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| Resources for Info on 3rd Party Software Bundled with Vintage Mac Systems | |
| Posted by: Alumamac on 2024-08-16 05:06:44 Was wondering if there are any resources that document what 3rd Party software was bundled with various Macs over the years. I recently acquired a few of the plastic CD folders from some Performa systems and was wondering if the CD's included were actually bundled with that system or if someone was just using it as general CD storage. Thanks. | |
| Posted by: LaPorta on 2024-08-16 07:42:32 I’ve got original 6300 and 6400 CD folders, and I’m the original owner, so at least with those I could give you some certainty. | |
| Posted by: Alumamac on 2024-08-16 08:02:04 That would be helpful whenever you get the time. | |
| Posted by: eharmon on 2024-08-16 13:18:09 If you search for packing lists on Archive.org, some machine's lists have been archived. Example: 
Apple Performa 6300 Packing List : Apple Computer, Inc : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet ArchiveApple Performa 6300 Packing List
archive.org
Apple Performa Software Bundle Packing List : Apple Computer, Inc : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet ArchiveApple Performa Software Bundle Packing List
archive.org
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| Posted by: LaPorta on 2024-08-16 14:34:15 That is a simple packing list: there was much more included software. | |
Posted by: mikes-macs on 2024-08-16 15:21:08so at least with those I could give you some certainty.I know the iMac rev software includes. But I too could use some certainty on others Macs, when you get the time. | |
Posted by: eharmon on 2024-08-16 17:44:37That is a simple packing list: there was much more included software.Isn't the second link the list of software that was present on the CD? | |
| Posted by: Cory5412 on 2024-08-16 19:04:52 Maybe not useful but on general background: Performas were among the first Macs bundled with anything beyond the most basic viable preload of the OS itself. If you have any hint as to what specific machine your CD binders shipped with, it's likely the manuals for that machine or perhaps advertisements for it may provide hints as to which CDs are "stock" and which were just put into the binders you have for convenience. (Although in my experience and if I remember right with a first-gen iMac Apple included the exact number of CDs that there were slots in the little booklet, whereas say Gateway/Gateway2000 included a generic book with room for like 20 CDs and there were extra slots available in the book. The first trio of Performas didn't add much to this, I believe ClarisWorks and maybe HyperCard typically. The Performa 600 did include it's software loadout on CD, but that was still just like, system 7.1 and clarisworks 2, just on CD instead of floppies. The ~second round of Performas was where different multimedia CD-ROM bundles started, and each individual model had it's own bundle, often specified or co-specified by whichever retailer was selling it. So you had, like, the Performa 631 was the Sears model and the 635 was the Circuit City model and the 637 was the Money Magazine Edition model, or whatever, and each of those retailers will have chosen slightly different software. E.g. one might have included Grolier's and one might have included Brittanica or one model included MS Works in lieu of ClarisWorks, etc etc. One or two PowerBooks included some software, the 1400c/166's 7.6.1 loadout includes ClarisWorks and Claris Organizer, but "Power Macintosh" branded PowerMacs (at least until the death of the Performa name) were often just as barren as the LC/Quadra/Centris machines had been. Although in practice if you cruise say the MacWarehouse catalog in 1997 and buy a computer it will almost certainly have shipped with a (separate) copy of Apple Internet Connection Kit which included ClarisWorks and a couple little goodies. (<joke about there being at least 3x as many extant licenses to clarisworks as there are macs in any given moment>) iMac/iBook continued the "various pieces of software" pattern forward from the Performa and the PowerMac 4400/6500, although those were much more "set" and the offerings pared down a little bit over the years. e.g. Apple standardized on one encyclopedia, one game, and ClarisWorks/AppleWorks. As you get into things like PowerMac/PowerBook G4s there was sometimes a couple little gimmie pieces of software, I believe my PBG4 included like, OmniGraffle or something like that. It was pretty close to the launch of the Intel Macs when basically this type of software bundling stopped and a machine like my 2006 Core2Duo iMac included OS X and iLife/iWork but not worldbook or a game or anything like that, and the Mac Pro and MacBook Pro had that same iLife/iWork loadout. second linkBased on the listing, those are all separate CDs. The Apple-supplied OS CD may have had yet more, e.g. clarisworks might have been there, internet stuff depending on when the machine was built, Eric's Solitaire Sampler, etc etc. (Very interesting that the first link only mentions the OS and clarisworks, I haven't unboxed any from these eras so IDK if the base models in any given sequence are really more barren or if it's just that the base OS + CW + AE and "the rest of the performa bundle" were treated as separate entities somehow.) | |
Posted by: LaPorta on 2024-08-16 19:11:40Isn't the second link the list of software that was present on the CD?Totally didn’t see that, sorry. Mine definitely had different CDs. I’ll get a photo when I can. | |
| Posted by: Alumamac on 2024-08-24 13:58:08 Here's an odd one, in a CD case that looks to be from a Performa 6400 bundle there's a Quicken SE CD. The disk contains 3 folders (see photo) no installers and no indication (to your average user) the purpose of this disk. In the second folder there's a "Quicken Preview" file that launches a fullscreen presentation for Quicken SE. Did Quicken SE come pre-installed on Performa's? | |
| Posted by: LaPorta on 2024-08-24 14:29:00 6400 Bundled software (there’s also no apostrophe needed in “Performas): View attachment IMG_5632.jpegView attachment IMG_5633.jpegView attachment IMG_5634.jpeg View attachment IMG_5635.jpegView attachment IMG_5636.jpegView attachment IMG_5637.jpeg | |
| Posted by: LaPorta on 2024-08-24 14:31:19 Performa 6300:    | |
| Posted by: Alumamac on 2024-08-24 14:32:23 Thanks! Autocorrect is a B*tch. | |
Posted by: LaPorta on 2024-08-24 14:35:04 Performa 637 (version of the Performa 630 that came with financial software):  | |
Posted by: LaPorta on 2024-08-24 14:35:41Thanks! Autocorrect is a B*tch.Damned phones!! | |
| Posted by: joshc on 2024-08-24 14:37:58 The bundled software depended on model but also region/retailer, it definitely wasn't the same for all of them. That packing list I uploaded was from a 6300 sold in the UK. | |
Posted by: LaPorta on 2024-08-24 14:53:52The bundled software depended on model but also region/retailer, it definitely wasn't the same for all of them. That packing list I uploaded was from a 6300 sold in the UK.I can believe that! I’m curious: what is the “Daedalus Encounter”? | |
Posted by: joshc on 2024-08-24 15:01:44I can believe that! 
The Daedalus Encounter - Wikipedia | |
Posted by: cheesestraws on 2024-08-24 15:05:06Performas Performæ. | |
Posted by: LaPorta on 2024-08-24 15:10:05Performæ.Interesting, if a Latin derivative I think. However, the combined ae thing doesn’t exist in American English…what is its proper name again? | |
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