Macintosh Color Classic
Encyclopedia
Compact Macintosh
"Compact Macintosh" or "Classic Macintosh" are informal terms that refer to the direct descendants of the original Macintosh personal computer case design by Apple Computer, Inc. All of them are all-in-one desktop computer designs with the display integrated in the computer case, but not the...
Apple Macintosh computer. It had an integrated 10″ Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
Trinitron
Trinitron
Trinitron is Sony's brand name for its line of aperture grille based CRTs used in television sets and computer display monitors. One of the first truly new television systems to enter the market since the 1950s, the Trinitron was announced in 1966 to wide acclaim for its bright images, about 25%...
color display with the same 512×384 pixel resolution as the Macintosh 12″ RGB monitor. This integrated unit resembled the original Mac series, albeit redesigned to Apple's "neoclassical" design language of the era.
Features
Like the Macintosh SEMacintosh SE
The Macintosh SE was a personal computer manufactured by Apple between March 1987 and October 1990. This computer marked a significant improvement on the Macintosh Plus design and was introduced by Apple at the same time as the Macintosh II....
and SE/30
Macintosh SE/30
The Macintosh SE/30 is a personal computer that was designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1989 until 1991. It was the fastest and most expandable of the original black-and-white compact Macintosh series....
before it, the Color Classic did come with a single expansion slot: an LC-type Processor Direct Slot
Processor Direct Slot
Processor Direct Slot or PDS introduced by Apple Computer, in several of their Macintosh models, provided a limited measure of hardware expandibility, without going to the expense of providing full-fledged bus expansion slots.Typically, a machine would feature multiple bus expansions slots, if any...
(PDS), otherwise incompatible with the SE slots. This was primarily intended for the Apple IIe Card
Apple IIe Card
The Apple IIe Card is a compatibility card which allows compatible Macs to run software designed for Apple II computers...
(the primary reason for the Color Classic's switchable 560x384 display, essentially quadruple the IIe's 280x192 High-Resolution graphics), which was offered with education models of the LCs. The card allowed the LCs to emulate an Apple IIe
Apple IIe
The Apple IIe is the third model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. The e in the name stands for enhanced, referring to the fact that several popular features were now built-in that were only available as upgrades and add-ons in earlier models...
. 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. Other cards, such as CPU accelerators, ethernet
Ethernet
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
and video cards were also made available for the Color Classic's PDS slot.
The Color Classic shipped with the Apple Keyboard
Apple keyboard
The Apple Keyboard is a keyboard designed by Apple first for the Apple line, then the Macintosh line of computers. It is available in both wired and Bluetooth models.- Layout :...
known as a Apple Keyboard II (M0487) which featured a soft power switch on the keyboard itself. The mouse supplied was the Apple Mouse
Apple Mouse
The Apple Mouse began as one of the first commercial mice available to consumers. Over the years Apple has maintained a distinct form and function with its mice that reflects its design philosophies.-Features:...
known as the Apple Desktop Bus Mouse II (M2706).
Color Classic
The Color Classic was essentially a Macintosh LC IIMacintosh LC
The Macintosh LC was Apple Computer's product family of low-end consumer Macintosh personal computers in the early 1990s. The original Macintosh LC was released in 1990 and was the first affordable color-capable Macintosh. Due to its affordability and Apple II compatibility the LC was adopted...
, using a Motorola 68030 running at 16 MHz. The Color Classic was also sold to consumers in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as the Performa
Macintosh Performa
The Macintosh Performa series was Apple Computer's consumer product family of Apple Macintosh personal computers sold through department stores and mass-market retailers from 1992 until 1997, when it was superseded by the Power Macintosh 5x00 series...
250.
Color Classic II
In JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and some other markets — but not the US — Apple later released the Color Classic II which was essentially the same case but with the LC 550 logic board that doubled both RAM and speed. The Color Classic II was also sold as the Performa 275. The Color Classic II was the final model of the original "compact" Macintosh
Compact Macintosh
"Compact Macintosh" or "Classic Macintosh" are informal terms that refer to the direct descendants of the original Macintosh personal computer case design by Apple Computer, Inc. All of them are all-in-one desktop computer designs with the display integrated in the computer case, but not the...
family of computers.
Legacy
The Color Classic has a certain cult following, and some enthusiasts have upgraded them with motherboards from Performa/LC 575 units ("Mystic" upgrade), while others have put entire Performa/LC/Quadra 630Macintosh Quadra 630
The Macintosh Quadra 630 is a personal computer that is a part of Apple Computer's Quadra series of Macintosh computers...
or successor innards into them ("Takky" upgrade). A common modification to this unit was to change the display to allow 640 × 480 resolution, which was a common requirement for many programs (especially game
Personal computer game
A PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine...
s) to run.
The Color Classic series was eventually replaced by the larger-display LC 5x0
Macintosh LC 500 series
The Macintosh LC 500 series is a series of personal computers that is a part of Apple Computer's LC line of Macintosh computers. It was Apple's mid-1990s upper low end-range series, positioned below the Centris and Quadra but above the Classic II and Color Classic models...
& 5xx0
Power Macintosh 5000 series
The Power Macintosh 5000 series is a series of all-in-one personal computer that are a part of Apple Computer's Macintosh LC, Power Macintosh and Macintosh Performa series of Macintosh computers....
series and ultimately paved the way for the iMac
IMac
The iMac is a range of all-in-one Macintosh desktop computers built by Apple. It has been the primary part of Apple's consumer desktop offerings since its introduction in 1998, and has evolved through five distinct forms....
, which popularized much of the same passion and enthusiasm the original Macintosh
Macintosh 128K
The Macintosh 128K machine, released as the "Apple Macintosh", was the original Apple Macintosh personal computer. Its beige case contained a monitor and came with a keyboard and mouse. An indentation in the top of the case made it easier for the computer to be lifted and carried. It had a selling...
and Color Classic generate among their fans.
External links
- Colour Classic FAQ
- Color Classic Information pages at Mac512.com
- Color Classic profile at Low End Mac
- Colour Classic II profile at Low End Mac
- Color Classic Forever
- Macintosh Color Classic technical specifications at apple.com
- Macintosh Color Classic II technical specifications at apple.com