Quadra · The Beige Era · 1991
Macintosh Quadra 900
A serious workstation tower with the new 68040 and room for expansion, aimed at high-end publishing, science and business users.
Macintosh Quadra 900: key facts
When was the Macintosh Quadra 900 released?
The Macintosh Quadra 900 was released in October 1991. Apple discontinued it in May 1992.
How much did the Macintosh Quadra 900 cost?
The Macintosh Quadra 900 launched at $7,200 in 1991 — about $16,848 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What are the Macintosh Quadra 900’s specs?
The Macintosh Quadra 900 used a Motorola 68040 running at 25 MHz, with 4 MB of memory and 160 MB of storage. It ran System 7.
Why does the Macintosh Quadra 900 matter?
Apple’s first tower-style Quadra flagship.
Full specifications
| CPU | Motorola 68040 · 25 MHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 1 |
| Memory (RAM) | 4 MB (up to 256 MB) |
| Storage | 160 MB |
| Display | External display |
| GPU | Integrated / NuBus video |
| Ports | SCSI, ADB, serial |
| Weight | Varies by configuration |
| Dimensions | Large tower |
| Operating system | System 7 |
| Released | October 1991 |
| Discontinued | May 1992 |
| Launch price | $7,200 |
How the Macintosh Quadra 900 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 40 modern phone photos.
Launched at $7,200 in 1991 — about $16,848 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 is the kind of model collectors use to map Apple’s complicated family tree.
Related Quadra models
Open the Macintosh Quadra 900 in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-06-27