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MkLinux and the pimped-out Apple Workgroup Server 9150
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- DeepHorus
Apple's early server ambitions trace back to the failed Macintosh Office concept unveiled in January 1985. The company introduced the AppleTalk Personal Network, the LaserWriter printer, and the Macintosh XL as a central file storage device. Steve Jobs predicted 10,000 Macintosh Office networks would be deployed by year's end.
The Macintosh XL, a rebranded Lisa 2/10, was priced at $3,995, about $6,000 less than its predecessor. The LaserWriter carried a $6,995 price tag. Apple expected the XL to sell over eighteen months, but it sold out in just three.
The overwhelming demand created a parts shortage, forcing Apple to discontinue the XL in April 1985. Meanwhile, the LaserWriter suffered manufacturing delays, with only 2,500 units shipped by June. Third-party solutions like 3Com networking hardware and Centram TOPS software filled the gaps.
At the heart of Macintosh Office was a planned "Big Mac" file server, also known as the "3M" project, designed to offer a megapixel display, a megabyte of memory, and run at a million instructions per second on the 68020 processor. It was intended to run Unix with a Macintosh interface layered on top.
However, Big Mac became politically tied to Jobs, who was removed from power in May 1985. New Mac product manager Jean-Louis Gassée dismissed the project as a "toy" and canceled it. The Macintosh Office initiative officially shut down in September 1985.
These early failures shaped Apple's later server strategy, leading to the Workgroup Server line and the Apple Network Server running IBM AIX. The same lineage connects to MkLinux experiments on machines like the Workgroup Server 9150, which enthusiasts still rebuild today.
The story highlights how a visionary but poorly timed product strategy can undermine a company's entry into a new market. Apple's experience in the mid-1980s echoes in modern server challenges. Understanding these roots explains why Apple's server presence remained niche despite early innovation.
