Photo: Benoît Prieur / CC0 / Wikimedia Commons · source
Macintosh LC
The affordable color Mac that conquered classrooms.
Overview
The Macintosh LC, code-named Elsie, was the first inexpensive color Mac. A flat desktop case held a 16 MHz 68020, 2 MB of memory, a floppy drive and optional hard disk, with graphics built into the logic board and a 12-inch color monitor sold as a pairing.
Its 16-bit data path kept the cost down but also made it slower than the 1987 Mac II despite the same type of processor. The LC lacked a socket for the memory management chip, so System 7 virtual memory was off the table.
The single Processor Direct Slot is what made it special: an Apple IIe card turned the LC into a machine that could run Apple II classroom software, which sealed its success in education.
Why it mattered
It made color Macs affordable and shipped into millions of classrooms.
At a glance
- Announced
- October 15, 1990
- Released
- October 15, 1990
- Discontinued
- March 23, 1992
- Launch price
- $2,400
- Chip / processor
- Motorola 68020, 16 MHz
- Storage
- 1.4 MB floppy, 40 or 80 MB hard disk
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- First low-cost color Macintosh
- Apple IIe Card option for schools
- Slim desktop case
- Optional 12-inch color monitor bundle
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Chip
- Chip
- Motorola 68020, 16 MHz
Memory
- RAM
- 2 MB, expandable to 10 MB
- Storage options
- 1.4 MB floppy; 40 or 80 MB internal hard disk (education model had no hard disk)
Display
- Type
- External monitor via built-in video (256 KB VRAM, 8-bit color at 512 x 384)
Expansion
- Slots
- One Processor Direct Slot
Design
- Dimensions
- 7.4 x 31 x 38.9 cm (2.9 x 12.2 x 15.3 in)
- Weight
- 4 kg (8.8 lb)
Software
- Launch OS
- System 6.0.6
- Latest supported OS
- System 7.5.5
Video
- VRAM
- 256 KB, expandable to 512 KB
Availability
- Announced
- October 15, 1990
- Released
- October 15, 1990
- Discontinued
- March 23, 1992
- Launch price
- $2,400
Colors
- Finishes
- Platinum
