All of these computers were also sold to the consumer market through department stores under the Macintosh Performa brand, with similar model numbers.

The LC models, in particular, became very popular in schools for their small footprint, lack of cable clutter, and durability.

Following the success of the Color Classic, The Apple Industrial Design Group (IDg) began exploring the adaptation of the Color Classic's design language, dubbed Espresso, for a larger display version that would also include a CD-ROM drive.

In 1992, Apple CEO John Sculley demanded a large-screen all-in-one design to fill out his market strategy in less than 6 months.

Over IDg's objections, Apple's engineering team retrieved the shelved design and promptly put it into production.

Because IDg universally detested the design, they immediately began the redesign project that would become the Power Macintosh 5200 LC series less than two years later.

[2] A New York Times review of the LC 520 was generally positive, with columnist Peter Lewis noting that its $1,599 price point is "perhaps the best value in the entire Macintosh product line ... it would be very difficult to put together a Windows-based PC with the same features for that price, and Windows computers are usually much less expensive than Macs.

"[3] Lewis also noted that the unit's 40-pound weight would make it difficult to carry home at night—an attribute that Apple had previously marketed as a feature of compact Macintosh models in the 1980s.

The Performa variants were introduced earlier, the 550 in October 1993 and the 560 in January 1994, and remained available for more than a year longer, until April 1996.

This model is a favorite motherboard donor for those wishing to upgrade the Color Classic to a faster class of processor.

Lastly, the Trinitron display of the 575 was replaced with a cheaper shadow mask screen, causing a slight change in the plastic case surrounding the CRT.

One benefit of this change was the ability to accommodate the same video capture and TV tuner cards designed for the Performa 630.

This allowed LC 580 users to watch and record video, essentially performing the function of a television as well as a computer.