AppleCD

Lore & Background

The AppleCD SC was Apple Computer's first CD-ROM drive, introduced in 1988. It originally contained a fan, but in 1990 the fan was removed because it was unneeded and attracted dust onto the optical disk head, which could cause problems. The drive used a front-loading caddy and was only capable of reading compact discs up to 650 MB in five formats: CD-Audio, CD-ROM, HFS, ProDOS, and High Sierra. On the front it had an eject button, a mini-phono sound out jack, and a volume knob; on the rear were a power switch, power input, two Centronics 50-pin SCSI outputs, and an audio RCA connector. With appropriate software it would run on any Mac with a DB-25 connector, or an Apple II with an Apple II SCSI interface card.

The AppleCD SC Plus, introduced in 1991 as model number M3021, was a replacement for the AppleCD SC. It used a 1x Read Only Media CD-ROM drive and could read a CD with up to 750 MB of data, an improvement over the 650 MB of its predecessor. It had indicator lights, an eject button, a mini-phone audio jack, a volume knob, and the CD caddy drive on the front. The back featured two 50-pin Centronics SCSI connectors, audio RCA connectors, power input, and a power switch. The AppleCD SC Plus had only minor improvements over the AppleCD SC and was relatively the same.

Several other models were made, including the 150, 300, 300e, 300i Plus, 300e Plus, 600i, 600e Plus and 1200i. In these model names, 'e' represents an external drive and 'i' represents internal; the model number also represents data reading speed in KB/s. All these drives include two Centronics 50-pin SCSI ports and require mains power. There was also a version of the CD drive that did not have the Apple logo.

Reader's Guide

The AppleCD range represents Apple's entry into CD-ROM storage for its personal computers, spanning from the late 1980s to the late 1990s. As SCSI-based drives, they connected to Macs and Apple II systems via standard SCSI interfaces, with the original AppleCD SC requiring a CD caddy and later models adopting tray-loading mechanisms. The removal of the fan in the AppleCD SC in 1990 addressed a dust-related reliability issue, reflecting practical design evolution. The AppleCD SC Plus offered a modest capacity increase to 750 MB while retaining the same form factor and caddy system. The later model numbering system—where the number indicated data reading speed in KB/s and suffixes 'e' or 'i' denoted external or internal form—standardized product identification. These drives were limited to read-only media and supported multiple disc formats including CD-Audio, CD-ROM, HFS, ProDOS, and High Sierra. Their legacy lies in establishing CD-ROM access for the Mac platform, with compatibility extending to the Apple II via a SCSI interface card. The range's reliance on SCSI and mains power, along with the presence of two Centronics 50-pin SCSI ports on each model, defined the connectivity standards of the era.

Did You Know?

• The original AppleCD SC contained a fan that was removed in 1990 because it attracted dust onto the optical disk head.
• In later model names, 'e' stands for external drive and 'i' for internal; the model number represents data reading speed in KB/s.
• There was a version of the AppleCD drive that did not have the Apple logo.