Introductory price 2900, 3300, 3500
Operating system System 7.1.2, Mac OS 8, Mac OS 9
CPU PowerPC 601 @ 66 and 80 MHz
Memory 8 MiB, expandable to 136 MiB (80 ns 72 pin SIMM)

The Power Macintosh 7100 was a mid-range Apple Macintosh personal computer that was designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from March 1994 to January 1996. The PowerMac 7100 was a faster, more expandable Power Macintosh 6100, and was a part of the original Power Macintosh line along with it and the Power Macintosh 8100. It came in a slightly restyled Macintosh IIvx case, and received a speed increase to 80 MHz (from its original 66 MHz) in January 1995

The Power Macintosh 7100's internal code name was "Carl Sagan", the in-joke being that the mid-range PowerMac 7100 would make Apple "billions and billions." Though the project name was strictly internal and never used in public marketing, when Sagan learned of this internal usage he sued Apple Computer to force the use of a different project name. Other models released conjointly had code names such as "Cold fusion" and "Piltdown Man", and he was displeased at being associated with what he considered pseudoscience. Though Sagan lost the suit, Apple engineers complied with his demands anyway, renaming the project "BHA" (for Butt-Head Astronomer). Sagan promptly sued Apple for libel over the new name, claiming that it subjected him to contempt and ridicule, but lost this lawsuit as well. Still, the 7100 saw another name change: it was finally referred to internally as "LAW" (Lawyers Are Wimps).
 
Our 7100 with a G3 accelerator card is complete with 14" monitor, keyboard and mouse was very kindly donated by Bob Sheppard.

Manufacturer: Apple
Date: March 1994

This exhibit has a reference ID of CH827. Please quote this reference ID in any communication with the Centre for Computing History.