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Power Macintosh G3 (Beige)
The G3 chip arrives, in desktop, mini tower and all-in-one cases.
Overview
The beige Power Macintosh G3 was the machine that restored Apple's performance credibility. Its PowerPC 750 chip ran at 233 to 333 MHz and had a dedicated backside bus to a 512 KB or 1 MB level-2 cache, which helped it beat comparable Pentium II systems in many tests.
It shipped in three shapes: a flat Desktop, a taller Minitower with more bays and slots, and an education-focused All-in-One with a built-in monitor nicknamed Molar Mac, the last Mac with an internal floppy drive. All used SCSI and ADB, PCI slots for expansion and PC66 memory.
Although a transitional machine, it carried the platform through Apple's turnaround and paved the way for the iMac and the Blue and White G3.
Why it mattered
It proved the G3 architecture and powered Apple's late-1990s recovery.
At a glance
- Announced
- November 10, 1997
- Released
- November 10, 1997
- Discontinued
- August 31, 1999
- Launch price
- Not available
- Chip / processor
- PowerPC 750 (G3), 233 to 333 MHz
- Storage
- 4 to 9 GB hard disk
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- First Power Mac with the PowerPC G3 (750)
- Backside level-2 cache up to 1 MB
- Desktop, Minitower and All-in-One versions
- Three PCI slots on tower models
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Chip
- Chip
- PowerPC 750 (G3), 233 to 333 MHz
- Cache
- 512 KB or 1 MB backside L2 cache
Memory
- RAM
- 32 to 128 MB PC66 SDRAM, expandable to 768 MB
- Storage options
- 4 to 9 GB hard disk (4 to 6 GB on Desktop)
Ports
- Ports
- ADB, 2 serial, SCSI, video out
Expansion
- Slots
- Three PCI slots (Desktop and Minitower), one PERCH slot
Design
- Weight
- 10 kg Desktop, 15 kg Minitower, 26.8 kg All-in-One
Software
- Launch OS
- Mac OS 8
- Latest supported OS
- Mac OS X 10.2 (officially)
Availability
- Announced
- November 10, 1997
- Released
- November 10, 1997
- Discontinued
- August 31, 1999
Colors
- Finishes
- Platinum Beige
