Power Macintosh 5500/225

Released 1997

A 225 MHz PowerPC all-in-one with accelerated graphics, a colour CRT and education configurations with video input and TV output.

Type: All-in-one
Processor: PowerPC 603e 225 MHz (Power Macintosh 5500)
Memory: 16 MB – 32 MB
Storage: 2 GB – 4 GB
Screen: 12.8″
Weight: 21 kg

All-in-one

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Specifications

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Performance

Processor: PowerPC 603e 225 MHz (Power Macintosh 5500)
CPU cores: 1
Memory: 16 MB or 32 MB
Storage: 2 GB to 4 GB
CPU: 225 MHz PowerPC 603e with integrated floating-point unit, 32 KB L1 cache, 256 KB L2 cache and 64-bit 50 MHz system bus.
GPU: 2 MB built-in SGRAM with hardware 2D and 3D acceleration, including QuickDraw 3D, video capture and QuickTime/MPEG-1 playback. Exact education brochure specifies 24-bit colour through 832 × 624 and 16-bit colour through 1024 × 768. Exact support and shared service tables also list 1152 × 870 at 16-bit and 1280 × 1024 at 8-bit; the brochure does not establish these as built-in CRT modes, so its documented 1024 × 768 display mode is retained as the headline. Display resolution can be changed in software; the CRT has no fixed pixel matrix.
Memory type: US education ordering model M5761LL/A has 32 MB RAM; the shared service manual also documents 16 MB configurations sold worldwide. No system RAM is soldered on the logic board. Two 168-pin DIMM slots support up to 128 MB with 5 V, 60 ns or faster EDO DIMMs; the brochure specifies noncomposite modules with 1K or 2K refresh. The service manual supports both fast-page and EDO DIMMs, noting that mixing them can use fast-page timings.
Storage type: Exact US education brochure specifies a 2 GB IDE hard drive, 12× CD-ROM and 1.44 MB SuperDrive floppy. Exact support and shared service document 24× optical configurations too. Later US education configurations have 32 MB/24× and Mac OS 8.0; Europe has 32 MB/2 GB/24× with a 33.6 Kbit/s modem, while Japan has 32 MB/4 GB/24× with the same modem and Mac OS 8.0.
Expansion slots: One PCI 2.0 expansion slot for a 7-inch card with a Macintosh driver, Communications Slot II used by the Ethernet card or regional modem, video-input slot and TV/FM tuner bay. The education brochure lists optional Apple TV/FM Radio System and Avid Cinema Video Editing System. The shared service provides a digital-video connector for compatible expansion hardware; it is not compatible with the earlier Quadra 660AV/840AV connector.

Display

Screen size: 12.8″
Resolution: 1024 × 768
Panel: CRT
Display type: Built-in multiple-scan flat-square colour CRT, 15-inch nominal with 12.8-inch diagonal viewable image and 0.28 mm dot pitch. A refresh rate specifically established for the highest brochure-documented built-in mode remains unpublished and is omitted.

Connections

Ports: Headphone jack, Ethernet
Ethernet: 0.01 Gb/s
Front ports: Headphone output, sound-volume and display controls; infrared receiver for the optional TV/FM remote.
Back ports: US education brochure and exact support specify 10BASE-T Ethernet, ADB, external DB-25 SCSI, two RS-232/RS-422/LocalTalk/GeoPort-compatible serial ports, PlainTalk-compatible sound input and stereo output. The Ethernet card occupies Communications Slot II; later European and Japanese configurations instead supply a 33.6 Kbit/s modem. Brochure supports six external SCSI devices. Video-input card is included in the education brochure and accepts composite and S-Video; TV/FM tuner and Avid Cinema are optional.
External displays: US education brochure includes NTSC TV-output capability for a compatible television, VCR or camcorder. Computer-monitor output requires the appropriate external video connector; the shared service documents video mirroring rather than an independent extended desktop. Regional video bundles vary.
Speakers: Built-in stereo speakers, 16-bit stereo sound input/output and SRS 3D surround processing, with rear stereo speaker output.
Microphones: Built-in microphone; PlainTalk-compatible external sound input.
Keyboard and mouse: Exact M5761LL/A education brochure includes AppleDesign Keyboard, ADB Mouse II, 32 MB RAM, 2 GB drive, 12× CD-ROM, internet-access software and setup/reference documentation. Video-input and NTSC TV-output hardware are included in this education presentation; TV/FM tuner and Avid Cinema are optional. Exact photographs show the beige 225 MHz model with keyboard/mouse; later international bundles differ.

Design and power

Type: All-in-one
Weight: 21 kg
Width × depth × height: 383 × 406 × 445 mm
Operating system: macOS
Size and weight detail: Exact education brochure gives 44.5 × 38.3 × 40.6 cm (height × width × depth), 21 kg / 47 lb; support database agrees with these inch dimensions and 47 lb. AppleFacts August 1997 second page instead prints tower-like 40.6 × 19.8 × 42.9 cm and 20 kg, inconsistent with its all-in-one identity. The shared service swaps width/depth and prints inconsistent pound weights. Brochure complete-unit measurements are retained, with weight varying by installed devices.
Power supply: Exact support specifies 220 W maximum, 110–240 V AC at 50–60 Hz. The original education brochure separately lists 150 W maximum excluding the display, 110/220 V and 47–63 Hz. Shared service lists 125 W and 220 W maximum for all line/load conditions; these differently qualified ratings are not treated as measured operating consumption.
Noise: Variable-speed fan automatically runs at the lowest speed needed to minimise noise; the processor also has a small cooling fan. No acoustic measurement is published in these sources.
In the box: Exact support lists original System 7.5.5 and Enabler 411; education brochure lists Mac OS 7.6 or later and describes Mac OS 7.6.1 software, while later service configurations use Mac OS 8.0. Apple records introduction on 17 February 1997, but the August 1997 current ordering brochure and catalogue establish sale only at year precision in this record. Actual first-sale month remains unresolved. Energy Saver schedules sleep, starting up and shutdown.

Configurations

Processor	Memory	Storage	Storage type
PowerPC 603e 225 MHz (Power Macintosh 5500)	32 MB	2 GB	Hard drive
PowerPC 603e 225 MHz (Power Macintosh 5500)	16 MB	2 GB	Hard drive
PowerPC 603e 225 MHz (Power Macintosh 5500)	32 MB	4 GB	Hard drive

Pros and cons

Pros

Built-in stereo speakers, microphone and colour display
2D and 3D graphics acceleration
Education bundle includes video input and NTSC output

Cons

No USB ports
Only one PCI expansion slot
RAM limited to 128 MB

Closest rivals

Model	Type	Processor	Memory	Storage	Screen	Weight	Released
ApplePower Macintosh G3 All-In-One	All-in-one	PowerPC G3 233 MHz (Power Macintosh G3 Desktop) or PowerPC G3 266 MHz (Power Macintosh G3 Desktop)	32 MB	4 GB	15″	26.8 kg	–
ApplePower Macintosh 5400/200	All-in-one	PowerPC 603e 200 MHz (Power Macintosh 5400)	24 MB – 32 MB	1.6 GB	12.8″	21 kg	1997
ApplePower Macintosh 5500/250	All-in-one	PowerPC 603e 250 MHz (Power Macintosh 5500)	32 MB	2 GB – 4 GB	12.8″	21 kg	1997

Sources

Photo: vintageapple.org

Original Apple 5500/225 education brochure photograph of the beige all-in-one from an angle, with supplied keyboard and mouse and a multimedia application on screen: 1000bit.it/ad/bro/apple/applepowermac5500.pdf

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