Editing Macintosh IIfx

{{Primary sources|date=April 2023}}
{{short description|Personal computer by Apple}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox information appliance
| name = Macintosh IIfx
| aka =
| family = [[Macintosh II family|Macintosh II]]
| developer = [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer]]
| Image = Macintosh IIfx.jpg
| caption =
| release date = {{start date|1990|03|19}}
| MSRP = {{USD|8969|1990}}
| CPU = [[Motorola 68030]]
| CPUspeed = 40 MHz
| OS = [[System 6|System 6.0.5]]-[[System 7|7.1.1(Pro), 7.5-7.6.1]]
| RAM = 4 [[Megabyte|MB]], expandable to 128 MB
| RAMtype = 80 ns 64-pin SIMMs
| dimensions = Height: {{convert|5.5|in|cm}}<br/>Width: {{convert|18.7|in|cm}}<br/>Depth: {{convert|14.4|in|cm}}
| weight = {{convert|24|lb|kg}}
| discontinued = {{end date|1992|04|15}}
| predecessor = [[Macintosh IIx]]
| successor = [[Macintosh Quadra 900]]
| related = [[Macintosh Classic]]<br>[[Macintosh SE/30]]<br>[[Macintosh IIci]]<br>[[Macintosh IIsi]]
}}

The '''Macintosh IIfx''' is a [[personal computer]] designed, manufactured and sold by [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer]] from March 1990 to April 1992.  At introduction it cost from {{USD|9000}} to {{USD|12000}}, depending on configuration, and it was the fastest [[Mac (computer)|Macintosh]] available at the time.

The IIfx is the most powerful of the [[Motorola 68030|68030]]-based [[Macintosh II family]] and was replaced at the top of Apple's lineup by the [[Macintosh Quadra]] in 1991. It is the last Apple computer released that was designed using the [[Snow White design language]].

==Overview==
Dubbed "Wicked Fast"<ref name=macworldsecrets>{{cite book
| chapter-url-access = registration
| chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/macworldmacsecre00pogu/page/467
| title = MacWorld Mac Secrets, 5th Edition
| chapter = Chapter 12: From 128K to Quadra: Mac to Mac
| pages = [https://archive.org/details/macworldmacsecre00pogu/page/467 467-468]
| publisher = [[IDG Books]]
| date = 1999
| first1 = David
| last1 = Pogue
| author-link1 = David Pogue
| first2 = Joseph
| last2 = Schorr
| isbn = 0-7645-4040-8
}}</ref> by its Product Manager, Frank Casanova – who came to Apple from [[Apollo Computer]] in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], where the [[Eastern New England English#Overview of vocabulary and grammatical features|Boston term]] "wicked" is commonly used to denote anything extreme – the IIfx runs at a [[clock rate]] of 40 [[Hertz|megahertz]], has 32 [[Kilobyte|KB]] of Level 2 [[CPU cache|cache]], six [[NuBus]] slots, and includes a number of proprietary [[Application-specific integrated circuit|ASICs]] and coprocessors. Designed to speed up the machine even further, these chips require system-specific drivers. The 40&nbsp;MHz speed refers to the main logic board clock (the bus), the [[Motorola 68030]] [[Central processing unit|CPU]], and the computer's [[Motorola 68882]] [[Floating-point unit|FPU]]. The machine has eight RAM slots, for a maximum of 128 [[Megabyte|MB]] RAM, an enormous amount at the time.

The IIfx features specialized high-speed (80 [[nanosecond|ns]]) [[Random-access memory|RAM]] using 64-pin [[SIMM#Apple 64-pin|dual-ported SIMMs]], while all other contemporary Macintosh models use 30-pin SIMMs. The extra pins are a separate path to allow latched read and write operations. It is also possible to use parity memory modules; the IIfx is the only stock 68K Macintosh to support them along with special versions of the [[Macintosh IIci]]. The logic board has a total of 8 RAM slots; these must be populated four at a time with 1, 4, or 16 MB chips; this results in a maximum memory amount of 128 MB.<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://support.apple.com/kb/SP203
| title = Macintosh IIfx: Technical Specifications
| publisher = Apple
| access-date = October 31, 2017
| archive-date = February 22, 2014
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140222132911/http://support.apple.com/kb/SP203
| url-status = live
}}</ref>

The IIfx includes two special dedicated processors for floppy disk operations, sound, ADB, and [[serial communication]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://developer.apple.com/technotes/hw/hw_09.html|title=Technote HW 09 – Macintosh IIfx: The Inside Story|last=Collyer|first=Rich|date=April 1990|website=developer.apple.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990203062249/http://developer.apple.com/technotes/hw/hw_09.html|archive-date=February 3, 1999|access-date=April 27, 2017}}</ref> These I/O chips feature a pair of 10&nbsp;MHz [[embedded system|embedded]] [[MOS Technology 6502|6502]] CPUs, which is the same CPU family used in [[Apple II]] machines.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://lowendmac.com/1990/macintosh-iifx/|title=Mac IIfx|work=Low End Mac|access-date=2017-04-28|language=en-US|archive-date=March 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170307205735/http://lowendmac.com/1990/macintosh-iifx/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The IIfx uses [[SCSI]] as its [[hard disk drive|hard disk]] interface, as had all previous Macintosh models since the [[Macintosh Plus]]. The IIfx requires a special black-colored SCSI terminator for external drives.<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.fenestrated.net/mirrors/Apple%20Technotes%20(As%20of%202002)/dv/dv_15.html
| title = Technical Note DV15 - SCSI termination
| access-date = March 21, 2018
| archive-date = March 22, 2018
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180322021140/https://www.fenestrated.net/mirrors/Apple%20Technotes%20(As%20of%202002)/dv/dv_15.html
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>

[[Industrial Light & Magic]] upgraded their image processing hardware to the IIfx by the time ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'' entered post-production.<ref>[https://history.siggraph.org/animation-video-pod/terminator-2-computer-graphics-effects-by-cameron/ “”Terminator 2″ Computer Graphics Effects” by Cameron - ACM SIGGRAPH HISTORY ARCHIVES]</ref>

== Models ==
When first introduced, the IIfx was offered in the following configurations:<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://tech-insider.org/mac/research/acrobat/9003.pdf
| title = Macintosh IIfx - Overview
| publisher = Apple
| access-date = October 30, 2017
| archive-date = January 19, 2017
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170119115038/http://tech-insider.org/mac/research/acrobat/9003.pdf
| url-status = live
}}</ref>

* '''Macintosh IIfx''': 4 MB memory, 1.44 MB [[SuperDrive]]. US$8,969.<ref name=pressrelease>{{cite web
| url = http://tech-insider.org/mac/research/1990/0319.html
| date = March 19, 1990
| title = Apple introduces high-performance Macintosh products
| publisher = Apple
| access-date = October 31, 2017
| archive-date = January 19, 2017
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170119062110/http://tech-insider.org/mac/research/1990/0319.html
| url-status = live
}}</ref>
* '''Macintosh IIfx 4/80''': 4 MB memory, 80 MB HDD. US$9,869.<ref name=pressrelease />
* '''Macintosh IIfx 4/160''': 4 MB memory, 160 MB HDD. US$10,969.<ref name=pressrelease />
* '''Macintosh IIfx 4/80 with Parity Support''': 4 MB of [[Parity bit|parity error-checking]] RAM, 80 MB HDD.

Introduced May 15, 1990:
* '''Macintosh IIfx 4/80 with A/UX''': 4 MB memory, 160 MB HDD, [[A/UX]] 2.0 preinstalled. US$10,469.<ref>{{cite web|date=May 15, 1990|title=Apple Computer announces A/UX 2.0 pricing, availability|url=http://tech-insider.org/mac/research/1990/0515.html|url-status=live|publisher=Apple|access-date=October 31, 2017|archive-date=January 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170119055845/http://tech-insider.org/mac/research/1990/0515.html}}</ref> Shipments began in June.

== Timeline ==
{{Timeline of Macintosh II models}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://lowendmac.com/1990/macintosh-iifx/ Macintosh IIfx profile] on Low End Mac
* [http://www.apple-history.com/?page=gallery&model=IIfx&performa=off&sort=date&order=ASC Apple-History: Macintosh IIfx]
* [http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_ii/stats/mac_iifx.html EveryMac: Macintosh IIfx]
* [https://www.fenestrated.net/mirrors/Apple%20Technotes%20(As%20of%202002)/dv/dv_15.html Apple Technical Note DV15] (Mirror)

{{Apple hardware before 1998}}

[[Category:Macintosh II|fx]]
[[Category:68k Macintosh computers|IIfx]]
[[Category:Macintosh desktops|IIfx]]
[[Category:A/UX-capable Macintoshes|IIfx]]
[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 1990]]
[[Category:Products and services discontinued in 1992]]