Mac · The Beige Era · 1991
Macintosh Quadra 700
The flagship of the new Quadra line, with the powerful 68040 and ethernet on board — Apple’s answer to the workstation crowd.
Macintosh Quadra 700: key facts
When was the Macintosh Quadra 700 released?
The Macintosh Quadra 700 was released in October 1991. Apple discontinued it in March 1993.
How much did the Macintosh Quadra 700 cost?
The Macintosh Quadra 700 launched at $5,700 in 1991 — about $13,338 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What are the Macintosh Quadra 700’s specs?
The Macintosh Quadra 700 used a Motorola 68040 running at 25 MHz, with 4 MB of memory and 80 MB of storage. It ran System 7.0.1.
Why does the Macintosh Quadra 700 matter?
First Mac with the fast 68040 and built-in ethernet.
Full specifications
| CPU | Motorola 68040 · 25 MHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 1 |
| Memory (RAM) | 4 MB (up to 68 MB) |
| Storage | 80 MB |
| Display | External colour, on-board video |
| GPU | Built-in video |
| Ports | SCSI, ADB, ethernet, 2× NuBus |
| Weight | 11 kg |
| Dimensions | Mini-tower / desktop |
| Operating system | System 7.0.1 |
| Released | October 1991 |
| Discontinued | March 1993 |
| Launch price | $5,700 |
How the Macintosh Quadra 700 compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 4,100× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 25 MHz, the clock is roughly 128× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro — and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
All of this storage holds about 20 modern phone photos.
Launched at $5,700 in 1991 — about $13,338 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Cross-architecture speed figures are clock-only and approximate; inflation figures use US CPI.
Did you know?
It memorably starred (as a "hacking" prop) in the film Jurassic Park.
Related Mac models
Open the Macintosh Quadra 700 in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-06-25