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Second Class Macs & Road Apples

Second Class Macs are Macs you should buy with your eyes wide open - if at all. The only ones I would put on the "avoid" list are those with three or four apples. The one and two apple Macs can be very nice computers as long as you are aware of their limitations.

Apple has produced a few computers that could have provided more performance - and should have, based on the CPU they used. However, they were hobbled by other design considerations: keeping costs down.

The 12 Worst Macs

  1. 5200-53xx, 6200-6320 fouor
  2. Performa 600 three
  3. Mac TV three
  4. PowerBook G3/233, no cache three
  5. LC two
  6. Classic II two
  7. LC II two
  8. Color Classic two
  9. PowerBook 5300 two
  10. Core Solo Mac mini two
  11. PowerBook 1400/117 one
  12. PowerBook 150 one

These are Apple's more compromised hardware designs. For the most part, they're not really bad - simply designs unable to work as well as they should have. We divide these models into three categories:

  1. Limited Macs. These are generally the best of the Second Class Macs and usually have only one or two areas that limit their potential. They usually rate one apple.
  2. Compromised Macs. These are usually descent Macs where performance has been compromised to keep costs down, prevent competition with a more expensive model, or to meet other design goals. 1-2 apples.
  3. Road Apples. These are the worst, rating 3 and 4 apples.

The number of apples ranks Second Class Macs from somewhat limited (one) to those you should avoid at all costs (four).

For the best in used Macs, visit our Best Buys page. Models are listed in the order of introduction.

Other Mac Hardware

If you would like to nominate another model as a Second Class Mac, send an email toDan Knight explaining why. Thanks!

For another perspective, see The 10 worst Macs ever built by Remy Davison on Insanely Great Mac and What were the 10 worst Macs of all time?, a response by Charles Moore of Applelinks.

Second Class Macs is intended as a good natured look at Macintosh bloopers, not as an indictment of Apple, Inc. I'd rather have the worst of these than a Windows machines. LEM

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