Apple Macintosh Classic II vs Apple Macintosh Color Classic II

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

Only show differences

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Share comparison

Macintosh Classic II compared with Macintosh Color Classic II

	AppleMacintosh Classic II	AppleMacintosh Color Classic II
Overview
Released
Released	1991	–
Performance
Processor
Processor	68030 16 MHz (Macintosh Classic II)	68030 33 MHz (Macintosh Color Classic II)
CPU cores
CPU cores	1	1
Memory
Memory	2 MB or 4 MB	8 MB (better)
Storage
Storage	40 MB to 80 MB	160 MB (better)
CPU
CPU	16 MHz 68030 with 16-bit data path, integrated PMMU and 0.5K L1 cache; no supplied FPU, L2 cache or second processor	33 MHz Motorola 68030 with integrated PMMU, 32-bit data path at 33 MHz and 0.5K L1 cache; no L2 cache. Optional Motorola 68882 maths coprocessor, not supplied as standard. Exact current Apple specifications override the archived Service Source table, which incorrectly retains a 16-bit bus and 16-bit registers from the original Color Classic.
Memory type
Memory type	2 MB onboard, expandable to 10 MB using two paired 30-pin SIMMs, 100 ns minimum; 1, 2 or 4 MB modules. 512K ROM	4 MB soldered memory, one 72-pin SIMM slot and 36 MB maximum; minimum 80 ns, supported module capacities 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 MB. 1 MB ROM. Exact current maker table overrides the shared service manual’s conflicting two 30-pin SIMMs and 10 MB limit.
Storage type
Storage type	Apple Australia October 1991 brochure offers 2 MB RAM with 40 MB SCSI hard disk or 4 MB with 80 MB; 1.44 MB removable SuperDrive floppy in both. Original capacity units retained	Apple’s exact Japanese Performa 275 bundle has 8 MB RAM and a 160 MB SCSI hard drive, retained in configurations. Color Classic II support lists 80–160 MB internal disks but does not establish each factory RAM/disk pairing; no guessed combinations added. Internal 1.44 MB SuperDrive floppy, optional external CD-ROM. Original capacity units retained.
Expansion slots
Expansion slots	No general-purpose expansion slot; original brochure describes internal maths-coprocessor connector	One LC-compatible processor-direct slot; optional Ethernet expansion card and optional 68882 coprocessor. User-removable logic board. No standard Ethernet adapter.
Display
Screen size
Screen size	9″	10″
Resolution
Resolution	512 × 342	512 × 384 (better)
Panel
Panel	CRT	CRT
Display type
Display type	Built-in 9-inch monochrome CRT, 512 × 342 pixels; original Australia brochure corroborates explicit support-sheet correction to its generic 512 × 384 table	Built-in 10-inch colour CRT tube with 512 × 384 Macintosh resolution. Exact current maker support does not identify a separate viewable diagonal or refresh rate; the archived service manual conflicts over display size, so neither a viewable-area measurement nor refresh rate is inferred.
Display features
Display features	–	256K built-in VRAM supplies 256 colours; optional additional 256K VRAM supports 32,768 colours. The Japanese Performa 275 specification confirms both modes.
Connections
Ports
Ports	Headphone jack	Headphone jack
Back ports
Back ports	One ADB, DB-19 external floppy, DB-25 SCSI, two serial ports, sound input and sound output; no built-in Ethernet or external video connector	Two ADB ports, DB-25 SCSI, printer and modem serial connections, and audio connections; no external video or floppy connector, USB or FireWire. Ethernet is optional through expansion.
Speakers
Speakers	–	Built-in speaker and omnidirectional microphone. Exact Japanese Performa 275 table calls the internal speaker system stereo; the archived service manual describes monophonic audio. This unresolved wording is retained without asserting stereo playback for every regional configuration.
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	Keyboard and built-in monitor included in Apple Australia configurations	Archived shared Service Source lists a keyboard, ADB Mouse II, ADB and power cables. The exact Japanese Performa 275 bundle includes an Apple Keyboard II and bundled Japanese At Ease, ClarisWorks, HyperCard Lite and Photo CD Sampler software; regional software and keyboards can differ.
Design and power
Type
Type	All-in-one	All-in-one
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Size and weight detail
Size and weight detail	Maker 16 lb; 13.2 in height × 9.7 in width × 11.2 in depth, retained in original units	Exact current Apple support publishes 14.5 inches high × 9.9 inches wide × 12.6 inches deep and 22.5 lb weight. The archived shared manual instead provides differently rounded metric dimensions and a 22.5–23.2 lb configuration range; those values are not silently substituted for the exact current figures.
Power supply
Power supply	Maximum 76 W, 120 V, 47–63 Hz and 0.63 A; 3.6 V lithium clock battery	Maximum 100 W; automatic 90–240 V AC, 47–63 Hz. Apple lists 0.83 A and a 3.6 V lithium clock battery. Keyboard soft-power control.
In the box
In the box	Original system software 7.0.1. Maker introduction 21 October 1991 is not treated as exact first sale; earliest actual-sale month unresolved in bounded search, released year only. Performa 200 was a later retail packaging name, not a separately added configuration here	Original Japanese system software 7.1 with System Enabler 403; Apple lists support through Mac OS 7.6.1. Current maker support gives 21 October 1993 as introduction, which does not establish first retail sale; released omitted. Apple states this system was not sold in the US. Performa 275 is a Japanese consumer bundle of this hardware, not a separate generation. The main image and additional views are original maker service illustrations, not press photographs; exact-model photographic coverage remains unresolved.