UPDATE: The description has been updated to reflect that the "AE" logo is that of Aesthetics Technology, Palo Alto.
Unusual Apple Macintosh Plus computer housed in a special red case prepared by Aesthetics Technology of Palo Alto, evidenced by the "AE" logo on the rear. The computer lacks serial numbers or other markings aside from a hand-etched "STC HW-0022" on the back, where the manufacturer's specification plate would be. Tested, working, and in fine cosmetic condition, with minor wear to the case.
Accompanied by two "Information Exchange" binders from 1987 and 1988, distributed to Apple Certified Developers to provide information on the Apple organization, marketing and sales, advertising and publications, trade shows and events, public relations, market research, product design and support, distribution, and legal guidelines.
Introduced in 1986, the Macintosh Plus was the third computer in the iconic Macintosh line. An improvement over the Macintosh 512K, it shipped with 1MB of RAM standard, and was expandable up to 4MB. It also included an external SCSI peripheral bus and several smaller improvements over its predecessors. Although the Macintosh Plus was soon overshadowed by the release of the Macintosh SE and the Macintosh II in 1987, it remained in production as a less expensive alternative until 1990—making it the longest-produced Macintosh ever.
Aesthetics Technology was a Palo Alto firm that gave Macintosh computers of the mid-1980s custom paint jobs—anticipating the colorful iMacs of a decade later. In October 1987, the New York Times reported: 'Some people believe that a computer ought to reflect the personality of its user. It used to be that one could display one's rebelliousness by buying an Apple Macintosh, but now that the Mac is a respectable Fortune 500 tool, a more dramatic statement is required.
Aesthetics Technology of Palo Alto, Calif., offers a colorful solution. For fees from $195 plus shipping (for a solid black Macintosh) to more than $2,000 (for a custom design for your floor-standing PS/2 plus laser printer), you can transform your drab little beige box into a thing of art.
The artists lovingly disassemble your computer to insure a perfect job and to prevent paint from getting into the delicate workings of the machine. This technically voids the warranty of most computers, but even Jean-Louis Gassee, Apple's vice president, seems unfazed; he reportedly chose to have his Mac resemble a block of granite. All surfaces are sanded and scrubbed and sprayed with multiple coats of polyurethane paint.
Besides doing monochrome jobs in every color from basic black to candy apple red, the artists at Aesthetics Technology can also create stunning trompe l'oeil masterpieces, fake marble or granite, and even woodgraining so realistic it ought to be termite proofed. How about camouflage, or chrome? How about a Jackson Pollack print? Silkscreening, company logos, special effects—anything you can dream up, they can do, although the price can be daunting.'
