The Power Macintosh 8100 (also sold in
Japan as the Power Macintosh 8115 and with bundled server software as the Workgroup Server 8150) is a
personal computer
A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or tech ...
that is a part of
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company ...
's
Power Macintosh
The Power Macintosh, later Power Mac, is a family of personal computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer as the core of the Macintosh brand from March 1994 until August 2006.
Described by ''MacWorld'' as "the most important te ...
series of
Macintosh
The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and software en ...
computers. It was introduced in March 1994 alongside the
Power Macintosh 6100
The Power Macintosh 6100 (also sold as the Performa 6110 – 6118 and the Workgroup Server 6150) is a personal computer designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from March 1994 to March 1996. It is the first computer from Apple to use t ...
and the
7100 as the high end model of the first generation of the
Power Macintosh
The Power Macintosh, later Power Mac, is a family of personal computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer as the core of the Macintosh brand from March 1994 until August 2006.
Described by ''MacWorld'' as "the most important te ...
family, and is a direct replacement of the prior
Macintosh Quadra 800
The Macintosh Quadra 800 (also sold with bundled server software as the Apple Workgroup Server 80) is a personal computer that is a part of Apple Computer's Quadra series of Macintosh computers.
Introduced in February 1993 alongside the first ...
. It retains the Quadra 800's enclosure.
The 8100 originally featured a
PowerPC 601 The PowerPC 600 family was the first family of PowerPC processors built. They were designed at the Somerset facility in Austin, Texas, jointly funded and staffed by engineers from IBM and Motorola as a part of the AIM alliance. Somerset was opene ...
at 80 MHz, and was speed-bumped to 100 MHz in January 1995. The main variant of the 8100 are the 8100AV models, which came with an analog video in/out card in its
Processor Direct Slot
A processor direct slot (PDS) is a slot incorporated into many older Macintosh models that allowed direct access to the signal pins of a CPU, similar to the functionality of a local bus in PCs. This would result in much higher speeds than having ...
. A faster 110 MHz model was released in November 1994 without an AV variant.
The case has received criticism for being difficult to work with. Dan Knight, writing for Low End Mac, noted that "except for replacing the CPU card in the 8500, changing anything on the motherboard required completely removing it. That included removing the reset button, removing a screw, disconnecting several cables, then sliding the motherboard assembly forward about an inch, then pulling it away from its mounts."
In August 1995, the 8100 was discontinued, with the
Power Macintosh 8500
The Power Macintosh 8500 (sold as the Power Macintosh 8515 in Europe and Japan) is a personal computer designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from August 1995 to February 1997. Billed as a high-end graphics computer, the Power Macin ...
taking its place.
Models

Introduced March 14, 1994:
* Power Macintosh 8100/80:
* Power Macintosh 8100/80AV:
Introduced April 25, 1994:
* Workgroup Server 8150:
Introduced November 3, 1994:
* Power Macintosh 8100/110:
Introduced January 3, 1995:
* Power Macintosh 8100/100:
* Power Macintosh 8100/100AV:
Introduced February 23, 1995:
* Power Macintosh 8115/110:
Introduced April 3, 1995:
* Workgroup Server 8150/110:
In popular culture
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock (; born July 26, 1964) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, Bullock was the world's highest-paid actress in 2010 and 2014. In 2010 ...
, starring as
systems analyst
A systems analyst, also known as business technology analyst, is an information technology (IT) professional who specializes in analyzing, designing and implementing information systems. Systems analysts assess the suitability of information syst ...
Angela Bennett, uses a Power Macintosh 8100 as her primary workstation in the movie ''
The Net'' (1995).
Timeline
References
External links
Power Macintosh 8100at apple-history.com
Power Macintosh 8100at Low End Mac
* Power Macintos
an
at EveryMac.com
{{Apple hardware before 1998
8100
8100
Macintosh towers
Computer-related introductions in 1994