personal computer by Apple, Inc.

personal computer in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York

personal computer by Apple

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. Take the 16-bit motherboard of the LC , replace the 68020 CPU with a 68030, strip out the expansion slot, and put it into a Classic case – and you have another Second Class Mac.

Problems the Classic II (a.k.a. Performa 200) shares with the LC and LC II are a 32-bit CPU hobbled by a 16-bit data bus and a 10 MB RAM ceiling.

Apple tried to position the Classic II as a replacement for the venerable SE/30 . However, the 16-bit data path gives it about 60% as much horsepower as the SE/30. On top of that, the Classic II has a 10 MB RAM ceiling, while the SE/30 can handle 128 MB. Finally, the SE/30 has a PDS expansion slot, but the Classic II has no expansion slot.

Specs (via Low End Mac)

• Cpu: 16 MHz 68030
• Fpu: 6882 (optional)
• Performance: 1.8 (relative to SE)
• Ram: 2 MB, expandable to 10 MB using two 100ns 30-pin SIMMs
• Adb: 2 ports for keyboard and mouse
• Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
• Serial: 2 DIN-8 RS-422 ports on back of computer
• Expansion Slots: none