Apple Collection

Posted on

iPhone XR ((PRODUCT)RED, 2018)

Apple’s press release for the iPhone XR led with, “Featuring A12 Bionic Chip, 6.1-Inch Liquid Retina Display, Aluminum and Glass Design in Six Beautiful Finishes, Face ID and Advanced Camera System”

The iPhone XR, pronounced “ten-R” was released along with the iPhone XS and XS Max. According to MacRumors, the XR model shares hardware with the XS models, but features were removed and/or downgraded to reduce the price of the XR.

The six available colors included (PRODUCT)RED, Yellow, White, Coral, Black, and Blue. The iPhone XR was available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB capacities. It measured 2.98 inches (75.7 mm) x 5.94 inches (150.9 mm), and was 0.33 inch (8.3 mm) thick. It weighed 6.84 ounces (194 grams). This is a (PRODUCT)RED model with 64GB of storage.

The Liquid Retina HD display measured 6.1 inches (diagonal) with 1792 x 828-pixel resolution (at 326ppi). The iPhone XR was powered by the A12 Bionic chip with a second-generation Neural Engine.

The primary back camera was 12 Megapixels with up to 5x digital zoom. Its features included Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting (Natural, Studio, Contour), Optical image stabilization, Panorama (up to 63MP), Autofocus, and Smart HDR. It could record video at up to 4K video (at 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps). The front had a TrueDepth Camera at 7 Megapixels with features including Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High-Key Mono), and allowed the use of Animoji and Memoji.

Its six sensors included Face ID, barometer, 3‑axis gyro, accelerometer, proximity sensor, and ambient light sensor. It originally shipped with iOS 14, and it included a USB-C to Lightning Cable.

Sources: Apple (Newsroom, Tech Specs), MacRumors

Posted on

iPad Pro (9.7-inch, 2016)

When Apple released the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, they described the device: “Breakthrough Pro Features & Advanced Display Technologies Come to the Most Popular iPad Size.” Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, added,

“iPad Pro is a new generation of iPad that is indispensable and immersive, enabling people to be more productive and more creative. It’s incredibly fast, extremely portable, and completely natural to use with your fingers, Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard. And now it comes in two sizes. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro has a new Retina display with True Tone technology, four-speaker audio system, blazing fast A9X chip, 12-megapixel iSight camera, 5-megapixel FaceTime HD camera, faster wireless, and support for Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard. It is the ultimate upgrade for existing iPad users and replacement for PC users.”

The iPad Pro 9.7-inch was offered in Silver, Gold, Space Gray, and Rose Gold in Wi‑Fi-only and Wi-Fi+Cellular options with 32GB, 128GB, or 256GB storage. This is a Space Gray, Wi-Fi-only, 32GB model.

Its form factor was similar to other 9.7-inch iPad models offered by Apple. It measured 9.4 inches (240 mm) x 6.6 inches (169.5 mm), and was 0.24 inch (6.1 mm) thick. It weighed 0.96 pound (437 grams).

The primary back camera was 12-megapixel with features including Live Photos, Autofocus, True Tone flash, Panorama (up to 63 megapixels), and auto HDR. The front FaceTime HD camera was 5-megapixel with support for 720p HD video recording.

This iPad had 6 sensors, including Touch ID, a 3‐axis gyro, accelerometer, barometer, ambient light sensor, and Touch ID built into the Home button.

The iPad 9.7-inch shipped with iOS 10. As of 2023, Apple has never released another 9.7-inch iPad Pro model.

Sources: Apple (Newsroom, Tech Specs)

Posted on

MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015)

The 13-inch MacBook Air, Early-2015 model, used the 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 and was also available with a 2.2GHz dual-core Intel Core i7. It shipped with 4GB or 8GB RAM. This model uses the Core i5 with 4GB of RAM and has 128GB of flash storage.

When it was released on March 9, 2015, Apple reported:

“The updated 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air now feature fifth generation Intel Core processors up to 2.2 GHz, with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.2 GHz, integrated Intel HD Graphics 6000, and Thunderbolt 2, delivering up to 20Gbps, twice the bandwidth of the previous generation. The 13-inch MacBook Air also features faster flash storage that is up to two times faster than the previous generation.”

This MacBook Air used a 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display at 1440 x 900.

Apple reported that this laptop had a 12-hour battery. Its physical ports included 2 USB 3 ports, a Thunderbolt 2 port, a MagSafe 2 power port, a SDXC card slot, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Wireless technologies included 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0. It also had a front-facing 720p FaceTime HD camera.

The full-size keyboard was backlit and with an ambient light sensor, and it used Apple’s Multi-Touch trackpad.

This MacBook Air used the tapered design of previous MAcBook Air models, measuring 0.11 to 0.68 inch (0.3-1.7 cm) thick, 12.8 inches (32.5 cm) wide, and 8.94 inches (22.7 cm) deep. It weighed 2.96 pounds (1.35 kg).

According to EveryMac:

“Compared to its predecessor, this model looks effectively identical, but has a more advanced processor and architecture, more advanced graphics, twice as fast 4x PCIe storage, and Thunderbolt 2 support.”

Source: Apple (Tech Specs, Newsroom), EveryMac

Posted on

iPad (Generation 6, 2018)

The iPad Generation 6 was considered Apple’s “base” iPad when it was released on March 27, 2018. It was offered in Silver, Gold, and Space Gray. It was available in 32GB and 128GB configurations with Wi-Fi-only or with Wi-Fi+Cellular capabilities. This example is a 32GB Space Gray Wi-Fi-only model.

This iPad was announced in Chicago at an education-focused event at Lane Tech High School. An Apple Press Release stated:

“The new 9.7-inch iPad and Apple Pencil give users the ability to be even more creative and productive, from sketching ideas and jotting down handwritten notes to marking up screenshots. The new iPad is more versatile and capable than ever, features a large Retina display, the A10 Fusion chip and advanced sensors that help deliver immersive augmented reality, and provides unmatched portability, ease of use and all-day battery life.”

The iPad generation 6 used a 9.7-inch LED-backlit Multi-Touch Retina display at 2048 x 1536-pixel resolution (264 ppi). This iPad measured 9.4 inches (240 mm) x 6.6 inches (169.5 mm), and was 0.29 inch (7.5 mm) thick. It weighed 1.03 pounds (469 g). This iPad was powered by the A10 Fusion chip.

The back camera was 8 Megapixels with features such as Autofocus, Panorama (up to 43 megapixels), and HDR. The front FaceTime HD Camera was 1.2 Megapixels.

This iPad used five sensors including a 3-axis gyro, accelerometer, barometer, and an ambient light sensor. Its Home button included the Touch ID fingerprint identity sensor.

This was the first base-model iPad to support the Apple Pencil and the Logitech Crayon, and it originally shipped with iOS 12.

Source: Apple (Tech Specs, Newsroom)

Posted on

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013)

At the time of its release, the MacBook Pro 15-inch with Retina Display was a solid “Pro” choice, but an iterative update from its predecessor with no new design elements, major features, or new technologies. This MacBook Pro used Intel’s Core i7 “Haswell/Crystalwell” processor with four cores. This example is the 2.0GHz model, and a 2.3GHz was also available.

The 15.4-inch Retina Display was LED-backlit display with 2880 x 1800 resolution (220ppi). The laptop measured 0.71 inch (1.8 cm) thick, and 14.13 inches (35.89 cm) wide x 9.73 inches (24.71 cm) tall. It weighed 4.46 pounds (2.02 kg).

According to Apple, the physical ports included:

  • MagSafe 2 power port
  • 2 Thunderbolt 2 ports (up to 20 Gbps)
  • 2 USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps)
  • HDMI port
  • Headphone port
  • SDXC card slot

Wireless technologies included 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0.

The full-size keyboard was backlit and used an ambient light sensor. Apple advertised the battery life as 8 hours, and it charged using an 85W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter.

Sources: Apple, EveryMac

Posted on

The Visual Almanac: An Interactive Multimedia Kit (January 1990)

The Visual Almanac is the earliest Apple Education multimedia product in my collection. According to the kit’s Laser Disc, pictured on the Domesday86 website:

“The Visual Almanac is composed of 3 parts: the Visual Almanac Videodisc, the Visual Almanac software, and the Visual Almanac Companion (a book). This two-sided videodisc contains an Introduction, over 7000 images and 2 channels of sound organized into 12 collections. It is designed to be used under control of a Macintosh computer.”

The printed materials include a guide (First Steps in the Visual Almanac) and a spiral-bound book. Media includes three 3.5-inch disks: HyperCard 1.2.2; Visual Almanac Home (home HyperCard stack; Collections Directory (pre-made collections), and a CD-ROM. The kit also includes a cable.

The cable is described as a “LaserDisc Player Serial Lead,” designed to “connect a Pioneer player (with a 15 pin D-Sub connector) to the Apple Macintosh mini-DIN serial port.”

The box containing all the items in the kit measures 12.75 inches square and is 1.5 inches deep. The accompanying spiral-bound book is titled The Visual Almanac: An Interactive Multimedia Kit Companion, measures 11 x 8.5 inches, and contains 216 pages, printed in full color.

The Preface of the book contains a welcome message that states the resource’s intent:

“Welcome to The Visual Almanac! We designed the The Visual Almanac to give everyone a glimpse of potential computer-centered futures and have tried to show how current multimedia technologies might be used to do something new. We tried to make something that could be used now, but would also provoke the development of methodologies, technologies and pedagogies for the future. It is an interactive multimedia kit aimed at children and all their teachers—in schools, in homes and in various public environments—as well as business people, researchers and developers who make educational and other materials for our youth.”

Although the full package is dated January 1990, the accompanying CD-ROM is dated 1989 and the CD (as well as the Laser Disc) specifies that it was “Produced by the Apple Multimedia Lab.”

The box in my collection is missing the accompanying 2-sided LaserDisc that contains the primary content in 78 “collections” for the kit:

Side A Collections
Animals and Plants
Earth View
Everyday Physics
Solar System
Sounds Side A

Side B Collections
American History
Around the World
History of Daily Life
Everyday Objects
Historical Portraits
Sounds Side B
Studies in Time

Special thanks to the Domesday86 website for providing an excellent, detailed entry about this kit that allowed me to better describe this early educational multimedia example.

Source: Apple, Domesday86

Posted on

The Apple Catalog (Spring 1993)

The Apple Catalog opens with the description:

“In this catalog, you’ll read about a lot of tremendously useful products. Products that could change your life. You’ll also read about the way some people really did change their lives—and a lot of other peoples’ lives—in significant ways.”

The Table of Contents includes:

  • Color Classic—Introducing the Macintosh Color Classic computer
  • Color made easy—Scan it, display it, and print it—all in color
  • PowerBook computers—Macintosh power in a notebook size
  • PowerBook accessories—Carrying cases, batteries, rechargers, and more
  • Printers—StyleWriter and ImageWriter printers and accessories
  • Laser printers—Personal LaserWriter NTR and LS printers and accessories
  • Desktop publishing—New tools for the black-and-white publisher
  • Multimedia—Bring full-color video, sound, and animation to your Macintosh screen
  • Disability solutions—Tools for people with disabilities
  • Software—Word processing, drawing, page layout, presentations, and more
  • Learning and communicating—Self-paced training, technical support, and communications software
  • Networks—Networking software and cables
  • Compatibility—How Macintosh works with other systems: AUX, SNA•ps, and MacX
  • Macintosh security—Anti-glare filters, security kits, and system savers
  • Macintosh add-ons—Keyboards, mice, and disk holders
  • Desk accessories—Accents for the well-appointed office
  • Apple wear—Apple clothing and accessories
  • Apple II, too—Products and accessories for Apple II computers
  • The Apple II on Macintosh—Plus a library of useful manuals

The Apple Catalog from Spring 1993 measures 9.125 x 11 inches and is printed in full color on a matte finish paper.

Source: Apple

Posted on

Snow Leopard brochure (2009)

This Snow Leopard brochure, titled “Mac OSX Snow Leopard: Installation, features, and refinements” describes the 2-step installation process and outlines the main features of Mac OS X, Version 10.6.

Features that are described include:

  • Exposé
  • Safari 4
  • QuickTime X
  • Microsoft Exchange Support
  • Universal Access
  • Several different “Refinements” to its Leopard predecessor

Each of 5 panels are square and measure 125mm. Folded out, the entire brochure is 625mm long. The brochure is primarily white and printed in full color.

Source: Apple

Posted on

Picasso book covers (1992)

This set of two book covers were presumably created for the education market for students to use to cover their textbooks (of the heavy, printed variety).

The book covers measure 10.75 x 26.25 inches and feature the original Macintosh “Picasso” logo on the front side, and the 6-color Apple logo on the back with the tagline “The power to be your best.”

The center of these book covers that would fall along the spine of the textbook have an Apple logo printed sideways and labels for “Name” and “Class” (with lines on which to write). All text is printed in the Apple Garamond font, Apple’s corporate font used between 1984 and 1993.

Both book covers are folded.

Posted on

Personal Internet Solution Bundle binder (1995)

Apple’s Personal Internet Solution Bundle is a 3-ring binder containing 3-hole-punched, 8.5 x 11-inch pages and is part of the Apple Education Series from 1995.

The design of the binder uses a beige-on-beige background accented with gold and teal graphics—all using a woodcut-style design. This design was used throughout the mid- to late-1990s for Apple Education products.

The binder is a professional learning resource for educators to teach them the basics of using tools on the World Wide Web. The four major sections include:

  • Getting Started—Step-by-step instructions for getting connected to the Internet
  • Netscape Navigator—from Netscape Communications Corporation
  • Eudora by Qualcomm—from Qualcomm Incorporated
  • Internet Provider Connection—from Portal Information Network

Each printed section in the binder is separated by dark green tabs for easy navigation.

Some of the highlights of this resource include the title of the Netscape Navigator section, “a friendly handbook on the coolest way to explore the Internet,” and the 151-page manual about how to use email!

Source: Apple