LC / Performa · The Beige Era · 1993
Macintosh LC 520
The LC 520 merged the school-friendly LC line with a built-in color display and CD-ROM options, foreshadowing the education all-in-ones that followed.
Macintosh LC 520: key facts
When was the Macintosh LC 520 released?
The Macintosh LC 520 was released in June 1993. Apple discontinued it in February 1994.
How much did the Macintosh LC 520 cost?
The Macintosh LC 520 launched at $1,999 in 1993 — about $4,358 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What are the Macintosh LC 520’s specs?
The Macintosh LC 520 used a Motorola 68030 running at 25 MHz, with 5 MB of memory and 80 MB of storage. It ran System 7.
Why does the Macintosh LC 520 matter?
First LC all-in-one for education.
Full specifications
| CPU | Motorola 68030 · 25 MHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 1 |
| Memory (RAM) | 5 MB (up to 36 MB) |
| Storage | 80 MB |
| Display | 14" color CRT all-in-one |
| GPU | Integrated / NuBus video |
| Ports | SCSI, ADB, serial |
| Weight | Varies by configuration |
| Dimensions | All-in-one desktop |
| Operating system | System 7 |
| Released | June 1993 |
| Discontinued | February 1994 |
| Launch price | $1,999 |
How the Macintosh LC 520 compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 3,280× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 25 MHz, the clock is roughly 128× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro — and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
All of this storage holds about 20 modern phone photos.
Launched at $1,999 in 1993 — about $4,358 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Cross-architecture speed figures are clock-only and approximate; inflation figures use US CPI.
Did you know?
It is the kind of model collectors use to map Apple’s complicated family tree.
Related LC / Performa models
Open the Macintosh LC 520 in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-06-27