Macintosh IIvx

The Macintosh IIvx is a personal computer designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from October 1992 to October 1993. It is the last of the Macintosh II family of Macintosh computers. The IIvx was introduced at the same time as the Macintosh IIvi, Performa 600 and Performa 600CD, with all four models using the same new metal case design. Like the Performa 600CD, the IIvx could be equipped with an internal double-speed CD-ROM drive.[1]

Macintosh IIvx
DeveloperApple Computer
Product familyMacintosh II, Centris
Release dateOctober 19, 1992 (1992-10-19)
Introductory priceUS$2,950 (equivalent to $5,696 in 2021)
DiscontinuedOctober 21, 1993 (1993-10-21)
Operating systemSystem 7.1 - Mac OS 7.6.1
CPUMotorola 68030 @ 32 MHz
Memory4 MiB, expandable to 68 MiB (80 ns 30-pin SIMM)
DimensionsHeight: 6 inches (15 cm)
Width: 13 inches (33 cm)
Depth: 16.5 inches (42 cm)
Mass25 pounds (11 kg)
SuccessorMacintosh Quadra 650
Related articlesMacintosh IIvi

While the IIvx shares the model designation of other Macintosh II computers, Apple considers the IIvx to be the first computer in the Macintosh Centris line.[2] According to Apple, their lawyers were unable to complete the trademark check on the "Centris" name in time for the IIvx's release.[2] Machines bearing the Centris name were introduced a few months later.

The IIvx was described in a MacWorld magazine review as having "the best price-to-performance ratio of any computer Apple has ever built."[1] The list price for a machine with an 80 MiB hard drive, 4 MiB main memory, and 512 KB of video memory was US$2,949. Adding the CD-ROM and upgrading to 5 MiB of main memory and 1 MiB video memory increased the price to US$3,219, which Macworld deemed to be "the best CD-ROM drive bargain ever offered".

The much more powerful Macintosh Centris 650 was released four months after the IIvx for $250 less, immediately rendering the IIvx obsolete. The IIvx's base price was slashed by more than a third.[3] Because of increasing competition from Dell and other PC manufacturers, prices of the IIvx continued to fall quickly; by the end of June 1993, the price of the 5/80 + CD-ROM configuration had dropped to $1,799, about half its original price.[4] For a while afterwards, people who bought an expensive Mac that quickly became outdated were said to have been "IIvx-ed".[5]

Overview

The Mac IIvx began its life in development as a proof-of-concept to see how an internal CD-ROM drive could be added to a Mac. But after Apple CEO John Sculley gave a speech at MacWorld Tokyo promising a Mac with a CD-ROM drive, the IIvx was rushed into production.[5] Several shortcuts were taken in its design; most notably, its 32 MHz processor was crippled by a 16 MHz bus, making it slightly slower than the popular but aging Macintosh IIci.[3] Its serial port was limited to 57.6 kbit/s, which could cause problems with serial connections and MIDI hardware. The Macintosh IIvi (a slower version of the IIvx with a 16 MHz processor) was introduced at the same time in some markets (though not the United States) but discontinued four months later. Representing the high end of the original Performa lineup, the Performa 600 was also based on the same architecture. The IIvx was one of the only Macintosh II models with a 32K L2 cache, following the IIfx's onboard 32K cache and the IIci's optional 32K cache card; neither the IIvi nor the Performa 600 supported an L2 cache, despite their similarities to the IIvx.

Hardware

The IIvx was sold with hard drives ranging in capacity from 40 to 400 MiB, three NuBus slots, and a Processor Direct Slot.[6]

The Macintosh IIvx uses the same case as the Macintosh Performa 600, which was itself reused for the Centris 650 (later known as the Quadra 650). It can be upgraded to this machine by swapping the logic board. The IIvx case was also used for the Power Macintosh 7100.[7]

Timelines
Timeline of Macintosh II models
Macintosh PlusMacintosh IIvxMacintosh IIviMacintosh IIsiMacintosh IIciMacintosh IIcxMacintosh IIfxMacintosh IIxMacintosh II
Timeline of Macintosh Centris, LC, Performa, and Quadra models, colored by CPU type
Power MacintoshMacintosh QuadraMacintosh CentrisMacintosh PerformaMacintosh II seriesMacintosh Performa 6410Macintosh Performa 6410Macintosh Performa 6410Macintosh Performa 6400Macintosh Performa 6360Macintosh Performa 6300Macintosh Quadra 950Macintosh Performa 6117Macintosh Performa 6116Macintosh Quadra 900Macintosh Quadra 840AVMacintosh Quadra 800Macintosh Quadra 700Macintosh Quadra 650Macintosh Quadra 630Macintosh Quadra 610Macintosh Quadra 605Macintosh Quadra 660AVMacintosh Quadra 650Macintosh Quadra 610Macintosh Performa 5280Macintosh Performa 5270Macintosh Performa 5260Macintosh Performa 5260Macintosh Performa 6200Macintosh Performa 5215Macintosh Performa 5210Macintosh Performa 640CDMacintosh Performa 635Macintosh Performa 630Macintosh Performa 588CDMacintosh Performa 580CDMacintosh Performa 578Macintosh Performa 577Macintosh Performa 575Macintosh Performa 560Macintosh Performa 550Macintosh Performa 520Macintosh Performa 275Macintosh Performa 250Macintosh Performa 600Macintosh Performa 400Macintosh Performa 200Macintosh LC 580Power Macintosh 5300 LCPower Macintosh 5200 LCMacintosh LC 575Macintosh LC 630Macintosh LC 550Macintosh LC 520Macintosh LC 475Macintosh LC IIIMacintosh LC IIIMacintosh IIvxMacintosh LC IIMacintosh LC
See also: Timeline of Macintosh models

References
  1. Seiter, Charles (December 1992). "Macintosh IIvx - The latest desktop Mac is a faster version of the Performa 600". Macworld. Vol. 9, no. 12. pp. 206–207.
  2. Gruman, Galen (April 1993). "Centris 610 & 650 - Two new midrange performers replace the venerable Mac II line". Macworld. Vol. 10, no. 4. pp. 106–113.
  3. "Macintosh IIvx". Low End Mac. October 19, 1992.
  4. Swartz, Jon; Picarille, Lisa (June 21, 1993). "Dealers not sold on Apple rebates". MacWEEK. Vol. 7, no. 25. p. 32-34.
  5. O'Grady, Jason D. (2008). Apple Inc. (Corporations That Changed the World). ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-36244-6. LCCN 2008038757.
  6. "Macintosh IIvx: Technical Specifications". Apple.
  7. "Power Macintosh 7100/80: Technical Specifications". Apple.
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