Let's go back to 1992, when consumer computing was a new area for
the Macintosh. Apple Computer had competed before in this area with the
Apple ][+, //e, and IIgs. In 1992, Apple took three models that already
existed - the Classic II,
LC II, and IIvx - and created the Macintosh Performa
200, 400, and 600. Apple later released the Performa 250, 450, 460, and 475, along with the all-in-one Performa 550/560 and 575. The 500-series Performas were
all-in-one versions of the LC III+ and the LC 475.
Then Apple released the 630
series Performas. They were popular sellers, receiving good reviews
from owners and magazines. But Apple spoilt it all when they released
PowerPC Performas. These PowerPC versions used the PowerPC 603
processor, but sported a logic board design similar to that of the
Performa 630 series. Not good - the PowerPC 603 is a 64-bit chip, and
forcing a 75 MHz 603 to run on a 32-bit logic board slowed down
performance to worse than that of the 6100/60! These machines were about
the same speed as the 630 series machines (a little faster), but
consumers' expectations were higher, expecting performance comparable
to the 8100/80.
Then there were the quality problems. Many 6200s and 5200s had bad ROM/cache SIMMs, which needed
replacing by an Apple dealer. Some 5200s had video problems where the
display would occasionally turn a bluish tint. Luckily for those 6200
and 5200 owners, there is a repair extension program which expires in
2002. (In other words, if you have a bad ROM/cache SIMM or a video
problem, get it fixed while you can)
Then there was the naming. Apple had by now gotten totally carried
away. 6200CD, 6205CD, 6215CD, 6220CD, 6290CD - all for the same
computer with different software bundles.
By the time Apple actually released decent Performas again, they had
ruined the reputation of the Performa name. Performa had come to mean
"poorly made," "problematic," and "underpowered."
The later Performa 6400/180
and 5400/180 were
certainly not poorly made, problematic, or underpowered. The damage had
been done, and Apple dropped the Performa name with the 6400 series,
and released the new Power Macintosh 6400/200 and Power Macintosh 6500/225. The
6500's install CD states that it is the "Home Macintosh." The
restore/tutorial CD is the same as the Performa CD, and even says
"Performa" on the front.
The iMac
Is Apple getting carried away with the iMac?
First there was the
iMac, followed by the
iMac. Then proceeded the iMac - in five different
colours, followed by the iMac with a slot
loading CD-ROM drive, the
iMac DV with a DVD 
drive, and the iMac DV SE - available
in "graphite," featuring a bigger hard disk and faster processor.
The most recent "plain"
iMac is almost the same as the previous models, except that it only
ships in "indigo." The iMac DV now doesn't
feature a DVD drive; it is available in indigo and ruby. The newly
released iMac DV+
ships in indigo, ruby, and sage. This model does feature a DVD drive.
The iMac DV SE now
comes in graphite or a new colour, snow (which is, as you may have
guessed, white). That's an awful lot of iMacs.
If you go into a store, tell them you have an iMac, and ask for a
RAM upgrade, the next thing they ask you is "what kind of iMac?" The
average user doesn't know! The thing says "iMac" on the front, so
that's all that the user knows. (don't feel too bad - it's worse for PC
users going into a store and telling them they have a "486 PC" wouldn't
help them much more than if you said you had a "PC").
iMac was a great name - just like PowerBook, but PowerBook was used
over and over again without a naming problem because Apple put numbers
after it (PowerBook 140, PowerBook 520, PowerBook 5300). Apple seems to
have dropped the numbers from their computer lines over the past few
years, but they can't keep calling all of the base iMac models the
"iMac." They need to figure out some way to separate the models so that
the average user doesn't have to worry about different parts fitting
only certain versions of the iMac, software upgrades working only on
one specific model, etc. They also have to be careful not to create too
many models at the same time.
Take a look at Compaq. They have countless "Presario" models. My
sister has a 5441, but there were at least five others in that series.
The difference? Software and hard drive size - just like Apple's old
Performas. The iMac is starting to get this way, too. It was supposed
to be an easy purchase for someone starting out on the computer, but
now the Bondi blue space age machine has multiplied into four different
models, each available in one, two, or three colours!
My suggestion? Trim the DV from the line, and rename the DV+ and DV
SE (remove the iMac name). Maybe call it the "vMac" (for "Video Mac" -
make your own movies). Make two versions of that (standard and
enhanced) and one iMac. Do that, and many more people just starting on
the computer wouldn't have to worry about what iMac to choose.
If Apple isn't careful, they may end up killing the iMac. That would
be a shame, since the iMac is one of the cutest, easiest to use, and
most colourful computer systems out there.
Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized,
sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Opinions expressed are
those of their authors and may not reflect the opinion of Cobweb
Publishing. Advice is presented in good faith, but what works for one
may not work for all.
unless otherwise noted. All
rights reserved. Low End Mac, LowEndMac, and lowendmac.com are
trademarks of Cobweb Publishing Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh,
iPad, iPhone, iMac, iPod, MacBook, Mac Pro, and AirPort are
Additional company and product names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.
: We allow and encourage links to
any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a
frame that prevents bookmarking it.
Email may be published at our discretion unless marked "not for
publication"; email addresses will not be published without permission,
and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. Letters may be
edited for length, context, and to match house style.
: We don't collect personal
information unless you explicitly provide it, and we don't share the
information we have with others. For more details, see our
