Macintosh LC

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History

Macintosh computers, especially the color Macs starting with the Macintosh II in 1987, had always been rather expensive computers with large profit margins. The original LC was an attempt at an affordable, modular, color-capable Macintosh. Compared with earlier Macs, Apple cut some corners on performance and features in order to keep the price down.

The Mac LC sold well, and in 1991 was replaced by the LC II, which replaced the LC's 68020 processor with a 68030. It retained the original LC's 16-bit system bus however, making its performance roughly the same as the earlier model. The main benefit of the 030 processor was the ability to use System 7's virtual memory feature. In spite of this, the LC II sold even better than the LC and this spawned a whole series of LC models, most of which later were sold both with the LC name to the education world and to consumers via traditional Apple dealers, and as Performa to the consumer market via electronics stores, and department stores such as Sears. (For example, the LC 475 was also known as the Performa 475.) The last official "LC" was the Power Macintosh 5200/75 LC, which was released in 1995 and discontinued in 1996. The LC 580 was notable for being the last desktop Motorola 68k-based Macintosh of any kind. All subsequent Macintoshes used PowerPC processors and, later, Intel processors. noise cancelling bluetooth headset

Features samsung wep150 bluetooth

Notably, the LC used a very small "pizza box" case with a PDS (processor direct slot) but no NuBus slots, had a 16 MHz 68020 microprocessor and no floating-point coprocessor (although one could be added via the PDS). It had a 16-bit data bus (a major bottleneck as the 68020 was a 32-bit CPU), a limit of 10MB RAM (only 8 MB of which being accessible) and shipped with only 256KB of VRAM, therefore only supporting a display resolution of 512x384 pixels at 8-bit color on Apple's 12" RGB monitor. The VRAM was upgradeable to 512KB though, supporting a display resolution of 512x384 pixels at 16-bit color or, on a VGA-compatible display, 640x480 pixels at 8-bit color. Nevertheless, most LCs were purchased with an Apple 12" RGB monitor with a fixed resolution of 512x384 pixels. An Apple 13" 640x480 16-bit Trinitron display was also available. Many software programs that had been designed for other color Macs assumed that the minimum screen size was 640x480 pixels. Some programs simply would not function correctly on the LC at the lower resolution, and for several years software developers had to add support for this smaller screen resolution in order to guarantee that their software would run on LCs. Overall, general performance of the machine was disappointing due to the crippling data bus bottleneck, making it run far slower than it should have been (e.g. the same 16 MHz 68020 based Macintosh II from 1987 ran almost twice as fast as the Macintosh LC). One difference between the Mac II and the Mac LC is the latter had no socket for a 68851 MMU, therefore it could not take advantage of System 7's virtual memory features. shure e2c headphones

The standard configuration included a floppy drive and a 40 MB or 80 MB hard drive, but a version was available for the education market which had an Apple II card in the PDS slot, two floppy drives, and no hard drive. The LC, as with a number of other Macs of the day, featured built-in networking via "PhoneNet" that used standard RJ11 phone cabling and connector boxes. Ethernet was also available as an option via the single PDS slot.

The successor model LC II's 68030 has a built-in MMU. The CPU was the only major change to the LC II; the bus remained 16 bits. A full 32-bit bus had to wait for the LC III successor a year later.

Apple IIe

Main article: Apple IIe Card

Despite the LC's lack of NuBus slots, it did come with a Processor Direct Slot (PDS). This was primarily intended for the Apple IIe Card, which was offered with education models of the LCs. The card allowed the LC to emulate an Apple IIe. The combination of the low-cost color Macintosh and Apple IIe compatibility was intended to encourage the education market's transition from Apple II models to Macintoshes. Despite the LC's minimal video specs with a 12" monitor, any LC that supports the card can be switched into 560x384 resolution for better compatibility with the IIe's 280x192 High-Resolution graphics (essentially doubled).

Other cards, such as CPU accelerators, ethernet and video cards were also made available for the LC's PDS slot.

LC models

"Pizza boxes"

Model

Processor

Bundled Mac OS

Maximum Mac OS

Hard disk

RAM

Expansion

Video RAM

Equivalent

LC

16 MHz 68020

6.0.6/6.0.7

7.5.5

30-80 MB

2 MB (max 10 MB)

LC PDS

256 KB (max 512 KB)

N/A

LC II

16 MHz 68030

7.0.1

7.6.1

Performa 400-430

LC III

25 MHz 68030

7.1

80-160 MB

4 MB (max 36 MB)

LC III PDS

512 KB (max 768 KB)

Performa 450

LC III+

33 MHz 68030

Performa 460-467

LC 475

25 MHz 68LC040

8.1

80-250 MB

4 MB (max 136 MB)

0.5-1 MB

Performa 475, Quadra 605

All-in-one

Model

Processor

Bundled Mac OS

Maximum Mac OS

Hard disk

RAM

Expansion

Video RAM

Equivalent

LC 520

25 MHz 68030

7.1

7.6.1

80-160 MB

4 MB (max 36 MB)

LC PDS

512-768 KB

Performa 520

LC 550

33 MHz 68030

Performa 550-560

LC 575

33 MHz 68LC040

7.1.1

8.1

160-320 MB

4 MB (max 68 MB)

LC PDS/Comm slot

0.5-1 MB

Performa 575-578

LC 580

33 MHz 68LC040

7.5

500 MB

4 MB (max 52 MB)

LC PDS/Comm slot/Video

1 MB

Performa 580CD-588CD

Unofficial LCs

Model

Processor

Bundled Mac OS

Maximum Mac OS

Hard disk

RAM

Expansion

Video RAM

Equivalent

Color Classic

16 MHz 68030

7.1

7.6.1

40-160 MB

4 MB (max 10 MB)

LC PDS

256-512 KB

Performa 250

Color Classic II

33 MHz 68030

80-160 MB

4 MB (max 36 MB)

512 KB

Performa 275

TV

32 MHz 68030

160 MB

4 MB (max 8 MB)

LC PDS*

N/A

*filled with custom TV tuner card.

Standard desktop

Model

Processor

Bundled Mac OS

Maximum Mac OS

Hard disk

RAM

Expansion

Video RAM

Equivalent

LC 630

33 MHz 68LC040

7.1.2 Pro

8.1

250-500 MB

4 MB (max 36 MB)

LC PDS/Comm/Video

1 MB

Performa 630-640CD, Quadra 630

Timeline of Macintosh LC models

See also: Timeline of Apple Macintosh models

All LC models except the original LC (and Mac TV) were also sold under the Performa brand.

Timeline of Apple II family models

See also: Timeline of Apple II family

See also: Timeline of Macintosh models and Timeline of Apple products

Specifications

680x0 Models

Component

LC

LC II

Color Classic

LC III

LC 520

Color Classic II

LC 475

Macintosh TV

LC III+

LC 550

LC 575

LC 630

LC 580

Released/Discontinued

October, 1990/ March, 1992

March, 1992/ March, 1993

February, 1993/ May, 1994

February, 1993/ February, 1994

June, 1993/ February, 1994

October, 1993/ February, 1994

October, 1993/ May, 1995

October, 1993/ February, 1994

October, 1993/ February, 1994

February, 1994/ March, 1995

February, 1994/ April, 1995

July, 1994/ October, 1995

April, 1995/ April, 1996

Processor, Speed

(Bus speed):

Motorola 68020, 16 MHz (16 MHz)

Motorola 68030, 16 MHz (16 MHz)

Motorola 68030, 16 MHz (16 MHz)

Motorola 68030, 25 MHz (25 MHz)

Motorola 68030, 25 MHz (25 MHz)

Motorola 68030, 33 MHz (33 MHz)

Motorola 68040, 25 MHz (25 MHz)

Motorola 68030, 32 MHz (16 MHz)

Motorola 68030, 33 MHz (33 MHz)

Motorola 68030, 25 MHz (25 MHz)

Motorola 68040, 33 MHz (33 MHz)

Motorola 68040, 33 MHz (33 MHz)

Motorola 68040, 33 MHz (33 MHz)

ndicates interchangeable logicboards

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Macintosh LC

Apple-History.com

Macintosh LC Series at Low End Mac

Macintosh LC technical specification at apple.com

Macintosh LC II technical specification at apple.com

Macintosh LC III technical specification at apple.com

Macintosh LC III+ technical specification at apple.com

v  d  e

Apple Model Navigation

Replaced

Current Model

Successor

(Apple IIe)

(Macintosh II)

Macintosh LC

Macintosh LC 630

Macintosh LC 520

Preceding Family Model

October 21, 1991

Following Family Model

v  d  e

Apple hardware before 1998

Computers

Apple

Apple I  Apple II series (II, II Plus, II Europlus, II J-Plus)  IIe series (IIe, IIe Card for Macintosh LC series)  IIc series (IIc, IIc Plus)  IIGS  Apple III series (Apple III, III Plus)

Lisa

Lisa  Lisa 2  Macintosh XL

Compact Macintosh

128K  512K (512K, 512Ke)  Plus  SE (SE, SE FDHD)  SE/30  Classic  Classic II (Performa 200)  Color Classic (Performa 250)  Color Classic II (Performa 275)

Macintosh II

II  IIx  IIcx  IIci  IIfx  IIsi  IIvi (Performa 600)  IIvx

Macintosh LC

LC series (LC II (Performa 400410), LC III (Performa 450), LC III+ (Performa 460467))  LC 500 series (LC 520 (Performa 520, Macintosh TV), LC 550 (Performa 550560), LC 575 (Performa 575578), LC 580 (Performa 580))  5200/5300 LC series (5200 LC (Performa 52005220), 5260 (Performa 52605280), 5300 LC (Performa 53005320))

Macintosh Quadra

700  900  950 (AWS 95)  800 (AWS 80)  840AV  610 (Centris 610, AWS 60)  650 (Centris 650)  660AV (Centris 660AV)  605 (LC 475, Performa 475, 476)  630 (LC 630, Performa 630640)

PowerBook

Macintosh Portable  100 series (100, 140, 170, 145, 160, 180, 165, 145B, 165c, 180c, 150)  Duo series (210, 230, 250, 270c, 280, 280c, 2300c, Duo Dock)  500 series (520, 520c, 540, 540c, 550c)  190 series (190, 190cs)  5300 series (5300, 5300cs, 5300c, 5300ce)  1400 series (1400c, 1400cs)  3400c  2400c  G3

Power Macintosh

6100 (Performa 61106118), AWS 6150)  7100  8100 (AWS 8150)  AWS 9150  6200/6300 series (6200, (Performa 62006230), 6300 (Performa 62606360))  9500  7200 (AWS 7250)  7500  8500 (AWS 8550)  5400 (Performa 54005440)  7600  6400 (Performa 6400, 6410, 6420)  4400 (7220)  5500  6500  7300 (AWS 7350)  8600  9600 (AWS 9650)  G3  Twentieth Anniversary Mac

Network Server

500  700

Peripherals

Displays

Monitor III  Monitor II  Monitor IIc  AppleColor Composite IIe  AppleColor High-Resolution RGB  Macintosh Color  AudioVision 14  Multiple Scan 14  ColorSync 750

External drives

Floppy drives (Apple II and III, Macintosh)  Hard drives (ProFile, Hard Disk 20, Hard Disk 20SC)  Optical drives (AppleCD, PowerCD)

Input devices

External Keyboards (Numeric Keypad IIe, Lisa Keyboard, Macintosh Keyboard, Macintosh Numeric Keypad, Macintosh Plus Keyboard, ADB Keyboard, Standard Keyboard, Extended, Apple Keyboard II, Extended Keyboard II, Adjustable, Newton Keyboard, Apple Design Keyboard, Twentieth Anniversary Mac Keyboard)  Mice (Lisa, Macintosh, Mouse IIc, AppleMouse II, Apple Mouse, Mouse IIe, ADB Mouse, ADB Mouse II)  Mouse derivatives (Apple II Graphics Tablet, Joystick)  Scanner  OneScanner  Color OneScanner (Color OneScanner, 600/27)  QuickTake cameras (100, 150, 200)  QuickTime Conferencing Kit

Networking

Apple II Communications Card  Apple Modems  LocalTalk network adapter  Comm slot cards  GeoPort Telecom Adapters

Printers

Thermal (SilenType, Scribe Printer)  Impact (Dot Matrix Printer, ImageWriter, ImageWriter II, ImageWriter LQ)  LaserWriter (LaserWriter, Plus, IISC, IINT, IINTX, IIf, IIg, 4/600 PS, 16/600 PS, 12/640 PS, 8500)  Personal LaserWriter (SC, LS, NT, NTR, 300, 320)  LaserWriter Pro (600, 630, 810)  LaserWriter Select (300, 310, 360)  Color LaserWriter (12/600 PS, 12/660 PS)  StyleWriter (StyleWriter, II, 1200, Portable)  Color Printer  Color StyleWriter (Pro, 2400, 2200, 1500, 2500, 4100, 4500, 6500)

Newton

MessagePad (100, 110, 120, 130, 2000, 2100)  eMate 300

Other

Paladin  AppleDesign Powered Speakers  Interactive Television Box  Pippin

See also: Apple hardware since 1998.

Categories: 68k Macintosh computers | Macintosh desktops | Macintosh LC series