This article contains a description of the Power Macintosh 8600 Series computer.

Overview
If your profession demands a high-performance, expandable computer, look to the Power Macintosh 8600 series. These powerful computers are optimized for work in a variety of media (audio, video, or graphics) tasks.

Featuring 250- or 300-megahertz PowerPC processors, the Power Macintosh 8600 series offers outstanding performance. The new 1MB of Apple Inline Cache on the processor card provides direct access to the cache at 100 megahertz--a first for the Power Macintosh line. And the tower design provides incredibly easy access to the computers' components, as well as accommodating a built-in Iomega Zip drive.

Built-in near-broadcast-quality video input/output capabilities, a fast hard disk drive, and a 24x-speed CD-ROM drive add vitality to professional projects and--with Apple's QuickTime software--make media authoring on a Power Macintosh 8600 series computer simple. Networking is also a simple matter on these computers, because they include both Ethernet (AAUI-15 and 10BASE-T) and LocalTalk ports. They even come with all the software you need to access the Internet.

The three industry-standard Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) high-performance expansion slots on the Power Macintosh 8600 series systems let you customize them easily to meet your needs more precisely. For example, if you want to run MS-DOS and Windows applications as well as software written for the Macintosh, you can install a PC Compatibility Card from Apple--and switch instantly between computing environments.

In fact, the Power Macintosh 8600/250 and 8600/300 give you yet another system software option. Although these computers come with Mac OS 7.6.1 installed, Apple will also provide Mac OS 8 on CD-ROM for you to upgrade when you're ready. Mac OS 8 is the latest, greatest version of the popular Macintosh system software providing significant performance enhancements, integrated Internet capabilities and state-of-the-art multimedia designed to increase not only your productivity but also your enjoyment through desktop management.

The Power Macintosh 8600/250 and 8600/300: Exceptional performance for media authoring--or any work with video, audio, or graphics--to enhance your creativity.

Features

Performance

• 250-MHz or 300-MHz PowerPC processor
• Integrated Iomega Zip drive
• Built-in floating-point processor and 32K on-chip data and 32K instruction caches
• 1MB of Apple Inline Cache (level 2)
• Built-in accelerated graphics card

• Includes 10BASE-T and AAUI-15 Ethernet connectors
• Supports Open Transport networking software (TCP/IP and AppleTalk)
• Runs 680x0 Macintosh applications as well as applications accelerated for Power Macintosh computers
• Reads Mac OS, Windows, MS-DOS, OS/2, and ProDOS floppy disk formats
• Runs MS-DOS and Windows applications via optional PC Compatibility Card from Apple
• Comes with all of the software required for Internet access

• Two high-speed serial ports compatible with GeoPort and LocalTalk cables

• 64-bit VRAM graphics subsystem
• 24x-speed CD-ROM drive
• 16-bit stereo audio input and output
• 24-bit composite and S-video input and output

• Three industry-standard PCI expansion slots
• SCSI connector for hard disks, CD-ROM drives, and other SCSI devices
• Expansion bays for additional storage devices (3.5- or 5.25-inch)

• Makes working with different applications consistent, so they're easier to learn and use
• Allows easy customization of your Macintosh to reflect the way you work
• Provides active assistance in learning new features with Apple Guide
• Includes MacLinkPlus file translation software from DataViz

Power Macintosh 8600/250
Order No. M5905LL/A

Power Macintosh 8600/250 computer with 32MB of RAM, a built-in 1.4MB Apple SuperDrive floppy disk drive, an internal 4GB hard disk drive, an internal 24x-speed CD-ROM drive, an internal Iomega Zip drive, and a PlainTalk microphone. Includes keyboard and mouse; system software version 7.6.1 or later; Internet access software; complete setup, learning, and reference documentation; and limited warranty.

Power Macintosh 8600/300
Order No. M6092LL/A

Power Macintosh 8600/300 computer with 32MB of RAM, a built-in 1.4MB Apple SuperDrive floppy disk drive, an internal 4GB hard disk drive, an internal 24x-speed CD-ROM drive, an internal Iomega Zip drive, and a PlainTalk microphone. Includes keyboard and mouse; system software version 7.6.1 or later; Internet access software; complete setup, learning, and reference documentation; and limited warranty.

PC Compatibility Card
(with Pentium 166-MHz processor)

Order No. M5782LL/A

Product specifications are subject to change. Check with your Apple reseller for the most current information about product specifications and configurations.