The Power Macintosh Advantage

Revision as of 11:49, 9 August 2021 by Netfreak (talk | contribs)

Power Macintosh computers offer unprecedented levels of performance

With the introduction of the PowerPC 601 processor line in Macintosh computers, Apple created the Power Macintosh line, the first personal computers to integrate the PowerPC processor with an industry-standard operating system. PowerPC processors streamline the internal workings of computers through a technology known as RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing). And they offer significant performance increases and new capabilities, while preserving compatibility with existing software and peripherals.

Apple computers based on PowerPC processors offer these key advantages:

  • Breakthrough price/performance value. In a comparison of processors, the PowerPC 601 chip (the first PowerPC processor) has a price/performance advantage over competitors based on CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computing) technology. Power Macintosh and Apple's other PowerPC processor-based computers are designed to provide faster performance than CISC-based computers at the same price.
  • A smooth transition for current Macintosh, DOS, and Windows users. Apple and third-party developers are offering a variety of affordable upgrades for existing Macintosh models. Customers can purchase Macintosh computers based on the Motorola 68000 family of processors with the confidence that they can upgrade when they're ready. In addition, SoftWindows software from Insignia Solutions allows Apple's PowerPC processor-based computers to run Windows 3.1 or MS-DOS 6.2 applications. And the Power Macintosh 6100/66 DOS Compatible provides hardware-level compatibility with MS-DOS 6.2 and Windows 3.1 software-based applications through its built-in 486DX2 processor.
  • High-performance applications. Software developers have designed more than 500 applications specifically to take advantage of the performance capabilities of the PowerPC processor. These applications run up to six times faster than conventional Macintosh applications designed for 68040-based systems.

See Also