Apple 590-0617-A Omni Directional Microphone 3.5mm Vintage Mac Desktop

Apple 590-0617-A Omni Directional Microphone 3.5mm Vintage Mac Desktop

The Apple 590-0617-A is an omnidirectional desktop microphone made by Apple for use with Macintosh computers. The microphone uses a flat, round puck-style housing that sits face-up on a desk surface, picking up sound from all directions. It connects via a standard 3.5mm TRS stereo mini-jack plug, with the part number 590-0617-A molded directly into the plug housing.

Specifications & What's Included

• Part Number: 590-0617-A (molded on plug housing)
• Polar Pattern: Omnidirectional
• Connector: 3.5mm TRS stereo mini-jack
• Housing: Round flat puck, light gray / platinum finish
• Cable: Fixed, light gray, approximately 4–5 feet
• Includes: Microphone with attached cable only

Applications

Apple produced this microphone in the mid-to-late 1990s as an accessory for Macintosh desktop computers equipped with a 3.5mm microphone input — including the Power Macintosh, Performa, and LC series lines of that era. It was commonly used for voice dictation, audio recording, and Apple's PlainTalk speech-recognition software, which required an omnidirectional microphone placed flat on the desktop to capture the user's voice. The simple puck form factor kept the mic out of the way while remaining effective for near-field voice capture. Today these original Apple accessories are sought by vintage Mac enthusiasts and collectors restoring period-correct Macintosh setups, and they remain functional with any modern device that accepts a 3.5mm mic input.