Performa Month

In August 2024, I spent way too much time detailing Apple’s confusing line of Performa computers.

Background

• Welcome to Performa Month

68K Performas

• The First of a New Line of Macintosh: The Performa 200, 400, 600, & 600CD
• The First Updates: The 250, 405/410/430, & 450
• The 520: A New All-in-One Design
• Fall 1993 Brought an Avalanche of Machines
• The “Money Magazine Edition” Performas
• February 1994: Performa 575, 577, & 578 Launched
• A Look at a Lot of Performa 630CDs, the 640CD, and Some Cool Expansion Cards
• A Change in Direction Before the PowerPC Transition

PowerPC Performas

• The PowerPC Transition (And a New All-in-One)
• The First PowerPC Updates
• 1996 Arrives with New 5200 & 5400s
• The Final Performa Models

Wrapping it Up

• Reflections on a Messy Macintosh Era
• Episode #28 of 20 Macs over on Relay

Performa Ads

Apple had ads for the Performa all over the place back in the day, from magazines to TV. The most famous video example is a half-hour special named “The Martinettis Bring Home a Computer.”

The print material was focused on what a Performa could do for you at home:

via Vintage Computing and Gaming