Apple Adds Color to Macintosh Classic Line

Color Classic Delivers Exceptional Color, Greater Expansion and New Ease-of-Use Features to Popular Compact Design

MACWORLD, TOKYO--February 9, 1993--Apple Computer, Inc. today introduced the Apple  Macintosh  Color Classic, an enhanced version of its popular, all-in-one computer design.  The Macintosh Color Classic offers exceptional color, greater expandability, and new ease-of-use features, including Macintosh LC expansion capability and an energy-saving feature.

Like the Macintosh Classic II, the Color Classic delivers a uniquely designed and affordable personal computer that is particularly well-suited for home, education and business customers who value the "plug-and-play" simplicity, small footprint, and transportability of the Classic design.  Continuing its drive to make Macintosh accessible to more people, Apple is pricing the base configuration of the Color Classic at $1,389 U.S. suggested retail price (SRP).

"Almost a decade after the original compact Macintosh introduction, the Classic remains one of our most attractive and valued designs, and has become an industry icon," said Eric Harslem, vice president of Apple's Desktop Products division.  "With the addition of color and expandability, we believe the Classic line will continue to attract new users to the Macintosh platform."

Performance

Featuring a 10-inch Sony Trinitron display with 512 x 384 pixels, the Color Classic supports 256 colors to deliver "best-in-class" color. Like the Macintosh LC II, it is based on the 16 MHz Motorola 68030 microprocessor and delivers comparable performance to the Classic II and Macintosh LC II.  The Color Classic comes with 4MB of DRAM standard, expandable up to 10MB.

Easy to Use and Expand

Beyond color, the Color Classic extends Apple's leadership in ease-of-use by adding new built-in features and expansion options. Most notably, the Color Classic incorporates the expansion capabilities of the Macintosh LC.  The LC processor direct slot (PDS) gives Color Classic users the option to immediately take advantage of all expansion cards available for the modular Macintosh LC line--such as NTSC video-out and video capture, Ethernet for high-speed networking, and Apple IIe emulation.

The Color Classic is particularly easy to upgrade because it has a new and uniquely designed back panel that allows users to reach the expansion slot easily to extend their computing options. Although customers won't necessarily upgrade their systems themselves, this new feature makes it easier than ever for Apple authorized service providers to upgrade the system.  Upgrade options include memory (DRAM), video memory (VRAM), a math coprocessor (FPU) and Macintosh LC-style PDS cards.

In addition to the traditional built-in Classic features such as LocalTalk  networking, even the microphone is integrated on the Color Classic. Other new features include power on/off from the keyboard, and front panel controls for sound and display, which make the Color Classic even easier to use.

The Color Classic comes with a SCSI port for connecting up to six external peripheral devices.  It also has two serial ports, two Apple Desktop Bus  ports, and sound-in and sound-out ports.

Energy Efficient

The Macintosh Color Classic is the first Apple desktop computer that automatically reduces power consumption to less than 25 watts when it is idle, a feature that could cut by more than 50 percent the electricity used by the system.  Through the Screen Control Panel, users simply define the period of time that the computer can be inactive before the power-down feature starts.

The Color Classic's energy efficiency complies with the guidelines established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)through its recently formed Energy Star Computers program.  "Apple supported the Energy Star effort from the very beginning as a charter participant and is already translating its commitment into real products," said Brian Johnson, manager of the EPA's Energy Star Computers.  "Energy-efficient personal computers not only help reduce electricity bills, they also cut greenhouse gas and acid rain pollution from electricity generation, which benefits us all."

Pricing and Availability

The Macintosh Color Classic will be offered through Apple authorized resellers and through the Apple Catalog in the United States. Outside the United States, Macintosh Color Classic pricing and availability will vary.  U.S. suggested retail prices are as follows:

Configuration                                 U.S. SRP  Availability

Macintosh Color Classic 4MB/80MB HD, Keyboard  $1,389    Immediate
Macintosh Math Coprocessor                        $79    Immediate
Macintosh VRAM Expansion Kit (256K)               $99    Immediate
Apple Ethernet LC Card                           $165    Immediate

Contact:
Betty Taylor
Apple Computer, Inc.
(408) 974-3983

or

Amy Bonetti
Apple Computer, Inc.
(408) 974-4522