Blackbird was Apple’s code name for its first line of PowerBooks based on the 68LC040 processor. (The LC version of the 68040 draws less power and has no FPU.) The 500 series included several firsts: the first portable with a trackpad, the first with a PCMCIA (later PC Card) slot, the first with stereo speakers, the […]
Blackbird was Apple’s code name for a new line of PowerBooks based on the 68LC040 processor. (The LC version of the 68040 draws less power and has no FPU.) The 500 series included several firsts: the first portable with a trackpad, the first with a PCMCIA (later PC Card) slot, the first with stereo speakers, the […]
The Workgroup Server 9150 is the only Workgroup Server for which an equivalent Power Mac model was never released. Mac IIci and Workgroup Server 9150 Built into a modified Quadra 950 case, the 9150 has four NuBus slots and a processor direct slot (PDS). Like first-generation Power Macs, the 9150 uses system memory for video […]
The 80 MHz Power Mac 8100 was the fastest Power Mac when Apple introduced the line in March 1994, and it was the only model to ship from the factory with a 256 KB level 2 cache installed. Built into a Quadra 800 case, the 8100 (a.k.a. 8115 in Japan as well as Apple Workgroup […]
The 66 MHz 7100 was the middle of the Power Mac line when Apple introduced its first PowerPC models in March 1994. Built into the Quadra 650 case, the 7100 has three NuBus slots and a PDS (processor direct slot). The 7100 uses system memory for motherboard video (up to 615 KB, depending on resolution […]
The LC 575 (a.k.a. Performa 575, 577, and 578) is essentially a Quadra 605 motherboard in an LC 520/550case. It normally shipped with 5 MB RAM and a CD-ROM drive, but there was an LC 575 in a 4 MB configuration without a CD-ROM drive – available only in the education market. Got a 500 Series […]
Hold on to your hat: 1993 was the wildest year for model introductions in Apple’s history. Apple also passed the 10 million Mac mark in February 1993.
The first cable-ready Macintosh! No, not ready for a cable modem – ready for cable TV. More or less a black LC 520 (complete with a black mouse and black keyboard), Macintosh TV lets you watch 16-bit TV or use 8-bit computer graphics. (Assuming you were in the US, Canada, or some other country using […]
First available in Canada (1993), and then Asia and Europe (and never sold in the home US market), the Colour Classic II (also known as the Performa 275) shares the motherboard design of the LC III. Running at a relatively fast 33 MHz, memory can be expanded as far as 36 MB. The CC II/Performa […]
Introduced in October 1993, the Duo 270c added an active matrix 640 x 480 pixel 256-color screen to the Duo 230. With the improved battery, this color Duo could still run for two hours per charge. The 270c supports 16-bit video on its screen if you select the 640 x 400 pixel mode under Options […]
Introduced in October 1993, the PowerBook Duo 250 added an active matrix screen to the Duo mix. This plus an improved battery (which lasts 2.5 hours) did a great deal to increase the popularity of the Duo line. Got a PowerBook Duo? Join our PowerBook Duo and PowerBook 2400c Club on Facebook. Details introduced 1993.10.21 […]
Finding the market confused with five product lines (Mac II, Centris, Quadra, Performa, and PowerBook), Apple renamed the Centris models in October 1993. At the same time, the 68040 CPU in the Quadra 650 was boosted to 33 MHz. The floppy drive mounting sled used in the Mac IIvi, IIvx, Performa 600, Centris 650, Quadra […]
Finding the market confused with five product lines (Mac II, Centris, Quadra, Performa, and PowerBook), Apple renamed the Centris models in October 1993. At the same time, the CPU in the Centris 610 was boosted from 20 MHz to 25 MHz. (The 8/160 version sold in the U.S. was based on the less expensive 68LC040 […]
What was the smallest desktop Mac prior to the Mac mini? Apple’s LC series, which measured just under 3″ tall, although it had as big a footprint as four Minis. And the Quadra 605 (also known as the LC 475 and Performa 475 or 476) was the most powerful model in this diminutive line. Apple […]
At 33 MHz, the LC III+ (also known as the Performa 460) was the fastest 68030-based computer in the LC series. The 460/LC III+ was essentially an LC III running the motherboard and CPU at 33 MHz instead of 25 MHz. In fact, with a small modification to the motherboard, the LC III can run […]
The LC 550 replaced the LC 520, increasing CPU speed from 25 MHz to 33 MHz. It was released at the same time as the 68LC040-based LC 575. The Performa/LC 550 uses the same motherboard as the relatively rare Colour Classic II. For those with original Color Classics, dropping in a 550 motherboard is the […]
The PowerBook 165 was a grayscale version of the PowerBook 165c with a 4-bit, 16-shade passive matrix display. The PB 165 has a 14 MB memory ceiling, although you can go beyond that by using Virtual Memory (slow and free) or RAM Doubler (faster, not free, and discontinued). Another option is RAM Charger 8.1, which offers […]
Using the same case as the Quadra 800, the 840av incorporates the same AV circuitry as the Centris 660av. Running a 40 MHz CPU, this was Apple’s fastest 68040-based computer ever. The 840av also runs a faster version of the AT&T DSP chip, one clocked at 66 MHz v. 55 MHz in the 660av. This and […]
Initially introduced as the Centris 660av (the two models are identical except for the nameplate), the Quadra 660av shares the same case design as the Centris 610. In addition to a faster 25 MHz 68040 CPU, the 660av includes a 55 MHz AT&T digital signal processor, introduces the GeoPort high speed serial port, has a […]
Take an LC III and graft on a 14″ Trinitron monitor along with stereo speakers. That’s what Apple did to create the 520. With the all-in-one design, these were especially popular in schools. It even had a built-in microphone, just like the Color Classic. The Performa version was not sold in the US. The 520 […]
The PowerBook 180c added an active matrix 256-color screen to the already popular PowerBook 180. The color screen took its toll on the battery, reducing usable life to aboone1 hour. The PB 180c has a 14 MB memory ceiling, although you can go beyond that by using Virtual Memory (slow and free) or RAM Doubler […]
The PowerBook 145b replaced the PowerBook 145. It offered the same performance at a lower price. It was replaced by the 33 MHz PowerBook 150 in mid 1994. The PB 145 has an 8 MB memory ceiling, although you can go beyond that by using Virtual Memory (slow and free) or RAM Doubler (faster, not free, and […]
This relatively rare variant of the LC 630 includes a DOS card with an Intel 486DX2/66 CPU, although some shipped with a Cyrix 486/70. The DOS Compatibility card can share Mac motherboard memory or use its own dedicated RAM. The motherboard has two SIMM sockets, while the DOS card has a single SIMM socket. (The […]
“With double its predecessor’s speed and more than triple the RAM capacity, the LC III is a significant entry into the low end of Apple’s line.” MacUser, April 1993 The LC III (a.k.a. Performa 450 and code named Elsie III and Vail) is a significantly faster computer than the LC II. Running at 25 MHz […]
The end of the Classic line in the North American market, the Color Classic (a.k.a. Performa 250) shared the motherboard design of the LC II – equally limited in RAM expansion, constricted by a 16-bit data bus, and able to use 16-bit PDS cards designed for the LC. The only significant difference is the presence […]
Essentially a PowerBook 180 with a color display, the 165c brought the first color screen to the PowerBook line. It was also the first notebook computer from any manufacturer with 256 colors on its internal display. The passive-matrix screen supports 8-bit video at 640 x 400 pixels. Other than the color screen and faster CPU, […]
Apple introduced a new case design with the Quadra 800, one later used by the Quadra 840av and two Power Macs, the 8100 and 8500. Perhaps the most frustrating case to work with, it has three front accessible drive bays. One is for the floppy drive; the others may hold CD-ROM, a DAT drive, a SyQuest mechanism, etc. The […]
Creating a midpoint between the Mac II line and the Quadra series, the short-lived Centris models were introduced in February 1993. The Centris 650 uses the same chassis as the IIvx, IIvi, and Performa 600. Some models came with a 68LC040 (no math coprocessor), only 4 MB RAM, and no ethernet. Most use the full 68040 […]
Creating a midpoint between the Mac II line and the Quadra series, the short-lived Centris models were introduced in February 1993. The Centris 610 introduced a new case style, one that would later be used for the Centris 660av and Power Mac 6100. “Going along with the auto-marketing trend toward meaningless names that sound important, Apple’s […]
Apple addressed some little things with System 7.1, introduced in 1992. The biggest innovation was putting a Fonts folder inside the System Folder. An entire generation of Mac users has now grown up never having had to move fonts to or from the System file using Font/DA Mover.
The Mac IIvx was an okay computer, but a big “Huh?” for Mac IIci users. Where the LC and LC II had been compromised by using a 32-bit processor on a 16-bit data bus, the IIvx ran a 32 MHz CPU on a 16 MHz bus. This gave it slower performance than the IIci, which […]
The Mac IIvi is a slower version of the Mac IIvx, running a 16 MHz 68030 CPU on a 16 MHz bus. The IIvi was never sold in the United States. Unlike the IIvx, the IIvi cannot accept a level 2 (L2) cache, although it can accept an accelerator. In terms of performance, on some […]
Along with the 25 MHz PowerBook Duo 210, the Duo 230 was the first dockable Mac. By eliminating the internal floppy drive (as with PowerBook 100) along with other size and weight saving measures, Apple got this one down to 4.2 pounds. Because of its design, there is no way to use a floppy drive, […]
The PowerBook Duo 210 was the first dockable Mac. By eliminating the internal floppy drive (as Apple had done with the PowerBook 100) along with other size- and weight-saving measures, Apple got it down to 4.2 pounds. Because of its design, PowerBook Duos cannot use a floppy drive, external hard drive or other SCSI device, connect […]
The PowerBook 180 was the first portable Mac with a 4-bit (16-shade) active matrix display. With a 33 MHz CPU and improved screen, it replaced the 25 MHz PowerBook 170 and was in very high demand through its six-month life. Like the PowerBook 160, the 180 has a video out port supporting an external 13″ to […]
