© 1996 Lawrence I. Charters
Washington Apple Pi Journal, Vol. 18, no. 1, January-February 1996, pp. 55-59.
A Cloning We Shall Go
Eleven years after its birth, the first mass-market Mac clones appeared in 1995. At the high end, there was DayStar, with its multi-processor Genesis screamer. In the middle, there was Power Computing, with their Power and PowerWave computers. In the muddle, there was Radius, with a completely forgettable clone of Apple’s discontinued Power Mac 8100. And there was also Apple itself, with its almost-Mac-compatible Power Mac 7200, 7500, 8500 and 9500.
Power Computing, next to Apple, was easily the most dominate player. Extensive advertising in Mac publications, an impressive and innovative World Wide Web site, and volume shipments of real machines, instead of promises, attracted much attention. Power Computing’s “all mail order” approach also attracted notice, though distribution through a major computer superstore chain soon transformed this into “mostly mail order.”
Power Computing also proved itself a very nimble company, creating a popular, innovative and attractive World Wide Web site January I February 1996 © 1996 Lawrence I. Charters (http://www.powercc.com/) and negotiating a complex agreement to provide Mac clones to an Asian manufacturer for resale to the Asian market – with Apple’s apparent blessing. Power Computing also took note of Apple’s highly successful Performa sales technique and included a solid bundle of applications pre-installed on every machine. A fair number of Apple engineers jumped on the Power Computing bandwagon, leading to several stories in the computer press about the “brain drain” flowing in Power Computing’s favor.
While it was easily the largest Mac clone company, Power Computing showed no signs of bloated inertia: they were the first Mac manufacturer to offer built-in Zip drives, the first to offer both NuBus and PCI slots in a single machine, and the first manufacturer to offer machines using a 150 MHz PowerPC 604 chip. Through their Web-based “configurator,” you could even custom design your own computer: pick a CPU speed, case (desktop or tower), quantity of RAM, size of primary and secondary hard drive, add a quad-speed CD-ROM drive, select monitors ranging from 14 to 20 inches, pick standard or “high performance” video cards, different sized Level 2 caches-you could tinker for hours finding just the right mix between technolust and fiscal insolvency.
But is a Power Computing machine a Mac? To answer that, we looked at a desktop version of the Power 100. This particular machine featured 16 megabytes of RAM, a one gigabyte hard drive, a 256K Level 2 cache, and a highperformance video card. It did not include the recommended quadspeed CD-ROM drive, though most users will need the drive to set up the machine, nor did it include a monitor.
Power 100: A Big Box
The Power 100 was Power Computing’s first big seller, a Power Mac-compatible machine based on a 100 MHz Power PC 601+ chip. The housing looks more like a PC clone thanaAppleMacintosh, with a boxy case featuring one curved section on the front. A panel in the center has a lighted power switch, and below that, separate Programmer’s and Reset switches. Below both of these is the grill for the small, somewhat tinny internal speaker. On the upper right front is the floppy disk drive, and below that two removable panels covering internal bays for adding other, optional storage devices, including an internal Zip drive.
In the back, there is a fan, a power switch, an AC cord socket (for an International 110/220 volt, 50/ 60 Hz power supply), a 25-pin SCSI port, standard Macintosh monitor port, stereo sound out port, stereo sound in port (that requires an Apple PlainTalk microphone, not supplied), Ethernet port (using Apple’s odd, but standard for Apple, 9-pin AAUI configuration), standard Apple modem, printer and ADB (Apple Desktop Bus) ports, and six openings for NuBus cards (even though the machine has only three NuBus slots). If you get the optional High Performance Video card, you get a second Macintosh monitor port, and this card also includes a VGA port, allowingyou toplugin, without any special adapters, a PC-style VGA monitor.
A thumb-screw allows you to remove the cover without any tools. Unlike the screw on a Power Mac 7100, the screw is not permanently attached to the cover. Inside, you’ll discover two fans: one built-in to the 200 watt power supply, and another built-in to the front of the case, in front of the radiator for the Power PC chip. Even with two fans going, the computer doesn’t generate much noise; it isn’t as quiet as a Mac LC (hardly anything is), but it isn’t as noisy as a Power Mac 8100, either. There are 8 slots for memory. Two of these were filled with a four megabyte SIMM; all the other slots can be filled with SIMMs up to 32 MB, for a total of200 MB (32 x 6 plus 8). As tested, the machine had two additional slots filled with four megabyte SIMMs, for a total of 16 megabytes.
The optional High
Conner supplied the one
If that wasn’t enough, the Power 100 comes with two SCSI buses: one internal, and one external, so after you fill the inside of the machine you can start hanging devices off the outside, too. If you added every possible storage device and the maximum amount of
One thing the computer does not have is a peripheral power socket. On all but the lowest-end Macs, there is a peripheral power socket that allows you to plug in your monitor and power up both the computer and the monitor at the same time. Not having such a power socket is immensely annoying if you are used to having one; it is very convenient to just press the keyboard Power On key to start up, and go to the Special menu to shut everything down. Since the monitor is powered separately, that isn’t easy to do.
But not impossible: Sophisticated Circuits has a splendid line of PowerKey accessories to handle just this sort of annoyance (see sidebar, page 59), as well as perform several other essentials. If you have a Power 100 (or a Centris 610, Quadra 610, Power Mac 6100, Mac LC, LC II, LC III, etc.), by all means invest in a PowerKey; you’ll soon discover they’re invaluable.
Power 100: Lotsa Software, Hold the Documentation
All of the following came, at no extra charge, with the Power 100:
- Nine diskettes for the operating system,
MacOS (System 7.5.1); - Three CD-ROMs: SoftWindows 1.0 (90 day evaluation copy of MSDOS 6.2 and Windows 3.1), and Power Computing MacOS Rev. 1.0 and Rev. 1.0.1 (System7.5, System 7.5 Update 1.0, plus Now Contact 3.0, Now Up-To-Date 3.0, Now Utilities 5.0, ClarisWorks 3.0, Quicken 5.0, FWB Hard Disk Toolkit PE, FWB CD-ROM Toolkit, plus installation software for eWorld, plus 250 Bitstream fonts in both Type 1 PostScript and TrueType formats). There was no explanation for the enclosure of the two Power Computing CD-ROMs; as they both contained the same software, we assumed Rev. 1.0 was somehow inferior and ignored it in favor of Rev. 1.0.l;
- Apple Desktop Bus Mouse II.Not a clone, but an Apple original;
- AppleDesign Keyboard. Again, not a clone;
- ClarisWorks manual;
- Quicken Manual;
- Macintosh System 7.5 for Dummies by Bob Le Vitus. This is not a special reprint, but the same book you find at the bookstores. Aside from the offensive title, it is a good overall book on the Macintosh, without any mention of Power Computing at all. Le Vitus has joined Power Computing as their “evangelist;”
- PowerComputing User’sGuide. This contains set-up and technical information on the Power 100 and
MacOS , plus – bound in the same volume – a user guide for FWB’s Hard Disk Toolkit Personal Edition, a user guide for FWB’s CD-ROM Toolkit, and an index (by means of samples of all the typefaces) of the 250 Bitstream fonts included with the computer; - Now Utilities Quick Reference;
- Now Contact, Now Up-To-Date Quick Reference;
- Power Computing mouse pad.
Since everything except for
First test: would the Power 100 read an Apple 300e CD-ROM drive without any special preparation beyond plugging it in? Answer: yes; all the proper drivers were preinstalled. Second test: would the Power 100 boot from their Rev. 1.0 .1 CD-ROM? Answer: yes. Third test: could the hard disk be formatted, partitioned, and everything reinstalled without any plugging or unplugging, or shuffling of diskettes, or anything more strenuous than reading a magazine while everything was properly installed from the CD-ROM? Answer: yes.
In fact, I can truthfully say that I have never before installed so much stuff with so little effort. After a few minutes, it wasn’t even worth paying attention anymore; there were no surprises. It did take quite a while, but most of that time was spent reformatting, then partitioning and checking, the one gigabyte drive.
Note: if we hadn’t been set on chopping up the drive into smaller sections, the computer would have been fully functional right out of the box. Estimated setup time for those not wishing to do strange things: maybe ten minutes, and that includes opening the box.
There were, however, some annoyances. Now Contact and Now Up-To-Date are very easy to use, so most people can probably survive without the manuals -and they’ll have to in this case, since Power Computing included only the Quick Reference guides. The lack of a Now Utilities manual is not so easily dismissed; this best-selling collection does many different things, and a manual is about the only way to understand the entire collection -but Power Computing includes only a Quick Reference guide.
Cutting corners is also evident in the Power Computing User’s Guide. The entire book looks as ifit was printed at a neighborhood print shop; the printing is crisp and clear, but the cover is light, generic card stock with a perfect-bound spine. The real aggravation, however, is the organization: it is several manuals tacked together, each with their own page numbering scheme and, worse yet, each with their own index. Finding the index for Hard Disk Toolkit, for example, is a major effort, since it is roughly halfway through the volume.
Performance: Zoom!
It works just like an Apple Power Macintosh. It is noticeably faster than a Power Mac 8100/80; in theory, it is roughly the same speed as an 8100/110, but these machines are so rare that we couldn’t find one for comparison.
“Power Computing, next to Apple, was easily the most
dominate player. Extensive advertising in Mac publications, an impressive and innovative World Wide Web site, and volume shipments of real machines, instead of promises, attracted much attention. Power Computing’s ‘allmail order ‘ approach also attracted notice, though distribution through a major computer superstore chain soon transformed this into ‘mostly mail-order.'”
We couldn’t find anything – anything – that runs on ·a Power Mac 6100, 7100 or 8100 that wouldn’t run on the Power 100. This also means that programs which don’t run properly on a Power Mac won’t run properly on this machine, either. In fact, during an emergency, we discovered that the Power 100 will also run software that runs “only” on an Apple Workgroup Server 6150, 8150 or 9150. Since you must buy one of these machines to get this specialized software, this isn’t a likely scenario, but it was a nice discovery.
Support?
Power Computing has an excellent World Wide Web site that is used mostly for sales, but it also has some useful support information. Three widely spaced calls to Technical Support (“toll-free lifetime technical support”) were answered by a live person by the fourth ring. On one occasion, the advice offered was useless, but the question posed was rather obscure, too. The other two calls were answered with quick, correct responses, and one call even generated a follow-up E-mail.
And yes, Power Computing does respond to E-mail questions. One individual has taken as long as a week to send an answer – but every message has been answered. All other messages were answered almost immediately; in one case, while I was still on-line.
Since they are essentially a mail-order firm, you can’t just drop in to the store and ask for help. But you probably can’t get much help if you drop in to Circuit City, either. If you need personal hand-holding and reassurance, well, that’s one reason you joined a user group, isn’t it?
All purchases come with a 30-day
Changes
Since the machine was delivered in late August, 1995, Power Computing has introduced newer, faster models and lowered their prices. They’ve also updated their software offerings, moving to Now Contact 3.5, Now Up-To-Date 3.5, and ClarisWorks 4.0, and added Nisus Writer 4.1, Grolier’s Multimedia Encyclopedia, Launch (have no idea what this is), The Animals! 2.0 (multimedia view of the San Diego Zoo), U.S. Atlas 5.0, Word Atlas 5.0, and substituted America Online for eWorld.
They have allegedly also revamped their User Guide; one of the writers called me and quizzed me at length about changes I’d like to see, so we can hope it is an improvement. The somewhat bulky style of the original desktop model is being retired in favor of a lower profile desktop case in addition to their tower designs. MacMall has started selling Power Computing machines through their catalogs, and some effort is being made to sell directly to large government and commercial accounts.
Conclusions
It is a Macintosh. It is fast. With just a few exceptions (such as the missing peripheral power socket) the hardware is easier to expand, modify and set up than Apple’s Power Macs (with the possible exception of the new Power Mac 7200 and 7500). The software is first-rate, as is the technical support.
Power Computing will be at the Pi’s General Meeting in February, in the form of BobLeVitus. Complain about the title of his book, but check out the hardware; you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised.
Power Computing Corp. 12337 Technology Blvd. Austin, TX 78727
Orders: 800-404-7693
Fax back: 800-788-3783
info@powercc.com
http://www.powercc.com