The Macintosh Classic II (also sold as the Performa 200) is a

personal computer A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or te ...

designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. from October 1991 to September 1993. Like the

Macintosh SE/30 The Macintosh SE/30 is a personal computer designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from January 1989 to October 1991. It is the fastest of the original black-and-white compact Macintosh series. The SE/30 has a black-and-white monitor ...

, the Classic II was powered by a 16 MHz Motorola 68030 CPU and 40 or 80 MB

hard disk A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating platters coated with magn ...

, but in contrast to the SE/30, it was limited by a

16-bit 16-bit microcomputers are microcomputers that use 16-bit microprocessors. A 16-bit register can store 216 different values. The range of integer values that can be stored in 16 bits depends on the integer representation used. With the two ...

data bus (the SE/30 had a 32-bit data bus) and a 10 MB memory ceiling. The slower data bus resulted in the Classic II being 30% slower than the SE/30. While the Classic II shares a case with the earlier Classic, architecturally it has more similarities to the

Macintosh LC The Macintosh LC is a personal computer designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. from October 1990 to March 1992. Overview The first in the Macintosh LC family, the LC was introduced with the Macintosh Classic (a repackaging o ...

. The use of custom ICs, identical to those used in the LC, enabled the Classic II to have a lower component count than older Macs. Unlike the LC and the SE/30 before it, the Classic II does not have an internal Processor Direct Slot, making it the second slotless desktop Macintosh after the Classic. The Classic II was one of the three machines Apple repackaged as a

Macintosh Performa The Macintosh Performa is a family of personal computers designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1992 to 1997. The Performa brand re-used models from Apple's Quadra, Centris, LC, and Power Macintosh families with mode ...

when the brand was introduced in September 1992. Called the "Performa 200", it was sold with the same specifications as the original Classic II, with the addition of a speaker grille on the left side for enhanced sound. A number of changes to the packaged software were included, such as the

At Ease At Ease was an alternative to the Macintosh desktop developed by Apple Computer in the early 1990s for the classic Mac OS. It provided a simple environment for new Macintosh users and young children to help them to work without supervision. At ...

desktop alternative which aimed to provide a simpler user interface than the standard Macintosh Finder. The exact software included tended to vary from one retailer to the next. It was initially offered at a retail price of about $1,250 USD. The Classic II is the last black-and-white

compact Macintosh A Compact Macintosh (or Compact Mac) is an all-in-one Apple Mac computer with a display integrated in the computer case, beginning with the original Macintosh 128K. Compact Macs include the original Macintosh through to the Color Classic sold ...

, and the last desktop

Macintosh The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and ...

to include an external

floppy disk A floppy disk or floppy diskette (casually referred to as a floppy, or a diskette) is an obsolescent type of disk storage composed of a thin and flexible disk of a magnetic storage medium in a square or nearly square plastic enclosure lined ...

drive port. Apple discontinued support for the Classic II on January 1, 2001.

Models

* Macintosh Classic II: Sold in two configurations: **2/40: 2 MB RAM, 40 MB HDD. USD $1,899. **4/80: 4 MB RAM, 80 MB HDD. USD $2,399. * Macintosh Performa 200:

Hardware

Processor: 16 MHz (15.6672 MHz) Motorola 68030 (32-bit internally, 16-bit bus), with an optional Motorola 68882 FPU RAM: 2 MB, expandable to 10 MB using two 100 ns 30-pin

SIMM A SIMM (single in-line memory module) is a type of memory module containing random-access memory used in computers from the early 1980s to the early 2000s. It differs from a dual in-line memory module (DIMM), the most predominant form of memo ...

s Display: 9" monochrome screen, 512 × 342

pixel In digital imaging, a pixel (abbreviated px), pel, or picture element is the smallest addressable element in a raster image, or the smallest point in an all points addressable display device. In most digital display devices, pixels are the ...

s Audio: 8-bit mono 22 kHz Hard drive: 40 or 80 MB Floppy: 1.44 MB double-sided Addressing: 24-bit or 32-bit Battery: 3.6 V lithium Expansion: Connectors on the rear panel include an ADB port for keyboard and mouse, two

mini-DIN The mini-DIN connectors are a family of multi-pin electrical connectors used in a variety of applications. Mini-DIN is similar to the larger, older DIN connector. Design Mini-DIN connectors are in diameter and come in seven patterns, wit ...

-8 RS-422

serial port In computing, a serial port is a serial communication interface through which information transfers in or out sequentially one bit at a time. This is in contrast to a parallel port, which communicates multiple bits simultaneously in parallel. ...

DB-25 The D-subminiature or D-sub is a common type of electrical connector. They are named for their characteristic D-shaped metal shield. When they were introduced, D-subs were among the smallest connectors used on computer systems. Description, no ...

SCSI Small Computer System Interface (SCSI, ) is a set of standards for physically connecting and transferring data between computers and peripheral devices. The SCSI standards define commands, protocols, electrical, optical and logical interface ...

, DB-19 External floppy drive, and two 3.5 mm minijack audio sockets for audio in and headphone out. The Classic II has a 50-pin internal expansion slot intended for either an FPU co-processor or additional ROM. Due to not being designed to be used for any other purpose, the socket is unsuitable for use as a general expansion slot. Apple never produced an expansion card of any kind for this slot, although at least one third-party FPU was available: the FastMath Classic II by Applied Engineering.http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-9244729_ITM and Sonnet offered a synchronous (16 MHz) and asynchronous (50 MHz) 68882 FPU.

Gallery

Timelines

References

External links

Classic II (Performa 200)Information pages
at Mac512.com {{Apple hardware before 1998 Classic II Classic II Classic II Computer-related introductions in 1991