Macintosh IIcx

The Macintosh IIcx is a personal computer designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from March 1989 to March 1991. Introduced six months after the Macintosh IIx, the IIcx resembles the IIx and provides the same performance, but is seven inches narrower, ten pounds lighter, and quieter due to a smaller internal fan. The relative compactness results in three NuBus slots being available, compared with six on the IIx.

Design
The Mac IIcx shares much of the same technology as the Macintosh IIx in a more compact form factor, with 3 NuBus slots instead of 6. The power supply's fan is quieter than previous Macintosh II series models. It was the first model that was designed to be positioned in either a horizontal or vertical position.

The IIcx's major components snap into the computer case without the need for screws. This made it less expensive to build, easier to repair, and was well-received by the Mac community.

Development
Early IIcx prototypes and marketing units contained the same pin grid array (PGA) version of the Motorola 68030 as the larger Mac IIx, with a gold metal lid. However, most production units shipped with a low-power black-lidded version of the 68030 that had 4 fewer guide pins than a standard version. There is no observed difference in functionality and the socket can accept a standard 68030 or a socket-to-PDS adapter that allows DayStar PowerCache processor upgrades intended for the Macintosh IIci.