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| Developer | Apple Computer |
|---|---|
| Product family | Macintosh Quadra |
| Release date | October 21, 1991 (1991-10-21) |
| Introductory price | US$7,200 (equivalent to $16,620 in 2024) |
| Discontinued | May 18, 1992 (1992-05-18) |
| Operating system | System 7.0.1–Mac OS 8.1 |
| CPU | Motorola 68040 @ 25 MHz |
| Memory | 4MB, expandable to 256 MB (80 ns 30-pin SIMM) |
| Dimensions | Height: 18.6 in (47.25 cm) Width: 8.9 in (22.6 cm) Depth: 20.6 in (52.32 cm) |
| Weight | 36.8 pounds (16.7 kg) |
| Predecessor | Macintosh IIfx |
| Successor | Macintosh Quadra 950 |
| Related | Macintosh Quadra 700 |
TheMacintosh Quadra 900 is apersonal computer designed, manufactured, and sold byApple Computer from October 1991 to May 1992. It was introduced alongside theQuadra 700 as the first computers in theQuadra family ofMacintosh computers using theMotorola 68040 processor.[1] It is also the first computer from Apple to be housed in an 18.6 inch (47 cm) tallmid-tower form factor, which by 1991 had gained momentum with PC manufacturers as a suitable design for departmental servers.
The Quadra 900 had a short lifespan; it was discontinued about six months after the first shipments in favor of the more very similarQuadra 950; the 950 has a33 MHz68040 and improved graphics support.[2]
The Quadra 900 was more expandable than the Quadra 700 but cost US$7,200.[1] The Quadra 900 could be upgraded to 256 megabytes of RAM,[3] an astronomical amount for the time, when a typical midrange system would come equipped with 2–4 MB. The standard, as-shipped configuration for the 900 was 4 MB. The high RAM and storage capacity, along with the expandability of fiveNuBus 90 slots and fast 25 MHz processor, made it a very useful computer for scientific or design work. The mid-tower case design features a single 5.25-inchdrive bay initially intended to hold a tape backup drive, but was often repurposed to hold a CD-ROM orSyQuest drive during the model's operational lifespan. Featuring 16 slots for 30-pin SIMMs (installed in groups of four),[3] Quadra 900s with full complements of RAM were exceedingly rare due to the high cost (many thousands of dollars) of the SIMMs at the time.
A new three-mode key-lock system on the front panel can be set to Off, On, and Secure. When set to Off, the machine can't be powered up. In Secure mode, the floppy drive and ADB port are disabled, offering a degree of local protection.[4]
System 7.0.1 was included and supports up toMac OS 8.1. It is the earliest Macintosh model with the ability to run Mac OS 8.[citation needed]
Apple did sell a Quadra 950 logic board upgrade for $1899 USD, and a Workgroup Server 95 upgrade for $2499.[5] With the Power Macintosh Upgrade Card installed, the Quadra 900 runs at50 MHz and its name is reported in the System Profiler as thePower Macintosh 900.[6]
Source:[3]
| Timeline ofMacintosh Centris,LC,Performa, andQuadra models, colored byCPU type |
|---|
 See also:List of Mac models |
