This article describes the progressive changes made to system software versions 7.0.1, 7.0.1P, 7.1, 7.1P, 7.1P1, 7.1P2, 7.1P3, 7.1P5, 7.1P6, and System 7.5.

SYSTEM SOFTWARE VERSION 7.0.1
Here are the features of system software version 7.0.1 that 7.0 doesn't have:

Extensions
* Memory - Included RAM Disk, and updated virtual memory and RAM Cache to work with new RAM disk.
* Portable - Removed screen brightness and contrast sliders, and RAM disk.
* Brightness - A simple slider to control screen brightness. * Network - Support for on-board Sonic Ethernet for the Quadra family.
* Battery - Updated to work with PowerBook family.
* Caps Lock - Indicator panel available only on PowerBooks.
* File Sharing - Internal file sharing buffer increased from 4K to 5K.
* Cache Switch - For Quadras to disable or enable 68040 cache.
* A/ROSE and DAL - 68040 compatibility changes.
* HD SC Setup - Format-time mode select change.

System File
* Operating System
* Keyboard patch wakes up sleeping Macintosh Apple Keyboard II (Macintosh Classic) keyboards.
* Support for 53C96 SCSI chip in Quadras and PowerBooks 140 and 170, and for PowerBooks 140 and 170 power manager.
* Minor changes to LocalTalk (for 68040), Gestalt 'Iram', 'ram', and 'kbd' selectors (for RAM disk), _hwPriv CPU cache management and dispatch routines, keyboard maps (for PowerBook).
* Startup code can inhibit 68040 cache when Cache Switch cdev is set. * Bitmap system fonts marked purgeable.
* ToolBox
* SANE performance improved via backpatching.
* Disk Initialization Package prevents RAM disks from being formatted as MFS volumes.
* Notification Manager calls IdleUpdate when NMInstall called (on portables) to wake the system.
* Powerdown messages on Quadra 900 and RAM disk.
* Support for Quadra and PowerBook sound hardware. * Backlight driver upgraded to work with PowerBook family.
* SetHandleSize fixed for all 32-bit memory managers.

General
* Reduction in overall size of run time system heap.
* Installer script file revisions for new systems.

SYSTEM SOFTWARE VERSION 7.0.1P
System 7.0.1P is system software for the Performa 200 and 400. It's a modification of system software version 7.0.1 that makes changes to the Macintosh, simplifying the interface for new users. A control panel extension installs the system changes. This version uses the control panel portion of the file as a pseudo-Finder enhancement, for a push-button application launcher.

Here are the modifications:

* Generalized reference to the computer Instead of "About this Macintosh..." the Apple menu reads "About this Computer..." The window doesn't identify the specific model. Applications can use a Gestalt selector to determine whether 7.0.1P is running.
* Push-button program launching When a Performa starts up, the Launcher control panel opens on the desktop (like a small version of At Ease) with an icon for each installed application. You can launch an application with a single click.
* Layer hiding When launching an application, the Finder layer is hidden, giving the illusion that only one application is open at a time. Clicking on the desktop won't bring the Finder to the front. You can still switch applications through the Application menu.
* Default folders The internal disk on a Performa is configured with an Applications folder and a Documents folder on the desktop. The standard Save As dialog box is modified to always default to saving in the Documents folder. This keeps all documents together rath
er than with the application that created them.
* Color default On color-capable Performas, the default Monitors setting is 8-bit color.
* Changes in desktop pattern A modified General control panel replaces the standard desktop pattern editor with a pop-up menu containing a variety of 16x16 desktop patterns.
* Includes At Ease 1.0 Lets adults share the computer, and makes it easy for children to launch applications.
* Backup & Restore This provides an easy way to create a set of backup disks, and to restore the contents of the hard disk if necessary.

SYSTEM SOFTWARE VERSION 7.1
System software version 7.1 has the system enabler that supports the Macintosh IIvx and IIvi. It has the features described for 7.0.1 (minus DAL and SANE backpatching), with the following additions:

* WorldScript software This simplifies language script support. * New control panels These allow customizing formats for dates, times, numbers, and text behavior (for example, sort and case conversion). Here's a list of the new control panels:

* Date & Time
* General Controls
* Numbers
* Text Control
* PowerBook

* Improvements made by System 7 Tune-Up 1.1.1 These improvements include resolving the problem of disappearing folders and files, and installing LaserWriter driver version 7.1.1.
* The QuickTime software extension This provides multimedia capability.
* Font folder This folder within the System Folder provides a single place to store all fonts.
* System Enablers These provide compatibility between Macintosh CPU hardware and system software. The Install Me First disk adds a software module, and not a whole new system.

SYSTEM SOFTWARE VERSION 7.1P
System software version 7.1P was created to support the Macintosh Performa 600 (but works with all Performa models). It has the features described for 7.1 and 7.0.1P, with the following exceptions:

* Includes Macintosh PC Exchange and the Apple IIe ProDOS extension. * Removes Apple File Exchange.

SYSTEM SOFTWARE VERSION 7.1P1
System software version 7.1P1 supports all the Macintosh Performa models, and has all the features described for 7.1, 7.0.1P, and 7.1P with the following exceptions: * Memory control panel The RAM disk memory could be set too high in version 7.1P. A change in the Memory control panel prevents this.
* Installs CD-ROM 4.0.2 and StyleWriter II drivers
* Pre-configures At Ease icons The application buttons appear automatically and don't require manual placement.
* System enabler modification There have been reports that the floppy drive sometimes won't eject disks. A modification to the system enabler corrects this.
* Minor interface changes There are a few cosmetic changes, like moving the Mouse Basics icon to the far left side of the screen.
* Serial driver for communications

SYSTEM SOFTWARE VERSION 7.1P2
System software version 7.1P2 supports all the Macintosh Performa models, and has all the features described for 7.1, 7.0.1P, 7.1P, and 7.1P1, with the following modifications:

* Eliminates the system freeze when you click on the sea horse in Mouse Practice. This was corrected by reducing the application preferred memory size from 5000K to 2500K.
* Allows setting Monitors control panel to any number of colors or black and white selection. The 7.1P1 version reset the system to 256 colors upon restart.
* Control panels "exercised" (opened and closed) during Custom Mac process

Many control panels normally have compressed resources. This makes it easier to fit all the necessary files on system software floppy disks. Once a control panel is opened, the resources are decompressed, and then written back to disk decompressed. This process can take quite a bit of time (minutes, on a Performa 400), and is most visible with the Monitors control panel.

If a user shuts down their system while the decompressed resources are being written back to disk, it can lead to problems. By providing users with control panels which already have decompressed resources, it should speed things up, reducing the risk that a customer might think something is wrong and want to shut down their system improperly.
* The Read Me document now very clearly provides information about the importance of the proper shut down procedure.

SYSTEM SOFTWARE VERSION 7.1P3
System software version 7.1P3 supports all the Macintosh Performa models, and has all the features described for 7.1, 7.0.1P, 7.1P, 7.1P1, and 7.1P2 with the following modifications:

* Includes a Shut Down desk accessory to make it easier to shut down, no matter what application is open. User studies showed that many users were confused about having to "go to the Finder" in order to shut down.
* Detects, during the startup process, if an improper shut down occurred. If it occurs (dirty bit was set), a dialog warns to always shut down properly.
* Performa control panel provides System Folder protection, preventing the user from deleting, renaming, or removing items from the System Folder. This feature is on by default, but can be turned off via the Performa control panel. * Performa Macintosh Basics provide detailed information about the importance of the proper shut down procedure.
* System and Finder version numbers changed to 7.1P3.
* FKEY 3 saves the PICT as a SimpleText file type instead of a TeachText file.
* Apple Restore 1.3 runs only if you start up with the Utilities disk. Provides additional room for error dialogs.
* Slight change in the patterns of General Controls 7.1P3.
* Launcher 2.0P version number change. Changed the icons for the Launcher Items folder and the Launcher. Finalized the About Box.
* Balloon help added to Performa 1.0. Replaced two check boxes for the documents saving options with three radio buttons in the Performa window. Performa control panel icon changed. Performa control panel checks for System 7.x before opening; if it detects a non-supported system, it passes an error to the Finder which displays a message. Displays an alert if Performa control panel is open even though INITs aren't properly installed.
* Finder Layer hiding, an extension in the Performa control panel, modified to never bring At Ease to the front. This solves problems where user launches a desk accessory from the Finder and is switched to At Ease when the desk accessory closes. Now it always goes back to the Finder.
* SimpleText 7.1P changed the minimum and preferred memory partition size from 256K to 512K to solve some problems with Photo CD and large images.

SYSTEM SOFTWARE VERSION 7.1P5
System software version 7.1P5 supports all the Macintosh Performa models, and has all the features described for 7.1, 7.0.1P, 7.1P, 7.1P1, 7.1P2, and 7.1P3 with the following modifications:

* Mouse Basics, Mouse Practice, Performa Basics, Sharing Your Computer, Why Back Up, 800-SOS-APPL, DOS Compatibility and Helpful Tips are compressed using Application VISE 2.1.1. This results in the fulfillment kit fitting on eight disks plus the Utilities disk versus nine disks plus Utilities.
* An alias to AppleCD Audio Player is in the Apple Menu.
* Includes the latest LaserWriter 300 and StyleWriter II drivers.
* Apple Restore 1.3 When Restore finishes (because all software is installed or the user quit early) the last dialog has a restart button instead of asking for the Utilities disk. This forces a restart, causing a rebuild of the desktop.
* Rolled in all Apple HD SC Setup 7.2.1 fixes.
* General controls 7.1P3 desktop default pattern is second instead of third pattern.
* Performa 1.0 fixed this bug: when saving a document in an open application with the Performa control panel window open, Performa preference settings reverted to saved settings.
* Cleaned up the "not shut down correctly" dialog in the shut down check, an extension in the Performa control panel.
* The standard file patch, an extension in the Performa control panel, now resolves aliases most of the time. When aliases don't resolve, an 'X' appears over the Performa icon during startup.
* Added a file icon for the desk accessory called Shut Down 1.0P.

SYSTEM SOFTWARE VERSION 7.1P6
System software version 7.1P6 supports all the Macintosh Performa models, and has all the features described for 7.1, 7.0.1P, 7.1P, 7.1P1, 7.1P2, and 7.1P3 with the following modifications:

* Backup Partition Software-automatically detects corrupted system folders When a bad System Folder is detected, the user is given the option to re-load another System Folder into their system.
* CD ROM Support-supports the AppleCD 300+, an all other Apple drives
* New Instructional Products Suite-adds a searchable hypertext glossary. It also provides paths for electronic as well as phone-based third party support.
* HyperCard 2.2 Player-Includes a number of HyperCard stacks to provide additional functionality, and supports sales of the HyperCard 2.2 development kit.
* Improved incorrect shut-down dialog.

**Improvements to Apple Backup and Apple Restore.
* Inclusion of the '040 cache switch-provides compatibility with certain '040 cache incompatible programs, such as the current version of Prodigy.
* Optimus Support
* Bug fixes to improve reliability.

System 7.5
System 7.5 is qualified for all 680x0 based Performa computers with at least 4MB of memory (8MB for PowerTalk or QuickDraw GX), and at least 8MB for any PowerPC based Performa computer (16MB for PowerTalk or QuickDraw GX).

SOFTWARE BUNDLE
The software bundle for the Performa 550 has dozens of updates including:

* ClarisWorks 2.1-Supports PowerTalk and has bug fixes
* ClarisWorks Education Sample files-Allows us to use this bundle for the Educator Advantage Program
* Mario Teaches Typing 1.3.1

Fixes crashing Performa bug and sound manager problems

* American Heritage Dictionary Font Fix
* Quicken 4 Release 6

Fixes recalculation and other bugs

* New ClarisWorks Tour
* To receive upgrade kits from Global Village has been revised to eliminate the confusing dialog box at install time.

This 694-0261 bundle is qualified to be used for the Marts/Catalog 410 and 466, and the CE/MM 460 and 475, the Performa 550 with the CD 300+. (M1982LL/A,M1985LL/A, M2156LL/A M1904LL/A, M2147LL/B) as well as the all Performa 570 series computers.

New bundles will be built at the end of February to support the rest of the Performa line. (M2157LL/A, M2154LL/A, M1981LL/A, M2155LL/A) In addition, these other bundles will have updated copies of Mavis Beacon Typing, DateBook Pro, TouchBase Pro, and DataViz translators.