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{{Short description|Family of personal computers released by Apple Computer}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}}
[[File:Apple Power Macintosh G5 Late 2005 02.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Power Mac G5]], the last model of the series]]
The '''Power Macintosh''', later '''Power Mac''', is a family of [[personal computer]]s designed, manufactured, and sold by [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer, Inc]]<!-- the word "computer" was in the company name during the Power Mac's sales period --> as the core of the [[Mac (computer)|Macintosh]] brand from March 1994 until August 2006.

Described by ''[[Macworld]]'' as "the most important technical evolution of the Macintosh since the [[Macintosh II|Mac II]] debuted in 1987",<ref name="macworld9405_1">{{cite magazine
| date = April 1994
| title = When Not To Buy A PowerMac
| url = https://archive.org/stream/MacWorld_9405_May_1994#page/n21/mode/2up
| magazine = MacWorld
| first = Adrian
| last = Mello
| pages = 21–22
}}</ref> it is the first computer with the [[PowerPC]] CPU architecture, the flagship product of the [[AIM alliance]]. Existing software for the [[Motorola 68040|Motorola 68k]] processors of previous Macintoshes do not run on it natively, so a [[Mac 68k emulator]] is in System 7.1.2. It provides good compatibility, at about two-thirds of the speed of contemporary [[Macintosh Quadra]] machines.<ref name="macworld9405_1" />

The Power Macintosh replaced the Quadra and was initially sold in the same enclosures.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.lowendmac.com/roadapples/q800case.shtml
| title = Quadra 800/840av and Power Mac 8100 Case
| publisher = lowendmac
| access-date = September 6, 2017
| archive-date = September 7, 2017
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170907122224/http://www.lowendmac.com/roadapples/q800case.shtml
| url-status = live
}}</ref> Over the next twelve years, it evolved through a succession of enclosure designs, a rename to "Power Mac", five major generations of PowerPC chips, and a great deal of press coverage, design accolades, and controversy about performance claims. It was discontinued as part of the [[Mac transition to Intel processors]] announced in 2005, making way for its replacement, the [[Mac Pro]].

== History ==
{{See also|Mac transition to PowerPC processors}}

The first public demonstration of the new Power Macintosh — specifically, a prototype of what would become the [[Power Macintosh 6100]] – was at an Apple Pacific sales meeting in Hawaii in October 1992.<ref name=pmbook>{{cite book
| url = https://archive.org/details/mac_The_PowerPC_Macintosh_Book_1994
| title = The PowerPC Macintosh Book – The Inside Story on the New RISC-Based Macintosh
| chapter = 1 – How We Got Here From There
| pages = [https://archive.org/details/mac_The_PowerPC_Macintosh_Book_1994/page/n20 1]–29
| date = August 1994
| isbn = 0-201-62650-0
| first = Stephan
| last = Somogyi
| publisher = [[Addison-Wesley]]
}}</ref> The demo was a success, and in the following months, the product plan expanded to include three models: the entry-level 6100, a mid-range [[Power Macintosh 7100|7100]] housed in the [[Macintosh IIvx]]'s desktop case, and a high-end [[Power Macintosh 8100|8100]] based on the [[Macintosh Quadra 800|Quadra 800]]'s mini-tower case. A fourth project, the [[Macintosh Processor Upgrade Card]], was started in July 1993 to provide a straightforward upgrade path to owners of Centris- and Quadra-based Macintosh computers.{{r|pmbook|p=23}} The importance of this was especially significant for the Quadra 700, 900, and 950, which were not going to receive full logic board replacements. Computers upgraded in this fashion received new names such as "Power Macintosh Q650" and "Power Macintosh 900".

=== Release and reception (1994–1995) ===
[[File:Power Macintosh 8100-80AV - front.jpg|thumb|Front view of a Power Macintosh 8100/80AV, the most powerful first-generation Power Macintosh]]
The original plan was to release the first Power Macintosh machine on January 24, 1994, exactly ten years after the release of the [[Macintosh 128K|first Macintosh]].{{r|pmbook|p=26}} Ian Diery, who was EVP and general manager of the Personal Computer Division at the time, moved the release date back to March 14 in order to give manufacturing enough time to build enough machines to fill the sales channels and to ensure that the Macintosh Processor Upgrade Card would be available at the same time. This was a departure from prior practice at Apple; they had typically released upgrade packages months after the introduction of new Macintoshes.

The Power Macintosh was formally introduced at the [[Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts]] in Manhattan on March 14. Pre-orders for the new Power Macintosh models were brisk, with an announced 150,000 machines already having been sold by that date.<ref>{{cite magazine
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=DTsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA33
| title = Power Macs an instant hit with Apple's core following
| magazine = InfoWorld
| publisher = InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.
| date = March 21, 1994
| volume = 16
| issue = 12
| first = Tom
| last = Quinlan
| page = 33
| access-date = December 19, 2020
| archive-date = May 9, 2021
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210509145647/https://books.google.com/books?id=DTsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA33
| url-status = live
}}</ref> MacWorld's review of the 6100/60 noted that "Not only has Apple finally regained the performance lead it lost about eight years ago when PCs appeared using Intel's 80386 CPU, but it has pushed far ahead."<ref>{{cite magazine
| url = https://archive.org/stream/MacWorld_9406_June_1994#page/n57/mode/2up
| title = Power Macintosh 6100/60
| magazine = MacWorld Magazine
| date = June 1994
| pages = 56–57
| first = Galen
| last = Gruman
}}</ref>  The performance of 680x0 software is slower due to the emulation layer, but MacWorld's benchmarks showed noticeably faster CPU, disk, video, and floating-point performance than the Quadra 610 it replaced.  By January 1995, Apple had sold 1 million Power Macintosh systems.

Speed-bumped versions of the Power Macintosh line were introduced at the beginning of 1995, followed in April by the first [[PowerPC 603]] models: an all-in-one model called the [[Power Macintosh 5200 LC]] and a replacement for the [[Macintosh Quadra 630|Quadra 630]] called the [[Power Macintosh 6200]]. [[Macintosh Performa|Performa]] variants of these machines were sold as well, continuing the practice of re-branding other Macintosh models for sale in department stores and big-box electronics retailers.  While the 5200 LC was well received by critics for its design, performance, and cost, both it and the 6200 suffered from stability issues (and in the case of the 5200, display issues as well) that could only be solved by bringing the machine to an Apple dealer for replacement parts.<ref name="macsecrets">{{cite book
| url = http://www.toddp.com/classic/Software%20Install/Apple%20Support%20Documents/Macintosh%20Secrets/Mac%20Secrets%204th%20ed./ch13.pdf
| title = Macworld Mac Secrets (4th ed)
| last = Pogue
| first = David
| date = January 1997
| publisher = Hungry Minds
| isbn = 0-7645-4006-8
| page = Chapter 13 – The PowerPC Macs: Model by Model, pg. 450
| access-date = January 20, 2018
| archive-date = October 11, 2017
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171011130948/http://www.toddp.com/classic/Software%20Install/Apple%20Support%20Documents/Macintosh%20Secrets/Mac%20Secrets%204th%20ed./ch13.pdf
| url-status = live
}}</ref>

By mid-1995, the burgeoning Power Macintosh line had all but completely supplanted every prior Macintosh line, with only the high-end [[Macintosh Quadra 950|Quadra 950]] and two low-cost education models (the all-in-one [[Macintosh LC 580]] and desktop [[Macintosh LC 630|LC 630]]) remaining in production. The competitive marketplace for "accelerator cards" that had existed for earlier Macintosh systems largely disappeared due to the comparatively low price of Apple's Macintosh Processor Upgrade Card (US$600).<ref>{{cite magazine
| url = https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_9502_February_1995
| title = Making the move to Power Mac
| last = Gruman
| first = Galen
| date = February 1995
| pages = [https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_9502_February_1995/page/n95 92]–102
}}</ref>  [[DayStar Digital]] sold upgrade cards for the IIci and various Quadra models, and full motherboard replacements were available from Apple as well.  [[Macintosh clones]] from companies like [[DayStar Digital]] and [[Power Computing Corporation|Power Computing]] were also coming to the market at this time, undercutting Apple's prices.

=== Transition to standardized hardware (1995–1999) ===
[[File:Apple Power PC 7500 100 MHz 6886.jpg|thumb|Rear view of a Power Macintosh 7500/100]]
When the Power Macintosh was introduced, it included the same internal and external expansion connections as other Macintosh models, all of which (save for audio input and output) were either wholly proprietary to, or largely exclusive to Apple computers. Over the next five years, Apple replaced all these ports with industry-standard connectors.

The first generation of Power Macintoshes had shipped with NuBus, but by the end of 1993, it was becoming clear that Intel's [[Conventional PCI|PCI bus]] was going to be the widely adopted future of internal expansion.<ref>{{cite magazine
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=DDsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA39
| title = PCI chip-set market expands
| magazine = InfoWorld Magazine
| date = November 15, 1993
| volume = 15
| issue = 46
| first = Cate
| last = Corcoran
| access-date = 2018-01-16
| archive-date = May 9, 2021
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210509145643/https://books.google.com/books?id=DDsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA39
| url-status = live
}}</ref> Apple's position as a relatively small player in the larger personal computer market meant that few device manufacturers invested in creating both NuBus- and PCI-compatible versions of their cards.  The first PCI-based system was the range-topping [[Power Macintosh 9500]], introduced in May 1995. This was followed shortly afterwards by the introduction of the "Power Surge" line of second-generation Power Macintosh systems – the [[Power Macintosh 7200]], [[Power Macintosh 7500|7500]] and [[Power Macintosh 8500|8500]]. The 8500 and 9500 were built around the new [[PowerPC 604]], offering speeds starting at 120&nbsp;MHz.<ref name="infoworld19950807">{{cite magazine
| last = Epler
| first = Anita
| date = August 7, 1995
| title = Apple's PCI risk
| url = https://archive.org/stream/Infoworld-1995-08-07#page/n89/mode/2up
| magazine = InfoWorld Magazine
| pages = 1, 80
| access-date = 2018-01-16
}}</ref> [[InfoWorld]]'s review of the 8500 showed a speed improvement in their "business applications suite" benchmark from 10 minutes with the 8100/100, to 7:37 for the 8500/120. They also noted that the 8500 runs an average of 24 to 44 percent faster than a similarly clocked [[P5 (microarchitecture)|Intel Pentium]] chip, increasing to double on graphics and publishing tasks.

The transition to PCI continued into 1996, with the introduction of the all-in-one 5400, desktop 6300/160 (usually sold as a Performa 6360), and mini-tower 6400 models.  The success of the [[Macintosh clone]] market also prompted Apple to produce its own inexpensive machine using parts and production techniques that were common in both the clone market and the [[Wintel]] desktop market at the time. The [[Power Macintosh 4400]] (sold as a 7220 in Asia and Australia) employed bent sheet metal instead of plastic for its case internals, and included a standard [[Power supply unit (computer)|ATX power supply]].

Alongside the transition to PCI, Apple began a gradual transition away from [[SCSI]] hard disks to [[Integrated Drive Electronics|IDE]] as a cost-saving measure, both for themselves and for users who wanted to upgrade their hard drives. The low-end 5200 and 6200 were the first to adopt IDE internal drives, though Apple's proprietary 25-pin external [[SCSI connector]] remained. The beige Power Macintosh G3 models being the last to include SCSI drives as standard, and it was the last Macintosh to include the external SCSI connector. When the [[Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White)]] was introduced in early 1999, the port was replaced by two [[IEEE 1394|FireWire 400]] ports. The Blue and White G3 was also the last Macintosh to include [[Apple Desktop Bus]] ports, a proprietary technology created by [[Steve Wozniak]] to connect keyboards, mice and [[software protection dongle]]s such as those from [[Avid (company)|Avid Technology]].<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.root6.com/support-2/identifying-the-system-id-dongle-serial-number-and-dongle-type-on-avid-editing-products/
| title = Identifying the System ID, Dongle Serial Number and Dongle Type on Avid Editing Products
| publisher = root6
| access-date = 2018-01-14
| language = en-GB
| archive-date = August 8, 2018
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180808033139/http://www.root6.com/support-2/identifying-the-system-id-dongle-serial-number-and-dongle-type-on-avid-editing-products/
| url-status = live
}}</ref> Two [[USB]] ports were also included, making this the only Power Macintosh to include both ADB and USB.

Another port that was retired during this time is the [[Apple Attachment Unit Interface]]. This was a proprietary version of the industry-standard [[Attachment Unit Interface]] connector for [[10BASE5]] Ethernet that Apple had created to avoid confusion with the 15-pin connector that Apple used for connecting external displays.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://lowendmac.com/2007/apples-aaui-ethernet-connector/
| title = Apple's AAUI Ethernet Connector
| date = 2007-09-04
| publisher = Low End Mac
| access-date = 2018-01-14
| language = en-US
| archive-date = February 24, 2018
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180224165619/http://lowendmac.com/2007/apples-aaui-ethernet-connector/
| url-status = live
}}</ref> The AAUI port required a costly external transceiver to connect to a network. By the early 1990s, the networking industry was coalescing around the [[Ethernet over twisted pair|10BASE-T]] connector, leading Apple to include this port alongside AAUI in mid-1995, starting with the [[Power Macintosh 9500]]. The Power Macintosh G3 excluded the AAUI port.

The [[Power Mac G4]] (AGP Graphics) was released in the second half of 1999; it was the first Power Macintosh to include only industry-standard internal and external expansion. For some years afterwards, a number of third parties created [[dongle]]s that provided backwards compatibility to users of newer Power Mac systems with old hardware. This included companies like Griffin Technology, MacAlly Peripherals, Rose Electronics and many others. In some cases, these companies produced adapters that matched the aesthetic design of the Power Mac.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.kvm-switches-online.com/cnv-usbadb.html
| title = Rose Electronics ADB to USB converter, ADB MD4 to USB Type B
| website = KVM Switches Online {{!}} KVMSO.com
| access-date = 2018-01-14
| archive-date = January 21, 2018
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180121071807/http://www.kvm-switches-online.com/cnv-usbadb.html
| url-status = live
}}</ref>

=== Industrial design and the Megahertz Myth (1999–2002) ===
[[File:PowerMac Cube.jpg|thumb|A complete Power Mac G4 Cube system, including a 17" [[Apple Studio Display (1998–2004)|Apple Studio Display]], [[Harman Kardon]] speakers, keyboard, and mouse]]
Shortly after [[Steve Jobs]]' return to Apple in 1997, [[Jonathan Ive|Jony Ive]] was appointed senior vice president of industrial design. Building on the critical and commercial success of the [[iMac]], Ive and his team created an entirely new case design for the Power Macintosh G3, combining many of the aesthetic principles of the iMac (curves, translucent plastics, use of color) with the ease-of-access characteristics of the company's popular "[[Outrigger Macintosh|Outrigger]]" Macintosh models from previous years. The result was the [[Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White)]], a machine that received considerable plaudits from reviewers, including ''[[PC Magazine]]'''s Technical Excellence Award for 1999.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M7xcio3J5KkC&pg=PA109|title=PC Magazine|date=1999-12-14|publisher=Ziff Davis, Inc.|pages=109|language=en|access-date=December 19, 2020|archive-date=April 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220411160522/https://books.google.com/books?id=M7xcio3J5KkC&pg=PA109|url-status=live}}</ref> "The Power Mac provides the fastest access to the insides of a computer we've ever seen," they wrote. "Just lift a handle and a hinged door reveals everything inside."  This case design, code-named "El Capitan",<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.storiesofapple.net/the-power-macintosh-g3-blue-white.html|title=Stories of Apple – Ten years ago: the Power Macintosh G3 Blue & White|website=www.storiesofapple.net|access-date=2018-01-14|archive-date=January 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121072343/http://www.storiesofapple.net/the-power-macintosh-g3-blue-white.html|url-status=live}}</ref> was retained through the entire lifetime of the Power Mac G4.  The introduction of the Blue and White G3 mini-tower also marked the end of the desktop and all-in-one Power Macintosh case designs, the latter being replaced by the [[iMac]].

A second model called the [[Power Mac G4 Cube]] was introduced in 2000, which fitted the specifications of a mid-range Power Mac G4 into a cube less than 9" in each axis. This model was on sale for about a year before being discontinued, and was not considered a sales success (150,000 units were sold, about one-third of Apple's projections),<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cultofmac.com/490470/today-in-apple-history-end-of-the-line-for-power-mac-g4-cube/|title=Today in Apple history: End of the line for Power Mac G4 Cube {{!}} Cult of Mac|date=2017-07-03|work=Cult of Mac|access-date=2018-01-17|language=en-US|archive-date=January 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121072125/https://www.cultofmac.com/490470/today-in-apple-history-end-of-the-line-for-power-mac-g4-cube/|url-status=live}}</ref> but the distinctive design of both the computer and its accompanying [[Harman Kardon]] speakers prompted the [[Museum of Modern Art]] in [[New York City]] to retain them in their collection.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.moma.org/collection/works?locale=en&utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=jonathan+ive&classifications=any&date_begin=Pre-1850&date_end=2018&with_images=1&page=1&direction=|title=The Collection {{!}} MoMA|website=The Museum of Modern Art|language=en|access-date=2018-01-14|archive-date=August 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806093300/https://www.moma.org/collection/works?locale=en&utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=jonathan+ive&classifications=any&date_begin=Pre-1850&date_end=2018&with_images=1&page=1&direction=|url-status=live}}</ref>

The PowerPC chips in the G3 and G4 became a central part of Apple's branding and marketing for the Power Macintosh. For example, the Blue and White G3 features the letters "G3" on the side that are fully one-third the height of the entire case, a significant departure from the small labels typically used on prior Macintosh computers. And when the Power Mac G4 was introduced, print ads included pictures of the G4 chip and mentioned its [[AltiVec]] instruction set by its own marketing name, "Velocity Engine".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.macmothership.com/gallery/gallery8.html|title=The Mothership Apple Advertising and Brochure Gallery 8|website=www.macmothership.com|access-date=2018-01-17|archive-date=November 24, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171124103539/http://www.macmothership.com/gallery/gallery8.html|url-status=live}}</ref> A related element of Apple's marketing strategy, especially after mid-2001, was to highlight what they described as the "[[Megahertz myth]]", challenging the belief that a processor's clock speed is directly correlated with performance. This had become important with the introduction of Intel's [[Pentium 4]], which featured significantly higher [[Clock rate|clock speeds]] than competing chips from Sun, IBM, and [[Advanced Micro Devices|AMD]], but without a corresponding performance benefit.

The company's public presentations – [[Stevenotes]] in particular – often featured lengthy segments pitting a high-powered [[Compaq]] or [[Dell]] computer against the Power Macintosh in a series of benchmarks and scripted tasks, usually in [[Adobe Photoshop]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lowendmac.com/2006/twice-as-fast-did-apple-lie-or-just-carefully-select-its-truths/|title='Twice as Fast': Did Apple Lie or Just Carefully Select Its Truths?|last=Zisman|first=Alan|date=August 21, 2006|website=lowendmac.com|access-date=January 20, 2018|archive-date=January 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121071548/http://lowendmac.com/2006/twice-as-fast-did-apple-lie-or-just-carefully-select-its-truths/|url-status=live}}</ref> These presentations often showed the Power Macintosh besting Intel's Pentium chips by margins significantly exceeding 50%, but independent benchmarks did not bear this out. InfoWorld reviewer Jennifer Plonka reported that the 400&nbsp;MHz G3 was 11% slower than a comparably-specced Pentium II-450 in an Office applications suite test, while Photoshop 5.0 was faster by 26%.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Plonka|first=Jennifer|date=March 15, 1999|title=Apple's G3 increases corporate appeal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GVAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA50-IA1|magazine=InfoWorld|pages=37, 40|access-date=December 19, 2020|archive-date=May 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509145646/https://books.google.com/books?id=GVAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA50-IA1|url-status=live}}</ref> And in 2003, [[Maximum PC]] ran a variety of gaming, Photoshop and [[LightWave 3D]] benchmarks, and reported that the Dual 1.25&nbsp;GHz G4 system was about half the speed of a dual-processor Intel [[Xeon#Prestonia|Xeon Prestonia]] 2.8&nbsp;GHz system.<ref>{{cite magazine
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=KwIAAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24
| title = Speed Trials
| pages = 22–28
| magazine = [[Maximum PC]]
| date = March 2003
| access-date = December 19, 2020
| archive-date = May 9, 2021
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210509145644/https://books.google.com/books?id=KwIAAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24
| url-status = live
}}</ref> A related criticism leveled at Power Mac systems from this time, particularly the G4 Mirrored Drive Doors, was the increased fan noise level compared to older systems.<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.macworld.com/article/1019332/powermac.html
| title = Hands on with the Power Mac G4/867
| date = September 25, 2001
| website = Macworld
| language = en
| access-date = 2018-01-17
| archive-date = September 11, 2017
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170911024740/https://www.macworld.com/article/1019332/powermac.html
| url-status = live
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = http://apple-history.com/g4_mirror
| title = Power Macintosh G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors)
| last = Sanford
| first = Glen D
| website = apple-history.com
| access-date = 2018-01-17
| archive-date = January 26, 2018
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180126013200/http://www.apple-history.com/g4_mirror
| url-status = live
}}</ref>

=== The ''Power Mac G5'' and the end of the Power Mac (2003–2006) ===
By the time the [[Power Mac G5]] was unveiled at Apple's [[Worldwide Developers Conference]] in July 2003, Apple's desktop range had fallen significantly behind competing computers in performance.  The G5 closed much of this gap by moving to the [[PowerPC 970]] processor with clock speeds up to 2.0&nbsp;GHz, and a full 64-bit architecture. It also introduced a significantly revised enclosure design, replacing the use of plastics with [[Anodizing|anodized aluminum]] alloy.

Reviews were generally positive. InfoWorld described the G5 as "Apple's best work yet", and said it "delivers on the present need for rapid computing, deep multitasking, and responsive user interfaces — as well as the future need for mainstream computers that rapidly process and analyze massive data sets."<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.infoworld.com/article/2679339/operating-systems/power-mac-g5-is-apple-s-best-work-yet.html
| title = Power Mac G5 is Apple's best work yet
| date = December 31, 2003
| last = Yager
| first = Tom
| work = InfoWorld
| access-date = 2018-01-20
| language = en
| archive-date = January 21, 2018
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180121185819/https://www.infoworld.com/article/2679339/operating-systems/power-mac-g5-is-apple-s-best-work-yet.html
| url-status = live
}}</ref> PC Magazine again awarded the Power Mac G5 with its Award for Technical Excellence for 2003.<ref>{{cite magazine
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=gWq-HJY2HdkC&pg=PA84
| title = PC Magazine
| date = December 30, 2003
| publisher = Ziff Davis, Inc.
| page = 84
| language = en
| access-date = December 19, 2020
| archive-date = April 11, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220411160536/https://books.google.com/books?id=gWq-HJY2HdkC&pg=PA84
| url-status = live
}}</ref> However, the G5's heavy weight (10 pounds more than the previous year's Quicksilver Power Mac G4), limited internal expansion options, issues with [[Ground loop (electricity)|ground loop]], and noise in the single-processor models' [[Power supply unit (computer)|power supply units]] resulted in significant criticism of the product.<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://arstechnica.com/staff/2006/03/3059/
| title = Apple versus the analog monster
| work = Ars Technica
| date = March 5, 2006
| access-date = 2018-01-17
| archive-date = January 18, 2018
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180118064650/https://arstechnica.com/staff/2006/03/3059/
| url-status = live
}}</ref> Apple also continued to make unsubstantiated performance claims about the new Power Mac. This resulted in the [[Advertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom)|Advertising Standards Authority]] for the United Kingdom banning Apple from using the phrase "the world's fastest, most powerful personal computer" to describe the Power Mac G5 after independent tests carried out by the [[Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre]] determined the claim to be false.<ref>{{Cite web
| url = https://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/11/11/watchdog_bans_apple_power_mac/
| title = Watchdog bans Apple Power Mac G5 ads
| website = [[The Register]]
| date = November 11, 2003
| access-date = 2018-01-14
| archive-date = January 21, 2018
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180121071641/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/11/11/watchdog_bans_apple_power_mac/
| url-status = live
}}</ref> Another claim made by Steve Jobs at the 2003 [[Worldwide Developers Conference]] was that the company would be selling a 3&nbsp;GHz G5 by mid-2004; this never happened.<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.macworld.com/article/1035690/apple.html
| title = New G5s announced; no 3&nbsp;GHz or G5 laptops 'any time soon'
| website = Macworld
| access-date = 2018-01-20
| archive-date = January 21, 2018
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180121071706/https://www.macworld.com/article/1035690/apple.html
| url-status = live
}}</ref>

Three generations of Power Mac G5 were released before it was discontinued during the [[Mac transition to Intel processors]]. The announcement of the transition came in mid-2005, but the third generation of G5 systems was introduced towards the end of 2005. Most notably in this generation was the introduction of a Quad-core 2.5&nbsp;GHz system. Not only was this the first Apple computer with four processing cores, it was the first to incorporate [[PCI Express]] instead of [[PCI-X]] for internal expansion.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://lowendmac.com/2005/power-mac-g5-quad/
| title = Power Mac G5 Quad (Late 2005)
| date = 2005-10-19
| work = Low End Mac
| access-date = 2018-01-20
| archive-date = December 27, 2017
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171227204219/http://lowendmac.com/2005/power-mac-g5-quad/
| url-status = live
}}</ref> It also required an [[IEC 60320]] C19 power connector that was more common on rackmounted server hardware, instead of the industry-standard C13 connector used with personal computers.

The official end to the ''Power Macintosh'' line came at the 2006 Worldwide Developers Conference, where [[Phil Schiller]] introduced its replacement, the [[Mac Pro]].  The G5's enclosure design was retained for the Mac Pro and continued to be used for seven more years, making it among the longest-lived designs in Apple's history.<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.macworld.com/article/2042702/ten-years-in-the-shadow-of-the-power-mac-g5.html
| title = Ten years in the shadow of the Power Mac G5
| date = June 22, 2013
| first = Benj
| last = Edwards
| work = MacWorld
| access-date = January 20, 2018
| archive-date = September 7, 2017
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170907081048/https://www.macworld.com/article/2042702/ten-years-in-the-shadow-of-the-power-mac-g5.html
| url-status = live
}}</ref>

== Models ==
The Power Macintosh models can be broadly classified into two categories, depending on whether they were released before or after Apple introduced its "four quadrant" product strategy in 1998.  Before the introduction of the [[Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White)]] in 1999, Apple had shipped Power Macintosh-labelled machines in nine different form factors, some of which were carry-overs from pre-PowerPC product lines, such as the [[Macintosh Quadra 610|Quadra/Centris 610]] and the [[Macintosh IIvx|IIvx]]. This was reduced to one model in the new product strategy, with the exception of the [[Power Mac G4 Cube]] in 2000 and 2001.

=== 1994–1997 ===
Apple named Power Macintosh models from this period after the first pre-PowerPC model of Macintosh to use a particular form factor, followed by a slash and the speed of the CPU. For example, the Power Macintosh 6300/120 uses the [[Macintosh Quadra 630|Quadra 630]]'s form factor and has a {{nowrap|120 MHz}} CPU.

Machines with "AV" in their name denote variants that include extended audio-video capabilities.

Machines with "PC Compatible" or "DOS Compatible" in their name include a [[Compatibility card|separate card]] with an x86-compatible CPU, typically a [[i486|486]] or [[Pentium (original)|Pentium]]; these models are therefore capable of running [[MS-DOS]] and [[Microsoft Windows]] applications, typically [[Windows 3.1]] (for earlier PC Compatible machines pre-1995) or [[Windows 95]] (for later PC Compatible machines since 1995).

Machines with "MP" in their name denote machines that include two CPUs.

These early models had two distinct generations. The first generation uses the [[PowerPC 601]] and [[PowerPC 600|603]] processors and used the old [[NuBus]]/[[Processor Direct Slot|PDS]] expansion slots, while the second generation uses the faster 603e, 604 and 604e chips as well as industry-standard [[Conventional PCI|PCI]] expansion slots. The second generation also makes use of [[Open Firmware]], allowing them to more easily boot alternate operating systems (including [[MacOS|OS X]] via [[XPostFacto]]), though [[Old World ROM|use of various hacks was still necessary]].

==== Power Macintosh 4400 ====
[[File:Power Macintosh 7220.jpg|thumb|The Power Macintosh 7220]]
The Power Macintosh 4400 is a desktop case with a height of {{nowrap|5.4 inches}}, suitable for horizontal placement with a monitor on top.
* [[Power Macintosh 4400]]/160, 200, 200 (PC Compatible) (Marketed as the Power Macintosh 7220 in some regions)

==== Power Macintosh 5200 ====
The Power Macintosh 5200 is an all-in-one form factor with specifications and internal designs similar to the Quadra 630.  Collectively these machines are sometimes referred to as the "Power Macintosh/Performa 5000 series".
* [[Power Macintosh 5200 LC|Power Macintosh 5200]]/75 LC
* [[Power Macintosh 5260]]/100, 120
* [[Power Macintosh 5300 LC|Power Macintosh 5300]]/100 LC
* [[Power Macintosh 5400]]/120, 180, 200
* [[Power Macintosh 5500]]/225, 250

==== Quadra 610 ====
[[File:Power Macintosh 6100-66.jpg|thumb|The [[Power Macintosh 6100/60|Power Macintosh 6100/66]], a version of the first Macintosh to use a PowerPC processor]]
The Quadra 610 form factor is a low-profile "pizza-box" design with a height of {{nowrap|3.4 inches}}, intended to be placed on a desktop with a monitor on top.
* [[Power Macintosh 6100]]/60, 60AV, 66, 66AV, 66 (DOS Compatible)

==== Quadra 630 ====
The Quadra 630 form factor is a horizontally-oriented design with a height of {{nowrap|4.3 inches}}, suitable for placing a monitor on top.
* [[Power Macintosh 6200]]/75
* [[Power Macintosh 6300]]/120, 160

==== Performa 6400 ====
The Performa 6400 form factor is a mini-tower design, suitable for being placed beside a monitor.
* [[Power Macintosh 6400]]/180, 200
* [[Power Macintosh 6500]]/225, 250, 275, 300

==== IIvx ====
[[File:Power Macintosh 7100 66.jpg|thumb|The Power Macintosh 7100/66]]
The [[Macintosh IIvx|IIvx]] form factor is a horizontally-oriented desktop form factor with a height of {{nowrap|6 inches}}, suitable for placing a monitor on top.
* [[Power Macintosh 7100]]/66, 66AV, 80, 80AV

==== Power Macintosh 7500 ====
The Power Macintosh 7500 form factor is a horizontally-oriented desktop design with a height of {{nowrap|6.15 inches}}, suitable for placing a monitor on top.
* [[Power Macintosh 7200]]/75, 90, 120 (PC), 200 (PC)
* [[Power Macintosh 7300]]/166, 180 (PC), 200
* [[Power Macintosh 7500]]/100
* [[Power Macintosh 7600]]/120, 132, 200

==== Quadra 800 ====
The Quadra 800 form factor is a mini-tower design, with a width of {{nowrap|7.7 inches}}.
[[File:Power-Macintosh-8100-80av.jpg|thumb|The [[Power Macintosh 8100|8100/80AV]], the first Power Macintosh based on the [[Quadra 800]] form factor]]
* [[Power Macintosh 8100]]/80, 80AV, 100, 100AV, 110, 110AV
* [[Power Macintosh 8115]]/110
* [[Power Macintosh 8200]]/100, 120
* [[Power Macintosh 8500]]/120, 132, 150, 180
* [[Power Macintosh 8515]]/120

==== Power Macintosh 9600 ====
The Power Macintosh 9600 form factor is a mini-tower design with a width of {{nowrap|9.7 inches}}.
* [[Power Macintosh 8600]]/200, 250, 300
* [[Power Macintosh 9500]]/120, 132, 150, 180MP, 200
* [[Power Macintosh 9515]]/132
* [[Power Macintosh 9600]]/200, 200MP, 233, 300, 350

=== 1997–2006 ===
[[File:Power Macintosh G3 models.jpg|thumb|[[Power Macintosh G3]] Mini Tower and Blue and White]]
Starting with the Power Macintosh G3, Apple changed its product naming to include the generation of PowerPC CPU, with the name of the form factor or a key feature afterwards in brackets.

The all-in-one models would eventually be spun off into the [[iMac]] line, whilst the compact form factor models would be spun off into the [[Mac Mini]].

==== Power Macintosh G3 ====
* [[Power Macintosh G3]] Desktop
* [[Power Macintosh G3]] Mini Tower
* [[Power Macintosh G3]] All-In-One
* [[Power Macintosh G3]] Blue and White

==== Power Mac G4 ====
[[File:Apple PowerMac G4 M8570 MDD front.jpg|thumb|Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors)]]
* [[Power Mac G4]] PCI Graphics
* [[Power Mac G4]] AGP Graphics
* [[Power Mac G4]] Gigabit Ethernet
* [[Power Mac G4]] Digital Audio
* [[Power Mac G4]] Quicksilver
* [[Power Mac G4]] Quicksilver 2002
* [[Power Mac G4]] Mirrored Drive Doors
* [[Power Mac G4]] Mirrored Drive Doors FW800
* [[Power Mac G4]] Mirrored Drive Doors 2003
* [[Power Mac G4 Cube]]

==== Power Mac G5 ====
[[File:Apple Power Macintosh G5 Late 2005 02.jpg|thumb|Power Macintosh G5 Dual Core (2.3 GHz) Late 2005]]
The Power Mac G5's name was changed to incorporate the time period in which the model was released.
* [[Power Mac G5]] Mid 2003
* [[Power Mac G5]] Mid 2004
* [[Power Mac G5]] Late 2004
* [[Power Mac G5]] Early 2005
* [[Power Mac G5]] Late 2005

== Naming ==
The '''''Power Mac''''' brand name was used for Apple's high-end [[Computer tower|tower]] style computers, targeted primarily at businesses and creative professionals, in differentiation to their more compact "iMac" line (intended for home use) and the "eMac" line (for the education markets). They were usually equipped with Apple's newest technologies, and commanded the highest prices among Apple desktop models. Some Power Mac G4 and G5 models were offered in [[Multiprocessing|dual-processor]] configurations.

Prior to the ''Power Mac'' name change, certain ''Power Macintosh'' models were otherwise identical to their lower-cost re-branded siblings sold as the [[Macintosh LC]] and [[Macintosh Performa]], as well as the dedicated [[Apple Workgroup Server]] and [[Apple Workgroup Server|Macintosh Server G3 & G4]] lines. Other past Macintosh lines which used PowerPC processors include the [[PowerBook 5300]] and later models, [[iMac]], [[iBook]] and [[Xserve]] as well as the [[Apple Network Server]], which was technically not a Macintosh.

== Advertising and marketing ==
Apple positioned the Power Macintosh as a high-end personal computer aimed at businesses and creative professionals with an [[advertising campaign]] consisting of several [[television commercial]]s and print ads. The television commercials used the slogan "''The Future Is Better Than You Expected''", featuring the first three Power Macintosh computers to showcase special features such as [[computer networking|networking]] and [[MS-DOS]] compatibility.

In 1993 and 1994, a television advertising campaign created by [[BBDO]] aired with the slogan "It does more, it costs less, it's that simple."

== Timeline ==
{{Timeline of Power Macintosh models}}

== See also ==
*[[Mac Pro]]
*[[PowerBook]]
*[[List of Mac models grouped by CPU type]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Power Macintosh}}
*[http://support.apple.com/specs/powermac/ Apple.com – Support – Specifications – Power Mac]
*[http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac/ Everymac.com – Apple Power Macintosh systems]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060221083743/http://lowendmac.com/ppc/ Lowendmac.com – Power Mac Index]

{{Apple hardware since 1998}}
{{Apple hardware before 1998}}
{{Apple hardware}}

[[Category:Power Macintosh| ]]
[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 1994]]
[[Category:Discontinued Apple Inc. products]]