This CD was packaged in an orange sleeve from the ADC (Apple Developer Connection). The packaging lists the contents:
Macintosh Products Guide
“Have you ever wondered if the right software or hardware existed to perform a specific task on your Mac? Or have you heard about some of the latest products for your Mac and wished you had a convenient resource to learn more about them?
On this CD you’ll find Apple’s Macintosh Products Guide, the only tool you need to help you locate information on over 12,000 software and hardware products for the Macintosh platform. Here you’ll learn about the hottest products available for your Mac, including games, productivity applications, printers, scanners, image editing applications, utilities, digital cameras, USB peripherals for the iMac, and much, much more. And many of the products listed in the Macintosh Products Guide have direct links for easy online purchase.
We’re sure you’ll find the Macintosh Products Guide on the web an invaluable resource for all your product information needs—one you’ll turn to again and again. With that in mind, be sure to visit the Macintosh Products Guide web site for the latest information on the wide range of products available for your Mac. Point your browser to www.apple.com/guide.”
This collection of CDs include original cardboard packaging with each package containing 1–3 CD-ROM discs. Each CD package is titled “The Apple Sales and Marketing Resource Library” and features a color photo of an Apple product. Each package is also dated.
March 1999 (2 CDs) Pictured: G3 Blue & White tower and matching Blue & White display CD 1 USB FAQ K-12 Seminar # 1 Education QuickFacts New/Revised Data Sheets Mac Products Guide 02.99 Studio Display QTVRs FireWire Fact Sheet iMac Photography iMac Sales Pres CD 2 “A Day in the Life of an SAP Order” “Learn & Earn 1999” “Part lI SAP” Exec. Commentary: Wane Kozlow
May 1999 (2CDs) Pictured: Strawberry iMac CD 1 PowerSales May 1999 Apple Loan Ad Slicks ColorSync White Paper Final Cut DataSheet & FAQ QuickTime 4.0 Data & Fact Sheets Mac OS X Server Data Sheet & FAQ Mac OS X Server Presentation Mac Products Guide 04.99 Mac OS Promos CD 2 Mac OS X Server Training
June 1999 (3 CDs) Pictured: PowerBook G3 CD 1 PowerSales June 99 PowerBook G3 Series Photography PowerBook G3 Series Data Sheet PowerBook G3 Series Presentation Final Cut Pro Data Sheet Final Cut Pro White Paper Final Cut Pro Overview Movie Final Cut Pro Presentation QuickTime 4.0 Pro Data Sheet QuickTime 4.0 Pro Fact Sheet WebObjects Success Stories CD 2 WWDC 99 Taped Kevnote Speeches: Jon Rubenstein & Phil Schiller Mitch Mandich CD 3 WWDC 99 Taped Sessions: Mac OS 8 Overview Mac OS X Overview QuickTime-What’s New
July 1999 (1 CD) Pictured: G3 Blue & White tower CD 1 PowerSales July 99 QuickTime 4 Glossary WebObjects Success Stories Mac OS X Server Presentation Macintosh Server G3 Presentation QuickMail Pro Client Demo Electrifier® Pro 1.0.1 Quickevs 4.0 Demo Informed 2.6.2 4D v6.5
August 1999 (1 CD) CD only (no cardboard insert) CD 1 PowerSales August 99 iBook Sales Presentation Macworld NY 99 Keynote Speech iBook Data Sheets, Take One and FAQ iBook and AirPort Product Photography Design & Publishing Sales Presentations AppleShare IP 6.2 Sales Presentation AppleCare Data Sheets and FAQs QuickTime 4 Sales Presentation WebObjects Success Stories AppleShare IP 6.2 (NFR)
October 1999 (2 CDs) Pictured: Mac OS 9 retail box CD 1 PowerSales October 1999 Mac OS 9 Sales Presentation Macintosh and DV White Paper Digital Moviemaking with iMac DV Mac OS 9 Data Sheet, FAQ & Take One iMac DV Data Sheets, FAQ & Take One iMac DV Product Photography WebObjects Success Stories iMac DV Sales Presentation iMovie Fact Sheet & FAQ CD 2 Flint Center Event – Steve Jobs Electrifier® Pro 1.0.2 Spell Catcher 8 Demo Soundlam MP v1.1.1 Demo Conflict Catcher 8.0.6 Demo Informed Designer®v2.7 Demo Informed Filler® v2.7 Demo Version Master Mac 2.0.2 REALbasic 2.02 Demo FMSync for JFile
November 1999 (2 CDs) Pictured: Graphite iMac SE CD 1 PowerSales November 1999 iBook Demo Fall ’99 V2 PowerBook G3 Demo Fall ’99 Power Mac G4 Demo Fall ’99 V2 iMac Demo Fall ’99 V2 AppleShare IP 6.3 CD 2 iBook First Impressions AppleShare IP 6.3 Data Sheet AppleCare Protection Plan Data Sheet Design & Publishing Sales Presentations AppleShare IP 6.3 Sales Presentation Apple Corporate & Reseller Logos Reseller Advertising Guidelines Mac OS 9 Reseller Ad Kit iMac Reseller Ad Kit
January 2000 (1 CD) Pictured: 5 slot-loading iMacs (tangerine, strawberry, blueberry, grape, and lime) PowerSales January 2000 AppleWorks 6 Data Sheet Apple Internet Services FAQ Apple Internet Services Sales Preso Apple Studio Display 15″ Data Sheet Mac OS X Server Data Sheet & FAQ Apple Displays Sales Presentation Adobe Web Collection Promo AirPort FAQ
I sometimes get asked what Apple devices and collectibles I’m looking to acquire. It’s usually easier for me to answer whether or not I’m interested in a particular item than for me to attempt to list particular devices. However, this list represents some Apple devices that I would likely wish to obtain if one became readily available.
Apple Watch Edition (original, any version)iBook SE (Graphite, opaque version)iMac (Blue Dalmatian)iMac (Flower Power)iMac (lime)iMac (ruby)iMac (sage)iMac (tangerine)iPod shuffle (Generation 2, Avon edition)Macintosh PortablePowerBook 170 (JLPGA edition)PowerBook 100 (preferably with floppy drive)Duo Dock (any version)PowerBook Duo (any version)Xserve G5Xserve RAIDXservePippin (manufactured by Bandai)
This Mac OS 8 Demo Tour CD is in its original cardboard envelope packaging. It contains a single CD that touts Mac OS 8’s “Performance, Ease of use, Internet, Multimedia, Compatibility, Information, Personalization, and Dependability.”
This CD Contains all the files and applications to deliver a Mac OS 8 Demo experience. Upon inserting the CD-ROM, the user is presented with a Mac OS 8 graphic and three icons: Mac OS 8 Demo Read me QuickTime 2.5
Double-clicking the Mac OS 8 Demo icon would launch the demo file. Double-clicking “Read me” would open the SimpleText application and provide directions on how to use the Demo application and list the system requirements of the Demo. The QuickTime 2.5 folder contained an installer for QuickTime 2.5, in case the Macintosh had an earlier version installed. Created in 1991, QuickTime is the multimedia framework developed by Apple to handle various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity.
This collection of CDs include original cardboard packaging with each package containing 1–3 CD-ROM discs. Each CD package is titled “The Apple Sales and Marketing Resource Library” and features a color photo of an Apple computer. Each package is also dated.
The CD contents include:
November 1998 (1 CD) Pictured: Power Macintosh G3 (beige desktop) with keyboard, mouse, and monitor CD 1 Interop Seminar Materials Apple Loan Reseller Sign Up Mac OS 8.5 Interactive Demo Mac OS 8.5 Data Sheet & FAQ “e-mail” and “Beige” Commercials PowerBook G3 Overview & FAQ PowerBook G3 Sales Pres USB Sales Fact Sheet & Pres Apple Commercial Credit New/Revised Data Sheets
January 1999 (3 CDs) Pictured: Macintosh Server G3 (tower) CD 1 Tales of the iMac “Hal” Commercial Publishing Market Guide MacWorld Product Intro Materials New Product Presentations New Product Photography Mac Products Guide Data Sheet Library CD 2 Creator2 In Concert SFX Machine Conflict Catcher Mac OS 8.5.1 Update fusion EFFECTS Unity DS-1 Retro AS-1 ReBirth 4D V6 CD 3 (Apple PowerSales) SAP New Apple Products (MacWorld) Jeff Hansen
April 1999 (2 CDs) Pictured: G3 Tower (blue and white) CD 1 PowerSales Apr 1999 Gistics AppleScript ROI Rpt Ed ANAT Volume Lic. Promo AMA/Enhancing the Workflow Small Business and iMac Presentation PM G3 AV for Education Data Sheet Power Macintosh G3 Poster Pfeiffer Technology Report PowerBook Ad Slicks Mac OS X Server Material (and more) CD 2 Myth II: Soulblighter Dark Vengeance Demo Hoyle Card Games Demo 3D Ultra NASCAR® Pinball Quest For Glory V: Dragon Fire M.Y.O.B. Trial Version 8 Lode Runner 2 Demo Civilization II Demo AppleWorks 5 (and more)
August 1999 (1 CD) Pictured: iBook (blueberry) CD 1 QuickTime 4 [Resource Library CDs appear to be lost]
The 3.5-inch floppy disk was used in the very first Macintosh computer in 1984 after its initial introduction by Sony in 1981. By 1992 the format had evolved several times and was used as a relatively inexpensive and reliable way to share digital files before the Internet. At the time, the CD-ROM was gaining popularity, but most users had access to 3.5-inch floppy drives.
This Macintosh Educational Software Guide from 1992 contains a compressed HyperCard Stack.
HyperCard was a software application and development kit for Apple computers that allowed users to create and/or read hypermedia documents, a format that was used before the World Wide Web. The system was developed and used extensively between 1987 and 1994, and retired in 2004.
According to its accompanying envelope—found digitally, but not a part of my collection:
The “MacEduGuide ’92” compressed HyperCard stack on this floppy disk includes information about more than 1,300 software programs for students, teachers, and administrators in K-12 schools. Each product listing includes the following information:
Product description
Publisher’s name, address, and phone number
Education pricing (when available)
Grade range
System requirements
Additional items included with the software
Product review citations in educational software journals
Publisher’s policies (copy protection, site licensing, 90-day free trial, and so on)
The special features of this stack allow you to search for information using any combination of elements: title, publisher, subject and topic, specific grade or grade range, and system requirements.
You can print any or all of the product lists and product information. The “mailer” button that appears with each product description allows you to print a letter to the publisher requesting additional information.
Further, the HyperCard Stack was compressed using the .sea compression method popular at the time for Macintosh computers. While Windows primarily used .zip for compression, Apple used .sea (Self Extracting Archive). The format was built into the Macintosh Operating System at the time and did not require a “helper app” to open and decompress the file.
This large, full-color brochure measures 11×17 inches and folds out into a 2-up layout with a total measurement of 22×17 inches. The brochure was provided to Apple Education customers and explains how iWork ’08 and iLife ’08 could be used in the classroom.
The cover includes three students using white MacBook notebooks with USB science probes in a classroom. Upon opening the brochure, the first spread is a striking photo of a teacher working with a student with an all-black facing page with white text (in the then-current Apple Myriad font). The text reads:
“There has never been a more exciting time to be an educator, because there have never been so many creative ways to connect with students. When you bring movies, music, and photography into the classroom, amazing things happen. Core subjects come to life; students are more inspired to communicate and collaborate; and without even realizing it, they get an enormous head start with 21st-century skills. We believe that creativity is the key to unlocking every child’s genius, and that media-rich learning is the key to greater creativity. The time has come to reimagine what’s possible, and to redefine our expectations. Rethink.”
The center, 2-page spread is on an all-white background and outlines six features of iLife ’08 pictured along with a white MacBook. The text reads:
“Grab their attention, and don’t let go: Introducing iLife ’08. Incredibly easy tools for incredibly amazing schoolwork. Meet iLife ’08, a fully integrated suite of digital authoring tools—iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iWeb and iDVD. Together, they let students create amazing projects such as photo books, slideshows, documentary movies, podcasts, music, and more. The tools all work together beautifully and couldn’t be more intuitive: learn just one, and you’ll soon master them all. iLife ’08 is simple enough to build confidence in kindergartners, yet powerful enough to engage the most media-savvy high schoolers—not to mention teachers and parents…”
The third and final spread, also on an all-white background, features iWork ’08 and a photo of a silver iMac. Its text reads:
“Productivity has a new best friend: Introducing iWork ’08. Simple, powerful tools that teach students real-world skills. Meet Keynote, Pages, and Numbers- otherwise known as iWork ’08. Whether you want to create cinema-quality presentations, exciting reports, or visually compelling spreadsheets, iWork ’08 themes give you a giant head start. Even the most dynamic features-from charts to movies to animation-can be added to projects in a flash, and you can easily import from and export to Microsoft Office and AppleWorks…”
The back of the brochure uses the headline “Inspiration enclosed.” It features product boxes of iWork ’08 and iLife ’08 and includes Site License pricing and contact information.
This brochure was sent to education customers and had purple/violet space-themed cover art that resembled the Mac OS X Leopard (10.5) default wallpaper. It had the text: “The future has already arrived at www.apple.com/education/hslabs.” The text is printed in Apple Myriad, Apple’s corporate font used at the time.
The back of the mailing is all white and included address and postal information. The folded piece measures 8.5 x 14.25 inches.
The bottom of the mailing includes the following text:
The iPad Generation 9 was released on September 14, 2021. Apple described the device: “The 10.2-inch iPad features A13 Bionic, Center Stage, True Tone, and now starts with double the storage, all at an incredible value.”
This packaging is from a 10-pack education purchase. It is the same envelope-like container that is included with a single iPad in retail packaging, but only one is included in a bulk 10-pack purchase. The items include the following (all measuring 4 3/16 x 6.75 inches): Cardboard envelope 4-color pamphlet (the inside briefly describes features including Apple Pencil, Top Button, Touch ID, Lightning Connector, Control Center, and Dock and App Switcher; the back describes the Smart Connector and Tips app) 2-sided regulatory sheet Apple stickers (2 white stickers on one sheet)
For the past few years I have been photographing and cataloging my Apple Collection and posting on this blog. The exercise has allowed me to both showcase and inventory my collection. Occasionally, such as in this case, I discover a detail I’ve neither seen nor heard in another source.
I recently acquired several new Apple Watch bands of different types. Among them, I decided to splurge on my very first (and likely last) Apple Watch Hermès item for my collection—the Apple Watch Hermès 45 mm Navy Single Tour Band. Having never unboxed or photographed an Apple/Hermès product, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Typical Apple Watch bands (and Apple Watch Nike bands) arrive in a white (or black) cardboard box with a detailed illustration on the front showing the band’s design. The box can be opened by pulling the green arrow icon to break the tape seal, and the box opens at the side. A tabbed, folded insert is then slid out, and when unfolded, the band is held in place by die-cut cardboard. Instructions are printed on the cardboard insert for putting the band on an Apple Watch.
A typical Apple Watch Sport Loop cardboard insert.
The Apple Watch Hermès packaging is decidedly more posh. The outside of the box is covered in a clear plastic wrap similar to the wrap on some Apple product boxes (such as the original HomePod and the iPad Pro). The plastic includes a tab with a white arrow to indicate which way to peel off the outer protective layer. Under the plastic, the orange Hermès box is sturdy, heavy, and textured. The lid of the box lifts off, and this is where my surprise began.
Outside and inside the Apple Watch Hermès packaging.
Inside, the Apple Watch Hermès band is not in cardboard, but enrobed in a luxurious microfiber pouch with a familiar texture and configuration. I removed the cloth pouch from the box and opened it to find that one side contained cardboard and paper inserts with information, and the other side was divided in half with each side containing one piece of the watch band.
The luxury microfiber pouch in the Apple Watch Hermès box.
Upon closer inspection, the pouch appears to be made from the same material as the now famous Apple Polishing Cloth, the $19 cloth that enjoyed about a month of media hype in 2021. Apple had begun selling the Polishing Cloth as an accessory and the cloth quickly went out of stock due to apparently high demand. You can read more about this story here. In addition to the similar look and feel of the material, the edge construction of the pouch also appears identical to the Apple Polishing Cloth. While the Apple/Hermès logotype appears to be both embossed and printed with brown ink, the Apple logo on the Apple Polishing Cloth is only embossed.
The Apple Watch Hermès pouch and Apple Polishing Cloth compared.
The colors of the two items are different—the Apple Polishing Cloth is light gray, while the Apple Watch Hermès pouch is a shade of greige (gray+beige). The two materials feel identical to the touch, both in the cloth area and in the more dense edges that are presumably joined by an adhesive and pressure to create a finished look and feel with edges rounded in Bézier curves.
As a result of this unboxing and photo session, I believe that I identified Apple’s signal for their truly high-end products—the presence of Apple’s “luxury microfiber.” See my Apple Watch Hermès band blog entry here. If anyone has additional information about this microfiber material or has seen it used in other Apple products, please contact me!
Post Script: As I suspected, the French-made Apple Watch Hermès Single Tour Band does not fit my American-made wrist. This is far from a tragedy, as I am happy to have this one example for my collection. Just do not expect to see me wearing my Hermès band on the yacht, at the country club, or in the stables.*
*Please note that do not I engage in these activities.
