Power Macintosh 5200 LC
The Power Macintosh 5200 LC and Power Macintosh 5300 LC are a line of personal computers that are a part of Apple Computer's Power Macintosh, LC, and Performa families of Macintosh computers. When sold to the consumer market, the machines were marketed as variations of Performa 5200 and Performa 5300.
![]() A Macintosh Performa 5200 | |
Developer | Apple Computer, Inc. |
---|---|
Product family | Power Macintosh, Performa, LC |
Type | All-in-one |
Release date | April 3, 1995 |
Introductory price | US$1,699 (equivalent to $2,851 in 2019) |
Discontinued | March 1, 1997 |
Operating system | System 7.5.1 - Mac OS 9.1 (except 7.5.2) |
CPU | 5200 LC: PowerPC 603, 75 MHz 5300 LC: PowerPC 603e, 100 and 120 MHz |
Dimensions | Height: 17.5 inches (440 mm) Width: 16 inches (410 mm) Depth: 15.1 inches (380 mm) |
Mass | 17 pounds (7.7 kg) before options |
Predecessor | Macintosh LC 550 Macintosh LC 575 |
Successor | Power Macintosh 5260 Power Macintosh 5400 |
The Power Macintosh 5200 LC was introduced in April 1995 with a PowerPC 603 CPU at 75 MHz as a PowerPC-based replacement of the Macintosh LC 500 series. Later models switched to the PowerPC 603e CPU and used model numbers above 5300, but kept the same motherboard design. Unlike previous education models, which prepended the model number with "LC", the 5200 / 5300 models use the Power Macintosh designation of Apple's main workstation line of the time, with "LC" appended to the end.
The 5200 is closely related to the 6200, which use the same logic boards in desktop cases without integrated monitors.
In an editorial, MacWorld Magazine's Editor-In-Chief, Adrian Mello, wrote of the 5200: "The all-in-one design exhibits a lot of the same spirit that Apple vested in the original Macintosh. A deceptive minimalism belies this machine's utility and value. Apple has again figured out how to package a full-featured computer into the simplest possible shape. [...] Its predecessors, which include the Performa 520, 550, 575 and now 580, all offer good functionality and value, but they lack the 5200's design integrity. In comparison, their efforts to mimic the appearance of a conventional three-piece desktop computer just made them look clumsy."[1]
Production of the 5200 and 5300 models was discontinued in the first half of 1996, with the PowerPC 603e-based Power Macintosh 5260 (with Performa 5260CD and 5270CD variants) and Power Macintosh 5400 (with Performa 5400CD, 5410CD and 5420CD variants) being offered as replacements at different price points. The 5260 retained the overall design of the 5200 and was sold at a similar price point with similar features, but shared no parts other than the stand and lower faceplate.[2][3] The more expensive 5400 was also visually similar but with a significantly different motherboard that offered PCI instead of NuBus expansion.
Hardware
The 5200 LC uses a 75 MHz PowerPC 603 CPU. The 5300 LC replaced the CPU with the newer and faster PowerPC 603e, though the rest of the Quadra 630-derived architecture remained unchanged.
The monitor is a 15" shadow mask CRT with a 12.8" viewable size. Supported resolutions 640x480 @ 60 Hz, 640x480 @ 66.7 Hz, 800x600 @ 60 Hz, 800x600 @ 72 Hz, and 832x624 @ 75 Hz.[4]
By the Spring of 1996, a number of users were having problems with system freezes and color shifts. The problem was not solvable with a software update, so Apple instituted a program titled "Repair Extension Program for the Apple Power Macintosh and Performa 5200, 5300, 6200, and 6300."[5] While never formally described as a recall — a distinction Apple emphatically reinforced in its repair documentation — users were required to bring their machine to an authorized Apple reseller for a repair. The program remained in effect for seven years.[6]
During its lifespan, Apple updated the 5200 with a "Revision B" design, replacing the power supply, speakers, analog board, EMI shield, front bezel and rear housing with updated parts that are not interchangeable with the original model.
Models
Introduced April 3, 1995:
- Power Macintosh 5200/75 LC: Sold only to the education market. Features a 500 MB hard drive.[7] US$1,699.[8]
Introduced May 1, 1995:
- Macintosh Performa 5200CD: The Power Macintosh 5200 LC with a 790 MB or 1 GB hard drive.[9]
- Macintosh Performa 5210CD: Identical to the Power Macintosh 5200 LC (with different death chime from Performa 6200 instead of LC one), sold only in Asia and Europe.[10]
Introduced July 17, 1995:
- Macintosh Performa 5215CD: The Performa 5200CD with a different software bundle.[11]
- Macintosh Performa 5220CD: The Performa 5215CD with a 500 MB hard drive, sold only in Asia and Europe.[12]
Introduced August 28, 1995:
- Power Macintosh 5300/100 LC: 16 MB memory standard.[13]
Introduced October 17, 1995:
Timelines
Timeline of Power Macintosh models
![](../I/73d777f906a7910d0c04f2f4dbf94fca.png.webp)
Timeline of Macintosh LC models
![](../I/683355e22214d9e464db5febfbdd1caa.png.webp)
References
- Mello, Adrian (June 1995). "Heir to the Mac Classic - A new model shows how, at Apple, design is the difference". MacWorld Magazine. pp. 19–20.
- "Power Macintosh/Performa 5200 and 5300 (not 5260, 5280) - Apple Service Source" (PDF). Apple. (see last page)
- "Power Macintosh/Performa 5260, 5280 Series - Apple Service Source" (PDF). Apple. (see last page)
- "Power Mac and Performa 5200-series built-in display - Technical Specifications". Apple.
- Pogue, David (January 1997). Macworld Mac Secrets (4th ed) (PDF). Hungry Minds. p. Chapter 13 - The PowerPC Macs: Model by Model, pg. 450. ISBN 0764540068.
- "Information Alley - 09 May 1996". Apple.
- "Power Macintosh 5200/75 LC: Technical Specifications". Apple.
- Moran, Tom (June 1995). "The Sleekest Desktop Mac Yet". MacWorld Magazine. pp. 34–35, 38.
- "Macintosh Performa 5200CD:Technical Specifications". Apple.
- "Macintosh Performa 5210CD:Technical Specifications". Apple.
- "Macintosh Performa 5215CD:Technical Specifications". Apple.
- "Macintosh Performa 5220CD:Technical Specifications". Apple.
- "Power Macintosh 5300/100 LC: Technical Specifications". Apple.
- "Macintosh Performa 5300CD:Technical Specifications". Apple.
- "Apple Macintosh Performa 5300 "Director's Edition" (1995) Full Tour and Disassembly". Jason's Macintosh Museum.
- "Macintosh Performa 5320CD:Technical Specifications". Apple.
External links
- Power Macintosh 5200 LC and Power Macintosh 5300 LC at Apple History.