Apple II/III · The Beige Era · 1983
Apple III Plus
Apple tried to save the III with more memory, a built-in clock and the bugs shaken out, but by late 1983 the market had already moved on.
A quieter, more reliable revision of the troubled Apple III.
Apple IIc (1984)
Apple III Plus: key facts
When was the Apple III Plus released?
The Apple III Plus arrived in December 1983. Apple discontinued it in April 1984.
How much did the Apple III Plus cost?
The Apple III Plus launched at $2,995 in 1983, about $9,464 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What specs stand out?
Key specs: Synertek 6502A at 2 MHz, 256 KB RAM, 5 MB storage, 80-column text, 560×192 display.
Why does the Apple III Plus matter?
A quieter, more reliable revision of the troubled Apple III.
Full specifications
| CPU | Synertek 6502A · 2 MHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 1 |
| Memory (RAM) | 256 KB (up to 512 KB) |
| Storage | 5 MB |
| Display | 80-column text, 560×192 |
| GPU | Integrated / NuBus video |
| Ports | Floppy, ProFile, serial |
| Weight | Varies by configuration |
| Dimensions | Desktop computer |
| Operating system | Apple SOS |
| Released | December 1983 |
| Discontinued | April 1984 |
| Launch price | $2,995 |
How the Apple III Plus compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 65,500× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 2 MHz, the clock is roughly 1,600× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro, and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
All of this storage could hold roughly one modern phone photo.
Launched at $2,995 in 1983, about $9,464 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Method note: clock comparisons use frequency only; price conversions use US CPI.
Sources
Specs checked against Apple technical specifications archive, EveryMac, Mactracker, Wikimedia Commons image credits.
Did you know?
Its very short life makes it one of Apple’s rarer business computers.
Related Apple II/III models
Open the Apple III Plus in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-08-11