Apple Macintosh LC 475 vs Apple Macintosh LC 580
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleMacintosh LC 475 | AppleMacintosh LC 580 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | 1993 | 1995 |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | 68LC040 25 MHz (Macintosh LC 475) | Motorola 68LC040 33 MHz (Macintosh LC 575) |
| CPU cores | 1 | 1 |
| Memory | 4 MB | 8 MB (better) |
| Storage | 80 MB to 230 MB | 500 MB (better) |
| CPU | Motorola 68LC040 running at 25 MHz, with integrated memory management, 8 KB L1 cache and no floating-point unit; Apple support lists a 50 MHz clock input, while its developer note confirms a 25 MHz processor clock | Original Motorola 68LC040 at 33 MHz, without an integrated floating-point unit. Apple catalogue gives 66/33 MHz internal/bus clock; optional PowerPC upgrade is excluded from this configuration. Shared Service Source describes it as an updated LC 575 |
| GPU | Built-in video with 512 KB VRAM supports 8-bit colour at 640 × 480 and 832 × 624; 1 MB VRAM raises both to 16-bit colour | Built-in video uses 1 MB DRAM soldered to the logic board, displaying 32,768 colours at 640 × 480 |
| Memory type | 4 MB on the logic board and one 72-pin SIMM slot; Apple supports 4–36 MB total | 8 MB standard in the maker catalogue: 4 MB soldered plus one 4 MB SIMM, with a second socket free. Two 72-pin 80 ns SIMM sockets, expandable to 52 MB; the single-bank socket accepts only 1, 4 or 16 MB modules. 1 MB ROM in original service specifications |
| Storage type | Internal 1.44 MB floppy drive and 80, 160 or 230 MB internal SCSI hard drive configurations in Apple's developer note; its support page gives an 80–250 MB range | 500 MB internal IDE hard disk in the catalogue configuration, plus manual-inject Apple SuperDrive floppy. Double-speed tray-loading internal CD-ROM is optional or included in some regional configurations; the separately marketed Performa 580CD has its own software and hardware bundle |
| Expansion slots | One LC III-compatible expansion slot; the 68LC040 cannot use a separate FPU card | One 114-pin LC processor-direct slot, one communications slot for optional Ethernet or fax modem, one video-input slot for optional capture hardware and an internal connector for optional external video |
| Display | ||
| Screen | None built in | 14″ |
| Resolution | – | 640 × 480 |
| Panel | – | CRT |
| Refresh rate | – | 66.67 Hz |
| Display type | – | Built-in 14-inch diagonal shadow-mask colour CRT, 0.28 mm dot pitch. The exact service manual calls the viewable image 11.5 inches and gives a nominal 240 × 180 mm active raster; these maker descriptions are retained separately |
| Display features | – | 640 × 480 at 66.67 Hz in the exact timing table (66.7 Hz rounded elsewhere in the same manual); 16-bit colour |
| Design and power | ||
| Type | Compact | All-in-one |
| Weight | 3.99 kg (better) | 18.3 kg |
| Width × depth × height | 310 × 389 × 74 mm | 343 × 419 × 455 mm |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Size and weight detail | Apple's 2.9 × 12.2 × 15.3 inch and 8.8 lb reference dimensions; metric fields are rounded conversions | Apple catalogue: 455 × 343 × 419 mm (height × width × depth), 18.3 kg, varying with installed devices. Service Source rounds the same 17.9 × 13.5 × 16.5 inch case to 455 × 344 × 420 mm and 18.4 kg; headline follows the catalogue’s published metric values |
| Power supply | Maximum 30 W; 100–240 V AC, 47–63 Hz; 3.6 V lithium clock battery | Automatically configured 100–240 V AC mains; service supply operating range 90–264 V rms, 50–60 Hz ±3 Hz |
| Power use | – | Service Source: 120 W maximum for all line and load conditions. Current support article describes a PowerPC-upgraded configuration and lists 60 W, so that figure is not transferred to the original model |
| In the box | Original System Software 7.1 with System Enabler 065. Apple lists 21 October 1993 as introduction; a separate first-sale month was not established. | Original 68LC040 model is offered in Apple’s April and October 1995 catalogues; the latter identifies US education-only sales and varying worldwide configurations. Current Apple support article describes an installed PowerPC 601 upgrade card. It records introduction on 3 April 1995, while contemporary Macworld says education shipping was planned for that day; exact actual first retail delivery is unconfirmed, so release retains supported year precision |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | – | Headphone jack |
| Front ports | – | Stereo headphone socket; front brightness and contrast controls |
| Back ports | Apple Desktop Bus, DB-15 video, DB-25 SCSI, printer and modem serial ports, sound input and output; no built-in Ethernet | One ADB port; one DB-25 SCSI port supporting six external devices; two RS-232/RS-422 serial ports, with 9-pin mini-DIN modem and 8-pin mini-DIN printer connectors; mono sound input and stereo sound output |
| External displays | Built-in video supports up to 1152 × 870 pixels; colour depth depends on VRAM | Optional external video connector supports mirroring on compatible 640 × 480 and 800 × 600 monitors, as listed in the shared service manual; no external video socket as standard |
| Speakers | Internal speaker | Two integrated speakers; 8-bit stereo playback and mono recording at 11 or 22 kHz. Optional CD-ROM supports audio-CD playback |
| Microphones | – | Integrated microphone for monaural sound input |
| Keyboard and mouse | – | Supports Apple Desktop Bus keyboards and the ADB Mouse II. Maker photograph shows a keyboard and mouse; regional education bundles vary |
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