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 to go through a bus layer, such as NuBus , which typically ran at a slower 10 MHz speed.
35-455: Typically, if a machine had bus expansion slots it would feature multiple bus expansions slots. However, there was never more than one PDS slot, as rather than providing a sophisticated communication protocol with arbitration between different bits of hardware that might be trying to use the communication channel at the same time, the PDS slot, for the most part, just gave direct access to signal pins on
70-594: A "low-cost" Mac, and it was such a success that, when subsequent models replaced the CPU with a 68030, a 68040, and later a PowerPC processor, Apple found methods to keep the PDS slot compatible with the original LC, so that the same expansion cards would continue to work. The SE "System Expansion" slot, introduced in the Macintosh SE in 1987 , was the first processor direct slot, using a 96-pin Euro-DIN connector to interface with
105-441: A calendar/contact manager such as Touchbase and Datebook Pro, America Online , educational software such as The American Heritage Dictionary , The New Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia , The TIME Almanac (on models equipped with a CD-ROM drive), Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing , or Mario Teaches Typing , and a selection of games such as Spectre Challenger , Diamonds , and Monopoly . Another software package that only
140-428: A consequence of these issues, Apple overestimated demand for Performa machines in 1995 while also underestimating demand for high-end Power Macintosh models, leading to significant oversupply issues. Introduction of new Performa models slowed as a result: whereas Apple had introduced 20 different Performa models around the world from May to December 1995, the number dropped to four in the first seven months of 1996. For
175-545: A dot-29 or dot-39 pitch shadow mask CRT monitor. Professional models, in contrast, were sold à la carte with keyboard and mouse bundles chosen by the dealer or sold separately; monitors sold with high-end Macintosh models typically used Trinitron tubes based on aperture grille technology. While the Performa models resembled their professional counterpart on the system software and hardware level, certain features were tweaked or removed. The Performa 600, for instance, lacked
210-506: A geographic area had only one reseller. To prevent these conflicts, Apple split the Macintosh line into professional and consumer models. The professional line included the Classic, LC, Centris, Quadra, and Power Macintosh lines, and continued to be sold as-is (i.e., no consumer software bundles or limited features). The consumer line was given the name "Performa", and included computers similar to
245-405: Is a family of personal computers designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1992 to 1997. The Performa brand re-used models from Apple's Quadra , Centris , LC , Classic , and Power Macintosh families with model numbers that denoted included software packages or hard drive sizes. Whereas non-Performa Macintosh computers were sold by Apple Authorized Resellers, the Performa
280-400: Is not correct to categorize AGP as a local bus. Whereas VL-Bus operated on the CPU's memory bus at the CPU's clock speed, an AGP peripheral runs at specified clock speeds that run independently of the CPU clock (usually using a divider of the CPU clock). This computer hardware article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Performa The Macintosh Performa
315-410: Is the processor tray connector in the 2009 to 2012 Mac Pros . More recent models have had Intel Xeon processors socketed directly to the logic board. Local bus In computer architecture , a local bus is a computer bus that connects directly, or almost directly, from the central processing unit (CPU) to one or more slots on the expansion bus . The significance of direct connection to
350-412: The 5400 , 5500 , and 6360 through 6500 , featured an L2 cache slot which provided direct access to the CPU. This allowed enterprising third-party manufacturers to build PowerPC G3 upgrades for this slot. More recent Macs have such high processor speeds that a PDS would not be practical and instead adopted PCIe and Thunderbolt (interface) . The last implementation resembling such a slot by Apple
385-583: The Macintosh LC / LC II . It only supported the asynchronous cycle of the MC68020, and did not connect all address signals, though it did connect all 32 data signals. The 96-pin Euro-DIN connector is similar to the SE slot connector, but the two are completely incompatible. Latter models added 18 more pins through a notched in-line extension to support the full MC68030 bus (synchronous cycle, all address lines, clock both from
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#1732869469282420-648: The Motorola 68000 processor. This slot was also used in the Macintosh Portable . The L2 cache slot of the Macintosh IIci , introduced in 1989 , was a 32-bit version of a PDS which used a 120-pin Euro-DIN connector to support the Motorola 68030 processor. This slot also appeared in the IIvi , and IIvx . These allowed for 3rd party companies, such as DayStar Digital , to develop processor upgrades that did not require
455-527: The Motorola 68040 processor which was in-line with one of the NuBus slots. The Quadra 605 and Quadra 630 were exceptions which used the full 114-pins version of the LC slot. Both allowed for PowerPC upgrades, including through the "Ready for PowerPC upgrade" program, using Apple's Macintosh Processor Upgrade Card . The PowerBook Duo line was introduced in 1992 with a unique 68030 -based connector that could allow
490-461: The level-2 cache of the Macintosh IIvx it was based on. Unlike the professional Macintosh lines, each individual Performa bundle was given a unique model number, in some cases varying only by the software bundle or the specific retailer that sold that model. This was intended to accommodate retailers, who could advertise that they could beat their competitors' price on equivalent models while at
525-409: The CPU and backward-compatible 16 MHz), while retaining backwards compatibility with older cards. This configuration proved to be so popular for Apple's Performa line that later 68040 such as the Macintosh LC 475 and PowerPC -based versions were essentially emulating the 68030 pin signals for the LC slots that they inherited. The Macintosh Quadra series was introduced in 1991 with a new PDS for
560-430: The CPU is avoiding the bottleneck created by the expansion bus, thus providing fast throughput . There are several local buses built into various types of computers to increase the speed of data transfer (i.e. bandwidth ). Local buses for expanded memory and video boards are the most common. VESA Local Bus and Processor Direct Slot were examples of a local bus design. Although VL-Bus was later succeeded by AGP , it
595-411: The CPU, making it closer in nature to a local bus . Thus, PDS slots tended to be CPU-specific, and therefore a card designed for the PDS slot in the Motorola 68030 -based Macintosh SE/30 , for example, would not work in the Motorola 68040 -based Quadra 700 . The one notable exception to this was the PDS design for the original Motorola 68020 -based Macintosh LC . This was Apple's first attempt at
630-519: The IIci, but a different pin configuration. The primary clock is the 16 MHz clock for the CPU. Unlike the IIci cache slot, it includes three interrupt request signals. There is also provision in the case for external connectors, so it was commonly used for graphic or network devices. The Macintosh IIsi included a motherboard slot very similar to the SE/30, although clocked at 20 MHz like the onboard MC68030. This slot
665-636: The Launcher (an application launcher similar to the macOS Dock ), and the Performa Control Panel, which included several unique configuration options. The functionality of all three components were eventually folded into the operating system itself. Versions of System 7 with the additional software had a 'P' appended to the end, such as 7.1.2P which was included with the Performa 630 in mid-1994. Software bundles usually included ClarisWorks , Quicken ,
700-403: The different clocks based on the physical address requested - some address would be accessed with the 20 MHz clock, and some other with the (not directly available on the slot) 40 MHz CPU clock ("fast slot space"). The physical space available for the board was also different from the SE/30 and IIsi. The LC slot, introduced in 1990 , began as a PDS for the Motorola 68020 / 68030 processors in
735-646: The early 1990s, Apple sold computers through a chain of authorized resellers , and through mail order catalogs such as those found in the latter third of MacWorld Magazine . A typical reseller sold Macintosh computers to professionals, who purchased high-level applications and required performance and expansion capabilities. Consumers, however, purchased computers based on the best value, and weren't as concerned about expansion or performance. To reach these customers, Apple wanted to sell their computers through department store chains (such as Sears ), but this would conflict with existing authorized reseller agreements, in which
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#1732869469282770-500: The late-1996 holiday period, sales of Performa-branded machines had dropped year-over-year by 15 percent, reflective of a company-wide drop in fourth-quarter revenues by one-third compared with 1995. In February 1997, just days after Steve Jobs returned to the company, Apple refreshed its entire line of desktop computers, retiring a dozen Performa models based on the Power Macintosh 6200 and 6400 with no replacement, and reducing
805-411: The professional line. Early Performa models were not sold with the "Macintosh" brand in order to get around the authorized reseller agreements. The Performa line was marketed differently from the professional line. To satisfy consumer-level budgets, the computers were sold bundled with home and small business applications. Most models were also bundled with a keyboard, mouse, an external modem and either
840-440: The range of Power Macintosh to six computers (plus a few Apple Workgroup Server variants). The official end of the Performa brand was announced on March 15 as part of sweeping changes at the company that included layoffs of a third of the company's workforce and the cancellation of several software products. By early 1998, Apple's lineup was reduced to four computers: One desktop, one all-in-one, and two minitowers (one of which
875-466: The removal of the CPU. The IIci cache slot is different from the other PDS slot as it doesn't have provision for external connectors, and it does not include an interrupt request signal, thus limiting its use. Its pin configuration is also completely different from the one in most later MC68030-based non-LC Macintoshes. The Macintosh SE/30 included a PDS slot that uses the same 120-pin Euro-Din connector as
910-455: The return of Steve Jobs to the company. The Performa brand's lifespan coincided with a period of significant financial turmoil at Apple due in part to low sales of Performa machines. With a strong education market share throughout the 1980s, Apple wanted to push its computers into the home, with the idea that a child would experience the same Macintosh computer both in the home and at school, and later grow to use Macintosh computers at work. In
945-535: The same time ensuring that they did not actually carry the same models as their competitors. To help consumers choose between the options available to them, Apple created multiple paid advertisements including "The Martinettis Bring Home a Computer", a thirty-minute " storymercial " about a fictional family that purchases a Performa computer that aired in December 1994. Apple's strategy for selling Performa machines in department and electronics retail stores did not include
980-526: The sort of specialized training Apple offered to its dealers. This resulted in situations where Performa display models were often poorly taken care of; the demo computers crashed , the self-running demo software not running or the display models not even powered on. Apple tried to address the training issue by hiring their own sales people to aid the store sales staff, most of them recruited from Macintosh user groups. Despite this, however, many returned Performa computers could not be serviced properly because
1015-435: The stores were not authorized Apple service centers. The problem was compounded by retailers favoring Microsoft Windows , especially after the introduction of Windows 95 . Computers running Windows were generally cheaper, and encouraged by manufacturer spiffs , advertising co-ops, and other promotion programs. In addition, many stores preferred to sell their own branded white box PCs, something Apple would not allow. As
1050-415: The subnotebook logic board to communicate with an array of desktop docking systems, some of which could be upgraded with floating-point units . Because of the complexity of larger Duo Docks , NuBus was used to manage parts of the subsystems. First generation Power Macintosh systems with NuBus architecture, such as the 6100 , 7100 , and 8100 , included a PDS that was used for high-speed AV cards. It
1085-432: Was later used by third-party manufacturers to support PowerPC G3 and G4 upgrades. High-end second generation Power Macintosh systems with PCI architecture, such as the 7500 through 9600 , had their PowerPC 601 and 604 processors on daughtercards which could be swapped out for PowerPC G3 and G4 upgrades. Mid-range Power Macintosh systems based on PowerPC 603e processors with PCI architecture, such as
Processor Direct Slot - Misplaced Pages Continue
1120-451: Was not intended for direct use, Apple instead offered two adapter cards with a second connector mounted at a right angle (so the board would be parallel to the motherboard). One card provided a NuBus slot, while the other was essentially a pass-though configuration enabling a slot very similar to the IIsi, but with only one interrupt signal supported. Both cards also included an MC68882 FPU, which
1155-456: Was not present on the IIsi motherboard. The Macintosh IIfx , introduced in 1990, included a PDS that was almost identical to the SE/30 and IIsi, but not entirely. In particular, the clock signal is running at 20 MHz like the IIsi but the CPU is running at 40 MHz. The clock signal is also on a different pin from the IIsi and SE/30. Unlike other PDS, the connections to the processor signals are not direct, with intermediate buffering needed to handle
1190-601: Was sold as a server product). As part of the restructuring of how Apple sold its computers in retail channels, it partnered with CompUSA to implement a "Store within a store" concept. Apple and related products were displayed and sold in a physically separate location by specialized employees (currently done at select Best Buy stores). The Performa versions of the Macintosh System software introduced some features that were not available on non-Performa Macintoshes. The most notable of these are At Ease (parental controls),
1225-571: Was sold through big-box stores and mass-market retailers such as Good Guys , Circuit City , and Sears . The initial series of models consisted of the Macintosh Classic II -based Performa 200, the LC II -based Performa 400, and the IIvi -based Performa 600. After releasing a total of sixty-four different models, Apple retired the Performa brand in early 1997, shortly after release of the Power Macintosh 5500 , 6500 , 8600 and 9600 , as well as
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