The Macintosh Performa 638CD: July 1994 to April 1995 Price:$2200... On the market for: Almost 2 Years. Processor and speed: 68LC040 at 33/66 MHz. Memory: 8MB, expandable to 36MB. Equipment: ADB keyboard, Mouse, 15" Multi-Scan Color Monitor; 350MB hard drive; Modem; 4 slots: 1 Communications slot, 1 Video In slot, 1 Video Out slot and 1 030 PDS slot; no FPU. Requires System 7.1.1 to 7.8

Here's A Little Backround On My Mac Performa

The Macintosh Performa 638 CD is a member of the LC 630 family and is destined to be among the last models ever designed around a Motorola 68000-family chip.

The machine is based on a 33MHz '040 processor, and is the sister machine of the Quadra 630. There are two remarkable aspects of this fast, yet inexpensive model. First, it has four slots, each of a different type: (1) an LC-style PDS; (2) a communications slot for an ethernet or fax/modem card; (3) a video slot, which accommodates a TV input card. (Which was included with this model.) (4) a TV tuner card. (Which also came with this model.)

The second unusual feature of this machine is Apple's cost-saving strategy used to keep this Mac and ones like it inexpensive. For example, there is only one SIMM socket for installing extra memory; there is only one keyboard/mouse jack; you cannot expand the 1MB of video RAM; and the redesigned, low-cost keyboard's cable is permanently attached.

There is a payoff to this machines limitations, however: Low pricing, good speed, a CD-ROM drive, monitor, keyboard, mouse, modem, and a lot of good software. All this at an affordable price. It can even be upgraded to the PowerPC chip($599.00) and you can now upgrade the logic board to a 6200 series PowerPC($699.00).

I got my 638 in November of 1994, just prior to returning to College yet again. Sure I'm ready for a Power Mac, but I'm still having alot of fun with this machine. And besides, it meets most of my needs for now. Since the '94 purchase, I have added an Iomega ZIP Drive , a Fast Mac V.34, 28.8 modem, an HP DeskWriter 550C Printer, A 32 Meg Simm for a total of 36 Megs, a 2.1 Gigabyte Seagate hard drive, a MICROTEK ScanMaker E6 Scanner, System 7.6 and a mess of Local Talk cables for which to link my old Mac Plus, my Roomates 6220, and our printers into a little network in the dorms.

The biggest disappointment I had with this machine, was the fact that a Global Village product came with it.

Reasearch and Information collected from the following: MacWorld "SECRETS" 2nd Edition., (316)

Want the entire history of every Macintosh ever made?

Welcome To My Mac Need to contact me: kinse000@uwp.edu. Be sure to send your comments, suggestions, or any mistakes concerning the history of this model"