Second Class Macs & Road Apples

Macintosh IIfx

one

Dan Knight - 1999.12.24

Second Class Macs are Apple's somewhat compromised hardware designs. For the most part, they're not really bad - simply designs that didn't meet their full potential. (On our rating scale, the more brown apples, the worse the hardware.)

I resisted adding the Macintosh IIfx to the Second Class Macs list for a long time, but I finally concluded that it does belong on the same list as the upgrade-challenged IIsi.

Like the IIsi, the IIfx is a very competent machine. In fact, until the Quadra 700 came out, it Mac IIwas by far the fastest computer Apple made. In fact, until a lot of applications were recompiled for the 68040, they ran faster on the IIfx than on any Quadra!

The IIfx was the first Mac to earn the label "wicked fast" - which it was. And it's still a very competent performer.

So what makes it a Limited Mac?

  1. SCSI voodoo: Some SCSI devices will work just fine (I've had very good luck using drives with active termination), but others have not been so fortunate. The IIfx needed a special "black" SCSI terminator for most devices, a terminator unique to the IIfx and difficult to find if lost.
  2. Memory: This was Apple's only computer to use very fast memory with latched read and write. The 64-pin SIMMs are harder to find every year. If you are in the market for a IIfx, be sure you can locate memory before you buy one.
  3. No upgrade path: There were a few accelerators that could boost the IIfx into the 45-55 MHz range, but it was the last Mac to use the big six-slot Mac II case.
  4. Unfilled promises: The IIfx had a pair of helper chips (10 MHz 6502 CPUs) designed to process I/O while leaving the 40 MHz 68030 free from handling I/O, but the OS was never optimized for this technology.

The IIfx is an incredible machine (we also rate it a best buy on the used market). It has six NuBus slots, room for a 5.25" hard drive, a 40 MHz system bus, a built-in level 2 cache (Apple's first), and room for 128 MB of memory - if you can find it. It's a powerful server and still a very decent user's machine. If not for the SCSI and memory issues, it wouldn't be listed as a Second Class Mac.

Details

About LEM Support Usage Privacy Contact

Follow Low End Mac on Twitter
Join Low End Mac on Facebook

Page not found | Low End Mac

Well this is somewhat embarrassing, isn’t it?

It seems we can’t find what you’re looking for. Perhaps searching, or one of the links below, can help.

Most Used Categories

Archives

Try looking in the monthly archives. :)

Page not found | Low End Mac

Well this is somewhat embarrassing, isn’t it?

It seems we can’t find what you’re looking for. Perhaps searching, or one of the links below, can help.

Most Used Categories

Archives

Try looking in the monthly archives. :)

Favorite Sites

MacSurfer
Cult of Mac
Shrine of Apple
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
The Vintage Mac Museum
Deal Brothers
DealMac
Mac2Sell
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System 6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End Mac FAQ

Affiliates

Amazon.com
The iTunes Store
PC Connection Express
Macgo Blu-ray Player
Parallels Desktop for Mac
eBay

Low End Mac's Amazon.com store

Advertise

Well this is somewhat embarrassing, isn’t it?

It seems we can’t find what you’re looking for. Perhaps searching, or one of the links below, can help.

Most Used Categories

Archives

Try looking in the monthly archives. :)

at BackBeat Media (646-546-5194). This number is for advertising only.

Open Link