Apple Macintosh LC 580 vs Apple Macintosh TV

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Macintosh LC 580 compared with Macintosh TV
AppleMacintosh LC 580AppleMacintosh TV
Overview
Released1995October 1993
Performance
ProcessorMotorola 68LC040 33 MHz (Macintosh LC 575)68030 32 MHz (Macintosh IIvx)
CPU cores11
Memory8 MB (better)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 MC68030 at nominal 32 MHz, with integrated paged memory management and a 16 MHz system bus; 0.5 KB L1 cache, no L2 cache and no floating-point coprocessor. Service Source claims an optional math socket, conflicting with the exact Apple support table and both contemporary reviews; that capability is not adopted
GPUBuilt-in video uses 1 MB DRAM soldered to the logic board, displaying 32,768 colours at 640 × 480512 KB fixed VRAM supports 256 colours in computer mode at 640 × 480. Television mode uses 640 × 240 with 16-bit colour; TV video is full-screen and cannot be displayed in a desktop window. Apple shared display record specifies 14-inch Trinitron tube, 13-inch viewable area, 0.26 mm aperture-grille pitch and 66.62 Hz Macintosh mode
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 specifications5 MB supplied: 4 MB on the logic board plus a 1 MB 72-pin SIMM; expandable to 8 MB by replacing it with 4 MB. Exact Apple Tech Info Library specifies 80 ns fast-page SIMMs; service manual says 100 ns, so the stricter maker requirement retained. 1 MB ROM
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 bundle160 MB internal SCSI hard disk, 1.44 MB Apple SuperDrive floppy and AppleCD 300i double-speed CD-ROM for data, audio CDs and Kodak Photo CDs
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 videoNo available general-purpose expansion slots; the internal TV hardware occupies the nonstandard slot. External SCSI supports up to six peripherals
Display
Screen size14″14″
Resolution640 × 480640 × 480
PanelCRTCRT
Refresh rate66.67 Hz (better)66.62 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 jack2 × headphone 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 outputDB-25 SCSI, two RS-232/RS-422 mini-DIN-8 serial ports, two ADB ports and stereo sound output. Coaxial antenna/cable input plus RCA composite-video and sound inputs for external AV equipment; front stereo headphone socket. No built-in Ethernet, USB, external floppy connector or computer video-output port
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 standardUses the built-in CRT; no computer video-output port. US-only NTSC 181-channel cable-ready tuner, with no PAL or SECAM version. TV software supports still-frame capture, closed captions, channel scanning and password protection; does not record QuickTime movies
SpeakersTwo integrated speakers; 8-bit stereo playback and mono recording at 11 or 22 kHz. Optional CD-ROM supports audio-CD playbackBuilt-in stereo speakers; 8-bit digital-to-analogue output with 22 kHz sampling, plus stereo compact-disc playback. TV/video audio can continue while the Macintosh desktop is visible. RCA AV audio inputs are distinct from a computer microphone input, which Apple removed from the corrected specification in November 1993
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 varyMatching black ADB keyboard and mouse, infrared remote control, preinstalled productivity software and bundled CD-ROM titles; software bundle varies by channel
Design and power
TypeAll-in-oneAll-in-one
Weight18.3 kg (better)18.9 kg
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 valuesExact Apple Tech Info Library gives 445 mm high, 344 mm wide, 420 mm deep and 18.9 kg for the main unit. Service Source agrees on weight, width and depth but gives 455 mm height; current archive instead lists 40.5 lb and the LC 520 form factor. Headline dimensions omitted because height conflict remains unresolved. Keyboard and mouse weights excluded
Power supplyAutomatically configured 100–240 V AC mains; service supply operating range 90–264 V rms, 50–60 Hz ±3 HzCorrected Apple Tech Info Library gives 90–264 V AC, 47–63 Hz; 40 W maximum excluding display or 60 W including display. Service manual gives 100–240 V and 120 W maximum, an unresolved rating conflict; these are published maximum ratings, not measured use. 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 404. Apple release dated 25 October 1993 states immediate US availability through selected retailers, higher-education campuses and the Apple Catalog; the Fall 1993 order catalogue and January 1994 MacUser article confirm it was sold. Maker press-release text preserved in November 1993 Mini’app’les newsletter

More comparisons