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Apple Unified School System notepads (c. 1988)

These Apple Unified School System notepads feature the logotype for the Apple Unified School System at the bottom center with a yellow-gold logo above that depicts a highly stylized image of a three houses with people (perhaps students and teachers) above represented by a combination of shapes and whitespace. The top of the notepads have a black Apple logo.

I have been unable to date these notepads specifically, but an Apple Corporate Timeline on the Mac Mothership website reports that in March 1987, Apple Marketing introduced “the Apple Unified School System and Apple’s Education Purchase Program (EPP) in a shared commitment with educators to integrate computers into the learning process.”

Each notepad measures 8.5 x 11 inches and is bound with a tearaway edge.

My research has not yielded much specific information on the Apple Unified School System. The OAC (Online Archive of California) contains a listing for an Apple Unified School System report at Stanford, but it is not available online (and the report is undated). An online history of the 1985 “edutainment” software Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? claims that the Apple Unified School System helped popularize this game when Apple’s “nationwide computer-in-the-classroom infrastructure” was implemented in the late 1980s.

Sources: Mac Mothership, OAC, Wikipedia

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Apple Learning Series notepads (c. 1988)

These Apple Learning Series notepads feature the logotype for the Apple Learning Series at the bottom center with a three-color logo above that depicts a highly stylized image of a person in front of a monitor. The top of the notepads have a black Apple logo.

I have been unable to date these notepads specifically, but the term “Apple Learning Series” has been used in different forms for at least the past 30 years. When I added them to my collection, they were paired with a set of similarly designed notepads for the Apple Unified School System that was introduced in 1987.

Each notepad measures 8.5 x 11 inches and is bound with a tearaway edge.

Sources: Mac Mothership

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Apple employee challenge cards (2019–2021)

Apple challenge cards are sent to Apple employees who participate in company-sponsored events, usually with a gift to celebrate the accomplishment of successfully completing the challenge.

From left to right, the challenge cards include:

  • Let the good times roll.—Apple’s fifth Close Your Rings Challenge shipped with a set of black embroidered towels. (The black card measures 2.75 x 5 inches and is printed on light textured cardboard.)
  • Ready to tumble.—Apple’s Eat Well Challenge shipped with an Apple-branded tumbler. (The card measures 3 x 6 inches and is printed on light textured cardboard.)
  • Celebrate—shipped with a t-shirt. (The card measures 3 x 5 inches and is printed on light textured cardboard.)
  • Take comfort.—Apple’s Mindful Minute Challenge shipped with a limited-edition T-shirt. (The card measures 3 x 5 inches and is printed on light textured cardboard.)
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3.5-inch floppy disk stickers (c. 1984)

These disk labels were offered by Apple in the mid-1980s. At least one photo I located verifies that these stickers were included in the packaging with the original Macintosh (but they may have also been included in other products).

The labels are in their original package and measure 3 x 2.75 inches. The part number printed on the labels is 026-2001A. The back of the labels show disk use safety guidelines.

Originally introduced in 1981 by Sony, Apple used 3.5-inch floppy disks with the original Macintosh. The first 3.5-inch floppy disks were single-sided and held 400kB. In 1986, Apple introduced a double-sided 3.5-inch floppy disk that held 800kB. In 1987, a “high density” (HD) format of this disk was introduced that was advertised as holding 1.44 MB (although they actually held 1.40625 MB).

Sources: Digibarn, Wikipedia, LowEndMac

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Wooden pencil (white, red logotype, 1993)

Not to be confused with the Apple Pencil, this wooden Apple pencil is painted white and features the Apple logotype printed in Apple Garamond in bright red.

This product is featured on page 59 of the Spring 1993 Starting Line: Apple Marketing Communications Catalog. Its description reads:

Apple Pencil
Perfect for seminars, meetings, trade shows, and sales events, this item is the natural companion to Apple notepads. It’s the irresistible, old-fashioned, low-tech, number-two wooden-and-graphite pencil, complete with eraser and silkscreened Apple name in red. APL476

I was lucky to get about 30 of these pencils.