Macintosh Performa 636
 | |
| Performa 630 with a CD-ROM drive; the 636 uses the same case (Hellis, Italian Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0) | |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Apple Computer, Inc. |
| Type | Desktop personal computer |
| Released | 1 July 1994 |
| Discontinued | 1 July 1995 |
| Intro price | US$1,349-1,399 (Apple estimated street price, 1994) |
| CPU | Motorola 68LC040 at 33 MHz, no FPU |
| Memory | 4 MB on the logic board; one 72-pin SIMM socket (80 ns); 36 MB maximum |
| Storage | 250 MB internal IDE hard drive |
| Display | — |
| Sound | 8-bit mono input; 8-bit stereo output (16-bit in CD mode) |
| Graphics | 1 MB DRAM frame buffer, not expandable; DB-15 port |
| ROM | 1 MB |
| Media | 1.4 MB Apple SuperDrive (manual insert); bay for an optional AppleCD 300i Plus |
| Ports / interface | One ADB, two RS-232/RS-422 serial (mini DIN-8), SCSI (DB-25), DB-15 video, sound in, sound out front and rear |
| Expansion | 114-pin LC processor-direct slot, 112-pin communications slot, 60-pin video-in slot, 10-pin TV tuner connector |
| Power | 100-240 V AC, 50-60 Hz, 45 W maximum |
| Dimensions | 4.3 × 16.5 × 12.6 in (10.95 × 41.95 × 32 cm) |
| Weight | 17 lb (7.7 kg) without CD-ROM drive |
| OS / Firmware | System 7.1.2P to Mac OS 8.1 |
| Model no. | M3076 (Gestalt ID 98) |
The Macintosh Performa 636 is a model in Apple's Performa 630 series with a 33 MHz 68LC040 and no CD-ROM drive, sold only through the higher-education channel. Apple's specification sheet, which covers the 636 and 636CD together, gives a minimum of 4 MB of RAM and a 250 MB IDE hard drive, and dates the machines 1 July 1994.[1] Macworld listed the Performa 636 in September 1994 at an estimated street price of US$1,349 to US$1,399, with 4 MB, a 250 MB hard drive, a 14-inch monitor and keyboard, available only to higher education; it was the cheapest Performa in the 630 range.[2]
The Macintosh Performa 630 page has the configuration table for the whole series, the full specification and a selection of Apple's symptom charts.
Configuration
[edit | edit source]Apple's service manual lists the Performa 636 with 4 MB of RAM, a 1.4 MB SuperDrive, a 250 MB IDE hard drive, a 14-inch Apple Performa Display Plus and no modem; it is the only model in the series that the manual lists without a modem.[3] Low End Mac and EveryMac describe a different configuration, with 8 MB of RAM and no display, and EveryMac gives a 500 MB hard drive; neither cites an Apple document for it.[4][5]
The 4 MB is soldered to the logic board, and the single SIMM socket is empty as shipped.[1][3] The case has a bay for the optional AppleCD 300i Plus CD-ROM drive fitted to the CD models.[3]
Hard drive
[edit | edit source]The internal drive is IDE. Apple says to replace it like for like, and it plays no part in SCSI IDs or termination.[3] Low End Mac notes that the IDE controller supports only a single device, and that Macs with IDE drives do not supply termination power to the external SCSI bus, leaving it to the external devices.[4]
Specifications
[edit | edit source]| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | Motorola 68LC040 at 33 MHz, no FPU[3][1] |
| RAM | 4 MB on the logic board; one 72-pin SIMM socket, 80 ns; 36 MB maximum[1][3] |
| Video | 1 MB DRAM frame buffer, not expandable; up to 16 bits per pixel at 640 × 480, 8 bits at 800 × 600[3] |
| Drives | 1.4 MB SuperDrive, manual insert; IDE hard drive; optional AppleCD 300i Plus CD-ROM drive. Internal SCSI hard drives are not supported[3] |
| Sound | 8-bit mono input; 8-bit stereo output, 16-bit in CD mode, 0.5 V RMS into 39 ohms[3] |
| Electrical | 100-240 V AC, 50-60 Hz; 45 W maximum, not including the monitor[1][6] |
The Performa 630 Series volume prints the maximum power as "5 W"; Apple's specification sheet and the LC 630/Quadra 630/Performa 640 volume give 45 W.[3][1][6]
Battery
[edit | edit source]Apple's specification sheet gives the battery as 4.5 V alkaline.[1] The Service Source gives no test voltage; its symptom charts print "Unplug 5.4 battery" for the 20-second battery-unplug step, a misprint for 4.5, which the LC 630 volume prints for the same step.[3][6] Neutralise alkaline leakage with a weak acid such as vinegar; see Battery Explosion, Capacitor or Corrosion Damage.
Maintenance and repair
[edit | edit source]The Performa 636 has the LC 630's case and logic board family, and the LC 630 guides apply: Macintosh LC 630 General Maintenance, Macintosh LC 630 Troubleshooting and Macintosh LC 630 Capacitor Replacement Guide.
Documentation
[edit | edit source]- Macintosh Performa 630 Series Service Source: Apple's service manual for the Performa 630 series.[3]
- LC 630/Quadra 630/ Performa 640 Service Source[6]
Related pages
[edit | edit source]- Macintosh Performa 630 and the rest of the Performa 630 series
- Macintosh Performa 636CD
- Macintosh LC 630
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Macintosh Performa 636 and 636CD: Technical Specifications, Apple—link(accessed 2026-09-30) Introduced 7/1/1994; RAM 4-36 MB; minimum hard drive 250 MB. 68LC040 at 33 MHz, no FPU; data path 32-bit, 33 MHz; slots LC, comm, TV, video in; one ADB; DB-15 video; 45 W maximum, 100-240 V, 50-60 Hz; battery type 4.5 V alkaline; 4 MB on the logic board, one 72-pin SIMM slot, 80 ns; 1 MB video DRAM; Gestalt ID 98; System 7.1.2P with System Enabler 405; 1 MB ROM; 2x CD-ROM.
- ↑ Jim Heid, "Multimedia Mac", Macworld, vol. 11 no. 9, September 1994, pp. 98-103, table "The Quadra 630 Family Tree" (Apple's estimated street prices). archive.org scan. Performa 630CD US$1,849-1,899 (8 MB, 250 MB, CD-ROM, 14-inch monitor); Performa 635 US$1,849-1,899 (5 MB, 250 MB, CD-ROM, 15-inch monitor); Performa 636 US$1,349-1,399 (4 MB, 250 MB, no CD-ROM, 14-inch monitor); Performa 636CD US$1,649-1,699 (8 MB, 250 MB, CD-ROM, 14-inch monitor); the 636 and 636CD "available in higher-education channel only"; all Performa models include monitor and keyboard.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 Apple Computer, Macintosh Performa 630 Series Service Source (1995), File:Performa 630 series.pdf; see Macintosh Performa 630 Series Service Source. PDF page numbers: title p. 1; General Information pp. 3-6; Product Configuration pp. 7-12; Processor p. 18; Memory pp. 19-20; Disk Storage p. 21; I/O Interfaces pp. 22-24; Sound and Video p. 26; Electrical p. 27; Physical p. 28; Symptom Charts pp. 31-46 (battery step pp. 36, 43; video-in card p. 37; CD-ROM p. 41); Logic Board take-apart p. 70; Exploded View p. 120.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Performa 630 and LC 630, Low End Mac—link(accessed 2026-09-30) Model list: 635CD same as 630CD with 5 MB, bundled with modem and display; 636 same as 635CD but no CD-ROM or display, 8 MB; 636CD same as 636 with CD-ROM, higher education only; 637CD same as 636CD bundled with display, higher education only; 638CD same as 637CD without display, includes TV tuner/video input card; 638CD/V same as 638CD with TV tuner and multiscan display. PRAM battery 4.5 V alkaline. The IDE controller supports a single device; Macs with IDE drives do not supply SCSI termination power.
- ↑ Apple Macintosh Performa 636 (CD) Specs, EveryMac—link(accessed 2026-09-30) Covers the 636 and 636CD: 8 MB; 500 MB IDE; 14.4k external modem; identical to the 635CD but with more RAM and a larger hard drive, without the 15-inch monitor; the 636 lacks the CD-ROM drive; introduced 18 July 1994, discontinued 1 July 1995; order number M3402LL/A; US$1,400.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Apple Computer, LC 630/Quadra 630/Performa 640 Service Source, File:Quadra.lc 630.performa 640.pdf; see LC 630/Quadra 630/ Performa 640 Service Source. Electrical, PDF p. 27 (45 W); symptom chart, PDF p. 37 ("Unplug 4.5 battery").