Apple · Power Mac
Power Macintosh 8500/132
A 132 MHz PowerPC 604 tower with three PCI slots, analogue video capture and output, and a 1.2 GB SCSI hard disk.
- Type
- Tower
- Processor
- PowerPC 604 132 MHz (Power Macintosh 9500/132)
- Memory
- 16 MB
- Storage
- 1.2 GB
- Screen
- –
- Weight
- –
Product links
Specifications
Report a wrong or missing specPerformance
- Processor
- PowerPC 604 132 MHz (Power Macintosh 9500/132)
- CPU cores
- 1
- Memory
- 16 MB
- Storage
- 1.2 GB
- CPU
- One 132 MHz PowerPC 604 on a removable processor card, with integrated floating-point unit, 32 KB level-one cache, 256 KB level-two cache and a 44 MHz processor bus. The 50 MHz figure on the shared Japanese sheet is the family maximum, not the 132 MHz model's bus
- GPU
- Built-in 64-bit video subsystem with 2 MB VRAM, expandable to 4 MB. Standard memory supports 24-bit colour through 832 × 624, 16-bit at 1024 × 768 and 1152 × 870, and 8-bit at 1280 × 1024. With 4 MB, 24-bit colour extends through 1152 × 870 and 16-bit to 1280 × 1024; monitor and video output simultaneously require 4 MB. Exact model tables take precedence over contradictory high-colour catalogue appendix claims
- Memory type
- 16 MB standard for the 8500/132, eight 168-pin 64-bit 70 ns-or-faster DRAM DIMM sockets, up to 512 MB supported; corresponding matching DIMMs permit interleaving. The shared Japanese page's 32 MB package is explicitly the 8500/150 and is not transferred. English support says 128 MB DIMMs were untested. 4 MB ROM
- Storage type
- Exact Japanese 8500/132 configuration has a 1.2 GB internal Fast SCSI hard disk, manual-inject Apple SuperDrive floppy and AppleCD 600i 4× CD-ROM. Shared Service Source lists 1.2 or 2 GB across 132/150/180 but does not pair an additional 132 configuration, so none is inferred. Additional internal storage bay; external SCSI up to seven devices at 5 MB/s, internal channel up to 10 MB/s
- Expansion slots
- Three PCI 2.0 slots, all free with onboard video, and an internal Digital Audio/Video connector for compatible compression hardware; no NuBus slots
Display
- Screen
- None built in
Connections
- Ports
- Ethernet, headphone jack
- Ethernet
- 0.01 Gb/s
- Back ports
- One ADB connector, two GeoPort/LocalTalk-compatible serial connectors, DB-15 display output, external DB-25 SCSI, AAUI-15 and 10BASE-T Ethernet connectors, 16-bit stereo sound input/output, left/right RCA audio input/output, composite video input/output and S-video input/output. Both Ethernet connectors share one interface and cannot be used concurrently 24-bit analogue composite and S-video input/output. Japanese sheet specifies live display through 640 × 480 NTSC or 768 × 576 PAL/SECAM, capture through 320 × 240 at 25 frames/s NTSC, and a separate maximum 640 × 480 NTSC capture size without that frame-rate claim. NTSC and PAL/SECAM output supported; full-size preview is not full-size continuous capture
- External displays
- One external display up to 1280 × 1024; available colour depth depends on VRAM. Simultaneous monitor and video output requires 4 MB VRAM
- Speakers
- Built-in speaker; stereo sound and RCA line audio interfaces support 16-bit, 44.1 kHz sampling
- Microphones
- Apple PlainTalk external microphone included in the exact Japanese package; no built-in microphone
- Keyboard and mouse
- Japanese 16 MB/1.2 GB package includes ADB Mouse II, PlainTalk microphone, power cable, KanjiTalk 7.5.3 CD-ROM, VideoShop 3.0J, manuals and warranty. Keyboard and display sold separately
Design and power
- Type
- Tower
- Width × depth × height
- 196 × 400 × 355.6 mm
- Operating system
- macOS
- Size and weight detail
- Exact Japanese sheet gives 355.6 × 196 × 400 mm, consistent with service manual's rounded 356 × 196 × 400 mm. Catalogue gives 363 × 196 × 401 mm. Weight is unresolved and omitted from the headline; exact Japanese page says 12.7 kg, but English support, service manual and catalogue give 25 lb or approximately 11.3 kg. All qualify weight by installed devices
- Power supply
- 100–240 V AC automatically configured, single phase, 50–60 Hz. Service Source distinguishes 225 W maximum DC output from AC consumption
- Power use
- 340 W maximum continuous AC input and 520 W peak input, excluding monitor; exact Japanese specification and shared Service Source agree
- In the box
- Original system software 7.5.3. English support gives 22 April 1996 as introduction; Apple's May 1996 catalogue lists the exact 8500/132 as an offering, supporting release year 1996. Actual first-sale month/day remains unconfirmed
Configurations
| Processor | Memory | Storage | Storage type |
|---|---|---|---|
| PowerPC 604 132 MHz (Power Macintosh 9500/132) | 16 MB | 1.2 GB | Hard drive |
Pros and cons
Pros
- Built-in composite and S-video input and output
- Three PCI slots remain available with onboard graphics
- Eight memory sockets and an upgradeable processor card
Cons
- No USB ports
- Video mirroring requires additional VRAM
- Internal storage uses SCSI
Closest rivals
Model | Type | Processor | Memory | Storage | Screen | Weight | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tower | PowerPC 603e 180 MHz (Performa 6400) | 16 MB | 1.6 GB | – | – | 1996 | |
| Tower | PowerPC 601 120 MHz (Power Macintosh 7200/120) | 16 MB | 1.2 GB | – | 11.3 kg | 1996 | |
| Tower | PowerPC 604 150 MHz (Power Macintosh 8500/150) | 16 MB | 2 GB | – | 11.34 kg | 1996 |
