Elektor Releases “Apple Macintosh,” an In-Depth Journey Through Apple’s Most Iconic Computers

Elektor International Media is proud to announce the release of Apple Macintosh: 20+ Macintosh Models, from 1984 to Today, a new high-quality hardcover book by electronics engineer and historian Giovanni Becattini. The book offers an in-depth, visually striking journey through the machines that reshaped personal computing and digital culture, from the original 1984 Macintosh to modern Apple systems.

20+ Iconic Macintosh Models

Spanning more than 20 iconic Macintosh models, Apple Macintosh combines historical context, detailed engineering analysis, and practical restoration insights. Becattini brings a rare dual perspective as both an engineer and a lifelong Macintosh expert, presenting each computer not only as a technical achievement, but also as an object of industrial design and cultural significance. Rich photography and clear technical explanations make the book equally compelling for engineers, collectors, educators, and devoted Apple enthusiasts.
 
The book traces the evolution of the Macintosh across distinct eras — from the early, revolutionary GUI-driven systems of the 1980s, through the challenging years of transition, to Apple’s modern renaissance — while also covering operating systems, architectures, networking, and restoration techniques. This holistic approach makes Apple Macintosh both a reference work and a visually engaging tribute to one of the most influential product families in technology history.

"The Macintosh 128K was a compact all-in-one unit with a 9-inch black-and-white display (512 × 342 pixels), a Motorola 68000 processor at 8 MHz, and 128 KB of RAM," Becattini writes in the book. "It included two serial ports, a single 3.5-inch floppy drive (400 KB), and no internal hard disk. Despite its limitations, its graphical interface—featuring menus, icons, and a mouse—was a revelation compared to the command-line world of MS-DOS. It looked like the future had finally arrived on the desks of ordinary people."
 

More Than a Retrospective

“Apple Macintosh is much more than a retrospective,” said Ferdinand te Walvaart, Director of Book Publishing at Elektor. “With this release, we continue Elektor’s tradition of producing authoritative, beautifully crafted books that celebrate engineering excellence. We are proud to add this title to our growing library of premium engineering and technology books.”
 
Apple Macintosh is published by Elektor International Media B.V. as a hardcover edition and is available worldwide through the Elektor Store and selected international retailers. For more information or to order the book, visit the book's page.