What is the name of the first Apple computer to include a cooling fan?

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The name of the first Apple computer to include a cooling fan was the Macintosh SE.

Earlier Apple computers in the listed sequence generally used passive cooling. The Apple III relied on its aluminum case as a heat sink, while the original Lisa and early Macintosh models used natural convection rather than an internal fan.

Released in 1987, the Macintosh SE redesigned the compact Macintosh enclosure to accommodate a fan. This change improved reliability, especially because the SE could contain an internal hard disk that generated additional heat.

The answer is therefore more specific than simply “Macintosh.” The original Macintosh 128K, Macintosh 512K, and Macintosh Plus did not include built-in cooling fans. The Macintosh SE introduced the relevant fan-equipped design.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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