We’ve done it; we have come to the final three Performas. It’s taken 11,000 words to get here, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Performa 6400

In a world of weird 1990s Macs, the 6400 may take the prize for the most awkward. Here it is, in Power Macintosh form, in an official Apple photo:

Launched in August 1996, this is the first (and only) Performa to use the traditional vertical tower case, and as you can see, it was quite the case.

Some people referred to this machine as the “Forehead,” but internally, it was known as “InstaTower.”

There were four machines in this series:

Model:	CPU:	Memory:	HDD Size:	Price:
6400/180	180 MHz PowerPC 603e	16 MB	1.6 GB	$2,400
6410/180	180 MHz PowerPC 603e	16 MB	1.6 GB	Unknown
6400/200 (VEE)	200 MHz PowerPC 603e	32 MB	2.4 GB	$2,800
6400/200	200 MHz PowerPC 603e	16 MB	2.4 GB	Unknown

That “VEE” label stood for “Video Editing Edition.” This SKU shipped with 32 MB of memory, video in/out cards, and some bundled software for capturing and slinging video around via those cards. Both 200 MHz models came with a standard 256 kB level 2 cache. It was a $100 add-on for the slower machines.

All four models came with a built-in subwoofer in the bottom of that weird case. Bass levels were controlled with an adjustment knob on the back of the case. A BASS KNOB ON A MACINTOSH!

Unlike the 5200 and 6200 machines, the 6400’s logic board supported a 64-bit data path to main memory, providing more bandwidth for RAM-intense applications. An 8X CD-ROM drive was present in all systems, and for those who spent the money for a Power Macintosh version, a ZIP drive could be added right smack in the middle of the forehead.

I scooped all of that out and filled one with bouncy balls for the 2020 Relay for St. Jude Podcastathon:

Years before I turned one of these things into actual art, Apple had a press release announcing the machine:

The Performa 6400 is designed to deliver what consumers want, including a long, useful computing life, multimedia and Internet capabilities, and high-quality, bundled software.

In the face of rapidly advancing technology, customers want a computer that’s powerful enough to run the most demanding applications–both today and in the future. The Performa 6400 series is designed with more than enough built-in power for today’s applications–and with industry-standard expansion options that make it easy for the user to add peripherals and additional functionality as needed, the Performa 6400 models will continue to deliver well into the future.

The release goes on:

Adding functionality or performance to the Performa 6400, in the future, is easy by design. The Performa 6400 series includes two industry-standard PCI slots (7-inch) that make it easy to add special capabilities, such as: Avid Cinema, a digital video editing system from Apple (see separate release); the Apple PC Compatibility Card, for customers who need to run DOS or Windows applications; or a video card, for adding a second monitor (see list of available PCI cards and vendors).

By including a SCSI expansion bay, the Performa 6400 models make adding storage devices easy. Fully cabled and powered, this bay lets the customer add an affordable, internal SCSI storage device just by sliding it into the bay. As with all Macintosh computers, the Performa 6400 units include an external SCSI port for the addition of up to six peripheral devices, such as scanners or additional storage devices, making it easy for customers to add to their computers as their needs change–and to do so without ever opening the computer’s case.

Inside the tower, the 6400 offered a wide range of hardware, including an optional TV tuner card, optional video import card, two PCI slots, and one COMM II slot, pre-populated with a modem.

Here’s an overly moody press image of the 6400:

The 6400 would be the only Performa to use this case, but on the Power Macintosh side of things, a 6500 materialized in February 1997.

It’s easy to poke fun of this machine, but the reality is that it was a shift in direction toward the high-end for Performa, even if it never shipped with the faster PowerPC 603ev or later 604.

Of course, that wouldn’t matter in the long run, but it’s interesting to think about what Apple may have done had the Performa line lasted longer than it did.

Performa 6360

The 6360 came in the same desktop case as many previous machines did. Released in October 1996, it was powered by a 160 MHz PowerPC 603e processor and came standard with 16 MB of RAM, a 1.2 GB hard drive, and an 8X CD-ROM. All of this could be had for $1,500.

As this was a 1996 Mac, it came with a PCI slot, replacing the older LC/PDS style slot that previous desktop Performas had used. It was also sold as the Power Macintosh 6300/160.

In April 1997, the 6360 popped up in a joint Apple/Sears back-to-school program:

At Sears Brand Central, from April 1 to May 15 (or while supplies last), when families purchase an Apple Macintosh Performa 6360 computer, 15-inch MultiScan Display, and Color StyleWriter 1500 printer, schools can earn points towards computer hardware and Internet products from Apple.

This program from Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Apple Computer, Inc. is designed to help both parents and educators provide students greater access to computer and Internet technology at home and at school.

While both parents and educators would like to enhance children’s learning through greater access to computer and Internet technology, obviously, household and school budgets are limited,” said Chuck Cebuhar, Sears vice president of Home Electronics. “This program helps make much-wanted computer and Internet related equipment affordable for both families and schools, and allows us to give something back to the community.”

When friends and families of students in any of the 50 states purchase the Macintosh Performa 6360 computer, 15-inch MultiScan Display, and Color StyleWriter 1500 printer bundle (at Sears stores in the continental U.S. for $1,499), they will also receive a “School Rewards” coupon worth 2,000 points which can be assigned to any public or private non-profit school of their choice. (Limit two bundles per customer. Price may vary in Alaska and Hawaii.) The points are redeemable by the school, to Apple, for specially selected computer and Internet products ranging from one year of Internet access to Apple Internet servers.

Performa 5280

The last new Performa put on sale was the Performa 5280, launched in November 1996. It used the all-in-one case introduced with the 5200, housing a 120 MHz PowerPC 603e, 8 or 16 MB of memory, a 1.2 GB hard drive, and an 8X CD-ROM. It sold for $2,000.

In the spring of 1996, Apple updated its all-in-one Performa across two collections of models: the 5200 and 5400.

Thankfully, not all of them were beige…

Performa 5200 Series

In 1996, the Performa 5200 line was updated with three new models:

Model:	CPU:	Memory:	HDD Size:	Price:
5260CD	100 MHz PowerPC 603e	8 or 16 MB	800 MB	$1,699
5260/120	120 MHz PowerPC 603e	8 or 16 MB	1.2 GB	$1,499
5270CD	100 MHz PowerPC 603e	8 MB	1.2 GB	Unknown

The 5260/100 came out in the fall of 1996, following the 5260CD and 5270CD, which both shipped in April of that year. All three of these systems shipped with a 14-inch CRT, running at 640 x 480 resolution, despite earlier Performas in the same enclosure using a 15-inch CRT capable of running at 832 x 624.

Performa 5400 Series

The Mac Performa 5400 Series was also released in April 1996. It shipped with the previous 15-inch display and PowerPC 603e CPUs ranging from 120-180 MHz.

This line up included the Performa 5400/180 Director’s Edition, which came in a black case. I mean, just look at this detail:

The Power Macintosh version seems to have omitted that logo:

(I want one of these very badly.)

Inside that sick black enclosure was a 180 MHz PowerPC 603e-powered system with 16 MB of RAM, a 1.6 GB hard drive, an 8X CD-ROM drive, and a TV tuner card. The Performa was only sold in Australia; the closest thing we got was the ill-fated Macintosh TV. It seems that black Power Macintosh popped up in Europe and Asia, however.

The rest of the 5400 series is boring. Next time, we’ll break down the final three Performa models!

By the fall of 1995, the final pre-PowerPC Performas were still available for purchase by those looking to potentially procure a personal computer. Despite 68K-based Performas being on the market until 1996, Apple was already moving on, and now so must we.

Macintosh Performa 5300CD & 5320CD

These machines were an update to the 5200 all-in-one that debuted in the summer of 1995. The 5200 Series would remain on sale even after the 5300 models were announced, in true 90s Apple fashion.

Let’s take a look at the specs for these updated machines:

Model:	CPU:	Memory:	HDD Size:
5300CD	100 MHz PowerPC 603e	8 or 16 MB	1.2 GB
5320CD	120 MHz PowerPC 603e	8 or 16 MB	1.2 GB

Those 603e CPUs were held back by the motherboard they were installed in, not unlike many, many previous Performas.

Despite this similarity, according to Apple’s own service manual, there are internal changes that are not backward-compatible between the 53xx and 52xx machines. That manual also explains the relationship between the 5300CD and 5320CD:

The Performa 5320CD supersedes the 5300CD. It has a PowerPC 603e processor running at 120 MHz and 16 MB of RAM on the logic board. All other hardware features are the same as the Performa 5300CD. This is an international product not sold in the U.S.

Macintosh Performa 6300CD, 6310CD, & 6320CD

On the desktop front, Apple released three 6300 models:

• 6300CD
• 6310CD
• 6320CD

The first two ran at 100 MHz, with the 6320CD clocked at 120 MHz, all thanks to a PowerPC 603e.

James Staten covered the machines at MacWEEK:

Apple’s latest Performa, unveiled Oct. 14, improves the company’s price/performance equation in the consumer channel, analysts said. The unit also should turn some heads with its performance numbers, which, according to MacWEEK preliminary tests, rival the newest like-priced Power Macs.

[…]

According to MacBench 2.0 tests performed on a pre-release 6300 logic board, the new model is the fastest Performa yet and the first to offer raw speeds comparable to the newest Power Macs.

The prototype 6300 performed comparably to the $2,699 Power Macintosh 7500/100 running native applications and in floating-point tests.

Although other 603e-based machines lag in 680×0 emulation, the 6300 was helped by its inclusion of a 256-Kbyte Level 2 cache. The cache advantage shows up more clearly when comparing the 6300 to the PowerBook 5300c/100, which shares the same 603e processor. Use of Connectix Corp.’s Speed Doubler also greatly improved the 6300’s emulation performance, delivering about a 250 percent improvement in processor performance and 50 percent improvement in floating-point.

A beefy configuration accompanies the faster CPU in the 6300/100. It features 16 Mbytes of RAM, expandable to 64 Mbytes; a 1.2-Gbyte hard drive; a quadruple-speed CD-ROM drive; a 15-inch multiple resolution display; a Global Village Communication Inc. internal 28.8-Kbps fax modem; a keyboard; and a mouse.

Like the Performa 6200, the 6300 has a single ADB port, SCSI port, serial port, communications slot for the modem or an Ethernet card, video slot for the Apple Video System, internal TV tuner slot, and an LC processor direct slot. The new Performa also provides built-in 16-bit stereo audio and 1 Mbyte of video RAM.

As these machines were released, Apple cut prices on a bunch of older Performas that were still for sale at the time:

Model:	Old Price:	New Price:	Discount:
Performa 631CD1	$1,499	$1,399	7%
Performa 640CD/DOS	$2,299	$1,999	13%
Performa 5200CD	$1,999	$1,899	5%
Performa 5215CD	$2,299	$2,199	8%
Performa 6116CD1	$1,899	$1,699	11%
Performa 6200CD	$2,299	$1,999	13%
Performa 6205CD2	$2,399	$2,099	13%
Performa 6218CD	$2,699	$2,399	11%
Performa 6220CD	$2,499	$1,999	20%
Performa 6230CD	$2,999	$2,699	10%

If you think Apple selling older devices at lower prices is an invention of Tim Cook, you’d be wrong.

This 28-minute video about a family buying a Performa is amazing in every single way. Cancel your plans this evening and enjoy.

For bonus points, check out the Australian version.

Starting in November 1994, Apple transitioned the Performa line to use the PowerPC processor. This took some time and started some eight months after the first Power Macintosh models were announced, but as covered at great length in this series, Performas were all rebadged Macs from other lines, so it was inevitable that they’d get the PowerPC treatment at some point.

With that said, let’s walk through this processor transition through the lens of a bunch of beige Macs. If you want to learn more about why Apple moved to PowerPC, I recommend this excellent article on the subject.

As you will see, this transition took some time. This ad aired as Apple was selling both 68K and PowerPC Performas:

Performa 6100 Series

The first PowerPC Performa was actually six Performas:

• Perform 6110CD
• Perform 6112CD
• Perform 6115CD
• Perform 6116CD
• Perform 6117CD
• Perform 6118CD

This machine was based on the Power Macintosh 6100 and used its enclosure. It was a lower, wider case than the 68k-based Performa 600 series. This design was first used on the Centris Quadra 610, which launched in early 1993. There were Quadra and Power Macintosh versions. Here’s my less-than-stellar example of the latter:

When you’re looking at the names of old Macs, it’s important to note the number of …well… numbers in the name. If the model name ends in a 3-digit number, it’s a 68k Mac, while four digits means you’re reading about a PowerPC-based Mac.

Being based on a PowerPC 601, each of these models came equipped with an FPU, which wasn’t true of a bunch of 68K Performas. Storage across the 6100 Series ranged from 250 up to 700 MB, with a 2x CD-ROM drive and 1.44 MB floppy drive standard across the board. Each Performa 6100 Series came with 8 MB of RAM from the factory but had a 72 MB ceiling for upgrades, at least officially. (136 MB worked fine once SIMMs large enough were available on the market.)

Some earlier models came with a comms slot for a modem or Ethernet to be added. The 6100 Series instead came with an AAUI-15 port for use with an external Ethernet adapter. A modem was available via the GeoPort, as David Morgenstern wrote in MacWEEK in 1994:

Apple rolls its entry-level systems on board the PowerPC bandwagon as it debuts five 601-based Performas this week. The Performa 6100 series is based on the 60-MHz Power Mac 6100/60. Each model in the line comes with an internal CD-ROM drive, a 15-inch display with built-in stereo speakers, a modem, a unidirectional microphone and a keyboard.

The Performa packages include a special version of Global Village Communication Inc.’s new $155 TelePort/Gold II 14.4-Kbps fax and data modem. The modem uses a single cable connected to the Performa 6100 series’ GeoPort-compatible serial port for both power and data.

He went on:

Each of the new Performas will come with 8 Mbytes of RAM but will vary in their hard drive configurations or software bundles.

Both the Performa 6110CD and 6112CD have 250-Mbyte hard drives and street prices between $2,600 and $2,650, Apple said. The 6110CD will be sold in consumer electronics stores and will include ClarisWorks 2.1, Intuit Inc.’s Quicken 4.0, Now Software Inc.’s Now Up-to-Date 2.1.1, a dictionary, a file-translator set, clip art and game software. Six CD-ROM titles, including Grolier’s Multimedia Encyclopedia, 1994 Time Almanac, an atlas and a home medical reference, will come with the 6110CD.

Sold in office product superstores, the Performa 6112CD will come with Microsoft Works 4.0a, Quicken, a dictionary, file translators, a typing tutor, and educational and game programs. Eight CD-ROMs, including Grolier’s Multimedia Encyclopedia, the Time Almanac and children’s games, will ship with the 6112CD.

The Performa 6115CD and 6117CD each ship with a 350-Mbyte drive. Apple said it expects prices to range from $2,700 to $2,750.

The Performa 6115CD will be offered in computer superstores and through higher-education resellers. The software includes ClarisWorks, Quicken, Now Up-to-Date, Now Contact 1.1, a dictionary, clip art, file translators, games and a CD-ROM set similar to the 6110 bundle.

Sold in selected warehouse stores, the Performa 6117CD will include ClarisWorks, Quicken, Now Up-to-Date, a dictionary, file translators and games; its eight CD-ROMs are similar to the 6112 package. Also available in warehouse stores is the $2,800 to $3,000 Performa 6118CD with a 500-Mbyte hard drive. The software bundle is similar to the 6117CD.

Even at the time, it was hard to write about the Performa line without using a lot of words.

The 6100 Series ran a standard version System 7.5, not the weirdo “P” versions that earlier machines ran. Not only did this simplify things for Apple, but it meant some features that had been Performa-specific were folded into the mainstream release of System 7. The primary example was Launcher, which was a customizable user interface for quick access to saved applications, documents, and more:

Performa 5200 Series

In the summer of 1995, Apple launched the second batch of PowerPC-based Performas:

• Performa 5200CD
• Performa 5210CD
• Performa 5215CD
• Performa 5220CD

The Performa 5200 Series was powered by a 75 MHz PowerPC 603, but to save on costs, the board shipped with a 32-bit memory bus, slowing everything down, not unlike the LC’s combination of a 32-bit CPU and 16-bit bus earlier in the 90s.

(This mistake was repeated on the 6200, and we’ll get back to it in a moment.)

Like previous Performas, the model numbers mostly relate to various default storage sizes, which topped out at 1 GB. All but the base model shipped with a 4X CD-ROM drive.

It also came in the same new case that Apple debuted with the Power Macintosh 5200/75 LC.

Thanks to the magic of eBay, I happen to have one such machine. It was for sale “For Parts,” and it sounds like something is very broken deep inside its beige plastic case.

The entire machine could be tilted forward or back on its plastic foot, a feature not found on previous all-in-one Macs.

For good measure, here’s a photo of the machine, straight from the archives of Apple PR:

This case design was dubbed “Bongo” and was an evolved version of the “Hook” design that was used in the 500 line. Adrian Mell wrote this about the design in Macworld:

The all-in-one design exhibits a lot of the same spirit that Apple vested in the original Macintosh. A deceptive minimalism belies this machine’s utility and value. Apple has again figured out how to package a full-featured computer into the simplest possible shape.

Its predecessors, which include the Performa 520, 550, 575 and now 580, all offer good functionality and value, but they lack the 5200’s design integrity. In comparison, their efforts to mimic the appearance of a conventional three-piece desktop computer just made them look clumsy.

I honestly don’t know where I fall on this debate. On one hand, the 5200 is much less busy looking than the old 500 series, but something about the 5200’s design is too bulbous for me from some angles.

To help meet the desired costs — and to fit in the shallower case — Apple dropped the beloved Sony Trinitron CRT in favor of a lesser CRT with a more rounded front from LG.

People were not a fan of that move.

Performa 6200 Series

When the 5200 line came out in May 1995, the 6100 was upgraded to the 6200. The change replaced the 6100’s 60 MHz PowerPC 601 with two options: a 75 MHz PowerPC 603 or a 100 MHz PowerPC 603e.

This line of Performa has a bit of a reputation:

Part of this was due to a batch of faulty CPUs, as reported by Andrew Gore for MacWEEK:

If you’re going to eat crow, you might as well take big bites.

That seems to be Apple’s philosophy with the announcement this week of another problem with a shipping Macintosh. However, unlike the PowerBook lithium-ion batteries, which caused the recall of the 5300 series,¹ this time the problem affects only a very small number of systems.

Specifically, 0.1 percent of LC and Performa 6200 and 5200 machines shipped since July have defective 603 CPUs. The problem is so subtle that it is noticeable only when doing certain floating-point instructions in a certain sequence, which results in calculation errors.

“It sounds like the Pentium [math problem],² but the difference is that with the Pentium it was a design flaw in the chip,” said Bruce Gee, product line manager for entry Mac systems. “This is just a manufacturing flaw.” Gee added that Apple has taken steps to make sure none of the systems shipping today have flawed chips.

Performa and LC users can find out if they have the faulty chip by running the 52xx/62xx Diagnostics Utility, which Apple made available on major on-line services and its FTP sites last week. Customers can also call (800) 785-7371 to get the utility and, if necessary, arrange for a replacement logic board.

The Final 68K Performas

Despite the launch of the machines described above, two final 68K Performas made it out the door in the spring of 1995: the 580CD and 588CD.

These machines shipped without the Sony Trinitron, and were powered by a 33 MHz 68LC040, so there was no FPU included. Storage options included a 250 and 500 MB IDE-based hard drives. Like some earlier models, they could be outfitted with Apple’s TV tuner card.

A DIY Upgrade

If you had a 68K Performa and wanted a PowerPC, there was an official way to do so from Apple, as Daniel Knight covered on LowEndMac:

The Apple Power Mac Processor Upgrade (APMPU) is a PowerPC 601 upgrade for 68040-based Macs that have a 32-bit LC processor direct slot (PDS) – the Quadra 605/LC 475/Performa 475-476, LC 575/Performa 575-578, LC 580/Performa 580-588, and Quadra 630/LC 630/Performa 630 series.

The APMPU has a 66 MHz PowerPC 601 processor, which operates at twice the clock speed of the 68040 processor installed in the computer being upgraded.

Although this upgrade is specified for 68040-based Macs with LC PDS, the upgrade does not plug into the PDS. In fact, due to the size of the upgrade card, the processor direct slot cannot be used with the PPC upgrade card, very much limiting expansion options.

This upgrade is not compatible with the 040 PDS in the Centris line, the Quadra 610, or the Quadra 650-950. These models work with the Apple Power Mac Upgrade Card and equivalents from DayStar and Sonnet.

Turns out the APMPU itself was built by DayStar, which sold a version of the card under a different (and better) name: the PowerCard 601:

Take a Breath

I did not expect to write nearly 2,000 words on the Performa’s transition to the PowerPC chip, but here we are. Next time, we’ll be looking at the next batch of updates to come to the Performa line.