Power Macintosh 7100
Encyclopedia
The Power Macintosh 7100 was a mid-range Apple Macintosh personal computer
that was designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer
from March 1994 to January 1996. The PowerMac 7100 was faster and more expandable than the Power Macintosh 6100
, and was a part of the original Power Macintosh
line along with the 6100 and the Power Macintosh 8100
. It came in a slightly restyled Macintosh IIvx
case, and received a speed increase to 80 MHz (from its original 66 MHz) in January 1995. When it was discontinued it was succeeded by two new models, the Power Macintosh 7200
and the Power Macintosh 7500
.
A higher-priced audio-visual variant (the 7100AV) included a 2 MiB VRAM card with s-video in/out. Non-AV 7100s had a video card containing 1 MiB VRAM and no s-video in/out capability.
", the in-joke being that the mid-range PowerMac 7100 would make Apple "billions and billions." Though the project name was strictly internal and never used in public marketing, when Sagan learned of this internal usage he sued Apple Computer to force the use of a different project name. Other models released conjointly were codenamed "Cold fusion
" and "Piltdown Man
", and he was displeased at being associated with what he considered pseudoscience
. Though Sagan lost the suit, Apple engineers complied with his demands anyway, renaming the project "BHA" (for Butt-Head Astronomer). Sagan promptly sued Apple for libel over the new name, claiming that it subjected him to contempt and ridicule, but lost this lawsuit as well.
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
that was designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
from March 1994 to January 1996. The PowerMac 7100 was faster and more expandable than the Power Macintosh 6100
Power Macintosh 6100
The Power Macintosh 6100 was Apple Computer's first computer to use the new PowerPC RISC type processor created by IBM and Motorola. It came in the Centris 610's "pizza box" low-profile case, and superseded the Quadra series that used Motorola's 68040 processor, Apple's previous high end...
, and was a part of the original Power Macintosh
Power Macintosh
Power Macintosh, later Power Mac, was a line of Apple Macintosh workstation-class personal computers based on various models of PowerPC microprocessors that were developed, marketed, and supported by Apple Inc. from March 1994 until August 2006. The first models were the Power Macintosh 6100,...
line along with the 6100 and the Power Macintosh 8100
Power Macintosh 8100
The Power Macintosh 8100 is a personal computer that is a part of Apple Computer's Power Macintosh series of Macintosh computers...
. It came in a slightly restyled Macintosh IIvx
Macintosh IIvx
The Macintosh IIvx was the last of the Macintosh II series of Macintosh computers from Apple. The IIvx included either a 40, 80, 160 or 400 MB hard drive, three NuBus slots, and a Processor Direct Slot. It was the first Macintosh to have a metal case and the first case design of any personal...
case, and received a speed increase to 80 MHz (from its original 66 MHz) in January 1995. When it was discontinued it was succeeded by two new models, the Power Macintosh 7200
Power Macintosh 7200
The Power Macintosh 7200 is a personal computer that is a part of Apple Computer's Power Macintosh series of Macintosh computers. It was introduced in August 1995 as a successor to the Power Macintosh 7100, and was discontinued in favor of the Power Macintosh 7300 in February 1997...
and the Power Macintosh 7500
Power Macintosh 7500
The Power Macintosh 7500 was one of the first PCI capable Macs manufactured by Apple Computer. It was released alongside the Power Macintosh 7200, and the Power Macintosh 8500 in October 1995. The 7500 had a PowerPC 601 processor rated at 100 MHz that was replaceable via a daughtercard...
.
A higher-priced audio-visual variant (the 7100AV) included a 2 MiB VRAM card with s-video in/out. Non-AV 7100s had a video card containing 1 MiB VRAM and no s-video in/out capability.
Codename Lawsuit
The Power Macintosh 7100's internal code name was "Carl SaganCarl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books...
", the in-joke being that the mid-range PowerMac 7100 would make Apple "billions and billions." Though the project name was strictly internal and never used in public marketing, when Sagan learned of this internal usage he sued Apple Computer to force the use of a different project name. Other models released conjointly were codenamed "Cold fusion
Cold fusion
Cold fusion, also called low-energy nuclear reaction , refers to the hypothesis that nuclear fusion might explain the results of a group of experiments conducted at ordinary temperatures . Both the experimental results and the hypothesis are disputed...
" and "Piltdown Man
Piltdown Man
The Piltdown Man was a hoax in which bone fragments were presented as the fossilised remains of a previously unknown early human. These fragments consisted of parts of a skull and jawbone, said to have been collected in 1912 from a gravel pit at Piltdown, East Sussex, England...
", and he was displeased at being associated with what he considered pseudoscience
Pseudoscience
Pseudoscience is a claim, belief, or practice which is presented as scientific, but which does not adhere to a valid scientific method, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, cannot be reliably tested, or otherwise lacks scientific status...
. Though Sagan lost the suit, Apple engineers complied with his demands anyway, renaming the project "BHA" (for Butt-Head Astronomer). Sagan promptly sued Apple for libel over the new name, claiming that it subjected him to contempt and ridicule, but lost this lawsuit as well.
See also
- List of Macintosh models grouped by CPU type
- List of products discontinued by Apple Computer