View source for Macintosh Color Classic

{{Primary sources|date=March 2023}}
{{Short description|Personal computer released by Apple Computer, Inc}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox information appliance
| Name = Macintosh Color Classic / Color Classic II / Performa 250 / Performa 275
| family = [[Compact Macintosh|Compact]], [[Macintosh Performa|Performa]]
| developer = [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer, Inc.]]
| Image = Macintosh Colour Classic 1994 (retouched).jpg
| caption = A Macintosh Colour Classic running an Italian version of System 7<!-- This must not be corrected or changed because it's running an Italian version so it must use the UK spelling, not the US spelling. -->
| Introduced = {{Start date and age|1993|02|10}}
| MSRP = {{USD|1400|1993|round=-2}}
| CPU = [[Motorola 68030]]
| CPUspeed = 16 or 33 MHz
| OS = [[System 7|System 7.1]]–[[System 7|Mac OS 7.6.1]]<br>With 68040 upgrade, [[Mac OS 8|Mac OS 8.1]], or with PowerPC upgrade, [[Mac OS 9.1]]
| RAM = 4 [[Megabyte|MB]] onboard, upgradable to 10 [[Megabyte|MB]]; With [[Macintosh LC 500 series|logicboard upgrade]]: 64 [[Megabyte|MB]], unofficially supports 128 [[Megabyte|MB]] of [[Random-access memory|RAM]]
| RAMtype = 100 ns 30-pin [[SIMM]]
| Display = {{convert|10|in|cm}}, 512 x 384 (switchable to 560 x 384)
| dimensions = Height: {{convert|15|in|cm}}<br>Width: {{convert|10|in|cm}}<br>Depth: {{convert|12.66|in|cm}}
| weight = {{convert|10.2|kg|lb}}
| Discontinued = {{End date|1995|05|16}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/24/technology/a-long-discontinued-macintosh-still-thrills-collectors-to-the-core.html|title=A Long-Discontinued Macintosh Still Thrills Collectors to the Core - New York Times|author=Paul Kunkel|work=The New York Times|date=August 24, 2000|access-date=May 9, 2020|archive-date=February 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204165811/http://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/24/technology/a-long-discontinued-macintosh-still-thrills-collectors-to-the-core.html|url-status=live}}</ref> (CC II)<br>{{End date|1995|11|01}} (Performa 275)
| predecessor = [[Macintosh Classic II]]
| successor = [[Macintosh LC 500 series]]<br>[[Power Macintosh 5200 LC]]
| type = [[All-in-one PC|All-in-one]]
}}

The '''Macintosh Color Classic''' (sold as the '''Macintosh Colour Classic''' in PAL regions) is a [[personal computer]] designed, manufactured and sold by [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer, Inc.]] from February 1993 to May 1995 (up to January 1998 in PAL markets).  It has an [[All-in-one PC|all-in-one]] design, with a small, integrated 10″ [[Sony]] [[Trinitron]] display at 512 × 384 pixel resolution. The display is capable of supporting up to thousands of colors with a video memory upgrade.

A slightly updated model, the '''Color Classic II''', featuring the [[Macintosh LC 550]] [[Motherboard|logic board]] with a 33&nbsp;MHz processor, was released in Japan, Canada and some international markets in 1993, sometimes as the [[Macintosh Performa|Performa]] 275.

The Color Classic is the final model of the original [[Compact Macintosh|"compact"]] family of [[Mac (computer)|Macintosh]] computers, and was replaced by the larger-display [[Macintosh LC 500 series]] and [[Power Macintosh 5200 LC]].

== Hardware ==
The Color Classic has a [[Motorola 68030]] CPU running at 16&nbsp;MHz and has a logic board similar to the [[Macintosh LC II]].<ref name=lowendmacclassic>{{cite web
| url = http://lowendmac.com/1993/mac-color-classic/
| title = Mac Color Classic
| date = February 10, 1993
| publisher = Low End Mac
| access-date = October 6, 2017
| archive-date = October 7, 2017
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171007120258/http://lowendmac.com/1993/mac-color-classic/
| url-status = live
}}</ref>

Like the [[Macintosh SE]] and [[Macintosh SE/30|SE/30]] before it, the Color Classic has a single expansion slot: an LC-type [[Processor Direct Slot]] (PDS), incompatible with the SE slots. This was primarily intended for the [[Apple IIe Card]] (the primary reason for the Color Classic's switchable 560 × 384 display, essentially quadruple the IIe's 280 × 192 [[Apple II graphics#High-Resolution (Hi-Res) graphics|High-Resolution graphics]]), which was offered with education models of the LCs. The card allowed the LCs to emulate an [[Apple IIe]]. 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]] and video cards were also made available for the Color Classic's Processor Direct Slot.

The Color Classic shipped with the [[Apple Keyboard]] known as an Apple Keyboard II (M0487) which featured a soft power switch on the keyboard itself. The mouse supplied was the [[Apple Mouse]] known as the Apple Desktop Bus Mouse II (M2706).

A slightly updated model, the Color Classic II, featuring the [[Macintosh LC 550]] [[Motherboard|logic board]] with a 33&nbsp;MHz processor, was released in Japan, Canada and some international markets in 1993, sometimes as the [[Macintosh Performa|Performa]] 275. Both versions of the Color Classic have 256 KB of onboard VRAM, expandable to 512 KB by plugging a 256 KB VRAM SIMM into the onboard 68-pin VRAM slot.<ref name=servicesource275>{{cite web
| url = http://tim.id.au/laptops/apple/legacy/color_classic_ii.perf_275.pdf
| title = Macintosh Color Classic II / Performa 275
| publisher = Apple Service Source
| access-date = September 30, 2017
| archive-date = March 24, 2018
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180324195852/http://tim.id.au/laptops/apple/legacy/color_classic_ii.perf_275.pdf
| url-status = live
}}</ref>

The name "Color Classic" was not printed directly on the front panel, but on a separate plastic insert. This enabled the [[Comparison of American and British English|alternative spelling]] "Colour Classic" and "Colour Classic II" to be used in appropriate markets.

===Upgrades===
Powered by a [[Motorola 68030]] processor, the Color Classic can only go up to Mac OS 7.6.1. However, some Color Classic users upgraded their machines with motherboards from [[Macintosh LC 575|Performa/LC 575]] units ("Mystic" upgrade),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://colourclassicfaq.com/mobo/mystic.shtml|title="Mystic" Upgrade Questions|access-date=June 12, 2015|archive-date=November 17, 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011117084413/http://www.colourclassicfaq.com/mobo/mystic.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> while others have put entire [[Macintosh Quadra 630|Performa/LC/Quadra 630]] or successor innards into them ("Takky" upgrade).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://colourclassicfaq.com/mobo/takky.shtml|title="Takky" Upgrade Questions|access-date=June 12, 2015|archive-date=August 14, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814113151/http://colourclassicfaq.com/mobo/takky.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> Another common modification to this unit was to change the display to allow 640 × 480 resolution, which was a common requirement for many programs (especially [[PC game|games]]) to run.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://powercc.org/640x480|title="640x480" Screen Resolution Upgrade|access-date=February 27, 2018|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107003210/http://powercc.org/640x480/|url-status=live}}</ref>

With the Mystic mod, the Color Classic uses the motherboard of the [[Macintosh LC 575]] which has a [[Motorola 68LC040]] CPU (at a speed of 33&nbsp;MHz instead of 25&nbsp;MHz) and is pin compatible with the Color Classic. A Color Classic with the Mystic upgrade can go up to Mac OS 8.1 (Mac OS 8.6 and newer require PowerPC processors).

With the Takky mod, the case and connector need to be modded, but doing so will allow the use of a PowerPC 601, 603, or 604 equipped motherboard. A Color Classic with the Takky upgrade can go up to Mac OS 9.1 (Mac OS 9.2 and newer require a G3 processor). On Takky Color Classics, there is a way to upgrade the processor with a [[PowerPC 7xx|G3 CPU]], but it will only go up to Mac OS 9.2.2 as Mac OS X isn't officially supported.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://powercc.org/g3|title="G3" CPU Upgrade|access-date=February 27, 2018|archive-date=February 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228041602/https://powercc.org/g3/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Models==

=== Macintosh Performa 250<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://support.apple.com/kb/SP218
| title = Macintosh Performa 250:Technical Specifications
| publisher = Apple
| access-date = September 30, 2017
| archive-date = September 15, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220915132221/https://support.apple.com/kb/SP218?locale=en_US
| url-status = live
}}</ref> ===

Introduced February 1, 1993 in Japan only.

=== Macintosh Color/Colour Classic<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://support.apple.com/kb/sp207
| title = Macintosh Color Classic: Technical Specifications
| publisher = Apple
| access-date = September 30, 2017
| archive-date = August 6, 2012
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120806143911/http://support.apple.com/kb/SP207
| url-status = live
}}</ref> ===

Introduced February 10, 1993 in Japan, Asia, and the Americas. Introduced March 16, 1994 in PAL regions.

Also known as the Macintosh Colour Classic.

=== Macintosh Performa 275<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://support.apple.com/kb/SP219
| title = Macintosh Performa 275:Technical Specifications
| publisher = Apple
| access-date = September 30, 2017
| archive-date = January 4, 2009
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090104041754/http://support.apple.com/kb/SP219
| url-status = live
}}</ref> ===

Introduced October 1, 1993 in South Korea, and September 9, 1994 in Japan.

=== Macintosh Color Classic II<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://support.apple.com/kb/SP208
| title = Macintosh Color Classic II: Technical Specifications
| publisher = Apple
| access-date = September 30, 2017
| archive-date = August 8, 2014
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140808033631/http://support.apple.com/kb/sp208
| url-status = live
}}</ref> ===

Introduced October 21, 1993 in Japan, Asia, and Canada,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lowendmac.com/compact/macintosh-color-classic-ii.html|title=Mac Colour Classic II (Performa 275) &#124; Low End Mac|access-date=October 20, 2008|archive-date=October 9, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009055405/http://lowendmac.com/compact/macintosh-color-classic-ii.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and December 3, 1994 in PAL regions.

Also known as the Macintosh Colour Classic II.

== Timelines ==
{{Timeline of compact Macintosh models}}
{{Timeline of Macintosh Centris, LC, Performa, and Quadra models}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Macintosh Color Classic}}
* [http://www.colourclassicfaq.com/ Colour Classic FAQ]
* [https://powercc.org/ powercc.org - Upgrading Tutorials for Mystic, Takky, 640x480]

{{Apple hardware before 1998}}

[[Category:Compact Macintosh|Color Classic]]
[[Category:Macintosh Performa|Color Classic]]
[[Category:68k Macintosh computers|Color Classic]]
[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 1993]]
[[Category:Products and services discontinued in 1995]]