Mac transition to PowerPC processors
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 IBM PowerPC 601 used in early Power Macintosh models (1994) | |
| Date | 1994–1996 |
|---|---|
| Participants | Apple Inc., IBM, Motorola (AIM alliance) |
| Outcome | All Macintosh models migrated to PowerPC CPUs |
| Part of a series on |
| macOS |
|---|
The Mac transition to PowerPC processors was a major shift in Apple Inc.'s Macintosh line, in which the company replaced the Motorola 68000 series (68k) CISC processors with PowerPC RISC processors co-developed with IBM and Motorola (the AIM alliance). The transition began in March 1994 with the launch of the Power Macintosh series and was largely completed by mid-1996, though Apple continued supporting 68k systems in its software until 1998.
Background
From 1984 to 1994, Macintosh computers used Motorola 68000-series CPUs. By the early 1990s, these processors were falling behind Intel’s offerings, driving Apple to seek more efficient, higher-performing hardware.[1]
In 1991, Apple partnered with IBM and Motorola via the AIM alliance to create the PowerPC architecture, a RISC-based design derived from IBM’s POWER processors.[2]
Transition
Apple unveiled the first Power Macintosh models—the 6100, 7100, and 8100—on March 14, 1994.[3] These used the 32-bit PowerPC 601 CPU, manufactured by IBM/Motorola.
PowerPC Macs shipped with a built-in emulator that ran unmodified 68k code at about 60–70% of native 68040 performance.
Developers distributed fat binaries containing both 68k and PowerPC code, allowing a single application package to run on both architectures. Development tools and documentation from Apple enabled rapid developer adoption. By late 1995, most major Mac software had PowerPC-native versions.
Aftermath
Apple continued selling some 68k-based Macs into 1996 but ended production of new 68k models by mid‑1996 with the discontinuation of the PowerBook 190. The Mac system software continued supporting 68k through Mac OS 8.1 (released in January 1998); Mac OS 8.5 (October 1998) dropped 68k support entirely and required a PowerPC processor.
Legacy
The PowerPC transition restored Apple’s performance competitiveness, especially in multimedia and graphics-intensive markets.[1] The successful use of emulation and fat binaries influenced two later Apple transitions: [[Mac transition to Intel processors|to Intel x86 in 2006] and to Apple silicon (ARM) in 2020.
However, Apple's classic Mac OS left little room for modern OS features, prompting a later shift to the NeXTSTEP-derived macOS platform. Eventually, PowerPC lost competitiveness in power efficiency, leading to a the Intel transition in 2006.
References
- ^ a b "Why today isn't like 1994". Macworld. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ "PowerPC on Apple: An Architectural History, Part I". Ars Technica. August 2004.
- ^ "The PowerPC Macintosh Book (1994)" (PDF). Retrieved 2025-07-06.