Early Mac LC proto?

[zackl]

Just saw this on EBAY:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Macintosh-Prototype-computer-rare-vintage/222944048150

Anybody have insight into what exactly we're looking at?

 

[MrGasS27]

Yep, this is an LC prototype

 

[EvilCapitalist]

Interesting how the cutout for the floppy drive looks like an early version of what eventually showed up on LCIII+/LC475/Q605 machines:

Proto LC



Standard LC



LC475 for comparison

 

[olePigeon]

Could use the cheaper manual inject floppies.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Were manual floppies even available in that time frame? Listing the ROMs as being made in 1986 is more than a tad misleading, 64k ROMs/EPROMs go back a ways. Date on the MoBo would be nice to have.

But it's still a VERY interesting prototype:

1) Looks like it may have had vampire video in early development. It's crazy that the low end LC was introduced with dedicated VRAM on a 256k (512k upgrade capable) SIMM on the same day as the mid-range IIsi with with its accursed Vampire Video limited to 64k-320k!

2) To add injuries to that first IIsi injury, the LC had 2MB on the board and the IIsi had only 1MB. Looks like this prototype has the four 512k DRAM ICs of the shipping model and pads for another four. Evil Apple further lamed the IIsi by implementing 8 256k chips on the motherboard to prevent easily upgrading the board's memory. Was it 4MB that uniserver hacked onto the IIsi board? Has anyone hacked the missing DRAM onto an LC board?

3) Note the missing FDD opening, I wonder if the LC was in the works before the IIe was being phased out in the schools and the IIe card/Dual FDD price point options were then deemed a necessity for the Mac to compete with WinTel machines in that market?

4) That wonderful floppy slot hearkens back to the Lisa 1 and TwiggyMac designs with their squarish, sloped indent for 5.25" floppy handling. That's pure Snow White goodness as compared to the MEH Espresso KissyLips of the later 475/605 designs.

Love this prototype LC. What a wonderful glimpse into the design/marketing shenanigans that transpired within the Infinite Loopiness. I'd never thought to compare the LC and IIsi head to head before this popped up.

 

[EvilCapitalist]

3) Note the missing FDD opening, I wonder if the LC was in the works before the IIe was being phased out in the schools and the IIe card/Dual FDD price point options were then deemed a necessity for the Mac to compete with WinTel machines in that market?

Strangely enough, it looks like there's a second floppy port on the motherboard despite there being no case opening for another disk drive.  One thing is for sure though, that poor board would likely take a fair amount of work to get it going again.  The picture showing the ROM chips also shows lots of fun cap goo covering the board.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Good eye! With "RAM Test" level ROM on board, I wonder how many system functions would be available even if?

 

[PB145B]

That’s an awesome machine! Really like that floppy drive cutout. And yes, as @EvilCapitalist pointed out, that logic board definitely needs some help.

Was there ever a clear LC made? That’d be cool.

 

[olePigeon]

There have been at least 2 translucent prototype LC cases on eBay; 1 green and 1 clear.  Both sold for only a couple hundred bucks, and I missed out on both.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Did anyone happen to snag the pics from those auctions?

 

[PB145B]

There have been at least 2 translucent prototype LC cases on eBay; 1 green and 1 clear.  Both sold for only a couple hundred bucks, and I missed out on both.

OMG! A clear green LC!? I’m really shocked to hear that they only went for a few hundred bucks. Wish I had seen them! Id would’ve loved to have that green one.

 

[olePigeon]

There were pictures of them on the old forum.  I don't know if they made the transition.  I might have pictures of the LC at home.

Edit:  Here's the clear one:

http://vi.vipr.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemDescV4&item=122616923439&t=0&tid=10&category=175690

 

[PB145B]

Oh my goodness! That really only sold for a couple hundred bucks? 

 

[EvilCapitalist]

Looks like it went for $249.99...probably seconds after it was listed!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/122616923439

Kind of surprising that the auction info is still up since that was sold nearly a year ago.  Their image host still has high resolution pictures up as well:

https://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=2010614&image=957961241&images=957961241,957961244,957961248,957961253&formats=0,0,0,0&format=0

 

[zackl]

Looks like it went for $249.99...probably seconds after it was listed!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/122616923439

Kind of surprising that the auction info is still up since that was sold nearly a year ago.  Their image host still has high resolution pictures up as well:

https://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=2010614&image=957961241&images=957961241,957961244,957961248,957961253&formats=0,0,0,0&format=0

Wow - incredible! 

Does anybody here have one of the clear's? I would pay a pretty penny to get my hands on one, my original LC remains as the centerpiece / most used part of my collection.

 

[olePigeon]

If anyone here had one, it'd be Hap.

 

[CC_333]

If anyone here had one, it'd be Hap.

As far as I know, he doesn't. Yet.

c

 

[NickNick]

my original LC remains as the centerpiece

LOVE IT! So cool you have one on display. Is it hooked up and able to be used? I as well have an LC hooked up always in my game room on display that is used often for classic gaming hence why its in the game room. Its a maxed out LC hooked up to the internet. Love the LC. So cool you have one. Do you have the monitor for it as well? I have yet to get my hands on one.

 

[zackl]

LOVE IT! So cool you have one on display. Is it hooked up and able to be used? I as well have an LC hooked up always in my game room on display that is used often for classic gaming hence why its in the game room. Its a maxed out LC hooked up to the internet. Love the LC. So cool you have one. Do you have the monitor for it as well? I have yet to get my hands on one.

Yep, I'll try to post a pic sometime. Have it all set up with the original 12" RGB and managed to find one of the elusive Presto Plus accellerators so it runs at 33mhz '040 + ethernet!  http://lowendmac.com/2000/sonnet-presto-plus-unleashes-the-color-classic/