The PowerBook 160 introduced grayscale video to the PowerBook line with its 4-bit (16 shade) internal grayscale video and support for 8-bit (256-color) video on an external monitor with up to 832 x 624 resolution. With the PowerBook 180, it was the first PowerBook to support an external monitor (using Apple’s proprietary VID-14 connector with […]
The Performa 600 was an okay computer, but a big “Huh?” for Mac IIci users. Where the LC and LC IIhad been compromised by using a 32-bit processor on a 16-bit data bus, the Performa 600 ran a 32 MHz CPU on a 16 MHz bus. This gave it slower performance than the 25 MHz […]
The PowerBook 145 replaced the 16 MHz PB 140, using a 25 MHz 68030 CPU that made it significantly faster than the previous model. As with all early PowerBooks, when buying one be sure it has all the memory you need (new PowerBook RAM is getting difficult to locate, especially at reasonable prices). The PB 145 […]
Apple replaced the Quadra 900 with the 950, boosting CPU speed from 25 MHz to 33 MHz. Because Apple removed some “wait states” from the video section, the 950’s internal video is about 20% faster than the 900’s – and the faster CPU helps things along even more. The 950 can display 16-bit video on […]
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. The LC II (a.k.a. Performa 400-430 and code named Foster Farms) was a slightly less crippled version of the LC. Still running a 32-bit CPU […]
After introducing the inexpensive Classic and LC, the workhorse IIsi, and the wicked fast IIfx in 1990, what could Apple do for an encore?
October 1991 saw the introduction of Macs using Motorola’s high-octane 68040 CPU. The Quadra 900 was a full-fledged tower design, although it had only a single front accessible drive bay. The Quadra 700 and 900 were the first Macs with built-in ethernet, using Apple’s AAUIs connector.
October 1991 saw the introduction of the firest Macs using Motorola’s high-octane 68040 CPU. The Quadra 700, built in the same chassis as the Mac IIci, was built as a minitower, although with no front accessible hard drive bays. The Quadra 700 and 900 were the first Macs with built-in ethernet, using Apple’s AAUI connector.
Introduced in October 1991, the Classic II (a.k.a. Performa 200) was both an upgraded Classic and a replacement for the venerable SE/30. Based on a modified LC motherboard, the Classic II shares a 16-bit data path and a RAM ceiling of 10 MB (the Classic II is slower than the SE/30, even though both use […]
The PowerBook 170 was the only first generation PowerBook to sport an active matrix screen. With a 25 MHz 68030, it was 2/3 faster than the PowerBook 140. Between the faster CPU, faster screen, and addition of a floating point unit, the 170 was nearly twice as fast as the 140. It was replaced by […]
The PowerBook 140 had a physically larger passive-matrix screen than the PowerBook 100 (although it displayed the same 640 x 400 pixels), a more efficient CPU, and a 2-hour NiCad battery (the same one used on all PowerBook models from the 140 to the 180). It was replaced by the 25 MHz PowerBook 145in August […]
The PowerBook 100 was a big step forward from the Mac Portable. First and foremost, it was just one-third as heavy at 5.1 pounds. Secondly, it was several thousand dollars less expensive. The weight reduction was accomplished by using lighter plastics, eliminating the internal floppy drive, and using a smaller (2 hour, 7V) lead-acid battery. Cost […]
CPU-intensive applications really take off with the new Radius Rocket 68040 accelerator for NuBus machines.
SCSI Accelerator 7.0 is a set of extensions that work with a Mac Plus running System 7 and allows improved SCSI throughput. As a former Mac Plus owner, I will attest to the fact that they really do work. It’s been a few years, but I believe I had my hard drive interleaved at 2:1 […]
Apple took the “underwhelming” Mac Portable, replaced the non-backlit 9.8″ 1-bit 640 x 400 pixel active matrix screen with a backlit display, increased base RAM to 2 MB or 4 MB, lowered the memory ceiling to 8 MB, and replaced expensive the SRAM (static RAM) chips with less-expensive pseudo-SRAM.
I found this one mentioned in the July 1991 MacUser magazine, although the Dynamac IIsf had been announced in January 1991. Where the original Dynamac (1987) was essentially a portable Mac Plus, and the short-lived Dynamac SE/30 (1988) was an Mac SE/30 with a 640 x 480 8-bit video card that also supported the 1152 […]
In March 1990, Apple extended its warranty from 90 days to a full year, finally bringing it to parity with the majority of the computer industry.
What was the smallest desktop Mac prior to the Mac mini? Apple’s LC series, which measures just under 3″ tall, although it has as big a footprint as four minis. The Mac LC, introduced in October 1990, was the first of the family.
The Macintosh Monochrome Display was Apple’s second 640 x 480 grayscale display for the Macintosh. It was introduced with the Mac IIsi and Mac LC in October 1990 and uses a 12″ grayscale CRT. The display was designed to perfectly match the width and curved front of the IIsi and LC.
The IIsi shares some features with the SE/30, some with the LC series, and some with the Mac II series. Like the SE/30, it has a 68030 PDS (Processor Direct Slot) for expansion. Like the LC, it has no built-in NuBus slot, is quite short, and has a curved front. But with an adapter, the […]
The Macintosh 12″ RGB Display was Apple’s first lower-cost color display for the Macintosh. It was introduced with the Mac LC in October 1999 to make Apple’s first low-cost color Mac system more affordable
Introduced as the first sub-$1,000 Macintosh in October 1990, the basic Classic came with 1 MB of RAM, a SuperDrive, and space to mount an internal SCSI hard drive. The hard drive version came with 2 MB of memory and a 40 MB hard drive. RAM expansion was via a 1 MB daughter card with two open slots, […]
The Personal LaserWriter NT was a networkable 4-page-per-minute Postscript laser printer designed as a lower cost alternative to the LaserWriter IINT.
Six months after moving from 16 MHz to 25 MHz with the IIci, Apple introduced the “wicked fast” 40 MHz IIfx. This was the Mac of choice for graphic designers, offering nearly three times the performance of the IIx – thanks to a lightning fast CPU, a new type of RAM, and special SCSI DMA […]
The Macintosh Display Card 8•24 (sometimes called the Macintosh Display Card 670) is a 12″ NuBus video card compatible with most 680×0-based NuBus Macs, with the exception of the Centris and Quadra 660AV models. It was introduced in March 1990.
In January 1989 – January has always been one of Apple’s favorite months for new product releases – Apple unveiled the best ever compact Mac with a 9″ b&w display, the Macintosh SE/30.
Building on the success of the Mac IIcx, the IIci offers 56% more power in the same compact case. A new feature was integrated video. The big advantage: Users no longer needed to buy a separate video card. The big disadvantage: The built-in video uses system memory (this is sometimes called “vampire video”). “…may be the best […]
You might not believe the cover from the November 1989 MacUser. They considered the Mac Portable so sexy it was photographed with a swimsuit model for the front cover! (Or maybe so unsexy it needed this treatment.) When the Mac Portable was introduced, it had the same clock speed as the fastest prior Mac (it […]
SCSI Accelerator 2.1 is a set of INITs that work with a Mac Plus running a Mac OS earlier than System 7 and allows improved SCSI throughput. As a former Mac Plus owner, I will attest to the fact that SCSI Accelerator really does work. It’s been a few years, but I believe I had […]
The Macintosh Two-Page Monochrome Display was Apple’s first 2-page monitor for the Macintosh. The 21″ Two-Page Display was introduced with the Mac IIcx and the Macintosh Two-Page Monochrome Video Card in March 1989.
The Macintosh Portrait Display was Apple’s first full-page monitor for the Macintosh, a field Radius had pioneered with its Radius Full Page Display and matching video card in 1987.
The Apple High-Resolution Monochrome Monitor was Apple’s first 640 x 480 grayscale display for the Macintosh. It was introduced with the Mac IIcx in March 1989 and uses a 12″ grayscale CRT.
Building on the success of the Mac IIx, the 1989 IIcx offered the same horsepower in a smaller case. This was made possible by eliminating 3 NuBus slots and using a smaller (90W) power supply. Although advertised as a 32-bit computer, the Mac IIx ROMs were “dirty,” containing some 24-bit code. Running in 32-bit mode […]
Rolled out in January 1989, the SE/30 was the first compact Mac to come standard with the FDHD 1.4 MB floppy drive (a.k.a. SuperDrive) and support more than 4 MB of RAM. It was essentially a IIx in an SEcase. Although advertised as a 32-bit computer, the SE/30 ROMs were “dirty,” containing some 24-bit code, meaning […]
1988 was not a year of breakthroughs for Apple. It was a year of evolution.
