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Apple Macintosh 512Ke vs Apple Macintosh XL

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleMacintosh 512KeAppleMacintosh XL
Overview
Released–1985
Performance
Processor68000 8 MHz (Macintosh 512Ke)68000 5 MHz (Macintosh XL)
CPU cores11
Memory512 KB512 KB or 1 MB
Storage–10 MB
CPUMotorola MC68000, nominally 8 MHz with the exact 7.8336 MHz clock frequency published in the original owner guide and technical library; 32-bit internal architecture and 16-bit external data path. No PMMU, FPU, CPU cache or second processor.5 MHz Motorola 68000 with a 16-bit, 5 MHz data path; no PMMU, FPU, cache or second processor
Memory typeFixed 512 KB RAM and 128 KB ROM; no RAM slots or built-in memory expansion. The enhanced model has the larger ROM and double-sided floppy drive, without the Macintosh Plus’s expandable memory or SCSI connector.Factory 512 KB, expandable to 1 MB in Apple's January 1985 announcement; two Lisa memory-card slots using 512K boards. Current support lists a 0.5–2 MB range; configurations retain the original Apple memory options rather than later third-party upgrades. 16K ROM
Storage typeOne internal 800 KB double-sided 3.5-inch floppy drive, with optional external 400 KB or 800 KB drive. No fixed internal storage or internal CD-ROM. Apple Hard Disk 20 is an optional external device attached through the disk interface, not an internal or SCSI drive.Built-in 10 MB hard disk and manually loaded 400K floppy drive; no internal CD drive. MacWorks versions differ in hard-disk access and startup support; the original revision cannot access a hard disk, while later revisions add hard-disk installation and direct startup
Expansion slotsNone; no standard internal memory expansion. A separately included programmer’s switch can be fitted for reset and interrupt functions by application developers.Three Lisa expansion slots
Display
Screen size9″12″
Resolution512 × 342720 × 364
PanelCRTCRT
Display typeBuilt-in 9-inch monochrome bit-mapped CRT, 512 × 342 pixels. Original owner guide and technical-library sheet agree; the current Apple table’s generic 512 × 384 entry is expressly corrected by its own screen-size note. Native refresh rate unpublished in these exact sources.12-inch monochrome CRT; Apple's model-specific note gives 720 × 364 pixels and overrides the generic resolution matrix. Original pixels are rectangular
Display features–Optional Macintosh XL Screen Kit modifies the screen to show Macintosh text and graphics with the correct proportions. Apple's current support note states 608 × 431 pixels with the kit. The kit requires updated MacWorks XL and a Macintosh-only hard disk, excluding a disk shared with Lisa 7/7 or Workshop
Connections
PortsHeadphone jack–
Back portsDB-9 mouse connector, RJ11 synchronous serial keyboard bus, two DB-9 RS-232/RS-422 serial connectors, external floppy DB-19 and sound output for amplifier/headphones. No ADB, USB, FireWire, Ethernet, external video or SCSI connector. Current Apple support warns that the serial ports do not support handshaking or synchronous modems.RCA video, printer and modem ports; no SCSI or Ethernet. Legacy ports are retained here because the comparison table does not represent their connector types
SpeakersBuilt-in sound system; original maker guide specifies four-voice sound with 8-bit digital-to-analogue conversion at 22 kHz. No built-in microphone.–
Keyboard and mouseOriginal guide describes a separate 58-key detachable keyboard, mouse, System Tools disk, Guided Tour disk and audio cassette, plus a programmer’s switch. Maker cover shows an extended keyboard with numeric keypad; gallery photos can include optional external drives, keyboards, printers and other separately supplied equipment. These are labelled rather than treated as standard computer hardware.–
Design and power
TypeAll-in-oneAll-in-one
Weight7.5 kg–
Width × depth × height246 × 276 × 346 mm–
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Size and weight detailMain figures use later exact Apple technical-library metric values: 346 mm high × 246 mm wide × 276 mm deep and 7.5 kg main-unit weight. Original 1986 owner guide instead gives 344 mm height; current support retains 13.6H × 9.6W × 10.9D inches. These small maker rounding differences are retained explicitly. Keyboard and mouse excluded; original guide separately lists 1.2 kg keyboard and 0.2 kg mouse.Apple publishes 48 lb and 15.2 in height × 18.7 in width × 13.8 in depth; original units retained
Power supplyExact technical-library sheet specifies 105–125 V AC, 50–60 Hz and maximum 60 W for this documented voltage version; no universal-voltage claim. User-replaceable 4.5 V Eveready No. 523 or equivalent clock battery.US specification maximum 150 W, 120 V AC, 50–60 Hz and 1.25 A; no backup battery listed
In the boxExact original guide is titled Macintosh 512K enhanced, the long name of Macintosh 512Ke. Current maker support lists introduction 14 April 1986 and discontinuation 1 September 1987; a distinct first retail-sale date has not been established, so released is omitted. The guide names Macintosh 512K enhanced System Tools; the current support table’s retrospective original-system-software entry is not adopted as a verified launch disk version. Photographs are original maker owner-guide images of this exact model, with scan colour casts and period screen contents retained.MacWorks provides the Macintosh software environment on Lisa hardware. Apple announced the Lisa 2/10 rename on 23 January 1985; the original 1985 Macintosh Office brochure offers the XL through authorised dealers. First-sale year retained because no exact first-sale day or month is established; Apple's support introduction date is not adopted as retail sale

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