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I am strongly of the opinion at Apple should introduce a black iMac, which I think would sell one heck of a lot better then the new wallpaper patterned units introduced at MacWorld Tokyo.

However, users relatively new to the Mac platform may not be aware that Apple one time a marketed an all-black, all-in-one Macintosh complete with a black keyboard and mouse -- the short-lived Macintosh TV.

The Macintosh TV was housed in a tasteful black version of the LC/Performa 500 series case, and included a built-in TV tuner and remote control. Unfortunately, it was limited to a maximum of eight megabytes of RAM.

For some reason, Apple made only a half hearted effort to sell the Mac TV to a very limited market, mainly targeting college students and families through selected consumer stores in the US, and quietly discontinued it about six months after it was introduced.

However, it is an interesting piece of Macintosh history, and I think one of the most impressive looking Macs ever, thanks to that black case. It mystifies me why Apple seems so reluctant to build black desktop computers.

If you're interested in learning more about the Macintosh TV, check out this excellent new web site:
http://www.mxtechs.com/mactv/

Macintosh TV Specs
• MC68030, 32 MHz clock doubled, 16-bit data bus
• Integrated PMMU (memory-management unit)
• 5MB RAM standard
• RAM expandable (by authorized Apple dealer) to 8MB with 72-pin fast-paged
80ns SIMMs
• 1MB ROM
• One built-in Apple SuperDrive 1.4MB floppy disk drive
• One internal 160MB SCSI hard disk drive
• Internal AppleCD 300i double-speed CD-ROM drive for CD-ROMs, audio CDs,
and Kodak Photo CDs
• NTSC tuner
• 181 channels
• Cable-ready
• RCA-type video abd sound input for VCR, camcorder, laser disc,
or game player
• Coaxial port for television antenna or cable service
• TV Setup control panel allows the user to listen to TV or video sound
(but not the video) while using the Macintosh TV as a computer.
• Integrated Macintosh Color Display with 14-inch Trinitron CRT
• Resolution: 640 x 480 pixels (640 x 240 for television mode with
16-bit color), 69 dpi, .26mm dot pitch
• 512K VRAM supports 256 colors (8-bit color)
• VRAM Speed: 80 ns
• VRAM Expansion: built in
• SCSI interface for connecting up to six external peripheral devices
• Two serial (RS-232/RS-422) ports
• One stereo sound-output port for external audio amplifier or headphones
• Two Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) ports for keyboard, mouse, and other
devices
• Front headphone jack for sound output
• Hand-held remote-control unit for CD and TV
• Stereo 8-bit digital-analog conversion using 22-kHz sample rate -
capable of driving stereo headphones or other stereo equipment through
the sound jack and headphone jack
• Built-in stereo speakers
• Custom integrated circuit with long-life lithium battery
• Macintosh System software 7.1, including HyperCard Player, MacBasics,
MacCheck, and QuickTime. System Enabler 404.
• A variety of educational and productivity titles installed on hard drive
• A selection of CD-ROM titles
• CloseView, Easy Access, and visible-beep for disability access.
• TV software supports frame capture, closed captions, channel scanning, and
password protection
• System Software Supported: 7.1, 7.5, 7.1.1 (Pro), 7.5.1, 7.5.3 , 7.5.5

Size and Weight
---------------
Main unit:
• Height: 17.5 in. (44.5 cm)
• Width: 13.5 in. (34.4 cm)
• Depth: 16.5 in. (42.0 cm)
• Weight: 41.5 lbs (18.9 kg)

Charles W. Moore

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