The Macintosh 128K was Apple’s original all-in-one desktop computer, combining monitor, computer tower, and speakers in one unit. It had 128KB of memory—roughly enough to store a low-resolution image taken with a contemporary smartphone—and came with a keyboard, a single-button mouse, and two applications: the word processor MacWrite and MacPaint, a drawing program that turned the mouse into a paintbrush. Introduced during the 1984 Super Bowl with a commercial directed by Ridley Scott, the computer sold seventy thousand units in the first one hundred days. Its graphic user interface was intuitive and user-friendly, featuring icons designed by Susan Kare. With the 128K, Apple established the desktop computer as a necessity not only in the office but at home.

Gallery label from

Pirouette: Turning Points in Design, January 26, 2025–November 15, 2025

Manufacturer Apple, Inc.
Medium ABS plastic and other materials
Dimensions 13 3/4 x 9 3/4 x 10 3/4" (34.9 x 24.8 x 27.3 cm)
Credit Gift of the manufacturer
Object number 396.1994.a-c
Department Architecture & Design

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