The Macintosh Catalog Database is in FileMaker Pro 2.0 format. A selection of buttons let you activate predefined scripts, switch layouts, print reports and sort records.
Where to Find Updates
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The Macintosh Catalog is available in two forms: a FileMaker Pro 2.0 database alone, or a database file bundled with FileMaker Pro User, the runtime version of the FileMaker Pro application. You can get the latest version from the following sources:
ZiffNet/Mac on CompuServe
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Look for DBMACS.SEA (database only) or RTMACS.SEA (database with runtime) in Library 1 of the Download & Support Forum (GO ZMC:DOWNTECH).
ZiffNet Selections on AppleLink
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Look for both versions under the path ZiffNet Selections:MacUser Software:Reference.
ZiffNet/Mac Services on eWorld
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Go to the Software Center from ZiffNet/Mac (shortcut: shareware) and look for both versions in the Software Central library under Ziffware.
Change History
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Version 4.3
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* Not much new here. I updated the Catalog for new models and updated all price information.
* I did add one feature, though; since Matt MacPherson was so good as to compile a huge list of Mac model numbers for me, I added a field for this tidbit to the database. The model number is a cryptic number that appears on a label on the back or underside of your Mac, and you never know when an IS or tech-support person may need it. ;-)
I don’t have all the model numbers yet, but I’ll conduct an ongoing census while I wait for the next update.
Version 4.2
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* Ric Ford pointed out that the Macintosh 630 family does not support the Portrait Display.
* Several people wrote to correct the list of possible RAM totals for the Power Mac 6100. As every Power Mac owner should know, you have to mount the 72-pin SIMMs in pairs, no matter what it says in the Mac Catalog. :-)
* I noted that the PowerBook 500 series require the PlainTalk microphone.
* Martin Fenner reports that all PowerBook Duos are expanadable to 32 MB of RAM. I don’t know if this is officially supported by Apple, though.
* I fleshed out the descriptions of some Performa models.
* Various other tweaks and updates, including a variety of new models.
* I renamed the splash screen layouts, and while I was at it I added some separators to the list of layouts.
* This version of the Catalog comes locked to prevent inadvertent alterations, at the suggestion of George Dibble. If you want to modify the database, select it in the Finder, choose Get Info and uncheck the Locked checkbox.
Version 4.1
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* Niall O’Sullivan passed on VGA and SVGA support information on the Quadra 700 and 900.
* I’d welcome any information on the mysterious Performa 275, which appears to be a spinoff of the equally mysterious Color Classic II. Ditto the Performa 250, a spinoff of the original Color Classic which Brett Wentworth reports is available in Australia.
* I noted the 7" size constraint on the NuBus slot in certain Macs.
* I listed the number of pins for all DAV and DVA slots . I didn’t have room to note that the Quadra 840AV’s inline DAV connector is a 40-pin type.
* I stopped distinguishing between inline PDS slots, and slots that could serve as PDS or NuBus slots depending on the adaptor.
* I merged some listings, notably the Mac SE and SE FDHD and the Performa 600 and 600CD.
* I rearranged some info, moving the internal display off the “Video Support” layout onto the rearranged “Special Features” screen. The section headings of the “Special Features” layout now dim themselves when appropriate.
* Some audio features got bumped over to the “Expansion” layout, as I attempted to minimize the number of active layouts for each model. This was supposed to help cut the size of the QuickTime movie version (now probably discontinued).
* All the layout names in the list on the left side of the screen are now active all the time, even if the layout name is dimmed. This saves a lot of silly field-juggling on my part.
* I corrected (hopefully) the System version numbers for some early Macs.
* At Ric Ford’s request, I’ve indicated which Macs require Apple’s new PlainTalk microphone.
Version 4.0.1
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* I modified the entries for the PowerBook 500 series to indicate that they have the HDI-30 SCSI port, as pointed out by Brian Latimer. I also put the ports in the correct order.
* I changed the required System for the PowerBook 100 to the semi-mythical System 6.0.8L at the suggestion of MacUser’s Jason Snell.
* Peter Hillman reported that the Performa 575 series do include System software on CD-ROM, a first for the Performa line.
Peter also asks about the listed clock speeds for the new PowerBooks and PowerBook Duos, which Apple lists as clock-doubled in its spec sheets. Putting aside all arguments about the technical definition of clock-doubling and the merits of Motorola’s implementation as compared to Intel’s, I opt to continue listing these speeds in the same fashion as Apple has done for all previous ’040 Macs.
In other words, I want to stay consistent within this Catalog. It seems much more useful to know that the processor in the PowerBook 520 is the same speed as that in the Quadra 605 than to be able to trade big numbers with Intel’s 486DX2 chips.
* John Kadyk spotted the two RCA audio in ports on the back of the Quadra 900, a unique feature I’d completely overlooked.
* I changed some of the check-box fields to simple text fields, to reduce the risk of accidental modification.
Version 4.0
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* A succession of hardware innovations — the DOS Compatibility Card, the Power Macs, the PowerBook 500 series, etc. — made it necessary to redesign the Mac Catalog virtually from scratch.
* Gone are the cute icons for toggling between layouts, casualties of the sheer number of new layouts. You can now use the menu-style list on the left to toggle between layouts; note that layouts that are inappropriate for a given model are grayed out.
* A flag at the upper left corner of each data-entry layout indicates whether the record has been modified by the user, whether intentionally or inadvertently. If a record has a red dot in this corner, it has been changed since the Mac Catalog was released and is no longer guaranteed accurate; you should not distribute a modified copy, and should replace it with a new one.
* There are now dedicated layouts for memory expansion, video support and upgrade options. A new “Special Features” layout covers AV features, advanced I/O capabilities and PowerBook-specific information. The layouts themselves are a bit more sedate, with the embossed text reserved for special occasions.
* The “General Info” layout now has a list of distinguishing features as well as the general description. These features are in addition to those grouped under “Special Features.”
Models can now be listed as “Discontinued” with or without a date. This way I can list obsolete Performas and the mysterious Color Classic II as discontinued, even though I can’t find the actual date.
Let me answer a frequently asked question; the “Machine Number,” formerly listed as “Gestalt Number,” is a number stored in the Mac’s ROM which can be retrieved by system software or applications to determine which model of Mac they’re running on.
* Note the list of subsystems on the “System” layout; this open-ended structure lets me compare all manner of wacky buses and coprocessors side by side.
This chart also lets me denote which systems are built-in and which are located on an expansion card; this device is reused for RAM and VRAM charts, expansion slots and ports.
I’ve differentiated between level 1 and level 2 cache (the former is on the processor itself, the latter is adjacent to the processor and stores data from RAM and disk for quick access).
* A footnote option on the “Video Support” layout lets me differentiate internal and external display support, and display support for Macs with two video-out ports.
The video support chart itself now lists VGA, SVGA and 19" display color support. This was requested by, among others, MacWEEK Forum sysop Ford and a fellow named Dan (I never caught his last name, but Dan — you know who you are).
Information on larger PC resolutions, NTSC and PAL may be added in future if I can find all the necessary data.
* The price chart now provides a list of standard features and uses footnotes to denote features that are available only with some configurations. VRAM and CD-ROM have been given columns of their own.
I’ve switched to U.S. Apple Prices only, since the only models that lack this information are the PowerBook Duo 230, PowerBook Duo MiniDock and PowerBook Duo Dock.
* All the print layouts have been revamped, and I added a table format for printing comparison charts. Let me know if you have any requests or suggestions for the design of this chart.
* I put gray backgrounds on all the Mac icons so that they’d print better (thanks to Chris Seilern for bringing this to my attention). I also made new icons for the PowerBook 500 series and the Workgroup Server 9150.
* Thanks to ZiffNet/Mac’s own Craig O’Donnell and Ric Ford, for detailed info on sound and video.
* There are still some gaps when it comes to System Enablers, machine numbers and Apple Prices. I welcome any information on these mysterious facts, denoted in the Catalog by bullets (••).
* I shortened this Read Me file a bit, removing some change history information which has no bearing on the current version of the Mac Catalog.
Version 3.6.1
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* At the behest of ZiffNet/Mac’s own Ben Templin and Shef Syed, I added the last listed SRPs (Suggested Retail Prices) for Macs which have not yet been discontinued but which never received official Apple Prices. I still hope that Apple will issue a full list of Apple Prices for currently available models, as well as updating them when prices are cut, but at this point it seems quite unlikely.
Adding the tag that indicates whether a price is an Apple Price, an SRP or never listed (this was the case for most Performas) necessitated shortening the “Other Features” portion of the price charts, so I set up a field that lists the features common to all configurations of a given Mac model.
The source for the SRPs was the September 13, 1993 price list, so be forewarned that these may very well be quite out of date.
Non-US users; obviously, none of this applies to you. Let me know if any of the price-related functions I’ve added in this version make it difficult for you to enter your local pricing information.
* I also received some announcement & discontinuation date info from Marianne Lettieri of Apple Public Relations. The exact status of the Performa line is still slightly unclear; perhaps by the time I do another update we’ll have more concrete information.
Version 3.6
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* Once again, we have a slew of new data available in the database. I incorporated a lot of information that users have been requesting, such as RAM configuration details, ROM info, upgrade options and other general descriptive info.
I had to rearrange the layouts to fit all this in; the Info layout has been purged of redundant information, I added a Pricing layout (as per user requests), and the video-support chart has been bumped off the pictorial list of layouts. The video-support chart and the new RAM configuration chart can be accessed by clicking the “Chart” buttons on the System layout; they thus serve to provide detailed info for power users. I hope you find this a satisfactory solution to the perennial lack of real estate in this database.
If you want to edit information on these new charts, which will disappear as soon as you click on them, press the tab key to cycle through the fields.
* To enumerate some of the specific requests and corrections that have been addressed in this version…
Robert Wright asked for “better information about related models.” I tried to be more complete in this version, using the extra space I allocated to the Notes field. Robert also requested a more compact model list and a way to view prices without losing his place.
Gregg Rouse and Dennis Whiteman asked for information on Apple-labeled CPU upgrades. (I’m sorry if third-party accelerator vendors will now feel slighted, but if so, why not make your own database? Send it to me and I’ll make sure it gets into distribution.)
John Gillett asked for more info on RAM configurations, such as the requirements for filling slots and the SIMM sizes that each model supports. Well, John, as Dr. Science says, “I hope this answers your question.”
Robert Bowers supplied info on ROM versions, some of which I incorporated into the database. FYI, Robert, the version of AppleTalk present in ROM is now in the database — there just wasn’t room to put it on any of the layouts.
Bob Farnsworth of Sonnet Technologies supplied a host of VRAM speed corrections, some of which I used and others of which I wasn’t sure of. It seems that in some cases the minimum VRAM speed listed in the developer notes for a given model contradicts what appears in the rest of Apple’s authoritative sources. Generally, I erred on the side of caution.
Bob also requested that I mention the possibility of FPU installation for some LC models and for Macs that use the 68LC040 chip; prompted me to correct and expand the discussion of the Mac II’s weird RAM constraints; and got me to change some other misleading phrasing in the Catalog.
* I added the Color Classic II to the Catalog, since I figured I had the bare minimum of information necessary to list it. I still welcome more information on this elusive Mac.
* I went through the Read Me file and wrote in credits for some older corrections supplied by users — at least those where I had saved the user’s message.
Version 3.5.1
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* I added the Macintosh TV to the Catalog. Some details, i.e. the precise nature of its VRAM setup, are still unknown. I still don’t have enough info on the Color Classic II to give it a full entry.
* I noted the stereo audio-in capability of the Performa 550.
* As more info on the Macintosh XL comes in, I’ve noted in the Catalog that it has an MMU (memory management unit) of an as-yet-unidentified type, and that it offers composite video out (suitable for use with a television). I also corrected the RAM setup, and removed the kinda tacky and misleading port icons. Thanks to Daniel Carr for feeding me Mac XL information!
* I decided that the height of 3.2" that they’re now listing for Macs using the LC form factor does indeed represent a retroactive re-measurement and have changed the listed dimensions of many LC and Performa models accordingly.
* The “View Price List” button no longer performs a sort, meaning that you won’t lose your selected Mac when you switch to the Price List view.
* The database no longer opens in multi-user mode, which should improve performance. Thanks to Chris Illes of Claris for this tip.
Version 3.5
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* Another big stylistic revamp, this time motivated by the need to both accommodate more information (the AV Macs exhausted my space allocation for ports) and to reduce the size so that owners of lowest-common-denominator displays could still see the whole thing. I opted for the toggling icons you’ll see in the new version of the Catalog, which I consider an improvement over the previous method for switching layouts.
Unfortunately, these toggling icons take up so much space that I had to bump some of the text that previously fit on one line onto two lines. The space wastage is particularly acute on the Info and System layouts. So, if anyone has any suggestions about how I can improve the use of my very limited space, I’m all ears.
Other side-effects of the redesign are the new, more compact buttons along the bottom of the window in the FileMaker database version and the redesigned video-support charts. (These were also modified to accommodate the PowerBook Duo 270c’s variable-resolution display.)
* You’ll note that I’m missing information on some of these new Macs, such as the Gestalt numbers of the Performa 460 line and the Performa 550; RAM speeds for the PowerBook Duo 250 and 270c; and the amount of internal VRAM the PowerBook Duo 270c uses for its display. These items are marked with bullets (••) to indicate that the information is not currently available.
I also have no information whatsoever on the Color Classic II, which is apparently available only in Asia.
Can anyone supply information on any of these topics?
* As of October 21, 1993, Apple has switched to a new pricing scheme; the old Suggested Retail Prices are no more. Instead we have ApplePrices, which are meant to be approximate street prices. Apple has not published a list of these prices, but it does supply them for new models as they are introduced. If there actually are official ApplePrices for older but still available models, I’d love to get hold of ’em. Put this down as another “third-party opportunity.”
* I also put the “Notes” field to use with pithy one-sentence summaries of each Mac and its historical context.
Version 3.1
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* I quietly ditched the password/limited access scheme. Nice as it was to hear from happy users who wanted to play around with the database, replying to all the communiques became a bit time-consuming. Now you can all have unrestricted access to the database; you can still drop me a line if you have any comments, criticisms or corrections.
Also, if you do modify or experiment with your copy of the database, please don’t pass it on in modified form. If you are both an adventurous tinkerer and a generous information-distributor, please keep a pristine copy on hand for giving to others. (As stated below, you may not post this file on any bulletin board or on-line service, but you are permitted to share it with individuals — friends, co-workers, etc.)
Version 3.0.1
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No significant changes.
Version 3.0
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* First public release in FileMaker Pro format.
* Since I’m storing the announced and discontinued dates in a date field rather than a text field, I can’t get away with saying “August, 1990” where I only know the month. I entered these dates as the first of the month in question — thus, the date above would now read “August 1, 1990.” Sorry. :-(
International Disclaimer
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The Macintosh Catalog is not guaranteed accurate outside the US. Aside from obvious things like prices and configurations, there are any number of details that may vary from country to country. Macs listed here may not be available in your country, and other models (especially Performas) may exist in your country that I've never heard of. Bundled items like PlainTalk microphones may be omitted from packages in your country, and other goodies may be thrown in that aren't listed here. It's all I can do to keep track of what's happening in this neck of the woods, and composing a truly international database would be well beyond my powers, so I'm afraid I must apologize for the US-centric bias of this reference database.
Things to Come?
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Here’s a preview of possible future improvements. I receive a lot of requests for features that, for reasons of time, I haven’t been able to implement. Veteran Mac Catalog fans will have noticed that I have hard enough time keeping up with all the new Macs (and I was doing so well in 1993...!).
User feature requests
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* Ric Ford asked that I clearly mark hard drives as IDE or SCSI. I’ll give it a shot.
* Many people have asked about including printers and other Apple peripherals in the Mac Catalog. I’ve contemplated doing an Apple Peripherals Catalog, but to be honest it would seem rather like shilling for Apple. Maybe Apple should dedicate a staffer or two to doing reference databases...
* Several people, including Thomas Maschke and Niall O’Sullivan, asked whether I could provide pricing and configuration information for discontinued models, a task I find pretty daunting. I’ll probably start listing some representative used prices in the near future, though.
* Mike Schutte of Berkeley Systems requested that the Catalog list whether or not each model can be shut down by software; Jon Kleiser requested info on where the power-on keys of each model are located; John Kadyk asked if I could list the reduced processor speed for applicable PowerBooks. I’m racking my brains to think of an appropriate place to insert each of these categories of information.
* Ben Templin requested that the Catalog list approximate used prices as well as current Apple Prices. This should be added very soon.
* Todd Lohenry requested part numbers for each configuration. This seems a bit America-centric, but I guess that never stopped me before…
* There have been a couple of requests for approximate speed information, i.e. the performance of each Mac relative to a Mac Classic. I’m working on it…
* Larry Filby asked if I could list information on future PowerPC upgrades. Sorry, but if I had that kind of information I’d be on the phone to Mac the Knife right now, spilling my guts for a MacWEEK mug.
* Erik Ableson, among others, requested a Newton version. I can’t say that’s very likely.
* Other requested formats include ClarisWorks and plain text. Sorry, but I'm sticking with FileMaker Pro for now.
Sources
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The bulk of the information in this catalog comes from Apple press releases, spec sheets and Apple Tech Info Library articles. Apple’s Developer Notes are handy but not always authoritative.
I’ve also had the benefit of countless suggestions and corrections from users of previous versions, not to mention my discerning coworkers at ZiffNet/Mac.
Other good sources of Macintosh information include:
SIMM Stack
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By Mark Hansen of Apple. This HyperCard stack lists memory expansion requirements for all Mac models and features great logic board diagrams; widely available online.
MacHistory
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By Harry Phillipo. A set of PICT charts briefly comparing every Mac model, suitable for printing and displaying; widely available online.
Macintosh Models List
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By J. D. Sterling Babcock. Presents condensed ASCII tables of Mac features, specifications and prices; available from Internet sites.
The MACS
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By M. David Greenspon. This standalone application, still in beta, lets you browse through all the Mac models and gives very complete specifications on each; available from Internet sites.
The Macintosh Memory Guide
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By Connectix. This standalone document discusses memory expansion requirements for various Mac models; widely available online.
GURU (GUide to RAM Upgrades)
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By Craig Marciniak of Newer Technology. This standalone application gives basic specs and memory expansion information for all Mac models; widely available online.
The press
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And of course, I just couldn’t get by without the in-depth coverage and gossip provided by MacWEEK, MacUser, the electronic TidBITS newsletter, Macworld, et al.
Contact Info
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If you find any errors or have any suggestions on how to improve the Macintosh Catalog, let me know.
Mark Simmons
ZiffNet/Mac
301 Howard St., 15th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
USA
CompuServe or ZiffNet/Mac: 72511,256 (This is my preferred email address)
All company names and products referenced in the Macintosh Catalog are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
You may NOT upload this software to any other online service, network, or bulletin board, and you may NOT make copies for any commercial purpose. This software is NOT public domain or shareware. Distribution is limited to Ziff Communications online services and electronic publishing projects.
To clarify the above statement: you may give copies of this database to individual friends, co-workers, and customers. If you do so, please provide an unmodified original copy of the database and include this documentation file.
We do ask that you refrain from any kind of mass distribution. For example, posting it on a networked file server so that anyone can get a copy is really not kosher. When in doubt, drop me a line at one of the above addresses.
