Category: Accessory

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Apple Pro Keyboard (black, 2000)

The Apple Pro Keyboard was released in 2000 and replaced the Apple USB keyboard that was first released with the original iMac. The 109-key Apple Pro Keyboard had a completely transparent case with dark gray translucent keys. Notably, this keyboard removed the power key which had been present on Macintosh keyboards since 1987.

The design of the keyboard returned to the earlier extended-keyboard design last used in the Apple Extended Keyboard II. Like its predecessor, the Apple Pro Keyboard used a single support leg spanning the entire width of the keyboard to slightly elevate the back of the keyboard. When the iMac G4 was released in 2002, an Apple Pro Keyboard with the same design was released with opaque white keys.

As of 2020 Apple has released approximately 20 external keyboard designs. In general, Apple Macintosh keyboards are different from standard keyboards because they include a Command key (⌘) for shortcuts; an Option key (⌥) for entering diacritical marks and special characters; and a Help or fn (function) key. Earlier Apple keyboards also included a power key (◁), while newer keyboards include eject (⏏).

Source: Wikipedia

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Apple Keyboard (2003)

The Apple Keyboard released in 2003 was a major design change from the previous Apple Pro Keyboard. This keyboard design removed the clear enclosure surrounding the keys and moved the two USB ports to the back-center. Originally, the USB ports were USB 1.1, but the ports were upgraded to USB 2.0 in 2005. Unlike the previous Apple Pro Keyboard that came in black and white models, this Apple Keyboard was only available in white.

Apple’s first wireless keyboard, also released in 2003, closely resembles the design of this wired Keyboard.

As of 2020 Apple has released approximately 20 external keyboard designs. In general, Apple Macintosh keyboards are different from standard keyboards because they include a Command key (⌘) for shortcuts; an Option key (⌥) for entering diacritical marks and special characters; and a Help or fn (function) key. Earlier Apple keyboards also included a power key (◁), while newer keyboards include eject (⏏).

Source: Wikipedia

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Apple Keyboard II (1991)

The Apple Keyboard II was first released in 1990 with the Macintosh Classic and LC. This keyboard included flip-down feet in the back to increase the angle of the keyboard for more comfortable typing. This keyboard used the ADB (Apple Desktop Bus) connector.

While this keyboard used the same color of Platinum gray as Macintosh computers at the time, it was also included with the Macintosh TV in all black (using the same model number).

As of 2020 Apple has released approximately 20 external keyboard designs. In general, Apple Macintosh keyboards are different from standard keyboards because they include a Command key (⌘) for shortcuts; an Option key (⌥) for entering diacritical marks and special characters; and a Help or fn (function) key. Earlier Apple keyboards also included a power key (◁), while newer keyboards include eject (⏏).

Source: Wikipedia

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AppleCD 300e Plus (1995)

The AppleCD 300e Plus was among a few nearly identical SCSI-connected external CD-ROM drives manufactured by Apple. All AppleCD models used a SCSI (Small Computer System Interface, pronounced “scuzzy”) connection. According to PC Magazine, SCSI was “used in mainframes, servers and storage arrays in the late 1980s and 1990s… The SCSI bus connects up to 15 devices in a daisy chain topology, and any two can communicate at one time: host-to-peripheral and peripheral-to-peripheral.”

The AppleCD had a 1x Read-Only CD-ROM that could read CDs with with up to 750 MB of data. Ports on the back of the device included two 50-pin Centronics SCSI connectors, red and white audio RCA connectors, and device power input. A front input included a mini-headphone audio jack. The AppleCD could read five CD formats: CD-Audio, CD-ROM, HFS, ProDOS, and High Sierra.

Several models of the AppleCD drive were made, including the SC, SC Plus, 150, 300, 300e, 300i plus, 600i, 600e plus, and 1200i. The “e” designates external devices using the same design as this AppleCD 300e Plus.

Source: Wikipedia, PCMag

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Apple Keyboard (A1243, unopened, 2007)

This Apple Keyboard was introduced in 2007 and featured an all-aluminum enclosure with flat white keys, similar to laptop keys of the time. The keyboard includes two USB 2.0 ports on the right and left back of the keyboard. This same keyboard was later renamed the Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad in 2009.

There are two versions of this keyboard (MB110LL/A and MB110LL/B). The difference between the versions is due to the icons printed on the F3 and F4 keys to correspond with the release of Mac OS X Lion when the F3 key icon changed from Exposé to Mission Control, and the F4 key icon changed from Dashboard to Launchpad. This keyboard is the original MB110LL/A version.

This was the first Apple keyboard in nearly 30 years to remove the Apple logo that had been previously printed on the Command key (⌘).

As of 2020 Apple has released approximately 20 external keyboard designs. In general, Apple Macintosh keyboards are different from standard keyboards because they include a Command key (⌘) for shortcuts; an Option key (⌥) for entering diacritical marks and special characters; and a Help or fn (function) key. Earlier Apple keyboards also included a power key (◁), while newer keyboards include eject (⏏).

Source: Wikipedia

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PC Card storage module (for PowerBook 5300 series computers, 1995)

According to the Macintosh PowerBook User’s Guide for PowerBook 5300 series computers, this storage solution is called a “PC Card storage module.” This module is shown on page 2 of the manual in one of the labels of an annotated drawing of the PowerBook 5300.

The manual states: “PC Cards (also known as PCMCIA cards) are about the size of a thick credit card and have a 68-pin connector at one end. They come in many varieties, such as fax/modem cards, mass-storage cards, Ethernet connection cards, and wireless communication cards. You can use PC Cards to expand your Macintosh PowerBook’s capabilities.”

Later, the three types of PC Cards are explained: “There are three types of PC Cards. The different types refer to the thickness of the card. A Type I card is 3.3 millimeters (mm) thick, a Type II card is 5 mm thick, and a Type III card is 10.5 mm thick.”

The manual also provides details as to how to use a PC Card to connect to the three Apple online services available at the time when the Internet was just becoming widely used, AppleLink, Apple Remote Access (ARA), and eWorld. All three applications were available on the PowerBook 3400 Macintosh HD.

The PC Card storage module can store up to four Type I or Type II PC cards. It is used by sliding the module into the right or left module bay of the laptop.

Source: Apple

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Apple Keyboard (M0116, 1987)

The Apple Keyboard was also referred to as the Apple Standard Keyboard and was offered in addition to the lighter and slimmer Apple Desktop Bus Keyboard. The name Apple Keyboard would later be applied to different Apple keyboard designs, but this was the first use of this name.

This Apple Keyboard used Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) connections. The keyboard offered two ADB connections allowing the user to connect an Apple Desktop Bus Mouse to the keyboard (or directly to the back of the computer). This keyboard was both sold separately and included as an option with the Macintosh II and SE in 1987.

This keyboard also included a power button, a feature that would remain on Apple keyboards until the early 2000s. (The original Apple USB keyboard included with the original iMac was the last Apple keyboard to include a dedicated power button.)

This particular keyboard is damaged in the right side, but its performance is not affected.

Source: Wikipedia

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Apple Watch Nike Sport Loop (44 mm, Summit White, 2019)

Nike Sport Loop Apple Watch bands are designed in partnership between Nike and Apple. The 44 mm Nike Sport Loop in Summit White is described by Apple as:

“Soft, breathable, and lightweight, the Nike Sport Loop is designed for fitness, with summit white color matched to the new line of Nike running shoes. It features a nylon weave with a reflective thread designed to shimmer when light strikes it. A hook-and-loop fastener makes for quick and easy adjustment, and dense loops on the skin side provide soft cushioning while allowing moisture to escape. On the reverse side, the attachment loops are securely anchored for superior durability.”

The Nike Sport Loop fits all 42 mm and 44 mm Apple Watch models, original through Series 5.

Since I tried my first Sport Loop Apple Watch band, I have found this style to be my favorite.

Source: Apple

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Apple TV/Video System (1994)

The Apple TV/Video System was a kit consisting of two hardware components, software, a handheld remote, and user manuals. The system allowed any Apple Power Macintosh, Macintosh Quadra, Macintosh LC, or Macintosh Performa to “Watch TV, capture video images, and create multimedia—all on your Macintosh.”

The specific components in the box included: Apple TV Tuner, Apple Video Player Card, Apple Video Player software, Remote control, and a User’s guide. The box also indicated that “your remote control might look different from the one shown here.” Indeed, the remote pictured on the box is not the one that shipped with any of the systems I have ever seen.

The box also lists the system’s features (in a bulleted list): “Lets you watch TV in a window that appears on the desktop of your Macintosh. Includes a remote control that lets you switch channels, adjust the volume, and control your CD player. Allows you to connect your camcorder or VCR to your Macintosh, and watch the video footage in a window on the display. Lets you capture a single image or a series of images that you can add to reports, letters, and presentations. Features an easy-to-use control panel that gives you one-button image and movie capture. Lets you resize the TV/video window up to the full size of your screen; you can place it anywhere on your desktop.”

Since this system was released before iMovie was created, it also included the Avid VideoShop 3.0 software on CD. At the time, this system was the easiest method for watching TV/video on a Macintosh, and it introduced a low-cost way to edit videos.

I remember that these systems were offered at no additional cost to education with certain Macintosh and Power Macintosh purchases.

Source: Apple

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Newton 9W Power Adapter (1997)

The Newton 9W Power Adapter could be used with all Newton MessagePad products in the United States, Canada, and Japan. An Apple price list also noted that this adapter could “recharge the NiCd Rechargeable Battery Pack for the MessagePad 120 and 130, and the NiMH Rechargeable Battery Pack for the MessagePad 2000 and 2100.”

Source: Apple