Mac SE/30

A Low End Mac Best Buy

code name: Oreo, Double Stuffed, Green Jade

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Overview

Rolled out in January 1989, the SE/30 was the first compact Mac to come standard with the FDHD 1.4 MB floppy drive (a.k.a. SuperDrive) and support more than 4 MB of RAM. It was essentially a IIx in an SE case. Although advertised as a 32-bit computer, the SE/30 ROMs were "dirty," containing some 24-bit addressing, meaning it could not run 32-bit applications without new ROMs (which Apple never produced) or a software patch. To use the SE/30 in 32-bit mode, you need a free copy of Mode32 from Connectix. (You only need 32-bit addressing if you have more than 8 MB of memory.)

The SE/30 has color QuickDraw built in, so it can be used to surf the web. However, it requires a video card, such as the discontinued Micron Xceed, to display anything beyond black and white.

Did you know the SE/30 could display grays on the internal monitor? If you can get your hands on the Micron Xceed video card, it supports 8-bit video on an external monitor -- or on the internal screen when no external monitor is attached. These cards are rare and highly valued.

The SE/30 offered the power of the IIx in a minimal footprint configuration. With the built-in 9" screen, it was a popular network server.

After the SE/30, Apple didn't produce another compact Mac with an expansion slot until the Color Classic in February 1993.

The SE/30 can handle as large a 3.5" half-height SCSI hard drive as you can find, another reason it's long been popular as a server. To remove the hard drive: find the two screws holding the drive bracket in place. They will be facing the rear of the computer and underneath the drive itself. You'll need a fairly long Phillips screwdriver to reach them -- and you'll need to disconnect the power and data cables before you can get to them. Once the screws are loose, lift the back and it should come out easily.

You can convert a non-working compact Mac into a Macquarium. (Please, don't even think of converting a working one -- you can always find someone interested on the Classic Macs or Vintage Macs lists.)

Details

introduced 19 January 1989 at $4,400 ($4,900 with hard drive); discontinued 21 October 1990
requires system 6.0.3 to 7.5.5
CPU: 16 MHz 68030
FPU: 16 MHz 68882
performance: 3.2, relative to SE; 4.03, Speedometer 3.06; 0.26, Speedometer 4; 3.9 MIPS
see Benchmarks: SE/30 for more details
ROM: 256 KB
RAM: 1 MB, expandable to 128 MB using two 4-SIMM banks of 120ns 30-pin memory, compatible with 256 KB, 1 MB, 4 MB, and 16 MB SIMMs (although Apple does not certify it with 16 MB SIMMs)
9" b&w screen, 512x342 pixels
ADB ports for keyboard and mouse
DIN-8 serial ports on back of computer
DB-25 SCSI connector on back of computer
floppy: 1.4 MB double sided
floppy connector on back of computer
size (HxWxD): 13.6" x 9.6" x 10.9"
weight: 19.5 lb.
Gestalt ID: 9
addressing: 24-bit or 32-bit (requires enabler)
battery: 3.6V lithium
single SE/30 PDS slot (same as IIsi)
upgrade path: none

Accelerators & Upgrades

Sonnet Allegro SE/30 (33 MHz 68030)
I have one field report that this accelerator has problems with 1.4 MB floppies, but works fine with 800 KB ones. Be sure you know your return options and test this if you buy one.
Daystar Turbo 040 (33 MHz, 40 MHz 68040), discontinued
MicroMac Diimo/030 (50 MHz 68030), 64 KB cache, optional 50 MHz 68882 FPU, pass through connector for second card

Discontinued accelerators (68030 unless otherwise noted) include the DayStar Universal PowerCache (33, 40, 50 MHz), Fusion Data TokaMac SX (25 MHz 68040), and Total Systems Magellan 040 (25 MHz 68040).

Online Resources

System 6 for the Macintosh, Ruud Dingemans. If you have an older, slower, memory-limited Mac, System 6 is fast, stable, and still very usable.
Cruising the web in black & white, John C. Foster, MacWEEK, 10/20/1999
30-pin SIMM memory pricing, RAMseeker
Die SE/30 Seite
Mac SE, SE/30, Mac Users Militia
Faster browsing on older Macs, Mac Online Technical Journal
SE fever: the lure and reward of vintage computing, Steve Wood
SE saga, Steve Wood
Information on 32-bit addressing
Email lists: Classic Macs Digest, Vintage Macs
Internet Classic Mac Users Home Page
Memory upgrade guide
Links to System 6.0.8 and 7.0.1
This Old Mac: SE/30 on the Mac Addict site.
Macintosh SE support page.
Apple Specs Online for SE/30
User report: Micron Xceed video card
Unix? You can run NetBSD (a.k.a. MacBSD), a version of Unix, on the SE/30.

Cautions

That monitor packs a lot of voltage. Read Compact Mac CRT Energy before working inside.
Macs with black-and-white only displays (1-bit, no grays) may find Netscape Navigator 3 makes it impossible to view some pages and sites. The workaround is to use Navigator 2 or 4.
Mode32 or Apple's 32-bit Enabler required to access more than 8 MB RAM. (Mode32 v7. works with System 7.5; Apple's enabler does not.)
Serial port normally restricted to 57.6 kbps; use of a 56k modem may be limited. See 56k modem page. For more information on Mac serial ports, read Macintosh Serial Throughput on the Macintosh Online Technical Journal.
Apple discontinued support and parts orders for this model on 31 August 1998. You may be able to find dealers with parts inventory either locally or on our parts and service list.

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