Macintosh Quadra 800
Encyclopedia
The Macintosh Quadra 800 (Codenames: "Fridge", "Wombat 33", also sold with bundled server software as the Apple Workgroup Server
80) is a personal computer
that is a part of Apple Computer
's Quadra
series of Macintosh computers.
Introduced in February 1993 alongside the first Macintosh Centris
models, it was the first totally new Quadra model since the original Quadras, the 700
and the 900
/ 950
. It was positioned below the 950 (and the previous midrange Quadra, the 700, was discontinued shortly after the 800's introduction). Debuting at half the price of the 950, the 800 featured the same Motorola 68040
33 MHz processor as the 950 but its additional interleaved
RAM
, as well as an enhanced video system and SCSI
bus, enabled it to outperform the 950.
However, its tower case was smaller and much less accessible, giving it the reputation of being one of Apple's worst cases of all time. The Quadra 800 was later joined by an outwardly similar model, the Macintosh Quadra 840AV
, and was discontinued in March 1994 in favor of its Power Macintosh
replacement, the Power Macintosh 8100
, which used the same case. The case was further used for the 8100's successor, the Power Macintosh 8500
, and in a highly modified and much taller variant for the Power Macintosh 9500
.
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...
80) is a personal computer
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 Quadra
Macintosh Quadra
The Macintosh Quadra series was Apple Computer's product family of professional high-end Apple Macintosh personal computers built using the Motorola 68040 CPU. The first two models in the Quadra line were introduced in 1991, and the name was used until the Power Mac was introduced in 1994...
series of Macintosh computers.
Introduced in February 1993 alongside the first Macintosh Centris
Macintosh Centris
Macintosh Centris is a line of Macintosh computers, introduced in 1993, that were built around the Motorola 68LC040 and 68040 CPUs. The name was chosen to indicate that the consumer was selecting a Macintosh in the center of Apple's product line: lower performance than the Quadra computers, but...
models, it was the first totally new Quadra model since the original Quadras, the 700
Macintosh Quadra 700
The Macintosh Quadra 700 was introduced along with the Quadra 900 in October 1991 as Apple's first computers to use the Motorola 68040 processor, as well as the first to feature built-in Ethernet networking as many Unix workstations did...
and the 900
Macintosh Quadra 900
The Macintosh Quadra 900 was a high-end personal computer introduced with the Quadra 700 in October 1991 as Apple Computer's first computers in the Quadra series using the Motorola 68040 processor. It was discontinued in 1992, and succeeded by the very similar Quadra 950. The Quadra 900 was more...
/ 950
Macintosh Quadra 950
The Macintosh Quadra 950 was the third desktop computer in Apple Computer's Quadra line. It was based on Motorola's 68040 microprocessor rather than the 68LC040 . It replaced the Quadra 900, increasing the CPU clock rate from 25 MHz to 33 MHz, and improving the graphics support...
. It was positioned below the 950 (and the previous midrange Quadra, the 700, was discontinued shortly after the 800's introduction). Debuting at half the price of the 950, the 800 featured the same Motorola 68040
Motorola 68040
The Motorola 68040 is a microprocessor from Motorola, released in 1990. It is the successor to the 68030 and is followed by the 68060. There was no 68050. In keeping with general Motorola naming, the 68040 is often referred to as simply the '040 ....
33 MHz processor as the 950 but its additional interleaved
Interleaving
In computer science and telecommunication, interleaving is a way to arrange data in a non-contiguous way to increase performance.It is typically used:* In error-correction coding, particularly within data transmission, disk storage, and computer memory....
RAM
Ram
-Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another...
, as well as an enhanced video system and SCSI
SCSI
Small Computer System Interface is a set of standards for physically connecting and transferring data between computers and peripheral devices. The SCSI standards define commands, protocols, and electrical and optical interfaces. SCSI is most commonly used for hard disks and tape drives, but it...
bus, enabled it to outperform the 950.
However, its tower case was smaller and much less accessible, giving it the reputation of being one of Apple's worst cases of all time. The Quadra 800 was later joined by an outwardly similar model, the Macintosh Quadra 840AV
Macintosh Quadra 840AV
The Macintosh Quadra 840AV is a personal computer that is a part of Apple Computer's Quadra series of Macintosh computers. It was introduced in July 1993 alongside the Centris 660AV, the "AV" after both model numbers signifying video input and output capabilities, as well as enhanced audio...
, and was discontinued in March 1994 in favor of its 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,...
replacement, 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...
, which used the same case. The case was further used for the 8100's successor, 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 in a highly modified and much taller variant for the Power Macintosh 9500
Power Macintosh 9500
The Power Macintosh 9500 was a high-end Macintosh personal computer which was designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from May 1995 until early 1997. It was powered by a PowerPC 604 processor, a second-generation PowerPC chip which was faster than the earlier PowerPC 601 chip...
.
External links
- Quadra 800 specifications at AppleSpec
- Quadra 800 at apple-history.com
- Quadra 800 at Low End Mac
- Quadra 800 at EveryMac.com