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Can Anyone Provide Any Information On This "Prototype" Power Macintosh 6360?

jajan547

Well-known member
Things to note here, this was posted on tinker-different and I thought I could gather more information here as well. What I know so far is that this is definitely a prototype, hence the non-approved FCC label with the text saying not for individual sale or use from Apple. So far the Internet connector is AAUI and there seems to be a 6400 heatsink on this board. The ROMs also appear to have no text on them. I believe this to be a 6360 because of the time line of the components and the form factor it is in. Can anyone provide any information or anything else they notice in the limited pictures I have until I receive the unit?
 

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jajan547

Well-known member
Wait a minute could this be a 6400 prototype hence the heatsink and then they switched to the desktop variant?
 

Trash80toHP_Mini

NIGHT STALKER
TattleTech reports will tell much of the tale when it arrives.

Being a 6400 development unit makes a world of sense other than P6360 and P6400 being introduced the same month about thre weeks apart. P6360 is the desktop version and the P6400 is the "tower" configuration of the same machine, with a single slot PCI riser in the 6360 for a short card. Twin slot riser in the other with short card and a full length card along with a place to put a Zip Drive.

My guesses would be that they planned/tested the 200MHz board in desktop form and found the power/cooling budget fell short. Te other would be that they were testing the faster board in the available case, awaiting prototype tower case arrival.
 
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jajan547

Well-known member
TattleTech reports will tell much of the tale when it arrives.

Being a 6400 development unit makes a world of sense other than P6360 and P6400 being introduced the same month about thre weeks apart. P6360 is the desktop version and the P6400 is the "tower" configuration of the same machine, with a single slot PCI riser in the 6360 for a short card. Twin slot riser in the other with short card and a full length card along with a place to put a Zip Drive.

My guesses would be that they planned/tested the 200MHz board in desktop form and found the power/cooling budget fell short. Te other would be that they were testing the faster board in the available case, awaiting prototype tower case arrival.
Very, very interesting I think your theory would be correct in this case. I’ll be sure to upload more photos when I receive the unit.
 

Cory5412

Daring Pioneer of the Future
Staff member
It's probably just a normal prototype for the late stage development of the 6360 and 6400. Lots of late-stage prototypes from several different eras at Apple have leaked out over the years. My personal pet theory is that they weren't particularly well tracked and someone from the team brought it home and let their kid play edutainment games on it, or Apple cascaded them around the company and this was some accountant's or lawyer's desktop for a couple years before it then got surplussed through whatever normal channels Apple has.

As has been noted, the 6360 and 6400 (and the 5400) are literally the same computer except for some configuration items, and the different case.

The 1996 date tracks for this being a 6360 and not a 6200 or 6300 prototype, however, I don't see any pictures of the motherboard, which should slide out from the back (pull the plastic faceplate off to reveal the screws you can undo, then the metal back panel should have a handle that will pop out for you to pull on.)

If you pull that out and find a PCI slot, then, this is definitely a 6360 prototype. If you pull that out and do not find a PCI slot, then this is a 6200 or 6300 prototype. (You can also look at markings on the CPU itself, /75 is the 6200, /90 through /120 are the 6300 update, which mostly is the same but with more L1 cache.)

If you get it booting, system profiler or tattletech or whatever will reveal what it's closest to.

The other thing is, I've never seen that AAUI port on the com slot before, perhaps the system is mostly production and Apple was testing the ethernet card.

One more note: the plastics on these are inter-compatible with the 630, 6200, 6300, 6360, and all sub-variants (such as the 637 DOS Money Magazine Edition, etc etc etc) so any given piece could have been swapped and be muddling the story, so unfortunately I do recommend being very slightly suspicious.
 

jajan547

Well-known member
It's probably just a normal prototype for the late stage development of the 6360 and 6400. Lots of late-stage prototypes from several different eras at Apple have leaked out over the years. My personal pet theory is that they weren't particularly well tracked and someone from the team brought it home and let their kid play edutainment games on it, or Apple cascaded them around the company and this was some accountant's or lawyer's desktop for a couple years before it then got surplussed through whatever normal channels Apple has.

As has been noted, the 6360 and 6400 (and the 5400) are literally the same computer except for some configuration items, and the different case.

The 1996 date tracks for this being a 6360 and not a 6200 or 6300 prototype, however, I don't see any pictures of the motherboard, which should slide out from the back (pull the plastic faceplate off to reveal the screws you can undo, then the metal back panel should have a handle that will pop out for you to pull on.)

If you pull that out and find a PCI slot, then, this is definitely a 6360 prototype. If you pull that out and do not find a PCI slot, then this is a 6200 or 6300 prototype. (You can also look at markings on the CPU itself, /75 is the 6200, /90 through /120 are the 6300 update, which mostly is the same but with more L1 cache.)

If you get it booting, system profiler or tattletech or whatever will reveal what it's closest to.

The other thing is, I've never seen that AAUI port on the com slot before, perhaps the system is mostly production and Apple was testing the ethernet card.

One more note: the plastics on these are inter-compatible with the 630, 6200, 6300, 6360, and all sub-variants (such as the 637 DOS Money Magazine Edition, etc etc etc) so any given piece could have been swapped and be muddling the story, so unfortunately I do recommend being very slightly suspicious.
I appreciate the feedback, I do find it strange that this has a 6400 heatsink, I supposedly get it tomorrow and I will take photos that more clearly elaborate on whatever this may be.
 

Trash80toHP_Mini

NIGHT STALKER
The other thing is, I've never seen that AAUI port on the com slot before, perhaps the system is mostly production and Apple was testing the ethernet card.
On one hand that'd track with development of a PCI architeccture CSII NIC as the 10bT CS NIC had been a done deal for Q630 up through its PPC PDS Slot ilk. AAUI CSII NIC thrown together from existing bits and pieces makes sense as a stepping stone to 10bT, one less thing to test.

Though on the other it could be an unholy kluge assembled from recycling bins across the Q630 form factor development spectrum.

99% Positive it's an Alchemy board though, the DIMM Slots in the pics would be a dead giveaway.
 
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jajan547

Well-known member
On one hand that'd track with development of a PCI architeccture CSII NIC as the 10bT CS NIC had been a done deal for Q630 up through its PPC PDS Slot ilk. AAUI CSII NIC thrown together from existing bits and pieces makes sense as a stepping stone to 10bT, one less thing to test.

Though on the other it could be an unholy kluge assembled from recycling bins across the Q630 form factor development spectrum.

99% Positive it's an Alchemy board though, the DIMM Slots in the pics would be a dead giveaway.
It’s an odd duck currently out for delivery, pictures tonight.
 
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Trash80toHP_Mini

NIGHT STALKER
Alchemy was the code name for 6360/6400/5400 logic board/architecture.
Gazelle was the code name for the 6500/5500/TAM board with its improved specs and a 50MHz system bus which appears to me to contribute to its lack of support for PCI I/O cards that worked fine in the Alchemy machines.

Alchemy was the first use of DIMM memory in a Performa.

I wonder what the code names for the Quadra 630 and Performa 6200 were? There should be a third code name for the improved 6200 series?
 
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jajan547

Well-known member
Alchemy was the code name for 6360/6400/5400 logic board/architecture.
Gazelle was the code name for the 6500/5500/TAM board with its improved specs and a 50MHz system bus which appears to me to contribute to its lack of support for PCI I/O cards that worked fine in the Alchemy machines.

I wonder what the code name for the Quadra 630 was?
I was looking at code names was maybe halo it?
 

jajan547

Well-known member
Wow okay I was not expecting to find a Motorola Engineering Sample 603P CPU clocked at 240MHz! This is crazy!!!!
 

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Fizzbinn

Well-known member
Did you pull out that old battery? might be doing funny things if still has some nominal voltage?
 

jajan547

Well-known member
Has 0.472 volts so dead as a door nail. I PRAM reset after that and still nothing. Here's a video of what happens.
 

jajan547

Well-known member
Has 0.472 volts so dead as a door nail. I PRAM reset after that and still nothing. Here's a video of what happens.
Video won't upload but that button seems to actually reboot it every time which I guess I'll try three more times.
 
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