Power Macintosh 7200
Encyclopedia
The Power Macintosh 7200 (Codename: "Catalyst") 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. The 90 MHz model was also sold in Japan
as the Power Macintosh 7215, and the 120 MHz model with bundled server software as the Apple Workgroup Server
7250: additionally, it was available in Europe
in an 8100
-style case as the Power Macintosh 8200
The Power Macintosh 7200 represents the low end of the "second wave" of Power Macs, which replaced the NuBus
of the Power Macintosh x1xx models with PCI
. It was introduced at the same time as the Power Macintosh 8500
and the Power Macintosh 7500
. With the latter, it also shares the then-new "Outrigger
" case. Unlike the 7500, however, the 7200 does not have video input capabilities, and its CPU is soldered to the motherboard instead of on a daughterboard
like the 7500, making it much harder to upgrade. At the time of its introduction, Apple promised an inexpensive logic board
upgrade to the 7500, but due to high demand for the 7500, when the upgrade was finally made available, it was to the follow-on model, the Power Macintosh 7600
and cost $1600—not the inexpensive upgrade promised. It was launched at processor speeds of 75 and 90 MHz, and the slower model was replaced by a 120 MHz model in February 1996. The 120MHz model was also available in a "PC
compatible" variant, which came with a PCI card that allowed the computer to run Microsoft Windows
and other PC operating systems. The card featured a 100 MHz Pentium processor.
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 is a part of 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...
's 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,...
series of Macintosh computers. It was introduced in August 1995 as a successor to the Power Macintosh 7100
Power Macintosh 7100
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...
, and was discontinued in favor of the Power Macintosh 7300
Power Macintosh 7300
The Power Macintosh 7300 is a personal computer that is a part of Apple Computer's Power Macintosh series of Macintosh computers...
in February 1997. The 90 MHz model was also sold in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as the Power Macintosh 7215, and the 120 MHz model with bundled server software as the Apple Workgroup Server
Apple Workgroup Server
Apple Workgroup Server and, later, Macintosh Server, were the names given to selected models of Macintosh computers which were sold by Apple Computer with additional server software and sometimes bigger hard drives. Apart from that, they were mostly identical to computers out of Apple's...
7250: additionally, it was available in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in an 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...
-style case as the Power Macintosh 8200
The Power Macintosh 7200 represents the low end of the "second wave" of Power Macs, which replaced the NuBus
NuBus
NuBus is a 32-bit parallel computer bus, originally developed at MIT as a part of the NuMachine workstation project. The first complete implementation of the NuBus and the NuMachine was done by Western Digital for their NuMachine, and for the Lisp Machines Inc. LMI-Lambda. The NuBus was later...
of the Power Macintosh x1xx models with PCI
Peripheral Component Interconnect
Conventional PCI is a computer bus for attaching hardware devices in a computer...
. It was introduced at the same time as the Power Macintosh 8500
Power Macintosh 8500
The Power Macintosh 8500 was a high-end Macintosh personal computer designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from 1995 until 1997. Billed as a high-end graphics computer, the Power Macintosh 8500 was also the first Macintosh to ship with a replaceable daughtercard...
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...
. With the latter, it also shares the then-new "Outrigger
Outrigger Macintosh
The Outrigger is a style of Apple Macintosh desktop computercase designed for easy access. Outrigger cases were used on the Power Macintosh 7200, 7300, 7500, 7600 and Power Macintosh G3 Desktop computers from August 1995 to December 1998....
" case. Unlike the 7500, however, the 7200 does not have video input capabilities, and its CPU is soldered to the motherboard instead of on a daughterboard
Daughterboard
A daughterboard, daughtercard or piggyback board is a circuit board meant to be an extension or "daughter" of a motherboard , or occasionally of another card...
like the 7500, making it much harder to upgrade. At the time of its introduction, Apple promised an inexpensive logic board
Logic board
A logic board is the Apple equivalent of a motherboard. The term logic board was coined back in the 1980s, when the compact Macs at the time had two separate circuit components. The term "logic board" stuck over the years of Macintosh manufacturing, even in the non-all-in-one Macs...
upgrade to the 7500, but due to high demand for the 7500, when the upgrade was finally made available, it was to the follow-on model, the Power Macintosh 7600
Power Macintosh 7600
The Power Macintosh 7600 was a PowerPC 604 based desktop computer sold by Apple in three speeds between April 1996 and November 1997. The 7600 was essentially a Power Macintosh 7500 with a different CPU card, the change in model number occurring because of the move from the 7500's PPC601 to the...
and cost $1600—not the inexpensive upgrade promised. It was launched at processor speeds of 75 and 90 MHz, and the slower model was replaced by a 120 MHz model in February 1996. The 120MHz model was also available in a "PC
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It is IBM model number 5150, and was introduced on August 12, 1981...
compatible" variant, which came with a PCI card that allowed the computer to run Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and other PC operating systems. The card featured a 100 MHz Pentium processor.
External links
- Power Macintosh 7200/75, 7200/90, 7200/120, 7200/120 (PC compatible), 7215/90 and WGS 7250/120 specifications at AppleSpec
- Power Macintosh 7200 at apple-history.com
- Power Macintosh 7200 at Low End Mac
- Power Macintosh 7200/75, 7200/90, 7200/120 and WGS 7250/120 at EveryMac.com
- Official Power Macintosh 7200/120 page (1996) 7200/120
- Official Power Macintosh 7200/120 (PC Compatible) page (1996) 7200/120 PC