Lisa 2 Serial Number ... How to Decode?

#1 Tue, 29 Dec 2015 - 22:38

Picked up a non-working Lisa 2 over the holidays, apart from all the work needed to get it going, I have never really been able to work out how the serial number and other information on the Lisa works.

I know there are a few sites that give information on 68k Macs from the 128k onwards, but not found one for the poor old Lisa.

This one has the following info:

LISA 2

Serial Number: B08B831250416

Applenet No: 00102478

Manufactured: 83125

Model No: A6SB100

Memory Option: A6SB108

KEYBOARD

Keyboard Model No: A6MB101

Serial Number: 1007145

MOUSE

Mmmm ... do you ever get a Lisa with the original mouse?

If anybody has any info I'd be really interested,

Thanks

#2 Wed, 30 Dec 2015 - 18:45

Hi Instow,

Here's the serial number info I'm *fairly* sure is correct:

Your Lisa's serial number begins with a 'B', meaning it was once a Lisa 1 that was at some point upgraded to a 2.

It was manufactured mid-1983 (I can't quite remember what the '125' in the manufactured code means... perhaps the day?)

I believe AppleNet numbers are sequential for each Lisa product line (1 and 2), with the first Lisa presumably having the code 00100000 or 00100001. Yours would be the 2478th Lisa 1 produced.

Hope this helps! I'll see if I can dig up more info on this for you, as I have some Lisas I have to get more info on as well.

- fri0701

#3 Wed, 30 Dec 2015 - 21:56

fri0701,

Thanks for your reply .... your information is interesting and unexpected ... "begins with a 'B', meaning it was once a Lisa 1 that was at some point upgraded to a 2".

So ... (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong) ... but didn't the Lisa 1 have two floppy disc drives? This has one disc drive, no HD and having stripped it down there is no evidence of any tampering or upgrading within the unit at all, or a replacement front panel. I assumed that it might have been a Lisa 2/5, without the Profile external HD.

As you can see, it had the dreaded batteries still in place, now removed and the board(s) cleaned ... but there IS damage.

If 'B' means it was upgraded, then that's an official Apple upgrade?

#4 Thu, 31 Dec 2015 - 05:42

Hi Instow,

The Lisa 1 had two notoriously unreliable "Twiggy" disk drives, yes. The upgrade from 1 to 2 involved a replacement front panel, different floppy drive case and drives, and slight modifications made to the I/O board. There wouldn't be any evidence other than the serial number if yours had been upgraded.

If you'd like some more help getting your Lisa up and running, shoot me a private message...

-fri0701