Polo shirt (granite, c. 2005)

This pique polo-style shirt is branded as Vantage. It is dark gray with a label that specifies its color as “granite.” It features a white embroidered Apple logo in the upper-left. The back of the shirt includes no Apple markings.

The shirt is knit with three white buttons. The tag indicates it is 100% combed cotton, and made in Pakistan. It is size 2X.

This shirt has not been worn and includes the tag from the Apple Company Store. Its original price was $32.95. I purchased this shirt from the Apple Company Store at 1 Infinite Loop (Cupertino, CA) in the 2000s.

Knit sweatshirt, North Central Region K12 Education (light heather gray, c. 1996)

This knit collared sweatshirt is branded as Gear for Sports, features an embroidered logo that reads “North Central Region K12 Education,” and includes the classic multicolor Apple logo. The back of the sweatshirt includes no Apple markings, but has a Gear for Sports label at top-center.

The sweatshirt is knit in light heather gray in size XXL. The collar is heather gray with a dark blue and white accent. The front of the sweatshirt has three tan buttons. The tag indicates the sweatshirt is 65% polyester, 35% cotton, and made in Taiwan.

This sweatshirt was a gift during my one-year position as a Media Center director in Cincinnati, Ohio. I received the gift in 1998, the year Apple made the transition to single-color logo to match the then-newly-released iMac.

Apple Watch Leather Link (44mm, M/L, Black, 2020)

The Apple Watch Leather Link was an Apple Watch band released in 2020. The design is similar to the previous Leather Loop design. While the Leather Loop included a metal “eye,” the Leather Link is held solely by magnets.

Apple describes the Leather Link:

“The Leather Link features handcrafted Roux Granada leather made in France. The strap elegantly wraps around the wrist and magically attaches with flexible moulded magnets that gently flex to help maintain a secure, comfortable fit throughout the day.”

When released, the Leather Link was available in Baltic Blue, California Poppy, Saddle Brown, and Black. It came in sizes including 40mm in S/M (130–160mm wrists) and M/L (140–180mm wrists), and 44mm in S/M (140–180mm wrists) and M/L (165–205mm wrists). This example is a Black 44mm, M/L Leather Link.

Source: Apple

30-pin to USB Cable (1 m, 2012)

Apple’s 30-pin to USB Cable was sold in a variety of packaging options over the years. This cable charged devices with a 30-pin connector, including iPod, iPhone, and iPad.

Apple’s product overview stated, “This USB 2.0 cable connects your iPod, iPhone, or iPad — directly or through a Dock — to your computer’s USB port for efficient syncing and charging or to the Apple USB Power Adapter for convenient charging from a wall outlet.”

Apple also included a list of compatible devices. Although the USB 2.0 is backwards-compatible with USB 1.0 and works with computers with USB 3.0, the specifications only include devices that use USB 2.0: iPhone 4s, iPhone 4, iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 3G, iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (2nd generation), iPod nano (6th generation), iPod nano (5th generation), iPod nano (4th generation), iPod classic 160GB (2009), and iPod classic 120GB (2008).

This example is unopened in retail packaging. Although Apple was no longer selling devices with 30-pin cables, this product was still available on Apple’s website as of January 2021.

Source: Apple

Event badge (2018)

On March 27, 2018, Apple held an education event at Lane Tech College Preparatory High School in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

The event was invitation-only and when attendees checked in, they were given a color-coded badge. The color on the badge assisted with auditorium seating during the event.

The event began with a keynote by Tim Cook and others that focused on Apple’s commitment to education, as well as apps and services used by schools. Specific topics included Apple’s part in the ConnectED initiative, the release of a new Generation 5 9.7-inch iPad with support for Apple Pencil (and Logitech Crayon), major updates to Apple’s Schoolwork and Classroom apps, and examples from teachers using Swift Playgrounds in the classroom.

After the keynote, attendees were invited into Lane Tech classrooms to test out and see products and services.

I attended this event live and after the keynote, I found myself in the room with Apple CEO Tim Cook. He was interviewed by Chicago news outlets and later spoke with Chicago’s governor at the time, Bruce Rauner.

This event badge measures 9.5 x 6.5 cm and is clipped to a black nylon lanyard. It is printed on thick paper (similar to a photo matte) and embossed with a “recycle” symbol. The Apple logo printed on both sides and the edges of the badge are teal.

Source: Apple

Business card wallet (leather, c. 2000)

This black business card wallet is made of “genuine calfskin” leather and embossed with an Apple logo on one side. The inside is lined with microfiber and has two pockets that hold 10-12 business cards each. The wallet is made by Leeman.

This is one of several Apple-logo products that was available at “The Company Store @ Apple” located in the Infinite Loop Campus (in the 1 Infinite Loop building). When Apple began moving to the Main (“spaceship”) Campus at Apple Park, a new Visitor Center was built near the new campus and The Company Store was closed and replaced by more standard Apple Store.

Business card holder (c. 2000)

This business card holder is made of two pieces of metal, a curved top with a flat silver finish and a polished chrome cylindrical stand. It has a matte black Apple logo centered on the front. The holder is relatively heavy for its size.

This is one of several Apple-logo products that was available at “The Company Store @ Apple” located in the Infinite Loop Campus (in the 1 Infinite Loop building). When Apple began moving to the Main (“spaceship”) Campus at Apple Park, a new Visitor Center was built near the new campus and The Company Store was closed and replaced by more standard Apple Store.

Mug (black, white logo, c. 2000)

This glossy black mug features a white Apple logo. The mug is relatively tall and tapered toward the bottom. It is approximately 4.75 inches tall, its diameter is 3.5 inches, and the handle has a half-heart shape.

This is one of several Apple-logo products that was available at “The Company Store @ Apple” located in the Infinite Loop Campus (in the 1 Infinite Loop building). When Apple began moving to the Main (“spaceship”) Campus at Apple Park, a new Visitor Center was built near the new campus and The Company Store was closed and replaced by more standard Apple Store.

American Girl of Today Mini Macintosh (Power Macintosh 5200/75 LC replica, 1996)

Please note: Although this is not an official Apple product, it is a faithful replica that was officially licensed by Apple.

According to the American Girl Dolls Wiki, this Power Macintosh 5200 replica was an American Girl of Today accessory that was sold from 1996 to 1999 and cost $32. This line of American Girl dolls and accessories has been available since 1995 and has been known by several names, including American Girl of Today (1995); American Girl Today (1996); Just Like You (2006); My American Girl (2010); and Truly Me (2015). This line is “intended to reflect a more modern time than that of the Historical Characters.”

This accessory is a surprisingly detailed replica of a Power Macintosh 5200/75 LC, a Macintosh sold from 1995–96. It has a working 3.25-inch monochrome LCD display, a keyboard, a mouse, and runs on 2 AAA batteries. Users can interact with this Macintosh by clicking the keyboard (a large single button) or the mouse, both attached with thin wires. The screen displays a simulated Mac OS Desktop running what appears to be a scaled-down version of AppleWorks.

The back of the replica includes an ON/OFF switch, simulated ports that match the ports on the Power Macintosh 5200/75 LC, and the words, “PLEASANT COMPANY® MADE IN CHINA.”

The interface depicted is monochromatic and uses a menu bar with the Apple menu, File, Edit, View, Label, Special, and the Finder menu. The Desktop also shows two icons labeled Hard Drive and Trash, and a toolbar with four tools (paint bucket, eraser, pencil, and paint brush). Each click of the keyboard button reveals a paragraph of text, and each click of the mouse reveals stars until the Big Dipper is fully displayed along with a caption that reads “The Big Dipper.”

The text on the screen includes the following (with no spaces after periods):

Field Trip [file name in the top bar of the window]

My Visit to the Planetarium

There was a nice man there that
talked to us and told us about the stars.

They had a cool machine in the
middle of the room that shined the
stars up on the ceiling.It had a big
round ball with holes cut in it and a
light bulb inside.

The seats leaned way back so you
could look up at the big curved
ceiling.We learned about lots of
constellations. The Big Dipper was
my favorite.I made a drawing of it
on my computer.

It was a long bus ride to the high
school planetarium but it was
worth it.

Finally, this replica also shipped with a computer desk, chair, and mousepad. I only own the Macintosh.

Sources: American Girl Wiki, Everymac, Wikipedia

Apple Watch Sport (original, 42 mm, space gray anodized aluminum, black Sport Band, 2015)

On September 9, 2014, Apple announced the Apple Watch as its “most personal device ever—featuring revolutionary new technologies and a pioneering user interface with a beautiful design.” The Watch debuted the Digital Crown that Apple described as the “most revolutionary navigation tool since the iPod Click Wheel and iPhone Multi-Touch.”

The original Apple Watch required that the user pair it with an iPhone 5 or later and carry an iPhone to access all of the Watch’s functions. The original Apple Watch was available in three collections: Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, and Apple Watch Edition.

This Apple Watch Sport model featured a 312×390 Retina display. Apple described the display as featuring “Force Touch, a technology that senses the difference between a tap and a press, providing a new way to quickly and easily access controls within apps.”

The original Apple Watch had only 11 available faces that allowed customization:

“Apple Watch comes with 11 watch faces ranging from traditional analog faces to new faces like the dynamic Timelapse face; the Astronomy face with its interactive, real-time 3D model of the earth, sun, moon and planets; and the Solar face, a contemporary sundial. Apple Watch can be personalized in appearance and capability with additional information such as upcoming events, moonphases or your activity level, enabling millions of possible configurations.”

The Apple Watch Sport was available with a space gray or silver anodized aluminum case and Sport Band. The original Sport Band colors available were available in black, blue, green, pink, and white. This example is a space gray anodized aluminum case with a black Sport Band.

Sources: EveryMac, Apple