Macintosh SE Home Computer
Apple, Inc.
USA, est. 1976
frogdesign, Sunnydale, CA
American, established 1969
1987 (designed 1984)
An all‑in‑one personal computer designed by frogdesign for Apple—the Macintosh SE—made from plastic, glass, and electronics to bring a compact, user‑friendly graphical desktop to homes and offices.
It reads at once as a small domestic appliance: a squat, cream‑colored box with a recessed square screen, soft beveled edges, horizontal vents, the tiny rainbow Apple logo, and a separate keyboard and one‑button mouse that make it feel approachable rather than industrial.
The Macintosh SE exemplifies 1980s industrial design that helped normalize the graphical user interface and the consumer computer as a household object, influencing how designers considered usability, form, and the integration of hardware and software.
Medium
Plastic, glass and electronics
Dimensions
.a: 13 1/2 x 9 3/4 x 10 3/4" (34.3 x 24.8 x 27.3 cm)
.b: 2 1/4 x 15 1/2 x 5 1/2" (5.7 x 39.4 x 14 cm)
.c: 1 1/2 x 3 3/4 x 2 1/2" (3.8 x 9.5 x 6.4 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of the designer and manufacturer
Accession
395.1994.a-c
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
