T-shirt, Black@Apple (XL, c. 2020)

This black t-shirt features a front design with the words Black@Apple in San Francisco Bold, Apple’s corporate font. The left sleeve features a small white Apple logo.

The shirt has two tags, one indicating that the brand is BELLA+CANVAS, a Los Angeles-based company specializing in “premium crafted tees.” The second tag includes size, manufacturing, and care information.

Apple’s Diversity web page references the “Black@Apple” group under one of many features on this page. Information can be found by clicking the feature block “Community is the core of our culture.” Part of the feature reads:

“In the last year, we’ve grown our global communities more than 50 percent, including expansions in Apple Store locations and across all regions. More than 55,000 Apple employees belong to groups like Accessibility@Apple, AsianPacific@Apple, Beacon@Apple, Black@Apple, Familia@Apple, Indigenous@Apple, Pride@Apple, SouthAsian@Apple, Veterans@Apple, Women@Apple, and more.”

Employees are featured on another related page by following the link “Learn more about Apple DNAs >.” This link leads to the “Careers at Apple” website with the headline “I belong@Apple” where scrolling down the page introduces Apple employees who are identified as being part of various communities within Apple. These communities are referred to as “Diversity Network Associations.”

One feature identified Georgiana, an Apple employee part of Black@Apple—wearing this same T-shirt—and telling her story about some of the differences made by the Black@Apple Diversity Network Association:

“For years, different Black@Apple chapters had been doing their own smaller Juneteenth celebrations. Then, after our 2018 DNA Summit, we met with Apple leadership to share ideas for a more unified approach. Just a few weeks later, we saw one of those ideas come to life in time to celebrate… Juneteenth officially appeared in Calendar as a U.S. holiday—not just for Apple people, but for everyone…”

This t-shirt is size XL.

Sources: BELLA+CANVAS, Apple (Diversity, Apple DNA)

Mini-VGA to Video Adapter (unopened, 2008)

Apple’s Mini-VGA to Video Adapter was designed so Mac computers with a built-in Mini-VGA port could be connected to a device with an RGB video or S-video port. According to the packaging, compatible devices included:

“iBook without an external reset button, 12-inch PowerBook G4, or 17-inch iMac (1.0GHz) with mini-VGA port.”

The packaging included a bag with a white back and clear front to fully view the adapter that was being purchased. The bag was sealed with a black cardboard top printed with product information. The font used was Apple Myriad, Apple’s corporate font of the time.

Source: Apple (product package)

Mac Box Set (2009)

This Mac Box Set included a set of software that allowed users to purchase one product and install several products at once. The front of the box specified: “Includes Mac OS X Leopard, iLife ’09, and iWork ’09” and showed images of icon-like depictions of each product.

The back of the box had the headline “An upgrade to the Apple software for your Mac. All in one box.” Mac OS X Leopard was described, and iLife and iWork listed each of their component apps with one to three bullets describing key features:

Mac OS X Leopard
The world’s most advanced operating system.
• Automatically back up your Mac with Time Machine
• Flip through your files in the Finder with Cover Flow
• Keep your files organized using Stacks
• Preview a file without opening it using Quick Look
• Group your windows in spaces and quickly switch between them
• Show off your photos, movies, and presentations with iChat Theater
• Email personalized stationery, create to-do lists, and take notes

iLife ’09
iPhoto
• Organize photos by people using facial recognition
• Browse and search photos based on GPS location
iMovie
• Fine-tune your movies with new Precision Editor
• Fix shaky clips using automatic stabilization
GarageBand
• Master piano or guitar basics with interactive lessons
• Learn how to play hit songs from original artists
iWeb
• Create custom websites and publish anywhere

iWork ’09
Pages

• Choose from over 180 Apple-designed templates
• Write with full-screen view
• Easily lay out newsletters, posters, flyers, and more
Numbers
• Mix tables, graphics, and charts on a freeform canvas
• Choose from over 250 functions
• Make sense of your data with interactive Table Categories
Keynote
• Create sophisticated presentations with ease
• Build stunning animations with simple transitions
• Edit with powerful graphics tools

The box contained three install DVDs and printed and electronic documentation.

Source: Apple (product package)

Mac OS X Leopard v10.5.1 Retail Family Pack (2009)

This boxed retail version of Mac OS X is version 10.5.1, also known as “Leopard.” This particular box is the Retail Family Pack, licensed for “up to five computers in one household.”

Leopard (Mac OS X v10.5) was marketed to contain over 300 enhancements from its predecessor, Mac OS X v.10.4, Tiger. The Leopard Finder included a redesigned Desktop and Dock, a semi-transparent menu bar, and the addition of Cover Flow, a visual file navigation method borrowed from iTunes. This release also introduced Time Machine automated backups, Spotlight searches across multiple Macs, the Photo Booth app, and the Front Row system that served as a simple multimedia interface.

The design on the outside of the box is printed with a high-gloss finish and foil-metallic accents for the outer space design elements—a somewhat perplexing concept given the name of the OS was “Leopard.” The back of the box highlighted five operating system features: Cover Flow in the Finder, Time Machine automatic backups, iChat video chat effects, stationery in Mail, and Spaces window organization.

The box contained an install DVD and a color-printed manual. The exterior of the box lists the following contents:

DVD containing Mac OS X; printed and electronic documentation. Requirements Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512MB of physical RAM; DVD drive for installation. • Some features require a compatible Internet service provider; fees may apply. • Time Machine requires an additional hard drive, sold separately. • iChat requires a compatible camera. • Some features have additional requirements; see www.apple.com/macosx/techspecs. 826-8133-A

Sources: Apple (product box), Wikipedia, Ars Technica

iPhone (original, 8 GB, 2007)

The original iPhone was officially announced on January 9, 2007, and was released on June 29, 2007. The original iPhone was available in 4, and 8 GB capacities, with a 16 GB capacity released on February 5, 2008.

The original iPhone introduced the “multi-touch” display that allowed control by dragging one or more fingers across the glass display, although no interface controls required multiple fingers in the iPhone OS 1.0. This iPhone has sensors including an accelerometer (to detect landscape or portrait orientation), an ambient light sensor (to control screen brightness), and a proximity sensor (to turn off the display when held to the ear).

Other features included Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0, and a 2.0 megapixel camera. The case is 2.4 inches by 4.5 inches, is 0.46-inch thick, and weighs 4.8 ounces.

This example is in somewhat rough shape cosmetically, but still functions perfectly. It includes the charging base station that shipped with the original iPhone.

Sources: EveryMac

USB Ethernet Adapter (2008)

Apple describes this adapter as a “Apple USB Ethernet Adapter with built-in 4.6-inch USB cable” and its model number is A1277.

According to Apple, this adapter allows you to “Easily connect your Mac computer to an Ethernet network with the Apple USB Ethernet Adapter. Small and light, it connects to the USB 2.0 port of your Mac and provides an RJ-45 connector that supports 10/100BASE-T performance.”

Source: Apple

Designed by Apple in California book (2016)

Released in November 2016, Designed by Apple in California was a photo book that documented 20 years of design at Apple. The book contains 450 photos depicting products from the original 1998 iMac to the original Apple Pencil released in 2015. The book “also documents the materials and techniques used by Apple’s design team over two decades of innovation.”

In the book’s foreward, Jony Ive, Apple’s Chief Design Officer, stated:

“While this is a design book, it is not about the design team, the creative process or product development. It is an objective representation of our work… We strive, with varying degrees of success, to define objects that appear effortless. Objects that appear so simple, coherent and inevitable that there could be no rational alternative.”

The book itself was described by Apple:

Designed by Apple in California is available in two sizes and printed on specially milled, custom-dyed paper with gilded matte silver edges, using eight color separations and low-ghost ink. This linen-bound, hardcover volume was developed over an eight-year period. It is published by Apple.”

The large book measured 13 x 16.25 inches and was sold for $299. The small book was 10.20 x 12.75 inches and was sold for $199. The book could be purchased at apple.com and at selected Apple Stores, including Apple SoHo, Apple Fifth Avenue, Apple Upper East Side, Apple Williamsburg and Apple World Trade Center in New York; Apple The Grove in Los Angeles and Apple Third Street in Santa Monica; Apple North Michigan Avenue in Chicago; Apple Lincoln Road in Miami; Apple Northpark in Dallas; Apple Union Square in San Francisco; Apple Palo Alto and Apple Infinite Loop in Cupertino.

This example is the large version of the book, unopened in its original box. I purchased this book at the Chicago Apple Store on Michigan Avenue.

Source: Apple

Close Your Rings microfiber towels (incomplete set, 2021)

Apple’s fifth “Close Your Rings” employee challenge was held in 2021. According to MacRumors contributor, mikedop, the Close Your Rings Challenge:

“…is an internal challenge hosted by Apple’s Wellness team, which challenges employees to close their Apple Watch activity rings every day for an entire month. The challenge can be won at three different tiers: gold, silver, and bronze… Employees log their fitness in their Apple Watch, and after the month, are shipped a prize if they meet the qualifications. This challenge is offered to all employees within Apple, down to the retail level.”

Successful participants in the 2021 Close Your Rings challenge were sent a set of three microfiber towels that use the colors and designs of Apple’s Activity rings. Each towel is primarily black and has a two-sided tag with the Activity rings on one side and the Apple logo on the other. Each towel features a different design woven into the microfiber: one uses three thin stripes in the colors of the Activity rings along two sides, one uses a “21” design in a unique, triple-stroke font style using the Activity ring colors, and a third towel shows half of the three filled Activity rings.

My collection includes the stripe and “21” designs, but I do not have the half-Activity ring design.

The towels were packaged in a custom white box with the Activity rings printed on top. The towels were created by Sunscope USA under a brand DiLA, Designed in LA (Los Angeles).

Sources: MacRumors (mikedop), SunscopeUSA