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How Old Is My Mac?

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Dan Knight

It's easy to visit a site like Low End Mac and find out when a model was first produced and discontinued. But how do you determine how old a specific unit is?

Apple has a coding scheme they use in the serial number to indicate both when and where a Mac was made. This information has been published on other sites and discussed in various news groups, which is where I came by it. And I thought it would be of interest to any Mac owner. Your serial number tells what year and week of the year your Mac was made, as well as which factory built it.

Unfortunately, Apple considers this information a trade secret (despite the fact I found it on a public newsgroup). Posting this information here led to a strong letter from Michael S. Rubin, Attorney, Worldwide Sales and Service Law Department, Apple Computer, Inc.

And I can't even show you the letter!

So if you want to know how old your Apple product is or where it was built, you'll have to obtain that information somewhere other than this page. (The computer profiles on Low End Mac usually indicate a range of dates during which a model was produced.)  LEM

Recent Online Tech Journal Columns

Recent Content on Low End Mac

  • Leopard is the way to go, even on most old G4 Macs, Carl Nygren, My Turn, 05.14. The useful and just cool features in Mac OS X 10.5 make this the biggest step forward in the history of the Mac OS.
  • Mac OS 9 still nice, anticipating Odysseus, PowerBook 1400 upgrades, and more, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 05.14. Also rebuilding PowerBook batteries, FastMac vs. NuPower replacement batteries, and only one G4 upgrade left for WallStreet PowerBooks.
  • Windows on Macs: Three paths for integration, Jason Packer, Macs in the Enterprise, 05.14. Mac users have three routes for running Windows apps: Run Windows using Boot Camp or virtualization, or use a compatibility layer such as WINE.
  • Up-to-date or low-end, we need technology in our schools, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 05.14. Modern computers are great educational tools, but sometimes less distracting options (like no Internet) make more sense.
  • Best iMac G4 deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.14. Used 15" 800 MHz Combo, $320; SuperDrive, $380; 1 GHz Combo, $400; SD, $485; 17" 1.25 GHz, $459; 20", $750.
  • Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.14. Mac OS X 10.0.3, $40; 10.1, $49; 10.2, $60; 10.3 DVD, $50; CD, $100; 10.1 Server, unlimited users, $109; 10.3 Server, $130.
  • Best MacBook Air deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.14. 1.6 GHz, 80 GB, $1,694 after rebate; 1.8 GHz, $1,994 a/r; 1.6 GHz, 64 GB SSD, $2,689 a/r; 1.8 GHz, $2,950 a/r; SuperDrive, $99.
  • Mac of the Day: Quadra 700, Oct. 1991 - The successor to the Mac IIci ran a 'wicked fast' 25 MHz 68040 processor.
  • List of the Day: NewtonList supports Newton users.
  • May 15 in LEM history: 00: Advantages of a small Mac market - 01: Just different - Restoring after reformatting your hard drive - Mac as religion in the UK - The CRT isn't dead yet - 02: Xserve G4 - Why laptops need docks - 03: Don't break up Apple, build it up - Upgrades for slot-loading iMacs - 06: Old Macs still fun to use, productive tools - Is Mac OS 9 still a player? - David G. Wood's Mac legacy - 07: 13" 2.16 GHz MacBook - 8 free apps every Mac user should know
  • 10 cult Macs adored by collectors, Tamara Keel, Digital Fossils, 05.13. Macs are not only noted for their longevity, but also by the passion which collectors have for some of the most interesting models ever made.
  • Low End Mac's Compleat Guide to the Lombard PowerBook G3, Charles W. Moore, 'Book Value, 05.13. With the Lombard PowerBook, Apple abandoned the legacy ADB and serial ports for USB, trimmed 20% from WallStreet's weight, and hit 400 MHz.
  • Best PowerBook G3 deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.13. Used 14" WallStreet G3/266 MHz, $90; Lombard G3/400 MHz, $200; Pismo G3/400 MHz, $300; 500 MHz, $350.
  • Best Apple TV deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.13. Refurb 40 GB Apple TV, $199; new, $210; refurb 160 GB, $279; new, $319.
  • Best Xserve deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.13. Used 1 GHz dual G4, $1,399; close-out 2.0 dual-core Xeon, $1,999; refurb 2.66, $2,799; 3.0, $3,499; new 2.8 GHz quad, $2,888; 8-core, $3,299; 3.0, $4,059.
  • More links in our archive.

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