Macintosh Portable Demo Unit

[unity]

Hi all!

New poster here, but long time collector. Sadly long ago I sold off many of my real gems or tossed them not knowing their potential value. But I am starting to rebuild my collection! Recently I acquired a Macintosh Portable M5120 to replace one I once had. The label on the bottom says its a demo unit and not for sale. There is a second smaller sticker on top of the demo label containing FCC info for the modem. However, the FCC number, while Apple's, its not on record with them. Where a serial number would be located is a paper label that has been removed. (pics attached)

While I would like to assume this machine is a prototype of sorts, I have my doubts. The machine seems very off the shelf stock. I am wondering if this could be a sorta of pre-production, first of line or simply units pulled during production for the purpose of having demonstration units out an about with sales reps. I myself worked an Apple Road Show many moons ago. I demonstrated many Macs with some, like a TAM, being a prototype. But others where factory units delegated to life on the road for shows and had special labels too, but placed over the factory ones.

The machine itself is in excellent condition with original carrying case. No paperwork though. I was able to get the dead battery to finally charge using an Apple battery station. I prefer these since the light indicator gives a better idea of what is going on. But even with the battery charged and new portable battery adapter, it will not boot. Black or scattered screen with no sound. Did disconnect floppy and HD too. The caps do have slight corrosion, but slight is all it takes as we know. I have ordered replacement caps. Once I know the caps are good, I will look deeper if it still will not boot.

Anyway, the tech/repair stuff will be for another thread. I am mainly interested in the "demo" status of this machine. Are there many demonstration units of the M5120? Any of the M5126? Anything else I should look at inside?

 

[LCGuy]

While like you, I doubt its a prototype (especially since it has FCC approval), its certainly a neat piece of history - I've never heard of there being post-prototype-but-pre-production Macs before. I actually went to an Apple roadshow in 1999, only a small one, that was done by a local AASP, they had the slot load iMac and the G4 there, but they were just ordinary production model systems taken out of the showroom.

I take it there's nothing inside that identifies it as a prototype?

 

[Macdrone]

I would think it was like it says a demo. To stores and such like try before you buy.

 

[TheMacGuy]

I would say it was a model, like MacDrone said, that was toted around from Resellers to Resellers, and maybe even a test machine that was given to a someone in a focus group or something. It has the FCC number for the modem, but not the rest of the computer, which is also odd. Does it boot at all? If it does, what System version is it running?

 

[unity]

It does not boot. Caps ordered and I hope they take car of that issue.

While there is an FCC label, its not a valid Apple FCC#. Thats the only odd part. If it were a production unit they would have used proper FCC number. "BCG" is Apple Computer to the FCC. So the smaller sticker is legit in that sense. Its even printed on the special apple thick decal. But the number, or one even close to it, is not valid. Its the only grey area of the machine. So my only thought is that it was production and Apple was still waiting for FCC approval. User machines probably had no label at all. But units pulled for display needed something and they knew while they could not sell the display units, they could ship em out to resellers. But thats only a theory.

When I get it booted I will learn more, such as drive contents. If the drive works at all! I will do some data recovery too. I doubt any original data is left. the PRAM battery was dated 1996. So the machine saw service well past any showroom floor time.

Has anyone figured out how to date a logic board serial number?

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Dunno about that, but check the date stamps on the ICs on the MoBo to get some clue to the date of production, but nailing it down to the pre-production range would require a particularly good stroke of luck, having much to do with the month of the release date.

 

[unity]

Dunno about that, but check the date stamps on the ICs on the MoBo to get some clue to the date of production, but nailing it down to the pre-production range would require a particularly good stroke of luck, having much to do with the month of the release date.

VSLI chips labeled '87 or '88, most are '88. Power Manager is '89. Sound is '85. The High and Low ROMS are stamped '83-'89 in green with a long number opposite. So from that it still looks like an off the line machine, unless the mono was replaced. I would really like to see another demo unit board to compare.

At the very least I have a unique label! LOL

 

[olePigeon]

There are post-prototype, pre-production Lisas and Apple IIs as well. They often came with a really nifty custom made traveling case so a salesman could take it with them and set it up. They're fairly rare and pretty cool, especially if you have the travel case and sales literature.

Since this was Apple's first portable, it wouldn't surprise me if this demo piece was intended to go along with a salesman to show off to various companies. It'd be worth looking inside, I've heard about Apple putting in upgrades and other things to make them faster than the production model.

 

[unity]

The 68k chip in this unit was produced the 33rd week in 1989 (Sun. 13 Aug, 1989 - Sat. 19 Aug, 1989). Given lead times, that puts the motherboard production time frame into later 1989 reducing the possibility of it being an early prototype of sorts.

Well for now I am going to work on getting it running once the capacitors arrive. I hope the old Conner drive has some life left it in!

Edit: I take that back, worked on inventory assumptions. For fun I looked at my two Original Macs. One is pure original, yet the CPU is newer that the unit with the swapped in 512k motherboard. Weird.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

And "production date" can often precede "release date" by a wide margin. I have a completely-production, purchased-at-retail original Macintosh, yet its serial number says it was made in late 1983!

Not only do they have to get production started far enough in advance of release to have sufficient systems in the distribution channel to meet demand, but as others say, they need to have "production quality" systems created simply to test the production system. Rather than throw those systems away, it makes perfect sense to send them out as pre-distribution samples.

 

[haplain]

I've got a pre-production/prototype M5120. Maybe uniserver can take a pic before he sends it back. My case has no markings on it whatsoever aka FCC approval or even a model number. The board is number 100 off the line and as a prototype/developers ROM chip with the word "Espirit" on it which was one of the code names of the original, M5120, Portables. This is definitely a cool find for sure, well done. Other than my board being different, the ROM chip, the prototype modem card (yellow in color rather than green), missing the label/FCC the battery cover is missing the battery icon and is smooth plastic. There is also a very unusual connector soldered onto the J21 connector on the Portable board too.

Does your case have smooth plastic anywhere at all? If so that would be a good indication that it's an early stage test/development unit.

 

[unity]

No smooth plastic, except the battery cover. But I think that is by design. It does have the battery icon sticker. Modem card is yellow. RAM card is yellow on one side, green on other. Neither card has the customary deep yellow serial number label. When I take it apart again, soon, I will grab some more detailed pics. The more I look the more I think its just an early line pull. The only weird thing, to me, is the FCC number being a bad one - yet it is Apple's. "BCG" is Apple.

 

[TheMacGuy]

Now that I think about it, I remember one of these surfacing in eBay a year or so ago. It said the same thing on the bottom. I wonder if it's the same machine?

 

[unity]

Now that I think about it, I remember one of these surfacing in eBay a year or so ago. It said the same thing on the bottom. I wonder if it's the same machine?

As Spock would say, there are always... possibilities.

The owner knew little of this machine. Appears it was picked up at a larger sale, maybe estate.

 

[haplain]

Posted photos of my prototype board here (viewtopic.php?f=3&t=22358&start=50)

 

[unity]

Posted photos of my prototype board here (viewtopic.php?f=3&t=22358&start=50)

Wow, thats cool. Mine does not look like that. No daughter card and the blue cable plug at lower right is not on mine. Mine is pretty much just missing the serial number tag on the board.

Question. Why use those caps? I used barrel type on mine, not the uprights like on this one. Or is that how the caps were originally done on this one? Just looks weird having the cap legs bent over like that.