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title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params
title categories types origins years cpus params
Apple Macintosh Color Classic
Computers
Professional Computer
U.S.A.
1993
Motorola 68030
name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos emulators links related oc_id source
Macintosh Color Classic /media/museum/photos/apple_classcolor_running_s1.jpg /companies/apple Apple
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NAME Macintosh Color Classic
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MANUFACTURER Apple
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TYPE Professional Computer
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ORIGIN U.S.A.
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YEAR February 1993
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END OF PRODUCTION May 1994
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BUILT IN LANGUAGE None
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KEYBOARD Typewriter type 82 key with numeric keypad and arrow keys
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CPU Motorola 68030
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SPEED 16 MHz
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CO-PROCESSOR Socket for an optional 68882 math coprocessor
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RAM 4 MB up to 10 MB (although 12 MB could sit in the slots)
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VRAM 256 KB up to 512 KB (specific SIMM secket)
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ROM 1 MB
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TEXT MODES No text mode. Bit mapped characters
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GRAPHIC MODES 512 x 384 dots. Could be expanded to 640 x 480 with significant hardware modifications.
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COLORS 256
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SOUND Mono 16-bit - Built-in speaker - sound output jack
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SIZE / WEIGHT 25.15 (W) x 36.8 (H) x 32 (D) / 11 kg
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I/O PORTS 2 x ADB, 2 x serial, SCSI, sound In/Out
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BUILT IN MEDIA 3.5
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OS MAC OS 7.1
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POWER SUPPLY Built in switching power supply unit
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PERIPHERALS PDS expansion slot
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PRICE $1,390
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emulators
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1017
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FRONT VIEW Volume and brightness adjustments are located on the front panel. /media/museum/photos/apple_classcolor_frontview_s1.jpg
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RUNNING SYSTEM The Color Classic is running Maelstrom game. /media/museum/photos/apple_classcolor_running_s2.jpg
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TOP VIEW /media/museum/photos/apple_classcolor_topview_s1.jpg
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SIDE VIEW /media/museum/photos/apple_classcolor_sideview_s1.jpg
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FRONT PANEL CLOSE-UP /media/museum/photos/apple_classcolor_frontcloseup_s1.jpg
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REAR CONNECTORS **(1)** Two ADB ports - Mini-Din sockets\ **(2)** Two Serial ports - Printer and modem\ **(3)** SCSI DB25 connector\ **(4)** Sound input jack\ **(5)** Sound output jack\ **(6)** The rear panel can be easily opened to slide out the motherboard\ **(7)** CRT horizontal and vertical centering /media/museum/photos/apple_classcolor_rearside_s1.jpg
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INSIDE **(1)** Analog board holding the power supply unit and the video circuitry\ **(2)** Intermediate bay which supports the floppy drive, the hard disk drive and the speaker\ **(3)** Motherboard /media/museum/photos/apple_classcolor_inside_s1.jpg
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MOTHERBOARD **(1)** Sound chip\ **(2)** SCSI chip\ **(3)** PDS expansion slot\ **(4)** Socket for the optional 68882 math coprocessor\ **(5)** Motorola 68030 CPU\ **(6)** Custom Apple chipset in charge of memory management and various I/O\ **(7)** 1 MB ROM chips\ **(8)** Video chip and its associated 256 KB RAM\ **(9)** 4 MB on-board RAM chips\ **(10)** SIMM socket for the video RAM expansion\ **(11)** SIMM sockets for the main RAM expansion /media/museum/photos/apple_classcolor_mainboard_s1.jpg
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Executor http://www.ardi.com/ Windows Demonstration version of a commercial software (MS DOS & Win95)
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Gemulator http://www.emulators.com/ Windows A commercial Software which emulates the Atari ST/TT and the Mac 128/Plus/2 (Win95 / Win NT)
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LisaEm http://lisa.sunder.net/ Windows Same as Apple lisa emulator for unix but ported to windows
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PearPC http://pearpc.sourceforge.net/ Windows PearPC is an architecture-independent PowerPC platform emulator capable of running most PowerPC operating systems.
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SoftMac http://www.emulators.com/ Windows good 68K Emulator For Windows
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Executor http://www.ardi.com/ Unix / Linux Demo version of a commercial software (Linux / NextStep)
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vMac - The Virtual Macintosh Emulator Project http://www.leb.net/vmac/ Other platform
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Basilisk II http://basilisk.cebix.net/ Multiplatform Basilisk II is an Open Source 68k Macintosh emulator. Good emulator, runs on several platforms, even Amiga
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Mini vMac http://minivmac.sourceforge.net/ Multiplatform Mini vMac, a spin off of the program vMac, emulates a Macintosh Plus and Macintosh SE. So far it works on Macintosh OS, Microsoft Windows, and the X Window System.
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Apple History http://www.apple-history.com/ History of Apple computers with detail information about all of the computers to come out of Apple.
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Applefritter http://www.applefritter.com Excellent site about all Apple models,clones,prototypes,etc... A must see !
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CMQ - Groupes d'usagers Apple http://www.cmq.qc.ca/cmq.html (french)
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Homepage of Gamba http://home.earthlink.net/~gamba2/index.html A lot of interesting Mac links, for example "How To Transfer Files From PC to MAC "
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Jag's House http://www.jagshouse.com/ Lot of info on all non PowerMac models
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Low End Mac http://www.lowendmac.com Great site with a full catalog of ALL old macintoshes.
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Mac Forums at MacForumz.com http://www.MacForumz.com Mac forums, a resource on the latest and greatest, as well as vintage, Macintosh hardware, software, and internet. Free registration.
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MacDebate http://www.macdebate.com Macintosh discussion forum
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The Vintage Mac Museum http://www.d4.dion.ne.jp/~motohiko/ Nice dedicated website with tons of screenshots !
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Titlemax - Apple products https://www.titlemax.com/discovery-center/lifestyle/every-product-apple-has-made-so-far/ Nice graphic of every product Apple Has Made So Far (thanks Lily)
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Web Wiz CAPTCHA http://www.webwizcaptcha.com Discussion of Macintosh software system
/museum/apple-lisa-lisa-2-mac-xl
/museum/apple-macintosh
/museum/apple-macintosh-ii
/museum/apple-macintosh-plus
/museum/apple-macintosh-portable
/museum/apple-macintosh-se
/museum/apple-macintosh-se-30
1043
url date
https://web.archive.org/web/20230605034158/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1043 2023-06-05

The Macintosh Color Classic (aka Performa 250) had same footprint as the original Macintosh. It was the first mac using a 10" (9" viewable) colour monitor (Sony CRT) and the last of the original all-in-one Macintosh line to be sold in the US market.

Its main board had the same design as the Mac LC II, featuring a 16 MHz 68030 CPU. Sadly, its address bus was limited to 16 bit and allowed only 10 MB of maximum RAM.

The Color Classic could emulate the Apple II thank to an expansion card inserted into its PDS slot.

An improved version, called Color Classic II (aka Performa 275) was launched in late 1993 in Canada then in Japan. It had the same motherboard as the LC/Performa 550 with a 33 MHz CPU, a 32-bit bus and up to 36 MB of available RAM.

Some people call the LC/Performa 550 the "Fat Color Classic II" because of the wider monitor.


Jeremy Dilatush adds:
This machine's color graphics were *slow* so I usually ran mine in black and white mode. Yes, it made a major difference.

Gwion Mainwaring reports:
There are PPC Upgrades available and this will make your Color Classic a lot faster so you could run Mac OS 8 or 9. OS9 would be a bit slow. But i think you can only run OS 9 on a Color Classic II.

We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.