The 12 Worst Macs

  1. 5200-53xx, 6200-6320 fouor
  2. Performa 600 three
  3. PowerBook G3/233, no cache three
  4. Mac TV three
  5. LC two
  6. Classic II two
  7. LC II two
  8. Color Classic two
  9. PowerBook 5300 two
  10. Core Solo Mac mini two
  11. PowerBook 1400/117 one
  12. PowerBook 150 one

Second Class Macs

Second Class Macs are Macs you should buy with your eyes wide open - if at all. The only ones I would put on the "avoid" list are those with three or four apples. The one and two apple Macs can be very nice computers as long as you are aware of their limitations.

Apple has produced a few computers that could have provided more performance - and should have, based on the CPU they used. However, they were hobbled by other design considerations: keeping costs down.

These are Apple's more compromised hardware designs. For the most part, they're not really bad - simply designs unable to work as well as they should have. We divide these models into three categories:

  1. Limited Macs. These are generally the best of the Second Class Macs and usually have only one or two areas that limit their potential. They usually rate one apple.
  2. Compromised Macs. These are usually descent Macs where performance has been compromised to keep costs down, prevent competition with a more expensive model, or to meet other design goals. 1-2 apples.
  3. Road Apples. These are the worst, rating 3 and 4 apples.

The number of apples ranks Second Class Macs from somewhat limited (one) to avoid at all costs (four).

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For the best in used Macs, visit our Best Buys page. Models are listed in the order of introduction.

  1. Mac Portable one September 1989
  2. Mac IIfx one March 1990
  3. Classic one October 1990
  4. Mac IIsi one October 1990
  5. Mac LC two October 1990
  6. Classic II two October 1991
  7. Mac LC II two replaced LC in March 1992
  8. Color Classic two February 1993
  9. Performa 600 and Mac IIvx three September 1992
  10. Mac TV three October 1993
  11. Quadra 800/840av/Power Mac 8100 case two February 1993
  12. Centris (the name) one February to October 1993
  13. PowerBook 150 one July 1994
  14. PowerBook 5300 two 1995
  15. 5200-53xx and 6200-6320 four several different models sharing the same flawed design, introduced April 1995 and later
  16. Power Mac 7200, 8200 one March 1996
  17. PowerBook 1400/117 one October 1996
  18. Power Mac 4400 one February 1997
  19. 'MainStreet' PowerBook G3/233, no cache three May 1998
  20. Beige Power Mac G3 (Rev. A) one November 1997
  21. Power Macintosh G4 (Yikes!) one August 1999
  22. 350 MHz G3 iMacs one Oct. 1999, July 2000
  23. Power Mac G4 Cube one July 2000
  24. G4 Mac mini one January 2005
  25. Core Duo Mac mini one February 2006
  26. Core Solo Mac mini two February 2006

Other Mac Hardware

  1. AppleVision 1710 monitor three
  2. PowerBook Express Modem three
  3. GeoPort "Modem" three
  4. Apple Adjustable Keyboard two
  5. Apple USB keyboard two
  6. The Round iMac/G3 Mouse three

If you would like to nominate another model as a Second Class Mac, send an email to Dan Knight explaining why. Thanks!

For another perspective, see The 10 worst Macs ever built by Remy Davison on Insanely Great Mac and What were the 10 worst Macs of all time?, a response by Charles Moore of Applelinks.

Second Class Macs is intended as a good natured look at Macintosh bloopers, not as an indictment of Apple, Inc. I'd rather have the worst of these than a Windows machines any day.  LEM

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