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TheMacintosh LC 500 series is a series ofpersonal computers that were a part ofApple Computer'sMacintosh LC family ofMacintosh computers, designed as a successor to thecompact Macintosh family of computers for the mid-1990s mainstream education-market. Theall-in-one desktop case is similar to the then recently introducedMacintosh Color Classic, but the LC 500 series is considerably bulkier and heavier due to its much larger screen and a bulging midsection to house the larger electronics, including a 14"CRT display,CD-ROM drive, and stereo speakers.
The LC 500 series included four main models, the520,550,575, and580, with the 520 and 550 both using different speeds of theMotorola 68030, and the 575 and 580 sharing the 33 MHzMotorola 68LC040 processor but differing on the rest of the hardware. All of these computers were also sold to the consumer market through department stores under theMacintosh Performa brand, with similar model numbers. The LC models, in particular, became very popular in schools for their small footprint, lack of cable clutter, and durability. TheMacintosh TV, while not branded as an LC, uses the LC 520's case (in black instead of beige) and a logic board similar to the LC 550. The compact Color Classic series shares many components, and is able to swap logic boards with the early 500 series machines.
 A Macintosh LC 520 | |
| Also known as | "Hook" |
|---|---|
| Developer | Apple Computer |
| Product family | LC,Performa |
| Release date | June 28, 1993 (1993-06-28) |
| Introductory price | US$1,599 (equivalent to $3,481 in 2024) |
| Discontinued | February 2, 1994 (1994-02-02) |
| Operating system | System 7.1-Mac OS 7.6.1 With 68040 upgrade,Mac OS 8.1 |
| CPU | Motorola 68030 @ 25 MHz |
| Memory | 5 MB, expandable to 36 MB (80 ns 72-pin SIMM) |
| Display | 14 inches (36 cm) |
| Dimensions | Height: 17.9 inches (45 cm) Width: 13.5 inches (34 cm) Depth: 16.5 inches (42 cm) |
| Weight | 40.5 pounds (18.4 kg) |
| Predecessor | Macintosh LC III |
| Successor | Macintosh LC 550 Macintosh LC 575 |
TheMacintosh LC 520 was introduced in June 1993. The case design was larger than thecompact Macintosh models that precede it, due in large part to the significantly larger screen and CD-ROM drive.
The LC 520 got its start as a design project codenamed "Mongo". Following the success of the Color Classic, TheApple 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 CEOJohn 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 redesign project that would become thePower Macintosh 5200 LC series less than two years later.[1]
The LC 520 has been described as if you "take an LC III and graft on a 14″ Trinitron monitor along with stereo speakers". The logic board of the 520 is broadly the same as theMacintosh LC III, with aMotorola 68030 CPU and an optionalMotorola 68882FPU.[2]
Peter Lewis ofNew York Times praised the LC 520, writing that its $1,599 price point is "perhaps the best value in the entire Macintosh product line ... it would be very difficult to put together a Windows-based PC with the same features for that price, and Windows computers are usually much less expensive than Macs". He regretted the computer's unavailability in the United States outside schools. Lewis also noted that the unit's 40-pound weight would make it difficult to carry home at night.[3] While Apple did not rule out offering it to non-educational customers,MacWEEK wrote that the timing of the LC 520's release coincided with purchasing timelines for schools, and that the decision to market the computer exclusively to the education market was part of a strategic shift to move the LC brand away from retail.[4]
The LC 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. Apple sold upgrade kits for the LC 520 that brought it to the same specifications as the LC 550 or 575.
Sold only in Japan and Canada, and to U.S. educational institutions.[3] The computer was discontinued in February 1994. Featured a caddy-loaded CD-ROM drive.
Introduced June 28, 1993:
 A Macintosh Performa 550 | |
| Also known as | "Hook 33" |
|---|---|
| Developer | Apple Computer |
| Product family | LC,Performa |
| Release date | October 18, 1993 (1993-10-18) |
| Introductory price | US$1,200 (equivalent to $2,612 in 2024) |
| Discontinued | March 23, 1995 (1995-03-23) |
| Operating system | System 7.1 -Mac OS 7.6.1 With 68040 upgrade,Mac OS 8.1 |
| CPU | Motorola 68030 @ 33 MHz |
| Memory | 5 MB, expandable to 36 MB (80 ns 72-pin SIMM) |
| Display | 14 inches (36 cm) |
| Dimensions | Height: 17.9 inches (45 cm) Width: 13.5 inches (34 cm) Depth: 16.5 inches (42 cm) |
| Weight | 40.5 pounds (18.4 kg) |
| Predecessor | Macintosh LC 520 |
| Successor | Macintosh LC 580 Power Macintosh 5200 LC |
TheMacintosh LC 550 replaced the LC 520 in February 1994. The Performa variants were 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. Unlike the 520, the optical drive was a bare-CD tray-loading type which did not require a caddy. The logic board in the 550 is essentially the same one used in theMacintosh 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.[7]
Two Performa variants were introduced, varying only in the software bundle that was included. The 550 included only consumer applications. The Performa 560 was called the "Money Edition" owing to a partnership between Apple andMoney magazine.[8] In addition to some consumer and education software, it also included more than a dozen business software applications.
Introduced October 18, 1993:
Introduced January 15, 1994:
Introduced February 2, 1994:
 A Macintosh LC 575 with non-original mouse | |
| Also known as | "Optimus"[13] |
|---|---|
| Developer | Apple Computer |
| Product family | LC,Performa |
| Release date | February 1, 1994 (1994-02-01) |
| Introductory price | US$1,699 (equivalent to $3,604 in 2024) |
| Discontinued | April 1, 1996 (1996-04-01) |
| Operating system | 7.1 -Mac OS 8.1 With PowerPC upgrade,Mac OS 9.1 |
| CPU | Motorola 68LC040 @ 33 MHz |
| Memory | 5 MB, expandable to 68 MB (80 ns 72-pin SIMM) |
| Display | 14 inches (36 cm) |
| Dimensions | Height: 17.9 inches (45 cm) Width: 13.5 inches (34 cm) Depth: 16.5 inches (42 cm) |
| Weight | 40.5 pounds (18.4 kg) |
| Predecessor | Macintosh LC 550 |
| Successor | Macintosh LC 580 Power Macintosh 5200 LC |
TheMacintosh LC 575 was available from 1994 to 1996. It retains the "all-in-one" case of the LC 520/550, but uses theLC 475's architecture with aMotorola 68LC040 CPU (at a speed of 33 MHz instead of 25 MHz) and a tray-loading optical drive. It also included a high density floppy disk drive. 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 thecomm slot, which was included in most later LC models as well.
In May 1994, a set of Performa variants were introduced: the Performa 575, 577 and 578.[14] The machines are identical except for the amount of RAM and the HDD size. Software packages included with the Performa variants includeClarisWorks 2.0,Quicken 4.0,Grolier's Encyclopedia, the 1993The TIME Almanac,At Ease and some educational titles.
David Pogue described this machine as having been "enthusiastically received by Mac fans, who appreciated their crisp color screens, speedy performance, rich sound, and upgradability to Power Macs down the line."[13]
The LC variant was succeeded by the Macintosh LC 580 on the lower end or thePowerPC-basedPower Macintosh 5200 LC models at the higher end. The Performa variants were sold until the 580 was discontinued.
This model is a favorite motherboard donor for those wishing to upgrade theColor Classic to a faster class of processor. Apple also offered an upgrade path in the form of a PowerPCMacintosh Processor Upgrade.[7]
Introduced February 1, 1994:
Introduced November 3, 1994:
 A Macintosh Performa 580CD | |
| Also known as | "Dragonkid" |
|---|---|
| Developer | Apple Computer |
| Product family | LC,Performa |
| Release date | April 3, 1995 (1995-04-03) |
| Introductory price | US$1,300 (equivalent to $2,683 in 2024) |
| Discontinued | May 1, 1996 (1996-05-01) |
| Operating system | System 7.1.2P - 7.5.1, 7.5.3 toMac OS 8.1 With PowerPC upgrade,Mac OS 9.1 |
| CPU | Motorola 68LC040 @ 33 MHz |
| Memory | 8 MB, expandable to 68 MB (80 ns 72-pin SIMM) |
| Display | 14 inches (36 cm) |
| Dimensions | Height: 17.9 inches (45 cm) Width: 13.5 inches (34 cm) Depth: 16.5 inches (42 cm) |
| Weight | 40.5 pounds (18.4 kg) |
| Predecessor | Macintosh LC 575 |
| Successor | Power Macintosh 5200 LC |
TheMacintosh LC 580 was sold from April 1995 to May 1996. Like the LC 575, it is built around aMotorola 68LC040 processor, running at 33 MHz. However, instead of using the same sized, SCSI-only, logic boards based on the LC 475/Quadra 605 like the LC 575, the 580 uses the larger logic board of thePerforma 630. This meant a few changes, most of them leading to lower prices, but also lower performance: Most notably, the hard drives of the 580 wereIDE drives instead ofSCSI drives. Also, the video RAM was no longer mounted on aSIMM, but used 1 MB of the 4 MB of main RAM soldered to the motherboard. Lastly, theTrinitron display of the 575 was replaced with a cheapershadow mask screen, causing a slight change in the plastic case surrounding theCRT. One benefit of this change was the ability to accommodate the samevideo capture andTV tuner cards 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.
The LC 580 and LC 630 DOS Compatible, which were introduced at the same time,[20] were the last of the Macintosh desktop systems to be built around a Motorola 68000-series processor. Its replacement, thePower Macintosh 5200 LC, features aPowerPC processor. Apple also offered an upgrade path for the 580 in the form of a PowerPCMacintosh Processor Upgrade.[7] The 580 can also be upgraded with the following logic boards:5200 LC,6200,5260,5300,6300,5400,6400,5500 and6500.
The LC 580's Performa variants were only available outside of the United States.
Introduced April 3, 1995:
Introduced April 13, 1995:
Introduced May 1, 1995:
Central processing unit:Motorola 68LC040 at 33MHz; 8 KB of L1 cache
Memory: 8 MB, expandable to 52 MB with two 72-pin SIMMs. 1 MB of the 4 MB RAM soldered on the mainboard is used as video RAM.
Storage: Hard drive is 250 MB or 500 MB IDE; floppy drive is a 1.44 MBSuperDrive (can read 400 KB and 800 KB diskettes as well); CD-ROM is a 4xAppleCD unit.
Expansion: 1 LCPDS, 1 comm slot
Display: 14″ color CRT (supports up to 65,536 colors)
According to Apple, all of these models are obsolete.[a][24]
| Model | Family | LC 520 | LC 550 | LC 575 | LC 580 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Macintosh LC 520[25] | Macintosh Performa 520[26] | Macintosh Performa 550 | Macintosh Performa 560 | Macintosh LC 550 | Macintosh Performa 575 | Macintosh Performa 577 | Macintosh Performa 578 | Macintosh LC 575 | Macintosh LC 580 | Macintosh Performa 588CD | Macintosh Performa 580CD | |
| Timetable | Released | June 28, 1993 | October 18, 1993 | January 15, 1994 | February 2, 1994 | February 1, 1994 | November 3, 1994 | April 3, 1995 | April 13, 1995 | May 1, 1995 | |||
| Discontinued | February 2, 1994 | April 1, 1996 | March 23, 1995 | April 1, 1996 | April 3, 1995 | August 1, 1995 | May 1, 1996 | February 1, 1996 | |||||
| Model | Model number | M1640 | M3872 | ||||||||||
| Order number | M1778 (5/80) M1626 (8/80) M1627 (8/160) | M2147 | M3327 | [data missing] | M3119 | M3201 | M3202 | M2618/B (4/160), M2461/B (5/160), M1797/B (8/160) | [data missing] | M4059J | M3872 | ||
| Performance | Processor | 68030 with optional68882Floating-point unit | 68LC040 | ||||||||||
| Clock speed andbus | 25 MHz | 33 MHz | |||||||||||
| Cache | 0.5 kB L1 | 8 kB L1 | |||||||||||
| Memory | 5 MB | 8 MB | 5 MB or 8 MB | 8 MB | 5 MB or 8 MB | ||||||||
| 72-pin 80 nsSIMM | |||||||||||||
| Expandable to 36 MB | Expandable to 52 MB | ||||||||||||
| Graphics | 512 kB VRAM SIMM | 1 MB VRAM SIMM | |||||||||||
| Expandable to 768 kB | Expandable to 1 MB | Not expandable | |||||||||||
| Storage | Floppy drive | Floppy drive | |||||||||||
| Hard drive | 80 MB, 160 MBSCSI | 160 MBSCSI | 80 MB or 160 MBSCSI | 250 MBSCSI | 320 MBSCSI | 160 MB or 320 MBSCSI | 500 MBIDE | 250 MB or 500 MBIDE | |||||
| Optical drive | 2x CD-ROM | ||||||||||||
| Connectivity | 1 LC PDS slot | 1 LC PDS slot 14.4k modem | 1 LC PDS slot 14.4k modem Comm slot | 1 LC PDS slot Comm slot Video I/O slot | |||||||||
| Video | 14" Sony Trinitron RGB (supports resolutions up to 640x480) | 14" generic CRT RGB (supports resolutions up to 640x480) | |||||||||||
| Dimensions | Weight | 40.5 pounds (18.4 kg) | |||||||||||
| Volume | 17.9 inches (45 cm) × 13.5 inches (34 cm) × 16.5 inches (42 cm) | ||||||||||||
| Operating system | Minimum | System 7.1 | System 7.5 | ||||||||||
| Latest release | System 7.6.1 | Mac OS 8.1 | |||||||||||
| Timeline ofMacintosh Centris,LC,Performa, andQuadra models, colored byCPU type |
|---|
 See also:List of Mac models |
