Macintosh LC 500 series
Encyclopedia
The Macintosh LC 500 series is a series of personal computer
s 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. All of these computers were also sold under the Macintosh Performa
brand, in some cases under slightly different model numbers. These computers all share the same case, a new all-in-one desktop that includes a large 14" CRT display, CD-ROM
drive, and stereo speakers. Designed as a successor to the outdated compact all-in-one Macintosh, the case is reminiscent of Apple's earlier Compact Macintosh
series but considerably larger and bulkier, with a screen diagonal of 14 inches (compared to the Compact's 9- or 10-inch screens) and a bulging midsection to contain the larger electronics, in stark contrast to the compact Macs' slimmer designs.
The 500 series included four main models, the 520, 550, 575, and 580, with the 520 and 550 being very similar to each other, and the 575 and 580 sharing a new processor and motherboard but differing somewhat on the rest of the hardware. The LC models in particular became very popular in schools for their small footprint and durability. The Macintosh TV
is closely related to this series, using the same case (in black instead of platinum) and a motherboard similar to the Macintosh LC 550, as does the Color Classic series, but in a compact case.
The LC 520 got its start as a design project codenamed "Mongo". Following the success of the Color Classic, The Apple Industrial Design Group
(IDg) began exploring the adaptation of the Color Classic's design language, dubbed Espresso, for a larger display version that would also include a CD-ROM drive. However, IDg hated the design so much that they permanently shelved the final concept. In 1992, Apple CEO John Sculley
demanded a large screen all-in-one design to fill out his market strategy in less than 6 months. Over IDg's objections, Apple's engineering team retrieved the shelved design and promptly put it into production. Because IDg universally detested the design, they immediately began the re-design project that would become the Power Macintosh 5200 LC series less than two years later.
The logic board of the 520 is essentially that of the Macintosh LC III, based on a Motorola 68030
CPU and an optional Motorola 68882 FPU
. The case would later be used for the LC 550, the Macintosh TV
, the LC 575 and its successor, the LC 580 as well. Apple later offered a logicboard upgrade package to the LC 575 logic board.
-based Power Macintosh 5200 LC models at the higher end. The Performa variants were in fact introduced earlier, the 550 in October 1993 and the 560 in January 1994, and remained available for more than a year longer, until April 1996.
The main difference between the 550 and the 520 is the faster 68030 CPU, clocked at 33 MHz instead of 25 MHz, with the bus speed also increasing from 25 to 33 MHz. The Performa variants differ only in the software bundle that was included, with the 550 including only consumer applications and the 560 including additional business applications. Like the 520, the optical drive did not use a loading tray but instead utilized a caddy in which the disk was first inserted and then the unit was loaded into the drive.
This motherboard is essentially the same one used in the Macintosh Color Classic II
, an upgrade to the original Color Classic not available in the United States. Apple also offered the same upgrade package for the 520 to the LC 575 logic board.
This model is a favorite motherboard donor for those wishing to upgrade the Color Classic
to a faster class of processor. Apple also offered an upgrade path in the form of a PowerPC Macintosh Processor Upgrade
.
drives. Also, the video RAM was no longer mounted on a SIMM
, but used 1 MB of the 4 MB of main RAM soldered to the motherboard. Lastly, the Trinitron
display of the 575 was replaced with a cheaper shadow mask
screen. One benefit of this change was the ability to accommodate the same video capture and TV tuner card
s designed for the Performa 630. This allowed LC 580 users to watch and record video, essentially performing the function of a television as well as a computer.
Like with the LC 575, the CPU clock is sometimes wrongly given as 66 MHz. The LC 580 was the last all-in-one type model to include a Motorola 68000 series processor, as it was phased out in favor of the Power Macintosh 5200 LC which featured a PowerPC
processor. As with the 575, Apple also offered an upgrade path in the form of a PowerPC Macintosh Processor Upgrade
. The 580 can also be upgraded with the following logicboards: 5200, 6200
, 5260, 5300, 6300, 5400, 6400, 5500 & 6500.
}, Performa 580CD and Performa 588CD
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
s that is a part of Apple Computer
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
's LC
Macintosh 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...
line of Macintosh computers. It was Apple's mid-1990s upper low end-range series, positioned below the Centris
Macintosh Centris
Macintosh Centris is a line of Macintosh computers, introduced in 1993, that were built around the Motorola 68LC040 and 68040 CPUs. The name was chosen to indicate that the consumer was selecting a Macintosh in the center of Apple's product line: lower performance than the Quadra computers, but...
and Quadra
Macintosh Quadra
The Macintosh Quadra series was Apple Computer's product family of professional high-end Apple Macintosh personal computers built using the Motorola 68040 CPU. The first two models in the Quadra line were introduced in 1991, and the name was used until the Power Mac was introduced in 1994...
but above the Classic II
Macintosh Classic II
The Apple Macintosh Classic II replaced the Macintosh SE/30 in the compact Macintosh line in 1991. Like the SE/30, the Classic II was powered by a 16 MHz Motorola 68030 CPU and 40 or 80 MB hard disk, but in contrast to its predecessor, it was limited by a 16-bit data bus and a 10 MB memory...
and Color Classic
Macintosh Color Classic
The Macintosh Color Classic was the first color compact Apple Macintosh computer. It had an integrated 10″ Sony Trinitron color display with the same 512×384 pixel resolution as the Macintosh 12″ RGB monitor...
models. All of these computers were also sold under the Macintosh 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...
brand, in some cases under slightly different model numbers. These computers all share the same case, a new all-in-one desktop that includes a large 14" CRT display, CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
drive, and stereo speakers. Designed as a successor to the outdated compact all-in-one Macintosh, the case is reminiscent of Apple's earlier 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...
series but considerably larger and bulkier, with a screen diagonal of 14 inches (compared to the Compact's 9- or 10-inch screens) and a bulging midsection to contain the larger electronics, in stark contrast to the compact Macs' slimmer designs.
The 500 series included four main models, the 520, 550, 575, and 580, with the 520 and 550 being very similar to each other, and the 575 and 580 sharing a new processor and motherboard but differing somewhat on the rest of the hardware. The LC models in particular became very popular in schools for their small footprint and durability. The Macintosh TV
Macintosh TV
The Macintosh TV was Apple's first attempt at computer-television integration. It shared the external appearance of the Macintosh LC 500 series, but in black. The Macintosh TV was essentially a Performa 520 that could switch its built-in 14" Sony Trinitron CRT from being a computer display to a...
is closely related to this series, using the same case (in black instead of platinum) and a motherboard similar to the Macintosh LC 550, as does the Color Classic series, but in a compact case.
LC 520
The Macintosh LC 520 (codename: "Hook") was introduced in June 1993, and was the first of the LC 500 series of Macintoshes: The LC 500 case design was larger than the compact Macs, with a significantly larger screen. The 520 was discontinued in February 1994, when it was replaced by both the faster but otherwise essentially unchanged Macintosh LC 550 and the new, 68LC040-equipped Macintosh LC 575.The LC 520 got its start as a design project codenamed "Mongo". Following the success of the Color Classic, The Apple Industrial Design Group
Apple Industrial Design Group
The Apple Industrial Design Group is the industrial design arm of Apple Inc. responsible for crafting the appearance of all Apple products, including the Apple Macintosh computer line.-History:...
(IDg) began exploring the adaptation of the Color Classic's design language, dubbed Espresso, for a larger display version that would also include a CD-ROM drive. However, IDg hated the design so much that they permanently shelved the final concept. In 1992, Apple CEO John Sculley
John Sculley
John Sculley is an American businessman. Sculley was vice-president and president of PepsiCo , until he became CEO of Apple on April 8, 1983, a position he held until leaving in 1993...
demanded a large screen all-in-one design to fill out his market strategy in less than 6 months. Over IDg's objections, Apple's engineering team retrieved the shelved design and promptly put it into production. Because IDg universally detested the design, they immediately began the re-design project that would become the Power Macintosh 5200 LC series less than two years later.
The logic board of the 520 is essentially that of the Macintosh LC III, based on a Motorola 68030
Motorola 68030
The Motorola 68030 is a 32-bit microprocessor in Motorola's 68000 family. It was released in 1987. The 68030 was the successor to the Motorola 68020, and was followed by the Motorola 68040. In keeping with general Motorola naming, this CPU is often referred to as the 030 .The 68030 features on-chip...
CPU and an optional Motorola 68882 FPU
Floating point unit
A floating-point unit is a part of a computer system specially designed to carry out operations on floating point numbers. Typical operations are addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and square root...
. The case would later be used for the LC 550, the Macintosh TV
Macintosh TV
The Macintosh TV was Apple's first attempt at computer-television integration. It shared the external appearance of the Macintosh LC 500 series, but in black. The Macintosh TV was essentially a Performa 520 that could switch its built-in 14" Sony Trinitron CRT from being a computer display to a...
, the LC 575 and its successor, the LC 580 as well. Apple later offered a logicboard upgrade package to the LC 575 logic board.
Models
- LC 520
- Initially sold only in Japan and Canada, and to U.S. educational institutions for $2,000. It also looked like the Macintosh TV but came in an LC-520 case except was coloured black. The computer was discontinued on February 1994.
- Also sold to consumers as the Performa 520
- Featured a caddy-loaded CD-ROM drive, unlike newer members of the series.
Macintosh TV
Introduced in October 1993, the Macintosh TV has a black 520 case with a modified variant of the yet-to-be released Macintosh 550 logicboard, which filled the LC PDS slot with a custom TV tuner card integrating video inputs. Despite the updated 32MHz processor speed, the bus speed was cut in half (but can be changed from 16-bit to 32-bit by the control panel "Memory") and RAM was limited to 8MB. Selling fewer than 10,000 units, it was discontinued in February 1994 with the introduction of the LC 550, which it most closely resembled.LC 550
The Macintosh LC 550 (codename: "Hook 33") replaced the LC 520 in February 1994, and was discontinued in favor of either the LC 580 on the lower end or the PowerPCPowerPC
PowerPC is a RISC architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM...
-based Power Macintosh 5200 LC models at the higher end. The Performa variants were in fact introduced earlier, the 550 in October 1993 and the 560 in January 1994, and remained available for more than a year longer, until April 1996.
The main difference between the 550 and the 520 is the faster 68030 CPU, clocked at 33 MHz instead of 25 MHz, with the bus speed also increasing from 25 to 33 MHz. The Performa variants differ only in the software bundle that was included, with the 550 including only consumer applications and the 560 including additional business applications. Like the 520, the optical drive did not use a loading tray but instead utilized a caddy in which the disk was first inserted and then the unit was loaded into the drive.
This motherboard is essentially the same one used in the Macintosh Color Classic II
Macintosh Color Classic
The Macintosh Color Classic was the first color compact Apple Macintosh computer. It had an integrated 10″ Sony Trinitron color display with the same 512×384 pixel resolution as the Macintosh 12″ RGB monitor...
, an upgrade to the original Color Classic not available in the United States. Apple also offered the same upgrade package for the 520 to the LC 575 logic board.
Models
- LC 550
- Also sold to consumers as the Performa 550
- Performa 560, the Performa 550 with bundled business software
LC 575
The Macintosh LC 575 was available from 1994 to 1996. They had the same "all-in-one" case as the LC 520/550, but used a LC 475/Quadra 605-related motherboard with a Motorola 68LC040 CPU (at a speed of 33 MHz instead of 25 MHz). Note that the CPU clock is sometimes given as 66 MHz, since the clock signal is of that frequency - however, the processor itself only runs at 33 MHz. The LC 575 also introduced the comm slot, which was included in most later LC models as well. The LC variant was succeeded by the Macintosh LC 580, while the Performa variants were sold until the end of the 580 line; the LC 580 Performa variants were only available outside of the United States.This model is a favorite motherboard donor for those wishing to upgrade the Color Classic
Macintosh Color Classic
The Macintosh Color Classic was the first color compact Apple Macintosh computer. It had an integrated 10″ Sony Trinitron color display with the same 512×384 pixel resolution as the Macintosh 12″ RGB monitor...
to a faster class of processor. Apple also offered an upgrade path in the form of a PowerPC Macintosh Processor Upgrade
Macintosh Processor Upgrade Card
The generically named Macintosh Processor Upgrade Card was a central processing unit upgrade card sold by Apple Computer, designed for many 68040-powered LC and Performa model Macintoshes. The card contains a PowerPC 601 CPU and plugs into the 68040 CPU socket of the upgraded machine...
.
Models
- LC 575
- Also sold to consumers as the Performa 575
- Performa 577, the Performa 575 with a 320 MB hard drive
- Performa 578, the Performa 577 with 8 MB of RAM instead of 5 MB
Specifications
- Introduced: February 1, 1994
- Discontinued: April 3, 1995 (LC 575) / April 1, 1996 (Performa variants)
- Codename: Optimus
- CPUCentral processing unitThe central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
: Motorola 68LC040 at 33 MHz - RAM: 5 MB (expandable to 68 MB with 1 72-pin SIMM)
- Hard drive: SCSISCSISmall Computer System Interface is a set of standards for physically connecting and transferring data between computers and peripheral devices. The SCSI standards define commands, protocols, and electrical and optical interfaces. SCSI is most commonly used for hard disks and tape drives, but it...
, 160 MB (LC 575) / 250 MB (Performa 575) / 320 MB (Performa 577, Performa 578) - VRAM: 512 KB (640x480 8-bit) (expandable to 1 MB (640x480 15-bit) using 1 80 ns VRAM SIMM)
- Floppy drive: 1.44 MB (can read 400 KB and 800 KB diskettes as well)
- Optical drive: 2x CD-ROMCD-ROMA CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
- ROMRead-only memoryRead-only memory is a class of storage medium used in computers and other electronic devices. Data stored in ROM cannot be modified, or can be modified only slowly or with difficulty, so it is mainly used to distribute firmware .In its strictest sense, ROM refers only...
Size: 1 MB - Level 1 Cache: 8 KB
- Expandability: 1 LC PDSProcessor Direct SlotProcessor 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...
, 1 comm slot - Case type: LC 520 all-in-one
- Built-in Display: 14" Sony Trinitron Color CRT (supports up to 32,768 colors)
- Supported Mac OSMac OSMac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
: System 7.1.1 to 7.5.1, 7.5.3 to 7.6.1, 8.0 to 8.1 - Weight: 35.0 lbs.
LC 580
The Macintosh LC 580 was sold in 1995 and 1996. Like their immediate predecessor, the LC 575, it used the Motorola 68LC040 processor at 33 MHz. However, instead of being based on the LC 475/Quadra 605 like the 575 series was, the 580s are based on the Performa 630 series. This meant a few changes, most of them leading to lower prices, but also lower performance: Most notably, the hard drives of the 580 were IDE drives instead of SCSISCSI
Small Computer System Interface is a set of standards for physically connecting and transferring data between computers and peripheral devices. The SCSI standards define commands, protocols, and electrical and optical interfaces. SCSI is most commonly used for hard disks and tape drives, but it...
drives. Also, the video RAM was no longer mounted on a SIMM
SIMM
A SIMM, or single in-line memory module, is a type of memory module containing random access memory used in computers from the early 1980s to the late 1990s. It differs from a dual in-line memory module , the most predominant form of memory module today, in that the contacts on a SIMM are redundant...
, but used 1 MB of the 4 MB of main RAM soldered to the motherboard. Lastly, the 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%...
display of the 575 was replaced with a cheaper shadow mask
Shadow mask
The shadow mask is one of two major technologies used to manufacture cathode ray tube televisions and computer displays that produce color images. The other approach is aperture grille, better known by its trade name, Trinitron. All early color televisions and the majority of CRT computer monitors...
screen. One benefit of this change was the ability to accommodate the same video capture and TV tuner card
TV tuner card
A TV tuner card is a kind of television tuner that allows television signals to be received by a computer. Most TV tuners also function as video capture cards, allowing them to record television programs onto a hard disk much like the Tivo digital video recorder does.-Variants: The interfaces for...
s designed for the Performa 630. This allowed LC 580 users to watch and record video, essentially performing the function of a television as well as a computer.
Like with the LC 575, the CPU clock is sometimes wrongly given as 66 MHz. The LC 580 was the last all-in-one type model to include a Motorola 68000 series processor, as it was phased out in favor of the Power Macintosh 5200 LC which featured a PowerPC
PowerPC
PowerPC is a RISC architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM...
processor. As with the 575, Apple also offered an upgrade path in the form of a PowerPC Macintosh Processor Upgrade
Macintosh Processor Upgrade Card
The generically named Macintosh Processor Upgrade Card was a central processing unit upgrade card sold by Apple Computer, designed for many 68040-powered LC and Performa model Macintoshes. The card contains a PowerPC 601 CPU and plugs into the 68040 CPU socket of the upgraded machine...
. The 580 can also be upgraded with the following logicboards: 5200, 6200
Power Macintosh 6200
The Power Macintosh 6200 is a series of mid-range personal computers that are a part of Apple Computer's Power Macintosh and Macintosh Performa series of Macintosh computers...
, 5260, 5300, 6300, 5400, 6400, 5500 & 6500.
Models
- LC 580
- Also sold in Canada, Asia and Australia as the Performa 580CD
- Performa 588CD, a Performa 580CD with a 500 MB hard drive, sold only in Asia and Europe
Specifications
- Introduced: April 1, 1995
- Discontinued: August 1, 1995 (LC 580) / February 1, 1996 (Performa 580CD) / May 1, 1996 (Performa 588CD)
- Codename: Dragonkid
- CPUCentral processing unitThe central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
: Motorola 68LC040 at 33 MHz - RAM: 8 MB (expandable to 52 MB with 2 72-pin SIMM's)
- Hard drive: IDE, 250 MB or 500 MB
- VRAM: 1 MB of the 4 MB RAM soldered on the mainboard is used as video RAM
- Floppy drive: 1.44 MB (can read 400 KB and 800 KB diskettes as well)
- Optical drive: 4x CD-ROMCD-ROMA CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
- ROMRead-only memoryRead-only memory is a class of storage medium used in computers and other electronic devices. Data stored in ROM cannot be modified, or can be modified only slowly or with difficulty, so it is mainly used to distribute firmware .In its strictest sense, ROM refers only...
Size: 1 MB - Level 1 Cache: 8 KB
- Expandability: 1 LC PDSProcessor Direct SlotProcessor 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...
, 1 comm slot - Case type: LC 520 all-in-one
- Built-in Display: 14″ Color CRT (supports up to 32,768 colors)
- Supported Mac OSMac OSMac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
: System 7.1.2P, 7.5 to 7.5.1, 7.5.3 to 7.6.1, 8.0 to 8.1 - Weight: 35.0 lb.
Sources
- Guide to the Macintosh LC 500 series, LC 520, LC 550, LC 575 and LC 580 at Low End Mac
- LC 520, LC 550, Macintosh LC 575 and Macintosh LC 580 at apple-history.com
- Apple Computer's AppleSpec:
- LC 520 and Performa 520
- LC 550, Performa 550 and Performa 560
- LC 575, Performa 575, Performa 577 and Performa 578
}, Performa 580CD and Performa 588CD
- EveryMac.com:
- LC 520 and Performa 520
- LC 550, Performa 550 and Performa 560
- LC 575, Performa 575, Performa 577 and Performa 578
- LC 580, Performa 580CD and Performa 588CD