Apple computers
(Macs)
In 80s Apple Macintosh computers were famous of their
outstanding graphical capabilities. First Macintosh-like computer from 1983,
Apple Lisa (later re-branded to Macintosh XL), was a commercial failure.
Although it was the first small computer with mouse-driven graphical user
interface (GUI), multi OS boot from disk, office suite, intelligent power
management and external HDD upgrades it was just too expensive for an average
office. Later models, Macintosh 128K, 512K, and later Plus were cheaper
(but still too expensive as home computer) and gave similar graphics capabilities
and user interface. In 1986 Apple introduced SCSI (instead of tricky ESDI-MFM-HPPI
532-bytes per sector mutation used with Lisa) allowing hard disks to be
integral part of computers. In next models CPU was upgraded with better
Motorola 68K chips, finishing with PowerPC units up to 2GHz. The new (from
ca 2007) Macintosh computers have Intel multi-core CPUs.
In Poland, Macintosh computers started to appear in 1990s.
In 1980s it was almost impossible to get a Mac, as exporting them from USA
to Eastern Block was forbidden. Some units leaked through West Germany,
usually as gifts for affiliated companies or universities. After 1989, Classic
or Plus machines were used in schools for IT teaching, but lack of good
(exactly: cheap) programming language/environment like Turbo Pascal or Turbo
C for PCs made Macs useful only in office software teaching and graphics.
Graphics was another Macs domain. Over the years Macs
had better and better graphics capabilities, in early 90s better than PCs,
so they were used in DTP, newspapers, book pre-print processing etc.
Click a computer to get information, photos and tips...
Model |
CPU |
RAM |
Disk |
Year |
Macintosh Plus |
Motorola 68000 8MHz |
1MB |
800K FDD, External HDD |
1987 |
Macintosh SE |
Motorola 68000 8MHz |
4MB |
1.4MB FDD, 20MB HDD |
1988 |
Macintosh Classic |
Motorola 68000 8MHz |
4MB |
1.4MB FDD, 40MB HDD |
1990 |
Macintosh IIvi |
Motorola 68030 16MHz |
8MB |
1.4MB FDD,CD,80M HDD |
1992 |
Macintosh IIfx![](../new.gif) |
Motorola 68030 40MHz |
8MB |
1.4MB FDD,CD,80M HDD |
1990 |
Macintosh Quadra 700 |
Motorola 68040 25MHz |
20MB |
1.4MB FDD,80M HDD |
1992 |
Macintosh Quadra 950 |
Motorola 68040 33MHz |
36MB |
1.4MB FDD,2G+500M HDD, SQ |
1992 |
Macintosh Quadra 800 |
Motorola 68040 33MHz |
24MB |
1.4MB FDD,500M HDD, CD |
1993 |
Macintosh LC 475 |
Motorola 68LC040 25MHz |
36MB |
1.4MB FDD, 500MB HDD |
1993 |
Macintosh Performa 475 |
Motorola 68LC040 25MHz |
36MB |
1.4MB FDD, 500MB HDD |
1993 |
Macintosh Quadra 650 |
Motorola 68LC040 33MHz |
64MB |
1.4MB FDD, 500MB HDD |
1993 |
PowerBook 165c |
Motorola 68030 33MHz |
8MB |
1.4MB FDD, 120MB HDD |
1993 |
Macintosh LC 630 |
Motorola 68LC040 33MHz |
36MB |
1.4MB FDD,CD,256M HDD |
1994 |
Power Macintosh 6100 |
PowerPC 601 66MHz / 486 |
8MB |
1.4MB FDD,CD,500M HDD |
1994 |
Workgroup Server 8150 |
Motorola PowerPC 601 80MHz |
128MB |
1.4MB FDD,CD,2GB HDD |
1994 |
Power Macintosh 9500 |
PowerPC 604 120MHz |
128MB |
1.4MB FDD,CD,4GB HDD |
1995 |
Macintosh Performa 5260 |
PowerPC 603e 100MHz |
64MB |
1.4MB FDD, CD, 1GB HDD |
1996 |
Macintosh Performa 6400/200 |
PowerPC 603e 200MHz |
136MB |
1.4MB FDD, CD, 3GB HDD |
1996 |
Power Macintosh 7220/200![](../new.gif) |
PowerPC 603e 200MHz |
128MB |
1.4MB FDD, CD, 6GB HDD |
1997 |
Power Macintosh 7300/166 |
PowerPC 604e 166MHz |
64MB |
1.4MB FDD, CD, 1GB HDD |
1997 |
Power Macintosh 9600/350 |
PowerPC 604e 350MHz |
256MB |
1.4MB FDD, CD, ZIP, 2xHDD |
1997 |
Macintosh Server G3 Minitower |
PowerPC G3 300MHz |
448MB |
1.4MB FDD, CD, 2xHDD |
1998 |
Power Macintosh G3 (desktop) |
PowerPC G3 266MHz |
64MB |
14MB FDD, CD, 4GB HDD |
1998 |
Power Macintosh G3 All-in-one |
PowerPC G3 266MHz |
190MB |
1.4MB FDD, CD, ZIP, 4GB HDD |
1998 |
iMac G3 233 (tray-loading) |
PowerPC G3 266MHz |
128MB |
CD, 8GB HDD |
1998 |
iMac G3 500 (slot-loading) |
PowerPC G3 500MHz |
128MB |
CD, 10GB HDD |
2000 |
iMac 700MHz Flat-panel |
PowerPC G4 700MHz |
512MB |
CD, 40GB HDD |
2002 |
eMac G4 700 |
PowerPC G4 700MHz |
256MB |
CD, 20GB HDD |
2002 |
eMac G4 (ATI) 1GHz |
PowerPC G4 1GHz |
768MB |
DVD, 40GB HDD |
2003 |
Power Macintosh G4 Cube |
PowerPC G4 450MHz |
512MB |
DVD, 40GB HDD |
2001 |
Power Macintosh G3 Blue&White |
PowerPC G3 300 MHz |
128MB |
CD, 10GB HDD |
1999 |
Power Macintosh G4 450 |
PowerPC G4 450 MHz |
256MB |
CD, 10GB HDD |
2000 |
Power Macintosh G4 Quicksilver |
PowerPC G4 733 MHz |
256MB |
CD, 40GB HDD |
2001 |
Power Macintosh G4 MDD 2003 |
PowerPC G4 1.25GHz |
2GB |
DVD, 120GB HDD |
2003 |
Mac mini |
PowerPC G4 1.42GHz |
512MB |
DVD, 80GB HDD |
2005 |
iMac G5 |
PowerPC G5 1.6GHz |
512MB |
DVD, 80GB HDD |
2004 |
Power Macintosh G5 |
PowerPC G5 1.8GHz |
2048MB |
DVD, 80GB HDD |
2004 |
Peripherals and accessories