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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This set of Apple latters was used in the Chicago Apple Corporate Office in the early 1990s. At the time, Apple maintained a downtown Chicago office at 10 South Wacker Drive. My best guess is that the letters were displayed at some time between 1990–2003.
I purchased these on eBay in about 2003. The seller, presumably a former employee at this office, sent an envelope with the letters (pictured) indicating that Apple Enterprise Software was located at this office. At one time, 10 South Wacker Drive also housed Apple’s Chicago Executive Briefing Center. I personally visited the Chicago Executive Briefing Center on several occasions for education-related events, but I do not specifically remember seeing these letters mounted on a wall.
The five letters are made of textured aluminum and are about 4 mm thick. The front of the letters uses a vertically textured “grain” while the backs are flat aluminum. For reference, the “A” is approximately 4 inches tall and 3 inches wide. The back of each letter includes two or three threaded holes. The letters arrived with aluminum threaded posts that had been snipped off (although a few were missing). Each letter is hand-numbered on the back with a marker.
The letters are in Apple Garamond, the Apple corporate font from 1984–2003.
These Apple playing cards feature Macintosh operating system imagery reminiscent of Mac OS 8 and the never-released Rhapsody operating system of the mid- to late-1990s. At the time, Mac OS 8 (beginning with Mac OS 8.5) used 32-bit icons and supported 24-bit color (16.7 million colors). The design of the playing cards uses the design aesthetic of the time, but the art does not appear pixelated.
The playing cards originally shipped in a plastic wrapper with a plastic pull that allowed for easy unwrapping. Although this deck is not sealed, photos of sealed decks show the plastic pull printed with “HOYLE,” the card manufacturer, in gold.
The deck contains 54 cards in four suits with two Jokers. Each suit is labeled traditionally as Ace, 2–10, Jack, Queen, and King. However, these cards to not use traditional suits of diamond (red ♦), heart (red ♥), club (black ♣), and spade (black ♠). Instead, the deck uses an alarm clock icon (red symbols), user profile icon (stylized face profile, red symbols), trash can icon (black symbols), and bomb icon (black symbols). The Jack, Queen, and King of each suit have a unique design, although each Jack holds a feather and wears a hat, each queen holds a flower and wears a two-pointed crown, and each king holds a sword and wears a three-pointed crown. The Joker is an original-style all-in-one Macintosh wearing a three-pointed jester hat.
The font used on the cards is similar to Chicago, the Mac OS system font of the time, but is more customized.
The card backs use all four suits in a repeating pattern and displayed primarily in red. The back center of each card features the multi-color Apple logo in a white circle.
“Think different” is the slogan used by Apple in advertising 1997–2002, and is still used in some circumstances as of 2021. The “Think different” concept was created by advertising agency TBWA\Chiat\Day while working with Apple and Steve Jobs. “Think different” was used in its original concept in a TV commercial and in print/digital advertisements, and the “Think different” slogan was used as part of TV commercials, print/digital ads, and on product packaging.
The “Think different” advertising campaign was notable in that its original concept did not feature Apple products. The original version began with a “manifesto” that began famously with “Here’s to the crazy ones.” During the commercial, voiced by Richard Dreyfuss, black-and-white footage of iconic personalities served as visuals to accompany the voiceover. Personalities included Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, Martin Luther King Jr., Thomas Edison, Muhammad Ali, Mahatma Gandhi, Amelia Earhart, Alfred Hitchcock, Jim Henson, Pablo Picasso, and others.
Although the image depicted on the bus follows the black-and-white photo convention of the Think different series, the poster itself is printed in color. Incidentally, the name of the man in the original iconic photo of Rosa Parks is Nicholas C. Chriss, according to the New York Times. The original photo can be viewed in the Library of Congress digital archive.
