The second generation of PowerPC-based Macintoshes encompasses all machines with a PCI bus introduced prior to the original iMac, and are collectively referred to by the designations Old World or beige box PowerMacs.
Second generation Power Macintoshes differ from the first generation PowerPC machines due to the inclusion of a PCI bus and the use of Open Firmware to boot the machines. It is the version of Open Firmware installed on the system that separates these machines from the next generation New World machines. These machines are historically significant as they began Apple's move towards allowing the use of many of the same industry standard peripherals as found in most x86-based computers.
While New World Macintoshes all currently use Open Firmware 3.0 or greater, Old World machines used versions ranging from 1.0.5 to 2.4. Unlike OF 3, which can load its parameters from a file on the hard drive, these older versions store their parameters in a ROM chip. This means that, unlike OF 3, OF 1 and 2 have a preset listing of parameters, which can only be modified but never increased. This difference in firmware means that different methods are required in order to load non-Apple Operating Systems on Old World Macs than New World ones.
Machines produced prior to the switch to the PCI bus, such as those which used Texas Instruments' NuBus expansion cards, are not considered to be part of the set of Old World machines. For more information on these machines see the write up on first generation Power Macintoshes.
A chronological listing of second generation Power Macintoshes, along with year of introduction, processor type, and Open Firmware version, is as follows:
- Power Macintosh 9500 (1995, PowerPC 604, OF 1.0.5)
- Power Macintosh 7200 (1995, PowerPC 601, OF 1.0.5)
- Power Macintosh 7500 (1995, PowerPC 601+, OF 1.0.5)
- Power Macintosh 8500 (1995, PowerPC 604, OF 1.0.5)
- Network Server 500 (1996, PowerPC 604, OF 1.1.22)
- Network Server 700 (1996, PowerPC 604 (150MHz model) or PowerPC 604e (200MHz model), OF 1.1.22)
- Workgroup Server 7250 (1996, PowerPC 601 (120MHz model) or PowerPC 604e (180MHz model), OF 1.0.5)
- Power Macintosh 5400 (1996, PowerPC 603e, OF 2.0) (Also released as the Performa 5400, 5400CD 5410CD, 5420CD, 5430, and 5440)
- Power Macintosh 7600 (1996, PowerPC 604 or PowerPC 604e (200MHz model only), OF 1.0.5)
- Power Macintosh 8200 (1996, PowerPC 601, OF 1.0.5)
- Performa 6400 (1996, PowerPC 603e, OF 2.0) (Also released as the Performa 6410, 6420, and Power Macintosh 6400)
- Performa 6360 (1996, PowerPC 603e, OF 2.0)
- Power Macintosh 4400 (1996, PowerPC 603e, OF 2.0.2) (Also released as the Power Macintosh 7220)
- Power Macintosh 5500 (1997, PowerPC 603e, OF 2.0.3)
- Power Macintosh 6500 (1997, PowerPC 603e, OF 2.0.3)
- Power Macintosh 7300 (1997, PowerPC 604e, OF 1.0.5)
- Power Macintosh 8600 (1997, PowerPC 604e, OF 1.0.5)
- Power Macintosh 9600 (1997, PowerPC 604e, OF 1.0.5)
- PowerBook 3400c (1997, PowerPC 603e, OF 2.0.1)
- Workgroup Server 7350 (1997, PowerPC 604e, OF 1.0.5)
- Workgroup Server 9650 (1997, PowerPC 604e, OF 1.0.5)
- PowerBook 2400c (1997, PowerPC 603e, OF 2.0.1)
- Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh (1997, PowerPC 603e, OF 2.0.3)
- Power Macintosh G3 (1997, PowerPC 750 aka G3, OF 2.0fl (ATI RageII+) or 2.4 (ATI Rage Pro)) (Released in mini-tower and desktop cases)
- PowerBook G3 (1997, PowerPC 750 aka G3, OF 2.0.1) (Often referred to by its development codename of Kanga in order to distinguish it from the PowerBook G3 Series)
- Macintosh Server G3 (1998, PowerPC 750 aka G3, OF version is unconfirmed -- likely the same as previous G3s)
- Power Macintosh G3 All-In-One (1998, PowerPC 750 aka G3, OF 2.0fl (ATI RageII+) or 2.4 (ATI Rage Pro))
- PowerBook G3 Series (1998, PowerPC 750 aka G3, OF 2.0.1) (Often referred to by its development codename of Wallstreet in order to distinguish it from the PowerBook G3)
All non-Apple clones can considered to be second generation Power Macintoshes, with the exception of PowerComputing's original Power clone and Radius' System 100 and System 81 machines, all of which did not contain a PCI bus and as such did utilise any version of Open Firmware.
Note: Although first generation Power Macintoshes can also be referred to as Old World machines, it is better to refer to them as NuBus machines, rather than risk confusion with their second generation successors
Previous: First generation Power Macintosh
Index: Power Macintosh
Next: Third generation Power Macintosh
Sources:
- http://www.apple-history.com
- http://www.info.apple.com/support/applespec.html
- http://netbsd.org/Ports/macppc/models.html
- http://www.lowendmac.com/clones/index.shtml
- My own experience fiddling with these things
Thanks to Transitional Man for pointing out that Radius made non-PCI clones