Macintosh Performa | MacTrove

<span>Apple Performa Plus Display</span>

Family: Macintosh Performa

Apple Display Monitor

Family: Macintosh Performa
Discontinued: Wed, 1 Jan 1997 - 12:00

family of personal computers by Apple

Family: Macintosh Performa
Architecture: 68K
CPU: 32 MHz 68030
Clock speed: 32
Introduced: September 1992
Discontinued: October 1993

The Performa 600 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 Performa 600 ran a 32 MHz CPU on a 16 MHz bus. This gave it slower performance than the 25 MHz IIci, which was still available. In fact, the old 16 MHz Mac IIx outperformed the Performa 600 on some benchmarks!

Worse yet, the Performa 600, doesn’t support a level 2 cache in the Processor Direct Slot, although it will accept accelerators.

The Performa 600 was the first Mac available with a built-in CD-ROM drive and also the first Mac to use a metal case.

Specs (via Low End Mac)

Cpu: 32 MHz 68030
Fpu: 32 MHz 68882 (optional)
Ram: 4 MB on motherboard, expandable to 68 MB using lone 4-SIMM bank of 80ns 30-pin memory; can use 256 KB, 1 MB, 2 MB, 4 MB, and 16 MB SIMMs
Rom: 1 MB
L2 Cache: not supported
Hard Drive: 80 MB SCSI
Floppy Drive: 1.4 MB double-sided
Addressing: 24-bit or 32-bit
Gestalt Id: 45
Code Names: Brazil, Lego
Upgrade Path: Quadra 700 , Quadra 650 , Power Mac 7100 motherboard
Adb Ports: 2
Pram Battery: 3.6V half-AA
Weight: 25 lbs.
Video Port: DA-15
Serial Ports: 2 DIN-8 RS-422 ports on back of computer
Scsi Ports: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Nubus Slots: 3
Power Supply: 230W
See: Online resources and links for the Performa 600

Family: Macintosh Performa
Architecture: PowerPC
CPU: 160 MHz PPC 603e
Clock speed: 160
Introduced: October 1996
Discontinued: October 1997

The Performa 6360 replaced the 6320 ‘s 120 MHz 603e with a 160 MHz 603e CPU. Fortunately, it also had an improved motherboard design that overcame the most egregious failings of the Road Apple x200 series .

Although it looks like the earlier models in this series, it’s a whole different machine under the hood – complete with a single PCI slot – and the first in this family worth owning.

Be aware that there are two different Power Mac 6300 models. The earlier 120 MHz 6300 is part of the flawed x200 series. The 160 MHz 6300 is the vastly improved replacement.

Specs (via Low End Mac)

Cpu: 160 MHz PPC 603e
Bus: 40 MHz
Performance: 64,447 Whetstones
Ram: 16 MB (8 MB on motherboard), expandable to 136 MB using two 8, 16, 32, or 64 MB 70ns or faster 168-pin DIMMs
Rom: 4 MB
L2 Cache: optional, up to 1 MB
Hard Drive: 1.2 GB IDE
Video: thousands of colors to 800 x 600, 256 colors to 1024 x 768
Vram: 1 MB
Gestalt Id: 58
Adb: 1 port for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Serial: 2 DIN-8 GeoPorts on back of computer
Weight: 17 pounds
Cd-Rom: 8x
Microphone: standard 3.5mm minijack, compatible with line-level input including Apple’s PlainTalk microphone
Internal Hd Format: Cannot See IDE Drives (Apple Knowledge Base 18360) notes that due to changes in the way modern IDE drives are formatted at the factory, early versions of Apple HD SC Setup (ones that come with System 7.5.1 and earlier) will not recognize them. You should boot System 7.5.2 or later and use Drive Setup 1.0.3 or higher with these drives.
See: Online resources and links for the Power Mac 6300/160 (Performa 6360)

Subscribe to Macintosh Performa