I coded on Apple IIs, Atari STs, and early Macs, and I remember the 68k machines being quite a bit snappier than the Apple II. Keep in mind, the ST and Mac had a lot more to do in order to make a higher-resolution screen and GUI perform at all.
Also, the big reason the 68k eventually fell out of favor was because it (1) wasn't ready on time for the IBM PC, and (2) couldn't keep pace with Intel on the low-end.
Also, the big reason the 68k eventually fell out of favor was because it (1) wasn't ready on time for the IBM PC, and (2) couldn't keep pace with Intel on the low-end.