MacEnhancer: Microsoft's Forgotten Macintosh Expansion Hardware
In the early days of the Macintosh, users faced a significant limitation: a lack of available ports for the growing number of peripherals. To solve this, Microsoft entered the hardware market with the MacEnhancer, a specialized expansion peripheral designed to increase the connectivity options for early Apple computers.
Key Facts
- Original Price: US$245 (approximately $733 in 2025).
- Initial Production: 4,000 units sold out by April 1985.
- Primary Function: Expanded serial ports and added an IBM-standard parallel printer port.
- Ownership History: Developed by Microsoft, sold to SoftStyle in 1986, and eventually ended after Phoenix Technologies acquired SoftStyle in 1988.
Market Release and Initial Reception
Launched in 1985, the MacEnhancer was an immediate success in terms of demand. Microsoft sold through its first 4,000 units by April of that year and quickly ordered another 2,000 units to keep up with interest. When the Macintosh Plus arrived in 1986, Microsoft had to make slight hardware revisions to the device to address a missing power rail on one of the rear serial connectors.
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Critical reception was generally positive. David Ushijima of Macworld praised the hardware's reliability and the ease of use of the accompanying software. He noted the practical advantage of using different printers for different tasks—such as dot-matrix printers for graphics and letter-quality printers for business letters—without manually swapping cables. However, he did describe it as an expensive alternative to manual cable swapping, noting that the most significant value lay in the addition of the IBM-standard parallel printer port.
Transition to SoftStyle and Technical Evolution
By 1986, Microsoft decided to exit the Macintosh hardware market. They sold the rights to the MacEnhancer's hardware and software to SoftStyle, a Hawaii-based company specializing in device drivers (software that allows the operating system to communicate with hardware).
SoftStyle released an updated version of the MacEnhancer in late 1986. While the packaging remained similar, the hardware was updated from a 9-pin DB passthrough connector to an 8-pin mini-DIN connector to align with the new standards introduced by the Macintosh Plus. The updated software also allowed users to connect two MacEnhancers to a single Macintosh, effectively expanding the system to eight peripheral ports.
This new version introduced a software limitation: it dropped support for the original Macintosh 128K. This was because the device required versions of the Finder (the default file manager and graphical user interface) that supported HFS (Hierarchical File System), specifically version 5.3 and later.
The End of an Era
The lineage of the MacEnhancer came to an end through a series of corporate acquisitions and industry shifts. In 1988, Phoenix Technologies acquired SoftStyle and subsequently terminated all Macintosh hardware production. Some former SoftStyle programmers went on to form Momentum, Inc. in Honolulu, where they created the Momentum Port Juggler, a similar serial port expansion tool.
The market for such devices eventually vanished in the late 1990s. In 1997, Apple released the Power Macintosh G3, which removed the mini-DIN serial cables entirely. Retrospectively, Benj Edwards of PC Magazine described the MacEnhancer as a "lost" Microsoft product and a highly useful expansion tool for its time.
| Feature/Era | Microsoft Version (1985) | SoftStyle Version (1986) |
|---|---|---|
| Connector Type | 9-pin DB passthrough | 8-pin mini-DIN |
| Max Port Capacity | Standard expansion | Up to 8 ports (via 2 units) |
| Compatibility | Early Macintosh | Macintosh Plus (HFS Finder 5.3+) |
| Key Addition | IBM Parallel Port | Enhanced Driver Support |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did the MacEnhancer cost at launch?
The MacEnhancer retailed for US$245, which is equivalent to approximately $733 when adjusted for inflation to 2025.
Why did the SoftStyle version stop supporting the Macintosh 128K?
The SoftStyle version required the Finder to support HFS (Hierarchical File System), specifically version 5.3 or later, which the Macintosh 128K did not support.
What was the main hardware benefit of the MacEnhancer?
Beyond expanding serial ports, the most valued feature was the addition of an IBM-standard parallel printer port, allowing users to connect a wider variety of printers.
What happened to the technology after SoftStyle was acquired?
Phoenix Technologies terminated the product line in 1988. However, former SoftStyle programmers created the Momentum Port Juggler, which continued the legacy of serial port expansion until Apple removed mini-DIN cables in 1997.