Collection › Power Macintosh 8500/120

D129 · Apple Heritage Museum · Lugano

Power Macintosh 8500/120

● Obsolete 1995 · Mac era Power Macintosh

Introduced

1995

Original price

$ 3999

Processor

PowerPC 604

Original OS

Mac OS 7.5.3

1976

1984

1998

2001

2007

2020

2026

Pre-Mac

Mac era

iMac era

iPod era

iPhone era

Silicon

Processor

ProcessorPowerPC 604

Speed120 MHz

ArchitectureNitro

Memory & graphics

Standard RAM16 MB

Max RAM512 MB

RAM type168-pin 70ns DIMM

Memory slots8 DIMM sockets

GPUbuilt-in video

VRAM2 MB VRAM (expandable to 4 MB)

Video outS-video output, composite (RCA) video output

Storage

Storage1.0 GB or 2.0 GB hard drive

Connectivity

Audio inRCA sound input, 3.5mm PlainTalk microphone input

Audio outRCA sound output

SCSISCSI internal hard drive

Software

Original OSMac OS 7.5.3

Apple statusObsolete

Included peripherals1.4 MB floppy drive, 4X CD-ROM drive

Power

Expansion slots3 PCI slots

Identifiers

Model N°M3409

Lifecycle

Introduced1995

Discontinued1997

Apple statusObsolete

History

The 8500 brought the power of the 604 and PCI architecture to the mid-range, also boasting impressive audiovisual capabilities. The 8500 included 24-bit composite input and output and S-video. The 8500's processor was supplied on a removable daughter card. The 8500 was available in a mini-tower case, sold for $4000 USD, and was "accelerated" to 132 and 150 MHz in April 1996. It was accelerated again with a 604e processor at 180 MHz in August, and was replaced in early 1997 by the 8600 model.

Trivia

• The Power Macintosh 8500 was one of the first Macs to introduce PCI architecture in the mid-range segment, revolutionizing internal connectivity in Apple computers. • This model was equipped with advanced audiovisual features for its time, including 24-bit composite and S-video inputs and outputs, anticipating Apple's interest in multimedia content. • The 604 processor was mounted on a removable daughtercard, allowing users to easily upgrade computing power without replacing the entire computer.

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D129 · APPLE HERITAGE MUSEUM · LUGANO

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