I learned this tip a while ago, but was recently reminded of it in one of Small Dog's Tech Tails newsletters. I thought I'd share it with those of you who may be curious about what secrets are hidden in your Mac's serial number.You might think those numbers and letters are random, but each one actually contains vital info about your computer. Deciphering the code reasonably simple. The alphabetic prefix consists of one or two letters designating a factory code, such as:
- F: Fremont, California, USA
- CK: Cork, Ireland
- SG or E: Singapore
- UV: Taiwan
- QT: Taiwan (Quanta Factory)
- W8: Shanghai China
- PT: Korea
- there are others, but I don't have a complete list. Perhaps I will when the comments pour in!
The first numerical character indicates the last digit of the year of production. Common sense should tell you which decade your Mac was made in. Using the above serial number, it's safe to assume my Cube was made in the year 2000, not 1990 or 1980
The next two digits indicate the week of the year it was produced. So my Cube was made the 33rd week of the year 2000.
According to Macfaq.org, the next three characters are a three-digit base-34 unique identifier. (The letters 'O' and 'I' are not used, apparently to avoid confusion with the numbers zero and one.) My Cube appears to have been number 1692 within production week 33 of the year 2000.
The remainder of the serial number tells the model number, which in my example is, of course, a Power Mac G4 Cube.
To find out more about your own computer, you can save yourself the trouble of having to decode the serial number yourself by using Chipmunk's online Mac Serial Decoder.
Be sure to share your results with us and maybe we'll send your Mac a birthday card!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
Brendan said...
What about serials that start with UV?
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
Euan said...
Wonder where QT is then?
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6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
Laurie said...
UV = Taiwan. I'll add it to the post.
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
Euan said...
Aha! Taiwan
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
Karl Otto Henriksen said...
Serial number: W84180BKQHX (cleaned up from 'w84180BKQHX')
Name: PowerBook G4 (Aluminum Model 2004)
Model: Mxxxx PowerBook G4 1.33GHz
Bus speed: 166MHz
Screen size: 15 inch
Factory: W8 (Shanghai China)
URL: Technical specifications by apple-history.com
Model introduced: 2004
Production year: 2004
Production week: 18 (May)
Production number: 393 (within this week)
GUIELLERMO: Mine is older, but yours is wiser :)
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
Brooks said...
Serial number: UV41971AQHV
Name: iBook G4 (Early 2004)
Model: Mxxxx iBook G4 1.2GHz
Bus speed: 133MHz
Screen size: 14 inch
Factory: UV (Taiwan)
URL: Technical specifications by apple-history.com
Model introduced: 2004
Production year: 2004
Production week: 19 (May)
Production number: 8136 (within this week)
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6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
aprodite said...
Serials that start with RM mean that your machine was Refurbished/Remanufactured.
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6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
Brett said...
Now this post obviously required some research :>
Very cool and informative, here are the specs on one of my machines:
Model: M9623 iBook G4 1.2GHz
Bus speed: 133MHz
Screen size: 12 inch
Factory: UV (Taiwan)
Production year: 2005
Production week: 02 (January)
Production number: 4181 (within this week)
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6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
Mike said...
My info, serial removed
Name: Power Macintosh G5 (June 2004)
Model: M9457 PowerMac G5 (June 2004) 2.5GHz-DP
Bus speed: 1.25GHz
Factory: G8 (USA)
URL: Technical specifications by apple-history.com
Model introduced: 2004
Production year: 2005
Production week: 09 (March)
Production number: 1787 (within this week)
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6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
Kevin Ballard said...
Serial number: V731557CMVZ
Name: PowerBook G4 (Aluminum screen=17)
Model: M8793 PowerBook G4 1.0GHz
Bus speed: 166MHz
Screen size: 17 inch
Factory: V7 (Taiwan)
URL: Technical specifications by apple-history.com
Model introduced: 2003
Production year: 2003
Production week: 15 (April)
Production number: 6030 (within this week)
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6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
Hank Alexander said...
Serial number: XB0181H1HSG
Name: Power Macintosh G4 (AGP Graphics)
Model: M7629 PowerMac G4 500MHz
Bus speed: 100MHz
Factory: XB (ElkGrove/Sacramento, California)
URL: Technical specifications by apple-history.com
Model introduced: 1999
Production year: 2000
Production week: 18 (May)
Production number: 1735 (within this week)
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6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
Rohan said...
Uhhh... The site says my model is a QuickSilver (2002), yet it is clearly a FW800 PowerMac. Its got the mirror drive doors and the FW800, plus two FW400. According to Apple Support, MDD Pmacs are the ones w/o FW800. Something's wrong!
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6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
Tina Vance said...
Serial Removed:
Model: Mxxxx iMac G4 1.25GHz
Bus speed: 166MHz
Screen size: 17 inch
Factory: QP (China)
URL: Technical specifications by apple-history.com
Model introduced: 2003
Production year: 2004
Production week: 21 (May)
Production number: 472 (within this week)
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
butch said...
Lee:
If Jan 1st was week #1, then week #6 is from 01-30 to 02-05....
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
Paul Turnbull said...
Serial number: W85091PLRG4
Model: Mxxxx PowerBook G4 1.67GHz (What size is the screen?)
Bus speed: 166MHz
Factory: W8 (Shanghai China)
Production year: 2005
Production week: 09 (March)
Production number: 1958 (within this week)
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
Steve S said...
Name: PowerBook G4 (Aluminum screen=12 DVI)
Model: Mxxxx PowerBook G4 1.0GHz
Bus speed: 133MHz
Screen size: 12 inch
Factory: UV (Taiwan)
URL: Technical specifications by apple-history.com
Model introduced: 2003
Production year: 2003
Production week: 39 (October)
Production number: 6352 (within this week)
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6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
C.K. Sample, III said...
I wasn't born in Cork!
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6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
Harald van Arkel said...
The production date that Apple gives in the serialnumber (and as spat out by our site: www.chipmunk.nl) is not the real production date but the estimated date of arrival in the US. So if the machines normally take 2 weeks om a boat then they are dated two weeks into the future. Sometimes they ship extra fast and these machines then catch up with themselves and are born premature...
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6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
John De Schutter said...
YM factory is in China...
Serial number: YM5011Z3RHT
Name: Mac mini
Model: M9686 Mac mini 1.25HGz
Bus speed: 166MHz
Factory: YM (China)
Model introduced: 2005
Production year: 2005
Production week: 01 (January)
Production number: 2281 (within this week)
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:16PM
John De Schutter said...
Serial number: JQ4340AXQKN
JQ factory is also in China...
Name: iPod Mini (First model)
Model: Mxxxx iPod Mini Green
Factory: JQ (China)
Model introduced: 2004
Production year: 2004
Production week: 34 (August)
Production number: 371 (within this week)
Reply