# Mac286

> expansion card

**Wikidata**: [Q6721696](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6721696)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac286)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/mac286

## Summary
Mac286 is an expansion card designed for the Mac platform, manufactured by AST Research and released in 1987. It was a circuit board that added functionality to Mac computer systems during the late 1980s.

## Key Facts
- Instance of: product
- Subclass of: expansion card
- Manufacturer: AST Research
- Publication date: 1987
- Platform: Mac
- Sitelink count: 2 (across Wikipedia)
- Wikipedia languages: English, Serbian
- Freebase ID: /m/0cb0lg
- Described at: https://lowendmac.com/1998/the-once-and-future-mac286-page/ (English, accessed 2020-08-04)

## FAQs
### Q: What was Mac286 used for?
A: Mac286 was an expansion card that added functionality to Mac computer systems, though specific added features aren't detailed in the source material.

### Q: When was Mac286 released?
A: Mac286 was released in 1987.

### Q: Which company made Mac286?
A: Mac286 was manufactured by AST Research.

### Q: Which Mac computers supported Mac286?
A: The source material specifies the platform as Mac, but doesn't list compatible Mac models.

## Why It Matters
Mac286 represents a pivotal era in early Mac computing when expansion cards were crucial for enhancing system capabilities before integrated solutions became common. As a 1987 product from AST Research—a key player in 1980s expansion hardware—it exemplifies the peripheral market that enabled Mac users to extend functionality beyond stock configurations. Its historical significance lies in documenting the transitional phase where Mac systems relied on add-on components for performance improvements and feature expansions, reflecting the broader trend of customization in personal computing during that decade.

## Notable For
- Being one of AST Research's Mac-specific expansion cards in the late 1980s
- Early example of third-party hardware expanding Mac system capabilities (1987)
- Multilingual documentation across English and Serbian Wikipedia
- Preservation on Low End Mac, a historical Apple resource

## Body
### Product Classification
- Instance of: product
- Subclass of: expansion card
- Core functionality: Circuit board adding capabilities to computer systems

### Release and Manufacturing
- Publication date: 1987
- Manufacturer: AST Research
- Platform: Mac (Apple computer systems)

### Digital Documentation
- Wikipedia coverage: English and Serbian languages
- Sitelink count: 2
- Described at: https://lowendmac.com/1998/the-once-and-future-mac286-page/ (English, accessed 2020-08-04)
- Freebase ID: /m/0cb0lg

### Physical Characteristics
- Form factor: Expansion card (circuit board)
- Connection method: Expansion slot-based (implied by expansion card class)