The Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh (TAM) is a limited-edition personal computer introduced by Apple in 1997 to commemorate the company's 20th anniversary. It featured an integrated LCD display, Bose sound system, and other premium features, and was marketed to the executive market.[3]
Apple developed the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh to commemorate the company's 20th anniversary on April 1, 1996. Developed under the codename "Spartacus" (also known internally as "Pomona" and "Smoke & Mirrors"), the project was intended to produce a limited-edition Macintosh showcasing new industrial design concepts. Because the computer had to be completed on a shorter schedule than a typical Macintosh, the design team incorporated existing hardware components where possible while developing a new LCD-based enclosure.
Apple announced the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco in January 1997, with availability beginning on March 20.[4] According to Leander Kahney, the computer was initially conceived as a mainstream Macintosh before being repositioned as a limited-edition premium model.[5]
Apple bundled the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh with a concierge service package that included in-home delivery and setup, where an Apple technician installed the computer, configured the hardware and software, and offered training to the user. The package also extended the typical one-year warranty to three years.[6]
Early reports suggested a retail price of US$9,000(equivalent to $18,050 in 2025).[7] Apple ultimately introduced the computer at US$7,499(equivalent to $15,040 in 2025). During its production run, the price was reduced to approximately US$3,500(equivalent to $7,020 in 2025), and then to US$1,995(equivalent to $3,941 in 2025) before the model was discontinued in March 1998.[8] Apple later offered customers who had purchased the computer at its original price a PowerBook as compensation.[9]
Specifications and design
The Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh used a 250MHz PowerPC 603ev processor with an integrated floating-point unit, 32KB of L1 cache, and 256KB of L2 cache. It shipped with 32MB of RAM installed in two 168-pin DIMM slots and supported up to 128MB of memory.[10][11]
The computer featured a 12.1-inch (310mm)active-matrix LCD with an 800 × 600 native resolution. Graphics were provided by an ATI 3D Rage II processor with 2MB of dedicated SGRAM capable of displaying thousands of colors at 640 × 480 and 800 × 600 resolutions.[10]
Storage consisted of a 2GB 2.5-inch ATA hard disk drive, a vertically mounted 4× CD-ROM drive, and a 1.44MB Apple SuperDrive floppy disk drive. Multimedia hardware included an integrated TV/FM tuner card with S-Video input and composite video support, and a custom Bose sound system with stereo speakers integrated into the display housing and a separate subwoofer housed in the external power supply.[10]
The Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh shipped with a compact 75-key ADB keyboard featuring leather palm rests and a detachable trackpad. The keyboard could slide beneath the display when not in use. A remote control was included for operating the TV/FM tuner and CD player, while front-panel controls provided access to audio volume, display brightness and contrast, CD playback, and television functions. The computer shipped with a customized version of Mac OS 7.6.1, which provided software control for these integrated multimedia features.[10]
Standard connectivity included two GeoPort serial ports, an ADB port, a DB-25 SCSI port, microphone and headphone jacks, and audio input and output ports. Expansion was provided through a 7-inch PCI slot and an Apple Communication Slot II for optional networking or modem cards. Installing expansion cards required replacing the standard rear cover with a larger cover included with the computer.[10]
Standard connectivity included two GeoPort serial ports, an ADB port, DB-25 SCSI, microphone, headphone, and audio ports. Expansion was provided through a 7-inch PCI slot and an Apple Communication Slot II (which allowed adding Ethernet), although to use these cards required replacing the standard rear cover with a larger enclosure, included with the computer.[10]
The computer measured 17.25 by 16.5 by 10 inches (438 by 419 by 254mm) and weighed 14.9 pounds (6.8kg). The external power supply and subwoofer measured 10.63 by 8.31 by 11.75 inches (270 by 211 by 298mm) and weighed 10.5 pounds (4.8kg).[10]
Third-party upgrades later became available that used the L2 cache slot to install faster G3 processors, although these required use of the larger rear enclosure.[11]
Production and release
The TAM was released in the US, Japan, France, Germany, and the UK. Apple produced 12,000 units, of which 11,601 were sold and 399 were kept by Apple for use as spare parts.[2]
Due to the scarcity of scale, rather than training all Apple authorized technicians in repairing the TAM, Apple opted to ship faulty units to three central locations worldwide: one per continent. The US location was the Eastman Kodak Company's service center in Rochester, New York. Apple's Service Source manual, containing information for authorized technicians in the repair of Apple computers, lists the TAM as a "closed unit", to be returned to said repair locations for all repairs. It does not contain a "take apart" guide for the TAM.[12]
Websites
Rather than a simple page on Apple's website, the TAM was given its own website, albeit one of only six brief pages.[13] This was a departure from Apple's standard advertising practice for its other Macintosh computers of the time. The website was shut down by Apple in 1999 and redirected to the main Apple website.
Not long after the TAM's release, a community website was created by Bob Bernardara, a TAM owner in the U.S.[14] He created the site for TAM owners and it featured news and information about the TAM, along with links to useful software and a forum for discussions. Apple had an active link to the site shortly before the last TAM rolled was made.
Welcome to The 20th Anniversary Macintosh Web Site—the "Official" home of the TAM user community. This is the place where 20th Anniversary Macintosh owners can share a wealth of information on this "insanely great" product. The TAM (Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh) is a unique machine in the world of computers and this site will help you get the most out of yours.
The TAM site actively ran for several years and it eventually had to shut down when Bernardara could not contact Axon, the Australian hosting company who hosted the site, to make critical updates.
A number of newer TAM community websites have appeared over the years.
Discontinuation
Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, at the same Macworld conference where the TAM was unveiled. In March 1998 he made sweeping changes, including scrapping the Newton MessagePad. It was at this time that the TAM was discontinued, and remaining stocks reduced to US$1,995. Dealers in the US ran out of stock within 14 days of the final price drop.
Reception
The TAM was criticized for being too expensive compared to other computers. PC World placed the TAM as 25th in their "Worst Tech Products of All Time" feature in 2006, citing it as one of the priciest listed personal computer with played-out specs.[15]
Both of Apple's founders, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, were on stage at Macworld when the TAM was announced, and both received a TAM. When Wozniak allowed people to see into his office via webcam in the late 1990s, his TAM was visible on his desk. Jobs reportedly "hated" the TAM.[9]
Legacy
While the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh may not have been a well-known machine for its time, nor a big seller, it did have a lasting influence on personal computers. Jony Ive was involved in the design of the TAM. He then became director of the Industrial Design Group,[16] in charge of designing later computers. The LCD-based all-in-one design was revisited with the iMac G4 (2002), while the iMac G5 (2004) re-introduced the vertically mounted internal components.
In popular culture
Due to its unconventional design, the TAM has been featured in numerous films and television series, including:
Sabrina (1995): A prototype TAM is on the desk of Linus Larrabee. The TAM prototype sits on the far right side of Linus, on a dedicated side desk. The CD player has a see through port in the middle of the door that allows for the CD to be inserted and removed, this see through feature was removed in the production version that has a solid dark grey plastic door. The actual unit that Linus had on his desk was Apple's in-house development model that Apple lent to the studio.
Batman & Robin (1997): Used by Alfred to write a CD (a capability the real computer did not have).[19]
Children of Men (2006): A TAM is used in Jasper's hideout to show video feeds of intruders breaking in. In this movie it would be 30 years old, as the film is set in 2027.
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