Today we are talking about a very weird Performa, announced in early 1994. Dubbed the “Money Magazine Edition,” this 560 is unusual, even by Performa standards.
A Very 90s Partnership
Looking at the specs, there’s not much to write home about here. This machine is just another 500-series Performa, powered by a 33 MHz Motorola 68030, but there’s more to this one, as reported by MacWEEK:
Apple and Money Magazine have made a bundle that pairs Mac hardware with a selection of multimedia finance-management software.
The Performa 560 Money Magazine Edition, available while supplies last for a suggested price of $2,199, includes the same hardware as Apple’s $1,949 to $2,049 Performa 550 system: a 33-MHz 68030 CPU with 5 Mbytes of RAM, a color monitor, a 160-Mbyte hard disk, an internal CD-ROM drive, stereo speakers, an internal microphone and a fax modem.
The financial system also comes with 19 preloaded applications and CD-ROMs comprising more than $1,900 worth of software, according to the companies.
The Performa 560 Money Magazine Edition is available from Apple by calling (800) 351-6111, as well as at Circuit City and Nobody Beats the Wiz stores.1
Shockingly, photos of this ultra-rare machine can be found online, complete with a green “Money” badge:
Just think about this for a second. Apple not only partnered with a magazine to co-brand a computer, but put the logo of that magazine on the computer. If you want to talk about things that wouldn’t happen if Steve Jobs was running the show, this should be at the top of your list.
Thanks to MacWEEK, we know what software was included:
- ClarisWorks 2.0
- MacLink Plus Translators
- Quicken 4.0
- MacInTax 1040
- WealthBuilder 3.0
- Personal Recordkeeper 3.0
- WillMaker 4.0
- After Dark Starter Edition
- Datebook Pro
- Touchbase Pro
- American Heritage Dictionary, Third Edition
- Apple Edition of America Online
- Grolier’s Encyclopedia
- Time Almanac 1993
- Monopoly: World Tour Gold
In December 1994, CNN held a contest for Money Magazine readers. In it, our friend the Performa 560 shows up:
Alan Greenspan, pay attention. Peter Lynch, pull up a chair. We’d like to introduce the best personal-finance managers in the U.S.-and we figure everyone will want to take notes. Our winners accomplished their financial feats with no support staff of highly trained analysts. Not one holds an M.B.A. And the eight top-ranking contestants didn’t depend on friends in high places either (unless the postmaster in Columbiana, Ohio counts).
Nonetheless, these amazing masters of moolah, ages 28 to 78, demonstrated extraordinary abilities to the panel of judges in Money’s first annual Best Personal Finance Manager in America contest. And Mark and Lori Menges (right, with son Ryan) succeeded in impressing our judges the most.
To win, these three couples and two singles, along with 2,299 other Money readers who entered, laid out their 1993 personal finances in meticulous detail on a 41-question entry form published in our May 1994 issue. Entries were judged in five lifestyle categories-couples with no children, married parents, singles, single parents and retirees-and subjected to three rounds of scoring, including rigorous reviews by experts in investing, insurance, budgeting, taxes and retirement planning.
These eight contestants came out on top in their categories, with the Mengeses snagging the grand prize: $10,000 in cash. Each of the five category winners receives a Macintosh Performa 560 Money Magazine Edition computer loaded with 19 personal-finance and general interest software programs (total suggested retail value: $2,199).
What makes this group the champs? Simple. Given their needs and goals, these winners made the smartest, best-timed personal-finance decisions in 1993. Granted, there is always room for improvement. But overall, these eight great personal-finance wizards are solidly on course to realizing their dreams, whether it’s starting a family, building a new house, sending kids to college or enjoying a secure retirement.
No … There is Another
The 560 is the most well-known Money Magazine Edition Performa, but there’s at least one more — the 637CD Money Edition. I had no idea this particular machine existed until I came across this Reddit thread during my research. The Performa 637CD Money Magazine Edition is not listed in MacTracker, on EveryMac, LowEndMac, or apple-history.com. It pops up in a few forum posts beyond Reddit, but this thing is basically a ghost.
Then — in what must be an act of a thankful universe shining upon my work on Performa Month — one popped up on eBay.
I bought it as a way to say “You’re welcome” to the universe. It only seemed fitting. Please enjoy:
Pay no attention to that janky volume button.
There may be other Money Magazine Edition Performa models out there, but I am so, so happy to have this one in my collection.
Please help me pay for the computer I bought for this post by becoming a member of 512 Pixels. Support projects like these, receive exclusive content in the monthly newsletter, and more!