Macintosh Classic
 | |
| Developer | Apple Computer |
|---|---|
| Type | Desktop |
| Release date | October 15 1990[1] |
| Introductory price | US$999 |
| Discontinued | September 14, 1992[1] |
| Operating system | 6.0.7–6.0.8L, 7.0-7.5.5[1] |
| CPU | Motorola 68000 8 MHz[1] |
The Macintosh Classic (code-named XO)[2] was a personal computer manufactured by Apple Computer. Introduced on October 15 1990, it was the first Apple Macintosh to sell for less than US$1,000.[3] Production of the Classic was prompted by the success of the Macintosh Plus and the SE. The Classic was very similar to its predecessors but, due to limited technological advances, it used the same 9-inch (23 cm) monochrome CRT display, 512×342 pixel resolution, and its performance was hampered by the same 4 megabyte (MB) memory limit of the older Macintosh computers.[1] Nevertheless, the Classic featured several improvements over the Macintosh Plus, which it replaced as Apple's low-end Mac computer. It was up to 25 percent faster than the Plus and included an Apple SuperDrive 3.5" floppy disk drive as standard.
The Classic was an adaptation of Jerry Manock and Terry Oyama's Macintosh 128K industrial design, as was the earlier Macintosh SE. Apple released two versions that ranged in price from $1,000 to $1,500. Reviewers' reactions were mixed; most focused on the slow processor performance and lack of expansion slots. The consensus was that the Classic was only useful for word processing, spreadsheets and databases. The lower price and the availability of education software led to the Classic's popularity in the education sector. It was sold alongside the more powerful Macintosh Classic II in 1991 and was discontinued on September 14, 1992.
History
MacWEEK magazine reported on July 10, 1990, that Apple had paid $1 million to Modular Computer Systems Inc., a subsidiary of Daimler-Benz AG, for the right to use the "Classic" name as part of a five-year contract.[4] Apple did not renew the contract when it ended.[5] MacWEEK speculated the Macintosh Classic would use the same 8 megahertz (MHz) Motorola 68000 microprocessor and 9-inch (23 cm) display as its predecessors and that the Classic would be priced from $1,500 to $2,150.[4] On October 15, 1990, John Sculley (Apple CEO at the time) introduced the Classic at a press conference and announced that pricing would start at $1,000.[6] At the conference, Sculley said, "To reach new customers, we didn't just lower the prices of our existing products. We redesigned these computers from the ground up with the features customers have told us they value most."[7] Apple's new pricing strategy caused concern among investors, who felt it would reduce profit margins.[8] Brodie Keast, an Apple product marketing manager, said, "We are prepared to do whatever it takes to reach more people with Macintosh ... The plan is to get as aggressive on price as we need to be."[8] After the release of the Classic, Apple's share price closed at $27.75 per share, down 50 cents from October 12, 1990, and far below its previous 12-month high of $50.37.[8]
The Classic was released in Europe and Japan concurrently with the United States release. In Japan, the Classic retailed for 198,000 yen ($1,523),[9] a higher price than in the US but matching the price of the Toshiba Dynabook laptop computer.[9]
After spending $40 million marketing the Classic to first-time buyers,[10] Apple had difficulty meeting orders because of high demand.[11]Apple doubled its manufacturing space in 1990 by expanding its Singapore and Cork, Ireland factories, where the Classic was assembled.[11] Air freight, rather than sea shipping, was used to improve delivery times.[11] The shortage caused concern among dealers, who blamed Apple's poor business planning.[10]
Macintosh Classics and LCs had been given to Scholastic Software 12 months before they were officially announced,[12] and Scholastic planned to release 16 new Macintosh products in 1991.[12] Peter Kelman, Scholastic's publisher, predicted that the Macintosh would become "the school machine of the nineties."[12] The Classic was sold to educational institutions for $800 each.[6] The lower price and the availability of education software led to the Classic's popularity in the education sector.[13]
Features
The low-end model had 1 MB memory, no hard disk, and cost $1,000. The $1,500 model used 2 MB memory and a 40 MB hard disk. The Classic featured several improvements over the Macintosh Plus, which it replaced as Apple's low-end Mac computer: the Classic was up to 25 percent faster than the Plus and included an Apple SuperDrive 3.5" floppy disk drive as standard.[14]The SuperDrive was capable of reading and writing to Macintosh, MS-DOS, OS/2, and ProDOS disks.[14] The Classic was the last compact Mac to use the Motorola 68000 central processing unit (CPU).
The Classic used the System 6.0.7 operating system with support for all versions up to System 7.5.5. A hidden Hierarchical File System (HFS) disk volume contained in the read-only memory (ROM) included System 6.0.3.[15] The Mac Classic could be booted into System 6.0.3 by holding down the Command + Option + X + O keys during boot.[15]
Some dealers included a software bundle called Smartbundle with the Classic.[16] The Smartbundle, also sold separately for $349, included T/Maker's WriteNow word processor, Ashton-Tate's Full Impact spreadsheet program, RecordHolderPlus database, and Silicon Beach Software's SuperPaint 2.0 paint and draw program.[16]
Design
The Macintosh Classic was the final adaptation of Jerry Manock and Terry Oyama's Macintosh 128K industrial design, bringing back some elements of the original, while retaining little of the Snow White design language used in the Macintosh SE's design.[17] The only remnant of the SE was the stripe across the front panel (bezel) for the floppy drive. The distinctive front bezel lines of the SE were not used on the Classic, and the vertical lines around its base were replaced by four horizontal vent lines, more reminiscent of the original design.[17] The curve of the front bezel was increased to the same 50-inch (1.3 m) radial curve as on the front of both the Macintosh LC and Macintosh IIsi.[17] This curved front bezel later became a signature of Apple product design.[17]
The logic board, the central circuit board of the computer, was based on the Macintosh SE design.[18] Its size, however, was reduced using surface mount technology[18] to 9×5 inches (23×13 cm), half the size of the SE board. This redesign, and the absence of expansion slots, kept manufacturing costs low.[18] The Classic design was used once more in 1991 for the Classic II, which succeeded the Classic and replaced the Macintosh SE/30.[17]
Reception
Some reviewers of the Macintosh Classic focused on the processor performance and lack of expansion slots. Liza Schafer of Home Office Computing praised the Classic's ease of use and price, but criticized the 9-inch (230 mm) display because a full US letter page (8½ × 11 inches) would not fit at full size, and warned those who required high-end graphics and desktop publishing capabilities against buying the Classic.[19] Schafer concluded: "The Classic's value is more impressive than its performance, but its performance will get you working on that novel, database, or spreadsheet."[19] PC Week criticized the lack of a faster processor, stating, "The 7.8 MHz speed is adequate for text applications and limited graphics work, but it is not suitable for power users. As such, the Classic is appropriate as a home computer or for limited computing on the road."[20] Similarly, PC User's review concluded, "The slow processor and lack of expansion slots on the Macintosh Classic offset the low prices."[21] MacWEEK described it as a "fine, inexpensive replacement for the Macintosh Plus that best embodies the original Macintosh vision six and a half years later."[22]
In the February 1991 edition of Electronic Learning Robert McCarthy wrote: "Teachers, educational administrators and software developers are enthusiastic about the new, lower cost Apple Macintosh computers".[23] Steve Taffe, manager of instructional strategy at MECC, a developer and publisher of educational software, explained his excitement about the Classic: "The Classic", he said, "is terrific – both because it's a Mac and because of that low price. Everyone can now afford a Macintosh."[23] Scholastic, an education software developer, also felt confident of Apple's ability to compete with MS-DOS machines, stating: "They are just as cost-effective and as powerful as MS-DOS computers, but the Apples will have a superior comfort-level."[23] Sue Talley, Apple's manager of strategic planning in education, said of the Classic: "As for the Classic, we see it going into applications where you need a fair number of powerful stations, but where color is not a big issue".[23] Talley mentioned that the Classic was most suited for writing labs and other basic productivity uses.[23] Many schools decided not to purchase Classics because of the lack of a color monitor, which the higher priced Macintosh LC had.[23]
Specifications
| Component | Specification[1] |
|---|---|
| Display | 9-inch (23 cm) monochrome CRT display, 512×342 pixel resolution |
| Storage | 40 MB SCSI hard disk drive optional, Built-in SuperDrive 3.5" floppy disk drive |
| Processor | 8 MHz Motorola 68000 |
| Bus Speed | 8 MHz |
| Random Access Memory | 1 MB, expandable to 2 or 4 MB using 120 ns 30-pin SIMMs and optional custom RAM-slot expansion card |
| Read-only Memory | 512 KB |
| Networking | AppleTalk |
| Battery | 3.6 V lithium |
| Physical dimensions | 13.2 in D × 9.7 in W × 11.2 in H 16 lb (7.26 kg) |
| Port connections | 1× ADB (keyboard, mouse) 2× mini-DIN-8 RS-422 serial ports (printer, modem, AppleTalk) 1× DB-19 (ext. floppy drive) 1× DB-25 SCSI connector (ext. hard drive, scanner) 1× 3.5 mm Headphone jack socket |
| Expansion slots | none |
| Audio | 8-bit mono 22Khz |
| Gestalt ID | 17 (computer identification code) |
| Timeline of Compact Macintosh models |
|---|
 |
See also
- Basilisk II, emulator with limited support
- Mini vMac, emulator capable of booting from the ROM disk
- List of Macintosh models by case type
- List of products discontinued by Apple Inc.
- List of Macintosh models grouped by CPU type
References
- ^ a b c d e f Joannidi, Christine (2002-03-15). "Macintosh Classic: Technical Specifications". Apple Inc. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- ^ Linzmayer, Owen W (1999). Apple Confidential (1st Edition). No Starch Press. p. p. 27. ISBN 188641131X.
{{cite book}}:|page=has extra text (help) - ^ Ould, Andrew (August 6, 1990). "Mac Classic to debut at under $1,000". PC Week. p. 17.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help), - ^ a b Farber, Daniel (July 10, 1990). "Apple shells out $1 million for 'Classic' name". MacWEEK. p. 1.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Linzmayer, Owen W (1999). Apple Confidential (1st Edition). No Starch Press. p. p. 208. ISBN 188641131X.
{{cite book}}:|page=has extra text (help) - ^ a b Hertzberg, Lanny (Nov–Dec 1990). "New Macs from Apple". Electronic Learning. p. 6.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: date format (link) - ^ "Apple Computer: lower cost Mac PCs target new customers. 50 percent less for entry-level system". EDGE: Work-Group Computing Report. October 22, 1990. p. 3.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c "Apple Unveils Low-Cost Macs". Albany Times Union (Albany, NY). October 16, 1990.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Yazawa, Naoyuki (October 18, 1990). "Japan: Apple prices new Macs, cuts old prices". Newsbytes (Newswire).
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Zachary, G. Pascal (November 21, 1990). "Demand turns new Macintosh into rare Apple". Wall Street Journal (Western Edition).
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c Borrell, Jerry (March 1991). "How does Apple deal with success? In fiscal 1991 Apple Computer will ship over 1 million Macintoshes". Macworld. p. 23.
- ^ a b c "Macs for the masses". 13 (4). COMPUTE!. April 1991: p. 26.
{{cite journal}}:|pages=has extra text (help); Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Krey, Michael (March 25, 1991). "Classic is on backorder". The Business Journal. p. 18.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Macintosh Classic: Description (Discontinued)". Apple Inc. June 02, 1994. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Aker, Sharon (1998). The Macintosh Bible 7th Edition. Peachpit Press. p. p. 58. ISBN 0201874830.
{{cite book}}:|page=has extra text (help) - ^ a b Schafer, Liza (April 1991). "Apple Macintosh Classic 2/40 – Hardware Review". Home Office Computing. BNET, findarticles.com. p. 2. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
- ^ a b c d e Kunkel, Paul (October 1, 1997). Appledesign: The Work of the Apple Industrial Design Group. Watson-Guptill Publications. p. p. 75. ISBN 1888001259.
{{cite book}}:|page=has extra text (help); Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c "Macintosh Classic Computer Developer Note" (PDF). Developer Technical Publications. Apple Computer. 1990. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
- ^ a b Schafer, Liza (April 1991). "Apple Macintosh Classic 2/40 – Hardware Review". Home Office Computing. BNET, findarticles.com. p. 1. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
- ^ Bethoney, Herb (October 15, 1990). "Mac Classic could be faster, but it fits the bill. (Hardware Review)". PC Week. p. 16.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Chadwin, John (October 24, 1990). "Mac to the future (Apple's Macintosh LC, Classic, and IIsi microcomputers) (Hardware Review)". PC User. p. 44.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Ford, Ric (October 30, 1990). "Mac Classic (Hands on the new Macs) (Hardware Review)". MacWEEK. p. 2.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d e f Robert, McCarthy (February 1991). "The new Macs go to school". Electronic Learning. p. 19.
External links
- Vintage and obsolete products from Apple.com