Sixty-Eight Thousand

Outbound Systems, Inc.
Company type	Private (before pivot)
Industry	Computer hardware / later Windows PC products
Founded	1989 in Boulder, Colorado, United States
Defunct	1992 (as Mac conversion producer)
Headquarters	Boulder, United States
Products	The Wallaby, Outbound Notebook Macintosh-compatible portables using donor Mac ROMs

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Sixty-Eight Thousand, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 8 August 2025

Two approaches have been employed to produce personal computers capable of running Mac operating systems without being manufactured by Apple: Macintosh conversions and Macintosh clones.

In contrast to Mac clones, which utilize minimal or no original Apple hardware, Mac conversions involve modification kits that depend on essential parts from an authentic Apple Mac previously purchased, such as the ROM or motherboard, to operate.

This reliance on genuine Apple components places commercial Mac conversions under the protection provided by the first-sale doctrine in the United States and comparable legislation internationally.

Background

From the early days of the Macintosh, some manufacturers aimed to serve customers desiring Mac OS with enhanced capabilities beyond those offered by Apple's standard products. Companies specializing in Mac conversions begin with a legitimate Apple Mac and integrate their own hardware to create tailored solutions. These alterations vary from adding a touch-sensitive bezel to an iMac for kiosk applications to completely replacing a MacBook’s casing to develop a Tablet Mac.

This model of aftermarket customization, widely recognized in industries like automotive (for example, Shelby Mustang), has been effectively adapted within the Macintosh market.

Unlike Mac clones that compete primarily on price against Apple’s offerings, commercial Mac conversions focus on providing distinct features not available from Apple directly. The combined expense of purchasing a full-price donor Mac plus the conversion kit and labor is justified by these unique capabilities. The market for commercially viable Mac conversions diminished once Apple introduced products incorporating similar features.

Legality

A Macintosh conversion constitutes an aftermarket alteration of an authentic Apple Mac or laptop, preserving integral components such as the donor machine’s motherboard to maintain full compatibility with Macintosh software. This method circumvents copyright, DMCA, and licensing conflicts faced by unlicensed Mac clone producers.

Apple’s 1986 arrangement to sell Macs at a discounted rate to Dynamac demonstrated some level of acceptance for conversions. While other firms negotiated with Apple, many continued acquiring Macs at retail prices for conversion purposes without formal agreements. Apple restricted sales solely to complete systems for conversion and declined to supply individual parts like motherboards but invited conversion businesses to act as value-added resellers. In the United States, aftermarket modifications benefit from legal safeguards under the First-sale doctrine and equivalent laws abroad. Such protections have primarily been examined in the automotive sector, where manufacturers have attempted to restrict aftermarket operations through copyright and patent litigation.

This legal distinction clearly separates Macintosh conversions from unauthorized Mac clones. None of the recognized Mac conversion companies have faced litigation, whereas Psystar, an unlicensed clone manufacturer, was sued by Apple in federal court soon after releasing its Mac clones.

Companies

Several companies have produced commercially available Mac conversion products:

Axiotron, Inc.

Axiotron, Inc. was established in 2005 as a Delaware corporation headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was acquired in 2008 by Axiotron Corp., a publicly traded company based in Toronto (TSX-V: AXO), and subsequently dissolved in 2010.

Axiotron pioneered the creation of a pen-enabled tablet Mac.

Key product:

Modbook – recognized as the first genuine Tablet Mac, it was based on the polycarbonate white MacBook. The device featured a pen-enabled 13.3-inch wide-viewing-angle display within a chrome-plated cast-magnesium bezel but did not support finger touch input. It retained the original MacBook’s lower enclosure half. Production of the Modbook ceased in 2010.

Colby Systems, Inc.

Established in 1982 by Chuck Colby in Fresno, California, Colby Systems, Inc. introduced its inaugural Macintosh portable computer in 1987 after securing an agreement to acquire Macintosh components directly from Apple. By 1991, having developed but never released its final portable Mac device, the company redirected its efforts toward video technology and ultimately ceased operations in 2016.

Key products include:

Lap-Mac – a 16-pound portable conversion of the Macintosh Plus, featuring a detachable gas plasma display, 1MB of RAM, a single 800k floppy disk drive, an optional external battery pack, and expansion ports for modem and inkjet printer connectivity. Initially priced from $4,995, this model was phased out with the arrival of the WalkMac in 1987.
WalkMac – built around a Mac Plus logic board and equipped with an orange plasma screen; it required external peripherals such as mouse, keyboard, and battery. It offered ports for external floppy or hard drives. The WalkMac SE and SE-30 variants succeeded the original by transforming Macintosh SE and SE/30 desktop units into portable machines featuring 9-inch backlit monochrome LCD Supertwist displays and integrated batteries. The starting prices were $5,600 for the SE and $6,800 for the SE-30.
Colby Classmate – unveiled in 1991 and based on the Macintosh Classic, this tablet-style prototype incorporated a built-in trackball and a membrane keyboard positioned beneath the screen; however, it never progressed to mass production.

Dynamac Corporation

Dynamac Corporation, also referred to as Dynamac Computer Products Inc., was a Delaware-incorporated company headquartered in Denver, Colorado, founded in 1970. It manufactured Mac portable computer systems from 1986 through 1991. In 1986, Dynamac became the first vendor of Mac portables to purchase Macintosh units from Apple at discounted rates.

Prominent products include:

Dynamac – a conversion of the Macintosh Plus encased in a black metal shell weighing 24 pounds, featuring a 9-inch backlit amber electroluminescent display and an optional external battery pack. Powered by an 8 MHz Motorola 68000 processor, its price began at $7,000. Production ended following Apple's introduction of the Macintosh Portable in 1989.
Dynamac EL – similar in design to the Dynamac but housed in a lighter black Cycolac plastic case, reducing weight to 18 pounds and lowering the base price to $6,000. This model was also discontinued after Apple launched its portable Mac.
Dynamac LC Display – transformed a Macintosh LC into a portable weighing approximately 13¾ pounds by attaching a 9.5-inch LCD screen with 640x480 resolution supporting 16 shades of grey. An optional battery added roughly 2½ pounds. Pricing started at $1,299 for the display kit plus the Macintosh LC unit. This product was eventually discontinued.
Dynamac IIsf and IIsf/30 – leather-clad portable conversions of the Macintosh LC featuring integrated 9.5-inch backlit LCDs (640x480 pixels with 16 grey levels), touchpads, and internal batteries. The IIsf model utilized a Motorola 68020 CPU with prices starting at $4,995; the IIsf/30 incorporated a Motorola 68030 CPU starting at $6,995. Both weighed about 11 pounds and were phased out.

These offerings established Dynamac as one of the pioneers in Mac portable computing prior to Apple's own entry into this market segment.

Intelitec Systems Corporation

Located in Fairfield, Iowa, Intelitec Systems Corporation manufactured portable Macintosh computers between 1987 and 1989. Their product line became outdated following the introduction of Apple's own Macintosh Portable.

Highlighted product:

MX Plus – a 15-pound portable device modeled after the Macintosh Plus, encased in an aluminum attache-style case. It included a Supertwist LCD screen, 1 MB of RAM, dual 800k floppy disk drives, an internal battery, a mouse, and expansion slots for modem and printer connections. The initial price was $5,000; production ceased in 1989 after Apple released its portable model.

Modbook Inc.

Established in February 2012 and headquartered in Los Angeles, Modbook Inc. is a private American company focused on transforming Macs into pen-enabled tablet computers aimed at creative users.

Principal offerings:

Modbook Pro – debuted in 2012, this device converted a non-Retina 13.3-inch Apple MacBook Pro by replacing its casing with a CNC-machined aluminum body, enabling pen input functionality. Prices started at $1,799 plus the cost of the original MacBook Pro; available through the company’s online store and Amazon.
Modbook Pro X – initially launched as a Kickstarter campaign in 2014, later integrated into the development of the Modbook Pro X with Touch Bar. Announced for release in late 2017 or early 2018 with pricing from $2,499 plus the price of a donor 15.4-inch Retina MacBook Pro.

As of July 2025, no units have been shipped to supporters. The latest communication from CEO Andreas Haas dates back to August 2018. In July 2023, WeFunder’s Director of Experience reported ongoing unsuccessful attempts to reach the company.

Outbound Systems, Inc.

Founded in 1989 and located in Boulder, Colorado, Outbound Systems Inc. produced Macintosh-compatible portable computers from 1989 until 1991 before pivoting in 1992 to focus on Windows-based PC products.

Key models include:

The Wallaby – introduced in 1989, this laptop was nearly a full Mac clone, assembling the entire system except for the Mac ROM, which required transfer from a donor Macintosh Plus or SE. It operated on a Motorola 68000 CPU at 15 MHz and supported a “hive” mode that allowed booting via the donor Mac’s ROM through the laptop. Weighing 9.2 pounds and priced between $2,999 and $3,999 (excluding the donor machine), it was lighter and more affordable than Apple’s Macintosh Portable. Production ended when the Outbound Notebook was launched.
The Outbound Notebook – released in 1991, it retained the donor-ROM concept but featured a genuine clamshell design with a 10-inch Supertwist monochrome display at 640x400 resolution. It supported modular daughtercards for CPU and FPU enhancements, standard 30-pin SIMM memory modules, and SCSI connectivity for an external Outrigger monitor. Starting at $3,500, it was discontinued in 1992.

Outbound leveraged its expertise in portable Macintosh design to transition into producing Intel-based PCs with network-ready compact form factors for emerging markets.