Filed under: Cult of Mac, Retro Mac, Apple History
Remembering the TAM
Our friend Hadley Stern at Apple Matters reminds us that that on this day in 1997 the Twentieth Anniversary Mac (or TAM) was offered for sale to a mystified public. Originally slated to sell for about U.S. $9,000 it was reduced at introduction to U.S. $7499.00. It was delivered and set up by a concierge, and at the time it was pretty radical, at least in looks. It was a thin, upright design, with an 800x600 LCD screen, a TV Tuner, and a Bose Audio system with a sub-woofer and power supply that sat under your desk.Only 12,000 were made, but many remained unsold. The price soon dropped to $3500.00 and in March of 1998 it was closed out at $1999.00. That outraged original owners, and Apple responded by giving them a new Apple laptop.
I was able to grab one of the TAMs at $1600.00 and at that price I thought at least it would make a nice music system and second computer. Unfortunately, the system developed a nasty audio buzz. I wasn't alone, and many of the units had to be returned for a fix.
Performance specs weren't too great. It was limited to 128 MB of RAM. Most of the internals were similar to the components of the then current PowerMac 5500 and 6500, although the TAM had a custom motherboard.
I added a processor upgrade sold by Newer Technology, which kicked the speed from 250 to 400 MHz. That helped, but the upgrade required a new back for the TAM that didn't enhance the slim profile.
Of course the TAM was a statement computer, not a howling fast desktop. Here is a link to the specs. Although Steve Jobs was said to have hated the TAM (he was in exile from Apple at the time) you can see some of the early evolution of the iMac in the design.
There are still quite a few of the TAMs out in the world, and there are some web sites dedicated to keeping the flame alive. You can't run OS X on them, so you had to max out at OS 8 or 9.
Jerry Seinfeld had one, and it could be seen on the set of his TV show in the final season.
I parted with mine long ago, but it was always a good conversation piece when people dropped by, and the 90's ultra-modern design doesn't look out of place at all today.
Thanks to Apple Matters for reminding us about the TAM.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
MiraN said 3:18PM on 3-20-2009
I still have one. It moved me completely away from having an actual TV. I'm using an iMac now for everything.
Make an offer
no Buzz.
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superberg said 3:38PM on 3-20-2009
Twenty bucks, you pay shipping.
(What? This isn't eBay?)
badtzmaru said 3:22PM on 3-20-2009
A statement computer! I state that I spent a lot on junk.
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beemo said 3:38PM on 3-20-2009
Collecting computers, as well as other electro-gadgets subject to Moore's Law, is something one must get into with full knowledge that the amount your spending on "Product X" is essentially cash flushed down the toilet on a future-functionless piece of plastic. That said, I've personally had a few really old computers which basically functioned as a nerdy digital clock somewhere in my office or living room. And I love them, or I should say loved them. Over the years I've gotten rid of a lot of old machines to collectors. The one machine I can't seem to part with is my Orange iMac (2000-2001ish).
So, I can understand the desire to collect a lot of these machines, however I prefer to just take lots of pictures now. :)
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Craig Stanton said 4:09PM on 3-20-2009
I there is only one left in New Zealand, and I know where it is. I'd love to get my hands inside it and replace it with an old iBook, just so it is useable as an OS X photo frame/browser. But the keyboard is ADC and it'd look stupid to have a white keyboard with that machine.
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phlavor said 4:42PM on 3-20-2009
That's exactly what I've always wanted to do. Gut one and stuff the innards of an iBook inside. Maybe use it as the front end for a HTPC setup. I used to work IT for a Madison Avenue ad agency and they had one in a build room that was just used to play CDs on. Beutiful machine.
Blake Hockley said 2:59AM on 3-21-2009
Bet you there's two, unless you tell me where #1 is, if it's the same
Alex Dawson said 6:25PM on 3-22-2009
It's been done - http://www.macmod.com/internal-mods/powermac/1561-21st-century-mac :)
pedro said 4:51PM on 3-20-2009
The TAM had the best startup chime of any Mac before or since.
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Jack Broyles said 5:33PM on 3-20-2009
Call me stupid, but how can it be the 20th anniversary Mac in 1997-or is that the 20th anniversary APPLE computer?
1984 is the Mac Launch date-20 anniversary would have been about the time of the intel transition.
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TheGeek said 12:22AM on 3-21-2009
Yea I think they mean the 20th anniversary of Apple. Most likely went with TAM 'cause TAA would just sound stupid.
George said 5:41PM on 3-20-2009
You can fix the buzz yourself. I "fixed" mine 6 years ago and it has just come back. It's the power connectors inside the bass unit. They get coated and just require an eraser to remove the build up. I have mine connected to the audio out on my airport express and it sounds wonderful. I also use it for my legacy data formats.
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Ged said 5:47PM on 3-20-2009
I still have one (without a buzz). It forms part of my bedroom entertainment system as it sounds wonderful.
It has been updated with a G3 chip, USB ports but still features the original tiny hard drive. I run a wonky version of iTunes with the library on a USB drive.
I love it and wouldn't part with it for a gold pig.
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jimthedj said 7:26PM on 3-20-2009
I have one also. When he means a statement computer, at the time it was the Mercedes of computers. The sound system blew away everything, for it's day it was fast, and the design was WAY ahead of it's time.
At the time, it was the FIRST computer I had seen that could do video AND it had built in TV Tuner. People coming into my office could not believe I was watching TV on a computer in high quality.
The only mistake they really made is not making it upgradable... Owners like us had to go to third parties companies to add ethernet and upgrade the processor.
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Sith said 6:50PM on 3-20-2009
Last time I was at apple headquarters (?jan 2008) there was still at least one TAM around being used for cd playback.
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mart said 6:03AM on 3-21-2009
" the 90's ultra-modern design doesn't look out of place at all today"
Are you kidding? It's hideous.
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tys said 12:46PM on 3-21-2009
I think it's better looking than anything Apple's done since, but dang that 12" screen in so tiny!
tys said 2:10AM on 3-21-2009
The TAM was my very first Mac! It was all souped up with big HD, G3, Ethernet.
Only recently replaced with an iMac. I wanted to use it as a monitor and speakers for a Mac Mini, but there was no easy way to do it.
The TAM and the IBM PC110 are the only computers I was ever able to sell for what I paid for them.
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House of Mirth said 3:38AM on 3-21-2009
Yikes. The Twentieth Anniversary Mac. Absolutely the wrong thing for Apple to be doing in 1997.
Sure, it was a design statement. And I might have appreciated it too, if Apple hadn't expected everyone else to buy stuff like the Power Mac 4400. Or if the Mac platform had not been dying.
This isn't to say, of course, that the TAM wouldn't make a fine collector's item someday. But back then, a $9000 boutique desktop with concierge service was a painful reminder of Apple's lack of focus in the middle of a crisis.
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AdamB said 2:02PM on 3-21-2009
Hey, watch one get unboxed and set up/booted up for the first time by me and my friend Al here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaOyJ5FUjSw (Not spam, this video has been listed on TUAW before, I think.) Skip the first six minutes if you like, that's mostly dealing with something "extra" the guy who Al bought it from put in the box.
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