Apple Macintosh LC 580 vs Apple Macintosh Performa 600

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Macintosh LC 580 compared with Macintosh Performa 600
AppleMacintosh LC 580AppleMacintosh Performa 600
Overview
Released1995–
Performance
ProcessorMotorola 68LC040 33 MHz (Macintosh LC 575)68030 32 MHz (Macintosh Performa 600)
CPU cores11
Memory8 MB (better)4 MB or 5 MB
Storage500 MB (better)160 MB
CPUOriginal 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 575Motorola 68030 advertised as 32 MHz; Apple TIL 10681 gives the exact 31.3344 MHz clock. Integrated paged memory management, optional socketed 68882 at the same clock, and no external RAM cache. This is distinct from the 16 MHz IIvi and the IIvx with its standard FPU and 32 KB cache
GPUBuilt-in video uses 1 MB DRAM soldered to the logic board, displaying 32,768 colours at 640 × 480Performa 600 has 512 KB VRAM; 600CD includes 1 MB. Supports 640 × 480 at 8-bit colour with 512 KB, or 16-bit colour with 1 MB; 512 × 384 RGB supports 16-bit colour with either capacity. Optional NuBus display cards support other monitors
Memory type8 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 specifications4 MB soldered DRAM and four 30-pin SIMM slots, expandable to 68 MB with 80 ns or faster fast-page-mode memory. All four expansion SIMMs must have matching capacity and speed. 1 MB ROM and 256-byte parameter RAM
Storage type500 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 bundleBoth original brochure configurations include a 160 MB internal SCSI hard disk and 1.4 MB SuperDrive. 600CD adds an AppleCD 300i double-speed CD-ROM drive with multisession Photo CD support; standard 600 leaves its half-height 5.25-inch bay free. Apple supports 80–400 MB internal hard drives; this supported range is not presented as extra factory configurations
Expansion slotsOne 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 videoThree NuBus slots and a separate processor-direct accelerator slot. No built-in Ethernet; LocalTalk uses the serial ports. Internal SCSI expansion bay and support for up to six external SCSI devices
Display
Screen size14″None built in
Resolution640 × 480–
PanelCRT–
Refresh rate66.67 Hz–
Display typeBuilt-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 features640 × 480 at 66.67 Hz in the exact timing table (66.7 Hz rounded elsewhere in the same manual); 16-bit colour–
Connections
PortsHeadphone jackHeadphone jack
Front portsStereo headphone socket; front brightness and contrast controls–
Back portsOne 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 outputTwo ADB ports, DB-15 video, DB-25 SCSI, two mini-DIN-8 RS-232/RS-422 serial ports, mono sound input and sound output. Serial maximum 230.4 kbit/s, or 0.920 Mbit/s with an external clock
External displaysOptional 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 standardSeparate display required; the original brochure shows an optional 14-inch Performa Plus Display. Built-in video also supports the published Apple 12-inch monochrome/RGB, AppleColor High-Resolution RGB and Macintosh Color displays, plus 640 × 480 VGA with an appropriate adaptor
SpeakersTwo integrated speakers; 8-bit stereo playback and mono recording at 11 or 22 kHz. Optional CD-ROM supports audio-CD playbackComputer-generated audio is mono, sent to both channels of a stereo output device. Audio CDs provide stereo at the sound-output socket, or mono through the built-in speaker. Electret omnidirectional microphone supplied
MicrophonesIntegrated microphone for monaural sound input–
Keyboard and mouseSupports Apple Desktop Bus keyboards and the ADB Mouse II. Maker photograph shows a keyboard and mouse; regional education bundles varyApple Extended Keyboard II, ADB mouse and microphone. Display sold separately; original Apple brochure photographs show the optional display with each configuration
Design and power
TypeAll-in-oneCompact
Weight18.3 kg11.3 kg (better)
Width × depth × height343 × 419 × 455 mm–
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Size and weight detailApple 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 valuesApple specifies 25 lb (11.3 kg), 6 inches high, 13 inches wide and 16.5 inches deep. TIL 10681 prints an inconsistent metric height of 152 cm beside 6 inches; dimensions_mm is omitted rather than silently correcting that source
Power supplyAutomatically configured 100–240 V AC mains; service supply operating range 90–264 V rms, 50–60 Hz ±3 HzApple TIL 10681 states 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz and 112 W maximum excluding monitor; it also gives 112 W maximum DC output. Current archived support lists 230 W maximum and shared Service Source gives 200 W AC and 112 W DC. These differing ratings are retained without selecting a single headline consumption figure
Power useService 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 boxOriginal 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 precisionSystem 7.1P for the Performa 600, At Ease, Macintosh PC Exchange and application software varying by retailer. Apple introduced it on 14 September 1992; the original launch planned later availability, and an actual first retail date has not been independently established, so released is omitted

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