An education-market 68LC040 Macintosh with an IDE hard disk, removable logic board and slots for optional networking, video capture and television hardware.
MacUser and Macworld liked the LC/Performa 630’s low cost, modular expansion and optional multimedia features. Macworld’s everyday performance was close to the LC 575. MacUser criticised the lack of NuBus; Macworld preferred all-in-one machines for education. Their prototype and prerelease hardware findings may differ from final shipping units.
Motorola MC68LC040 without an integrated floating-point unit; paged memory management and 8 KB cache. Nominal 33 MHz bus clock and 66 MHz internal clock, as Apple explains in its exact Japanese specifications and developer note. Optional PowerPC processor upgrade is separate from this original model
GPU
Built-in video with 1 MB dedicated DRAM, 16-bit colour at 640 × 480 or 512 × 384 and 8-bit at 800 × 600 or 832 × 624; video capture not supported at 832 × 624
Memory type
Original model has 4 MB soldered RAM and one 72-pin SIMM slot, expandable to 36 MB; 4 MB and 8 MB configurations in the October 1994 catalogue. Japanese configurations have 8 MB. 80 ns or faster SIMMs and 1 MB ROM. Later shared service-manual boards and DOS Compatible variants have different memory arrangements
Storage type
250 MB internal IDE hard disk in the original configurations, plus 1.44 MB SuperDrive floppy. Japanese maker lists 8 MB/250 MB versions with or without the double-speed AppleCD 300i Plus internal SCSI CD-ROM. April 1995 catalogue adds 350 MB disks without establishing exact RAM/CD pairings, so those configurations are not inferred. LC 630 DOS Compatible is a different dual-processor model
Expansion slots
LC-compatible processor-direct slot, communications slot for either Ethernet or modem, video-input slot and optional TV tuner. Apple Video and TV/Video kits add capture and television features; they are not built into the base configuration. Optional PowerPC processor upgrade
Display
Screen
None built in
Connections
Ports
2 × headphone jack
Back ports
DB-15 video, DB-25 external SCSI, one ADB, two serial ports with LocalTalk, sound input and rear sound output. Front headphone jack and infrared receiver; no USB. Ethernet uses an optional communications card
External displays
Requires a separate monitor; Apple lists Color Plus 14-inch, Macintosh Color Display, AudioVision 14 and Multiple Scan 15 plus compatible VGA/SVGA displays. The maker catalogue photo includes an external monitor, keyboard and mouse
Speakers
Single internal speaker; 8-bit stereo sound output and monophonic recording, with 16-bit stereo CD playback. Front and rear headphone outputs cannot be used simultaneously. The Japanese specifications and shared service manual distinguish CD playback from ordinary sound output
Design and power
Type
Compact
Weight
7.7 kg
Width × depth × height
320 × 419.5 × 109.5 mm
Operating system
macOS
Size and weight detail
Original Japanese Apple specifications give 109.5 mm high, 320 mm wide and 419.5 mm deep; these exact metric values retained. October 1994 catalogue rounds these to 109/320/419 mm. Shared Service Source reverses width and depth, an unresolved documentation error. Shared maker service table gives 7.7 kg without CD-ROM and 8.6 kg with CD-ROM; weight varies with installed devices
Power supply
100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz; 45 W maximum excluding monitor, according to Service Source. 4.5 V alkaline clock battery
In the box
System 7.1.2 with the dedicated System Enabler; Japanese versions use KanjiTalk 7.1.2 and include an ADB Mouse II, with keyboard sold separately. Education and regional monitor/software bundles vary. Announced July 1994, with 2 August shipping planned in contemporary TidBITS; October 1994 maker buying catalogue lists the LC 630, so release uses supported year precision. Exact first retail delivery remains unconfirmed
Configurations
Processor
Memory
Storage
Storage type
Motorola 68LC040 33 MHz (Macintosh LC 575)
4 MB
250 MB
Hard drive
Motorola 68LC040 33 MHz (Macintosh LC 575)
8 MB
250 MB
Hard drive
Pros and cons
Pros
+Removable logic board and internal expansion slots
