apple II file ecosystems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It was later renamed the Macintosh SE SuperDrive, not a new model, but the same FDHD-era SE under Apple\u2019s more marketable name. Collectors may encounter either \u201cFDHD\u201d or \u201cSuperDrive\u201d on the front bezel.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The machine used the <strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">SWIM<\/strong> chip (\u201cSuper Woz Integrated Machine\u201d) to control its high-density drive. This was a genuine hardware revision: a standard SE\u2019s disk-control circuitry could not simply accept a 1.44 MB drive as an upgrade.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Its most important \u201cfirst\u201d was not a new CPU or display but a turning point in media compatibility: the SuperDrive helped make 1.44 MB HD floppies the shared practical standard across Macs and PCs in the early 1990s.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It preserved the compact Mac\u2019s distinctive 9-inch black-and-white all-in-one form while offering a PDS expansion slot, an internal hard-drive bay, SCSI, ADB, and a cooling fan, the SE family\u2019s shift from the closed Macintosh Plus appliance toward an expandable office computer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Its name is often misread as \u201cSpecial Edition,\u201d but on the Macintosh SE, \u201cSE\u201d officially stood for System Expansion, referring to its expansion capability. The later FDHD suffix specifically identified the high-density floppy upgrade.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Its historical irony is that it arrived in 1989 alongside the much faster Macintosh SE\/30. The FDHD improved interchange and storage capacity, whereas the SE\/30 brought a far more powerful 68030 processor, so the FDHD is remembered as the practical compatibility upgrade, not the performance legend.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Period messaging emphasized working with files from \u201cother computers\u201d: Apple positioned the FDHD as an office-friendly Macintosh for mixed-platform workplaces, advertising disk compatibility rather than revolutionary graphical computing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For collectors, the front-panel label is the simplest clue: an original SE typically lacks the suffix, while the revised machines are visibly marked \u201cFDHD\u201d or \u201cSuperDrive.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Donated By<\/strong>: T. Warren Christopher<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\">Vintage Computing Collection<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[Vin213] Hardware Specifications Operating System &amp; Programming Languages&nbsp; Notables Donated By: T. Warren Christopher<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":591,"featured_media":0,"parent":19704,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cu_dining_location_slug":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_page_type":[130,123],"class_list":["post-25942","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","cu_page_type-mac","cu_page_type-vintage-inventory"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/591"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25942"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25942\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25978,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25942\/revisions\/25978"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_page_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_page_type?post=25942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}