Apple Macintosh LC 580 vs Apple Macintosh Quadra 610 DOS Compatible

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Macintosh LC 580 compared with Macintosh Quadra 610 DOS Compatible
AppleMacintosh LC 580AppleMacintosh Quadra 610 DOS Compatible
Overview
Released1995March 1994
Performance
ProcessorMotorola 68LC040 33 MHz (Macintosh LC 575)Motorola 68LC040 25 MHz (Macintosh Quadra 610 DOS Compatible)
CPU cores11
Memory8 MB8 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 575Original Apple TIL 14670, 13884 and shared Service Source identify a 25 MHz Motorola 68LC040 for Macintosh applications and a separate 25 MHz Intel 486SX on the DOS card, both with 32-bit data paths. The 68LC040 has a built-in memory management unit and no FPU; neither processor is the full-FPU 68040 or 486DX. Current support uses generic 68040/optional-FPU wording; this factory configuration follows the exact original documentation. Main processor comparisons describe the Macintosh CPU, not two identical processors.
GPUBuilt-in video uses 1 MB DRAM soldered to the logic board, displaying 32,768 colours at 640 × 480Macintosh video has 512 KB VRAM expandable to 1 MB; the DOS card has separate 512 KB video memory. At Macintosh 640 × 480, base VRAM gives 8-bit colour and expanded VRAM 16-bit; at 1152 × 870 these are 4-bit and 8-bit respectively. PC video supports compatible VGA/SVGA and Apple displays with its cable.
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 specificationsFactory 8 MB Macintosh RAM, with 4 MB on the logic board and two 72-pin SIMM sockets; maximum supported Macintosh RAM 68 MB. DOS card can use shared Macintosh memory up to 64 MB or one 80 ns 72-pin SIMM up to 32 MB of PC-local memory. Current support and corrected TIL 14670 agree on 32 MB local maximum; the shared service manual says 64 MB and earlier descriptive TIL 13884 says 100 MB total, so those conflicting claims are not used as headline Macintosh capacity.
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 bundleThe May 1994 Apple Directions factory offering is 8 MB RAM and 160 MB internal hard disk; the generic current support range 160–230 MB does not establish another exact factory memory/storage pair. Built-in 1.44 MB Apple SuperDrive floppy and optional double-speed internal CD-ROM support Macintosh and DOS discs. The optional CD is shown in the shared-family maker photograph.
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 videoProcessor-direct slot occupied by DOS Compatibility Card, leaving no free PDS or NuBus position while retaining it. The card is also sold as an internal upgrade for existing Macintosh Quadra 610 and Centris 610 computers; it is distinct from the faster Power Macintosh 6100 DOS card.
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 jackEthernet, headphone jack
External displays–Up to 2
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 Macintosh video, DB-25 external SCSI supporting up to six peripherals, two RS-232/RS-422 serial mini-DIN-8 connections, AAUI Ethernet, monaural microphone input and stereo-capable sound output. PC game port also available through DOS hardware.
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 standardOne shared display switched between environments, or separate Macintosh and PC displays showing both simultaneously. The second display serves the PC environment; do not imply a two-screen Macintosh desktop. Compatible Apple 13-, 14- and 16-inch monitors and VGA/SVGA displays in DOS; Macintosh supports its own wider display list. Adapters may be required.
SpeakersTwo integrated speakers; 8-bit stereo playback and mono recording at 11 or 22 kHz. Optional CD-ROM supports audio-CD playbackBuilt-in speaker with Macintosh stereo eight-bit output through the sound jack and eight-bit monophonic input at 11 or 22 kHz. The later Power Macintosh DOS card's Sound Blaster playback is not transferred to this earlier hardware.
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 Directions states MS-DOS 6.2 and Apple PC Exchange are supplied. Separate monitor, keyboard and mouse in the shared-family catalogue photograph are labelled as illustrated accessories rather than a universal bundle. Original Windows software capability does not establish a bundled Windows licence.
Design and power
TypeAll-in-oneCompact
Weight18.3 kg–
Width × depth × height343 × 419 × 455 mm414 × 396 × 86 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 valuesExact original DOS-compatible TIL gives 86 × 414 × 396 mm (height × width × depth), used here, and 7.4 kg varying with installed devices. Current support gives 14 lb, and shared Service Source 6.4 kg; weight is omitted because this conflict is unresolved. Shared service depth 107 mm is inconsistent with the exact original 396 mm and current 15.6-inch depth.
Power supplyAutomatically configured 100–240 V AC mains; service supply operating range 90–264 V rms, 50–60 Hz ±3 HzExact DOS specification gives automatically configured 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz and 210 W maximum excluding display power. Current support allows 47–63 Hz; shared-family Service Source gives 112 W excluding monitor. Conditions and maker disagreement remain qualified; neither is a measured normal consumption claim. 3.6 V lithium clock battery.
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 7.1 with System Enabler 040 v1.1 and preinstalled MS-DOS 6.2. Current support records introduction on 28 February 1994; May 1994 Apple Directions explicitly says the computer shipped in March in the United States and selected international markets, supporting March 1994 release rather than substituting the introduction date. Apple later explicitly calls this the predecessor to Power Macintosh 6100 DOS Compatible.

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