On the down side, the Mac Color Classic had some short comings also. The biggest of which was the 16 bit data bus that severely slowed the 32 bit processor. this has been a problem with all the compact Macs with the exception of the SE/30 which had a 32 bit bus. I do not know the reason for designing a computer around a 32 bit processor and limiting it by only giving it a 16 bit data bus. The first Macs were designed using the original Motorola 68000 processor. This processor was a 16/32 bit hybrid, and although it was essentially a 32 bit processor internally, it could only access data 16 bits at a time due to its external 16 bit address pins. So the design of the original motherboards was to have only a 16 bit data bus. So why, when later Macs such as the Classic, Color Classic, and Classic II were designed using the more powerful Motorola 68030, a true 32 bit processor capable of addressing a 32 bit bus, did Apple keep the 16 bit address bus? 

      This aside, the Mac Color Classic is still one of the most popular and sought after collectable computers. This is a great little computer. It's motherboard is similar to the LC series of Macs and is able to use the PDS cards designed for the LC. One of those cards is the Apple IIe card (a complete Apple IIe computer reduced to a single chip on an expansion card). With this card plugged into it's PDS expansion slot the Color Classic can easily switch to emulate an Apple IIe and run virtually all the software available for the Apple II series of computers. Neat huh? Well, for a connoisseur of vintage computers it is, anyway. The real purpose behind the Apple II emulation, was to sell more advanced (meaning expensive) computers to the school systems with the promise of  maintaining compatibility with the loads of software that the schools had already purchased for the Apple II's. 

      The Color Classic comes with a built in 10 inch color screen capable of displaying 512 x 384 pixels in up to 16 colors. It came standard with 256k bytes of Video RAM and could be expanded to 512k. Above the screen is a built in microphone, a first for the Mac series.

       Inside the Mac is a built in SCSI hard drive, configured to either 40, 80, or 120 MB and a 1.44 MB floppy drive. On the motherboard is a 16Mhz Motorola 68030 microprocessor and a socket for the optional 68882 co-processor. The Mac has 1 MB of built in ROM memory and 4 MB of RAM soldered onto the motherboard. It has two 30 pin SIMM slots that will accept either parity or non-parity RAM (it doesn't care, I've tried both). The computer can only recognize a maximum of 10 MB of RAM (I don't know why). I put two 4 MB SIMMs in which should have brought the total onboard RAM to 12 MB, but the system still tells me there is only 10 MB installed. By the way PC SIMMs work fine. 

        A nice feature with this Mac is the ease at which the motherboard could be accessed. The rear of the computer has an access door at the bottom. If you remove the two Phillips head screws and pull down on the two tabs the door comes of revealing the motherboard. to gain access to it for any upgrades you simply pull it out. There are no wires or plugs that need to be removed it is plugged into a slot inside the computer.

        The Color Classic like it's predecessors used the ADB to connect it's keyboard and mouse, it comes with 2 ADB ports on the rear of the computer. Unlike it's predecessors though it is the only compact Mac to use the power button on the keyboard to power on and off (the power switch in the rear must be on for this to work). Beside the ADB ports are two 8 pin DIN plugs for serial connections. Next is a 25 pin D-type plug for connecting a SCSI device.

        Another new feature on this Mac is the manual controls for volume and contrast located under the screen on the front of the computer. Prior to this with older Macs these controls were done by software through the control panel on the desktop.

         The Mac in this exhibit is one of two in the museum. It was added on August 31, 2000. It was purchased at a local thrift shop. The 2nd Mac Color Classic was rescued from a computer junk yard on May 11, 2001. It came with the Apple IIe card installed.

System Architecture

Memory

Standard Features

Disk Storage

Video & Graphics

Sound

Expansion Slots

Keyboard Specs.

Physical Specs.

Environmental Specs.