It was in March 1987 that Apple held the Appleworld event at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles. Jean-Louis Gassée, then Vice President of Apple, has announced the launch of a new Macintosh hardware product. Many still remember the Macintosh II, the most powerful desktop computer of the time. This attracted a lot of attention during the event. However, there was another Macintosh (Mac SE) revealed on stage, and although many weren’t expecting it, it is now considered one of the best Macs of all time. The Mac SE marks the beginning of Apple’s “SE” lineup. This continues to this day. SE branding started on Macs, but is now primarily associated with iPhones and Apple Watch. Looking back at the history of the SE model, it is clear that the term is not just a sales tool, but its meaning is evolving over time.
With Apple set to unveil the latest iPhone SE models, we look back at how SE products have matured and why Apple continues to have SE branded products along with its mainline lineup.
The era of Macintosh SE and the expandable Mac
The Macintosh SE was nothing more than a reinvention, but at the time many people thought it was a modest upgrade to the Macintosh Plus. But in reality, alongside the MacIntosh II, Mac SE had turned Mac into a platform.
At the time, the Macintosh SE was promoted as the “flagship” compact Macintosh. The name “SE” stands for “system extension” and that’s why it was called Macintosh SE. At first glance, the SE seemed like a better version of the Mac Plus that Apple introduced a few months ago. It is compact, has a small, crisp black and white screen that is perfect for writing without distractions, and comes with the Macintosh Extended Keyboard II (which is probably considered one of the best keyboards ever made). It’s there. The operating system was simple and easy to use.
The Macintosh SE remains a popular Mac among collectors. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
The SE came with megabytes of expandable random access memory (RAM) to four megabytes, and it had the same Motorola 68000 Central Processing Unit (CPU) as the previous Macintosh models. Perhaps the most notable change to the SE was the expansion slots inside the chassis. Adding support for internal expansion ports (or PDS, processor direct slots) was a game changer, and it was the first Mac to have ADB (Apple Desktop Bus) to connect peripherals. ADB will remain Apple’s standard until IMAC G3 retired in 1998 in favor of USB. In a sense, Apple has admitted that the concept of a closed, impossible information appliance is too limited for its customers. That’s why the Macintosh SE was considered an exciting machine. After all, you can use expansion slots to connect different plug-in cards.
The IMAC DV SE, available in graphite, was on sale for USD 1,499. (Image credit: Stephen Hackett via Wikimedia Commons)
Apple sold the Macintosh SE in two models. Two 800K floppy drives and dual floppy models without hard drives, priced at $2,899, another model with 800K floppy drive and an internal 20 megave hard disk, priced at $3,699. With its lifespan after SE, the Macintosh SE FDHD was introduced in 1989. FDHD has replaced the 800K floppy drive with Apple’s “SuperDrive.” It can read and write high density flops and flops formatted by other systems such as MS-DOS and Prodos.
While the Macintosh SE was not intended to be Apple’s most powerful Mac, like the Macintosh II (prices above $3,899), the SE shows how to maximize the performance of a compact Mac. Ta.
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Macintosh SE/30
Two years after the release of the Macintosh SE, Apple debuted the SE/30 in 1989. To this day, the general perception of the Macintosh SE/30 is that it resembles SE. But it’s more than that. Aesthetically, the SE and SE/30 looked the same, and featured a classic Mac design and a 9-inch screen, but the differences in their performance (and prices) were enormous. The SE/30 is equipped with the same Motorola 68030 processor as the Macintosh IIX, making the powerful Mac power compact. But that also meant that users had to pay more for the extra power. It cost $4,369 without a hard disk, and one for $4,869.
However, what many people missed when the SE/30 was released was that it marked the platform to have a new generation of Macs, since it was merely a computer. The SE/30 was a better machine in terms of specifications and performance. More importantly, the SE lineup was placed between the original Mac model and the Mac Classic Product Line, and Apple completed the compact MAC form factor. All of this explains why the SE/30 was the best Mac Apple built at the time.
Another saved Macintosh Se/30!
– Mac84
(Steve) (@Mac84TV) August 17, 2024
iMac DV Special Edition
After SE/30, Apple almost stopped launching Macs with “SE” branding, and in 1999 the initiative was partially revived with the release of IMAC DV Special Edition. However, Apple previously used the “SE” name to mean “system extension” for compact Macs, but the company shifted focus and used the “SE” name to represent “Special Edition” Macs. It is important to note what you did.
Longtime Mac enthusiasts swear by the Macintosh SE/30. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
The IMAC DV Special Edition was released in 1999, a year after the release of the original iMac, which saved Apple from bankruptcy and changed the world forever. The “Special Edition” IMAC DV was sold as a cutting-edge iMac and was only available with graphite color options. It had a faster processor, 13GB hard drive, 128MB of RAM, a VGA outport, a DVD-ROM drive, and a speedy FireWire port. Think of it as a souped version of the original iMac. But there’s a bigger price tag and extra horsepower. However, like the original iMac, the DV Special Edition didn’t have any kind of scalability.
Then, in June 2000, at Macworld New York, Apple launched a more powerful version of the DV Special Edition IMAC. This time it features a 500 MHz processor, Firewire, Imovie 2, Apple Pro keyboard, mouse and brand new white snow.
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iBook Special Edition
After the IMAC DV Special Edition, Apple once again experimented with the SE brand. This time we introduced the Special Edition iBook.
At MacWorld Tokyo in 2000, Apple gave the iBook its first SE Makeover and launched a special edition of the popular Consumer Notebook. The iBook Special Edition was pitched as a top tier model (prices at $1,799) among the iBooks. Drives were only available in graphite enclosures.
With the launch of the IMAC DV Special Edition and the iBook Special Edition, consumers were willing to buy more premium devices with better processors and had an appetite for exclusive colours. Perhaps this shows Apple will continue to keep SE branding alive during that period, demonstrating the exclusiveness within consumer devices and the demand for high-end consumers.
I don’t remember this. This is the reason…
2004 – U2 iPod
2014 – U2 Free iPhone Album https://t.co/y2cqxyvyzp– Mark Hamilton (@mxhamx) November 19, 2023
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iPod U2 Special Edition
In 20 years, music players enjoyed cult status, and Apple created various types of iPods. However, there was one iPod model that remains special to this day. This is a U2 iPod. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs called the iPod U2 “the only special iPod in the known universe.” The first generation U2 iPod has been praised by many. Apple essentially took a fourth-generation iPod, adding a black body and a red click wheel, and the band member signatures were engraved on the stainless steel on the device’s back. The iPod is a 20GB model, selling for $349 and is a $50 premium over the standard 20GB fourth-generation iPod. Not many people know that there are three U2 iPods from 2004 to fall 2007. Today, the U2 iPod is highly ranked among vintage Apple collectors, with the brand new sealed U2 iPods winning thousands of dollars.
iPod Shuffle Stainless Steel
One of the rarest iPods https://t.co/otqf8cpcsl
– iPoddities (@ipoddities) February 6, 2025
When Apple launched its new iPod shuffle in 2009, something was different about the music player. It was half the size of my predecessor, without buttons, very small and practically inconspicuous. But six months later, at the annual fall music event, Apple debuted a sophisticated stainless steel model in the 4GB Special Edition, available only from the Apple Store. The price was $99, which was much more expensive than the aluminum model, but we showed you Apple’s industrial design skills. result? The iPod has a mirror-like finish and has become a luxurious device.
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iPhone SE and SE product returns
If history tells you anything, it means that SE products have their moments over the years. The “SE” on Macs in the late 1980s mentioned the possibility of expanding, but later Apple used the SE brand in its special edition product. However, by creating a fresh lineup that exists along the mainline product, Apple never fully committed to the SE brand. This concerns how SE products were generally perceived by consumers in the early 2010s, as Apple never fully reveals what SE branding meant. . In fact, for years there has been confusion as to whether “S” was standing for Steve Jobs, Speed, or Siri, and whether “E” was standing in the standard or student version. However, in 2016, Phil Schiller, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing, revealed that “SE” stands for “Special Edition.”
Apple iPhone SE 2022 is one of Apple’s most affordable 5G capable iPhones (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
However, when the iPhone SE (review) began, the SE brand began to take shape, and the word “SE” makes a lot of sense. The first generation iPhone SE had the look of the flagship iPhone 5s of the past. It had its classic design and the same shades of space gray, gold, silver and rose gold as the rest of the current iPhone line, but Apple’s was the lowest-cost iPhone. However, on the inside, it was an almost completely new phone based on the same technology as the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. At $399, this is the lowest price for a brand new iPhone, opening the iPhone to new markets and demographics.
A similar playbook was used when Apple launched the new iPhone SE 2 (2020) at the start of the pandemic. The new iPhone at $399 that can be mistaken for the design, home button, bezel frame and iPhone 8, but the iPhone 11 hardware is all packed into small packages for a low price. The story continued with the iPhone SE 3 (2022), retaining the look of the iPhone 8, but featured the powerful processor of the iPhone 13.
Entry Points to the Apple Ecosystem
Since Apple began focusing on SE products, it has expanded its SE brand to Apple Watch in 2020 with the release of Watch SE, creating a market for affordable products on Apple Way. However, unlike mainline products such as the iPhone 16 and Apple Watch Series 10, Apple does not upgrade SE products every year. This sees Apple’s iPhone SE and Apple Watch SE as entry-level products aimed at bringing new consumers into the Apple ecosystem, driving growth and tempting consumers to switch from rival brands It indicates that it is.
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This is why Apple only refreshes the iPhone SE occasionally, not every year, and shows that Mainline iPhone is the one that Apple intends to sell the most, so the average selling price (ASP) increases and more It shows that consumers are open, making them profitable. Premium products. Still, there are iPhone SE audiences who are desperately waiting for Apple to launch an affordable iPhone, and are OK to settle for an old design with modern technology. And, at that low price, you want to get an iPhone, but even after cashback or EMI schemes, it’s people (lovers and even in the emerging markets) that can’t afford the asking price. (I’m not an early adopter). As China and India. That’s where the meaning of “special edition” makes more sense, but Apple’s efforts require more consistency.
