This Apple-designed leather sleeve (part number MTEJ2ZM/A) is made for the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro. Apple described the sleeve:
“The black Apple Leather Sleeve is designed for the Apple 15.4-inch MacBook Pro. The sleeve is made of European leather with a soft microfiber lining.”
Apple adds that “The design of this sleeve allows you to charge your 15-inch MacBook while keeping it protected.”
On September 12, 2023, Apple announced that they would end “the use of leather across all of its product lines.” Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, said: “At Apple, we have a longstanding and proven commitment to leading the fight against climate change. Our focus on renewable energy and low-carbon design has already driven industry-leading emissions reductions, and we’re not slowing down.”
The MacBook Pro 13-inch (Late 2011) used the Intel Core i5 “Sandy Bridge” 2.4 GHz processor with two cores. It had a 500 GB Serial ATA (5400 RPM) hard drive, a SuperDrive, an Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics processor, and an integrated FaceTime HD webcam. Its display used an LED-backlit 13.3-inch widescreen TFT active-matrix glossy display (at 1280×800 resolution).
Wireless connectivity included AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1. Wired ports included Gigabit Ethernet, one Firewire 800 port, two USB 2.0 ports, audio in/out, an SDXC card slot, and a Thunderbolt port.
According to EveryMac, this laptop was identical to its predecessor, the MacBook Pro 13-inch (Early 2011) except for the faster processor. In fact, EveryMac indicated that this Late 2011 model was “quietly unveiled without a press release.”
This laptop was 0.95 inch high, 12.78 inches wide, 8.94 inches deep, and weighed 4.5 pounds. It originally shipped with OS X Lion.
The Titanium PowerBook G4 with DVD burning SuperDrive was introduced on November 6, 2002. The laptop had the industry’s first slot-loading SuperDrive optical drive that allowed reading and burning both CDs and DVDs. It included integrated 802.11 wireless networking and the fastest mobile graphics processor until that time (ATI Mobility Radeon 9000). It weighed 5.4 pounds in a 1-inch-thick Titanium enclosure with a widescreen 15.2-inch display.
Apple touted the Titanium PowerBook G4’s speed as equal to or faster than desktop computers of the time:
“Combined with the power of Apple’s UNIX-based Mac OS X version 10.2 ‘Jaguar,’ the new PowerBook G4 runs professional applications including Adobe Photoshop up to 44 percent faster than a 2.2 GHz Pentium 4-based notebook. The fastest PowerBook ever now offers even more incredible 3D graphics performance with the ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 graphics processor featuring up to 64MB of dedicated Double Data Rate (DDR) video SDRAM and advanced capabilities such as programmable pixel and vertex shading for lighting and shadow effects, photorealistic 3D performance and cinematic-quality video.”
This laptop version included a 867MHz G4 processor, 512MB RAM, a 40GB hard drive, 56K modem, and AirPort wireless networking. The Apple model number is A1025. When released, it was “aggressively priced at only $2,299.”
A LoweEndMac review noted that this PowerBook now offered “Closed Lid Mode,” and described the feature:
“TiBooks support ‘lid closed’ (or clamshell) mode, which leaves the built-in display off and dedicates all video RAM to an external display.” The same website indicates that this laptop was also nicknamed the “TiBook,” short for “Titanium PowerBook.”
This 14-inch iBook was announced at the January 7, 2002, Macworld Expo in San Francisco, CA, as Apple’s “top end of its hugely popular iBook line of consumer notebooks.” Phil Schiller, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing at the time, noted that “The iBook is the best consumer and education notebook on the market and our most popular portable ever.” Schiller added, “The new iBook line now offers customers the additional choice of a 14-inch display and is more affordable than ever.”
The iBook G3 14-inch (Early 2002) featured a 600MHz PowerPC 750cx G3 processor. It shipped with 256MB RAM, a 20GB hard drive, and a tray-loading Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW). The laptop had a white translucent case made from impact-resistant polycarbonate. The 14.1-inch TFT active matrix display had 1024×768 native resolution.
Wired connections included USB, FireWire, 56K modem, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, and a VGA video-out port. It also allowed an AirPort wireless card to be added. This laptop shipped with Mac OS X version 10.1.2 and Classic Mac OS 9.2.2.
This 600MHz iBook (model M8413) weighed 4.9 pounds and originally sold for $1,499.
When Apple introduced the M1 iMac in 2021, seven “vibrant” colors were offered—green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver—that Apple reported would bring “a sense of joy to any space.”
One interesting detail of the iMac M1 was that it shipped with color-matched braided cables. The cables included the power cable (from the iMac to a power brick) and this USB-C to Lightning cable.
The purpose of the USB-C to Lightning cable was to charge the color-matched keyboard and mouse that shipped with the iMac M1.
A color-matched braided cable set is, admittedly, a small detail. But this is the kind of attention to detail that many Apple customers enjoy. This pink USB-C to Lightning cable shipped with the pink M1 iMac. Close inspection reveals that the cable is braided with both pink and white.
The Xserve Enclosure Key shipped with Apple’s Xserve line of racked mounted servers, beginning with the Xserve (Slot Load) model. (The “Slot Load” refers to the slot-loading optical drive built into the server.)
The purpose of the Xserve Enclosure Key was to unlock the physical enclosure (case) of the Xserve. The enclosure lock and status light were located in the upper-left corner of the Xserve over the far-left drive module and next to the power button/light.
According to page 11 of the Xserve User’s Guide: “The lock secures the enclosure and drive modules in the server. It can be locked and unlocked with the enclosure key supplied with the server.”
The Enclosure Key is also pictured on the page of the User’s Guide (page 16) that shows detailed drawings of the Mounting Hardware for the Xserve. This one-color illustration includes various braces, brackets, and screws necessary to mount the Xserve in a rack.
Later in the manual (page 49), the directions specify:
“To secure the drive modules in the server, use the enclosure key to lock them in place.”
Further, when the Security lock was engaged using the enclosure lock tool, further security measures were also in place, namely:
“When the enclosure lock is locked (the light is on), the server may not recognize peripheral devices such as a keyboard and mouse or a storage device. Unlock the lock to use those devices.”
The Xserve Enclosure Key measures 1.5 inches long and the cylinder has a diameter of 0.5 inch.
In my experience, Network Managers who worked in Mac environments in the early-2000s regularly carried an Xserve Enclosure Key with them on their keychain using the handy loop included on the tool. While certainly practical, I also felt like the tool was considered a “badge of honor” among a very specific subset of techies.
The Mac mini débuted in 2005 as a low-cost Mac for “switchers”—those running Windows who already had a display, keyboard, and mouse and wanted their very first Mac experience. When he announced it, Steve Jobs said,
“Starting at just $499, Mac mini is the most affordable way to enjoy Mac OS X and iLife. Just plug in your display, keyboard and mouse and you’ve got an incredibly compact Mac for a price that almost anyone can afford.”
The original Mac mini used a G4 processor (2005–2007), followed by various Intel-chip models (2007–2020), Apple’s M1 processor (2020–2023), and now Apple’s M2 chip.
Since its original release, I have always had a Mac mini, and I have always purchased the base model and attached it to my TV to function as my media “server.” At first—before iCloud—I primarily used my Mac mini as my “Music mini” computer, and as digital video became more pervasive, it is now used as a method to show digital videos and to play my very small collection of music not on Apple Music (yes…recorded music does exist that’s not on Apple’s, or any, streaming service!).
This new version of the Mac mini is available with both M2 and M2 Pro Apple Silicon configurations. According to the press release:
“Compared to the previous-generation Mac mini, M2 and M2 Pro bring a faster next-generation CPU and GPU, much higher memory bandwidth, and a more powerful media engine to Mac mini, delivering extraordinary performance and industry-leading power efficiency. Both models feature an advanced thermal system for exceptional sustained performance.”
The base-model M2 Mac mini “features an 8-core CPU with four high-performance and four high-efficiency cores, along with a 10-core GPU.” It includes 8GB unified memory and 256GB SSD standard. The M2 includes the following physical ports:
2 Thunderbolt 4 ports (DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4, USB 4)
2 USB-A ports (up to 5Gb/s)
HDMI port
Gigabit Ethernet port (configurable to 10Gb Ethernet)
3.5 mm headphone jack
Wireless interfaces include Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), and Bluetooth 5.3.
The M2 Mac mini has a slightly larger footprint than the previous Mac mini models. It measures 1.41 inches (3.58 cm) high, by 7.75 inches (19.70 cm) square, and weighs 2.6 pounds (1.18 kg). The slightly larger size matches the square dimensions of the Mac Studio.
When the M2 Mac mini had been released for only one week, media outlets were reporting that the base models had slower SSD performance compared to the previous M1 Mac mini models. A MacRumors review reported:
“While the new Mac mini with the M2 chip has a lower $599 starting price, the base model with 256GB of storage has slower SSD read and write speeds compared to the previous-generation model with the M1 chip and 256GB of storage.”
This Mac mini originally shipped with macOS Ventura.
In my setup, this Mac mini plays music and video from external drives, thus, its SSD speeds have been more than sufficient.
On October 18, 2018, Apple introduced an all-new MacBook Air model:
“Apple today introduced an all-new MacBook Air, bringing a stunning 13-inch Retina display, Touch ID, the latest processors and an even more portable design to the world’s most loved notebook. Delivering the all-day battery life it’s known for, the new MacBook Air is available in three gorgeous finishes — gold, space gray and silver. The most affordable Retina-display Mac ever also includes an Apple-designed keyboard, a spacious Force Touch trackpad, faster SSDs, wide stereo sound, the Apple T2 Security Chip and Thunderbolt 3, making the new MacBook Air the perfect notebook to take with you everywhere you go.”
The 13.3-inch Retina display was 2560 x 1600 (at 227ppi)—a 16:10 aspect ratio. It used a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, and offered many storage options: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1.5TB SSD. RAM options included 8GB or 16GB.
Like all previous MacBook Air models, this version used a tapered body design. It measured 0.16 inch in front to 0.61 inch in back (0.41–1.56 cm) thick, and was 11.97 inches (30.41 cm) wide and 8.36 inches (21.24 cm) deep. It weighed 2.75 pounds (1.25 kg).
The front camera was a 720p FaceTime HD camera. This was the first MacBook Air to ship with 2 USB-C connections, and it also had a 3.5mm headphone jack. Further, this was the first MacBook Air to include an Integrated Touch ID sensor.
The 2018 MacBook Air was released at a time when its features were potentially confusing to customers when compared to other Apple laptop offerings at the time. A reviewer at The Verge noted:
“Is this new Air like a 12-inch MacBook, just blown up to a slightly bigger size? Is it more like a 13-inch MacBook Pro (sans Touch Bar), just with cheaper parts?”
When released, this this MacBook Air only was offered in a 13-inch option, dropping the 11-inch version available in the previous design. This was also the final MacBook Air with an Intel chip—future versions included Apple Silicon, such as the M1.
The 15-inch MacBook Pro (2019) model was the first to offer an 8-core processor in a MacBook. Apple’s press release announced:
“Apple updated MacBook Pro with faster 8th- and 9th-generation Intel Core processors, bringing eight cores to MacBook Pro for the first time. MacBook Pro now delivers two times faster performance than a quad-core MacBook Pro and 40 percent more performance than a 6-core MacBook Pro, making it the fastest Mac notebook ever. These new processors, combined with powerful graphics, the brilliant and colorful Retina display, super-fast SSDs, the Apple T2 Security Chip, all-day battery life and macOS, make MacBook Pro the world’s best pro notebook.”
Both a 6-core and 8-core version of this MacBook Pro was available.
This MacBook Pro was available in both Silver and Space Gray. It had a Touch Bar with integrated Touch ID sensor. Apple describes the Touch Bar:
“If your Mac has a Touch Bar, you can use familiar gestures—like tap, swipe, or slide—directly on the Touch Bar to adjust settings, use Siri, access function keys, and do tasks in different apps.”
The 15.4-inch Retina display was 2880 x 1800 (at 220ppi). This MacBook Pro was offered with a 256GB or 512GB SSD as standards, but was configurable to up to 4TB SSD. All models had 16GB of RAM. The front camera was a 720p FaceTime HD camera.
Physical ports included 4 USB-C ports (all had Thunderbolt 3 capability) and a headphone jack. Wireless interfaces included 802.11ac and Bluetooth 5.0.
This MacBook Pro was 0.61 inch (1.55 cm) thick, and measured 13.75 inches (34.93 cm) wide x 9.48 inches (24.07 cm) deep. It weighed 4.02 pounds (1.83 kg).
Its 10-hour battery charged with an 87W USB-C Power Adapter.
This MacBook Pro featured what Ars Technica referred to as the “new new new butterfly keyboard…which Apple believes will be more reliable than its problem-laden predecessors.” Later in the review, the author adds that “the touchpad is enormous” and describes it as “luxuriously large.”
Although Apple’s press focuses on the 8-core version of this laptop, this particular MacBook Pro (2019) is the 6-core version in Space Gray.
Since the first Mac mini was released in 2005, all models have been compact, shipped without a display, keyboard, and mouse, and all have been relatively inexpensive.
The Mac mini (Late 2012) was described by EveryMac: “Compared to its predecessor, this model looks identical, but it has a faster internal architecture with a faster processor, faster graphics, faster RAM, and USB 3.0 ports.”
Its primarily aluminum case has a plastic bottom and measures 1.4 inches (3.6 cm) tall, 7.7 inches x 7.7 inches (19.7 cm) square, and weighs 2.7 pounds (1.22 kg).
The Mac mini (Late 2012) was offered with a 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 or 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor. It shipped with a 500GB or 1TB (5400-rpm) hard drive.
For a compact case, it had many physical plug options: Thunderbolt, FireWire 800 port, 4 USB 3 ports, HDMI, SDXC card slot, gigabit ethernet port, and audio in/out. Its 3 wireless interfaces included 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and an IR receiver.
