Category: Print

Posted on

The Visual Almanac: An Interactive Multimedia Kit (January 1990)

The Visual Almanac is the earliest Apple Education multimedia product in my collection. According to the kit’s Laser Disc, pictured on the Domesday86 website:

“The Visual Almanac is composed of 3 parts: the Visual Almanac Videodisc, the Visual Almanac software, and the Visual Almanac Companion (a book). This two-sided videodisc contains an Introduction, over 7000 images and 2 channels of sound organized into 12 collections. It is designed to be used under control of a Macintosh computer.”

The printed materials include a guide (First Steps in the Visual Almanac) and a spiral-bound book. Media includes three 3.5-inch disks: HyperCard 1.2.2; Visual Almanac Home (home HyperCard stack; Collections Directory (pre-made collections), and a CD-ROM. The kit also includes a cable.

The cable is described as a “LaserDisc Player Serial Lead,” designed to “connect a Pioneer player (with a 15 pin D-Sub connector) to the Apple Macintosh mini-DIN serial port.”

The box containing all the items in the kit measures 12.75 inches square and is 1.5 inches deep. The accompanying spiral-bound book is titled The Visual Almanac: An Interactive Multimedia Kit Companion, measures 11 x 8.5 inches, and contains 216 pages, printed in full color.

The Preface of the book contains a welcome message that states the resource’s intent:

“Welcome to The Visual Almanac! We designed the The Visual Almanac to give everyone a glimpse of potential computer-centered futures and have tried to show how current multimedia technologies might be used to do something new. We tried to make something that could be used now, but would also provoke the development of methodologies, technologies and pedagogies for the future. It is an interactive multimedia kit aimed at children and all their teachers—in schools, in homes and in various public environments—as well as business people, researchers and developers who make educational and other materials for our youth.”

Although the full package is dated January 1990, the accompanying CD-ROM is dated 1989 and the CD (as well as the Laser Disc) specifies that it was “Produced by the Apple Multimedia Lab.”

The box in my collection is missing the accompanying 2-sided LaserDisc that contains the primary content in 78 “collections” for the kit:

Side A Collections
Animals and Plants
Earth View
Everyday Physics
Solar System
Sounds Side A

Side B Collections
American History
Around the World
History of Daily Life
Everyday Objects
Historical Portraits
Sounds Side B
Studies in Time

Special thanks to the Domesday86 website for providing an excellent, detailed entry about this kit that allowed me to better describe this early educational multimedia example.

Source: Apple, Domesday86

Posted on

The Apple Catalog (Spring 1993)

The Apple Catalog opens with the description:

“In this catalog, you’ll read about a lot of tremendously useful products. Products that could change your life. You’ll also read about the way some people really did change their lives—and a lot of other peoples’ lives—in significant ways.”

The Table of Contents includes:

  • Color Classic—Introducing the Macintosh Color Classic computer
  • Color made easy—Scan it, display it, and print it—all in color
  • PowerBook computers—Macintosh power in a notebook size
  • PowerBook accessories—Carrying cases, batteries, rechargers, and more
  • Printers—StyleWriter and ImageWriter printers and accessories
  • Laser printers—Personal LaserWriter NTR and LS printers and accessories
  • Desktop publishing—New tools for the black-and-white publisher
  • Multimedia—Bring full-color video, sound, and animation to your Macintosh screen
  • Disability solutions—Tools for people with disabilities
  • Software—Word processing, drawing, page layout, presentations, and more
  • Learning and communicating—Self-paced training, technical support, and communications software
  • Networks—Networking software and cables
  • Compatibility—How Macintosh works with other systems: AUX, SNA•ps, and MacX
  • Macintosh security—Anti-glare filters, security kits, and system savers
  • Macintosh add-ons—Keyboards, mice, and disk holders
  • Desk accessories—Accents for the well-appointed office
  • Apple wear—Apple clothing and accessories
  • Apple II, too—Products and accessories for Apple II computers
  • The Apple II on Macintosh—Plus a library of useful manuals

The Apple Catalog from Spring 1993 measures 9.125 x 11 inches and is printed in full color on a matte finish paper.

Source: Apple

Posted on

Snow Leopard brochure (2009)

This Snow Leopard brochure, titled “Mac OSX Snow Leopard: Installation, features, and refinements” describes the 2-step installation process and outlines the main features of Mac OS X, Version 10.6.

Features that are described include:

  • Exposé
  • Safari 4
  • QuickTime X
  • Microsoft Exchange Support
  • Universal Access
  • Several different “Refinements” to its Leopard predecessor

Each of 5 panels are square and measure 125mm. Folded out, the entire brochure is 625mm long. The brochure is primarily white and printed in full color.

Source: Apple

Posted on

Picasso book covers (1992)

This set of two book covers were presumably created for the education market for students to use to cover their textbooks (of the heavy, printed variety).

The book covers measure 10.75 x 26.25 inches and feature the original Macintosh “Picasso” logo on the front side, and the 6-color Apple logo on the back with the tagline “The power to be your best.”

The center of these book covers that would fall along the spine of the textbook have an Apple logo printed sideways and labels for “Name” and “Class” (with lines on which to write). All text is printed in the Apple Garamond font, Apple’s corporate font used between 1984 and 1993.

Both book covers are folded.

Posted on

Personal Internet Solution Bundle binder (1995)

Apple’s Personal Internet Solution Bundle is a 3-ring binder containing 3-hole-punched, 8.5 x 11-inch pages and is part of the Apple Education Series from 1995.

The design of the binder uses a beige-on-beige background accented with gold and teal graphics—all using a woodcut-style design. This design was used throughout the mid- to late-1990s for Apple Education products.

The binder is a professional learning resource for educators to teach them the basics of using tools on the World Wide Web. The four major sections include:

  • Getting Started—Step-by-step instructions for getting connected to the Internet
  • Netscape Navigator—from Netscape Communications Corporation
  • Eudora by Qualcomm—from Qualcomm Incorporated
  • Internet Provider Connection—from Portal Information Network

Each printed section in the binder is separated by dark green tabs for easy navigation.

Some of the highlights of this resource include the title of the Netscape Navigator section, “a friendly handbook on the coolest way to explore the Internet,” and the 151-page manual about how to use email!

Source: Apple

Posted on

Out of the Box and Onto the Net booklet (1997)

This Apple Education Series booklet, titled Out of the Box and Onto the ’Net: The Internet, Teaching, and Mac OS 8 was written to explain to educators how to use Internet in school with the Mac OS 8 operating system.

The Table of Contents included the following sections:

  • Welcome
  • The Internet in Education
  • The Internet: an introduction
  • How the Internet is transforming education
  • Uses of the Internet in education
  • Communication and collaboration
  • Conducting research
  • Publishing on the World Wide Web
  • Getting ready to go online
  • Preparing students to go online
  • Learning activities and teacher resources
  • Mac OS 8 Internet Features
  • Mac OS 8 overview
  • Setting up your computer to access the Internet
  • Registering with an ISP
  • Adding or changing LAN or ISP settings
  • Creating and importing settings information
  • Connecting to and disconnecting from the Internet
  • Disconnecting from the Internet
  • Using the Connect To command
  • Sending e-mail with Mac OS 8
  • Personal Web Sharing
  • Mac OS Runtime for Java
  • Using the PointCast Network
  • Using the Mac OS Info Center

The book measures 8.5 x 11 inches with a full-color cover. The interior is printed in black.

Source: Apple

Posted on

Media Arts CD digital magazine (1999)

This Media Arts CD is presented as a digital magazine. The cardboard folder serves both as printed content overview and as packaging for the CD. The folder measures 5.5 x 7 inches and contains a CD-ROM. The interior and exterior of the folder and the CD use a matching design. The package is clearly branded using the Apple Garamond font and a translucent blue Apple logo.

The full title of the package is Apple Media Arts News for the Creative Community, and the interior text conveys:

“Apple Media Arts presents news for the creative community. Profiles of innovators, iconoclasts, and industry leaders. The latest developments in design, publishing, and digital video. Apple tools and technologies that help you create your best work. With this edition, Apple Media Arts moves to the World Wide Web. Our focus: digital video production.”

Source: Apple

Posted on

Media Album: Apple Marketing Communications CD-ROM Collection (1994, 1995)

This Media Album is a white vinyl 2-ring binder that measures 135mm x 185mm x 40mm. It contains 7 plastic CD pages, CD-ROMs, and 2 card stock inserts (1 folds out into 3 panels).

The interior card stock page includes the welcome message:

“Check out all of the cost-saving, high-impact Apple marketing materials on your three new CDs-especially the new lifestyle images!”

Each of the plastic CD pages contains a CD-ROM on one side and a paper insert on the other side that describes the contents of the CD. CDs include a Marketing Toolkit for the Performa line of Macintosh computers, Product Photo Libraries, Media Toolkits, and 3 Media Image Discs. All CD-ROMs are from 1994 and 1995.

The CD-ROMs contain a variety of file formats and applications designed to run on Macintosh Systems of the time (many do not open or run on modern macOS computers). Several of the images are compressed with now-defunct file concatenation formats (e.g., Stuffit). Other images appear to be in a now-unreadable Kodak PhotoCD format. However, a few folders contain JPEG images that can be opened (in 2023)—after manually appending each file name with “.jpg” so it can be recognized.

Source: Apple

Posted on

Make Your iLife Grow brochure (2005)

This 4-page brochure measures 5.5 x 6.5 inches and is printed on heavy, matte-finish paper. The brochure describes how to use iLife ’05 apps to “make your iLife projects bloom” and “Expand your creativity and share your photos, movies, and music with the world.”

The “grow” concept is presumably an extension of the artwork on the iLife ’05 packaging—a bright red flower blooming from a bright green root system of stylized graphics of music and video creation imagery.

The back of the brochure is an advertisement for iWork ’05. The brochure also includes a separate installation guide and a set of “Software Coupons” that served as Proof of Purchase for the iLife suite.

Source: Apple

Posted on

Macintosh solutions for math and science, Apple TV Broadcast Number 57, VHS tape (March 19, 1992)

With many thanks to the online records of Stanford University’s Green Library, I was able to locate an excellent description of this VHS tape in my collection that is also in their “Guide to the Apple Computer, Inc. Records M1007” collection in the Department of Special Collections and University Archives.

Stanford describes the segments of this 60-minute video:

  • Segment 1: Introduction with Tricia Kellison and Jim Pyle
  • Segment 2: University of California at Berkeley – Human Powered Vehicle case study
  • Segment 3: Alabama School of Fine Arts/Math and Science Division
  • Segment 4: University of California at Berkeley – Physiology Lab
  • Segment 5: Boston Technical High School – Algebra/Advanced Math
  • Segment 6: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – Engineering in the “real world”
  • Segment 7: Johns Hopkins University – Astrophysics
  • Segment 8: Math & Science Curriculum Integration demo / Michael Jay
  • Segment 9: Question and answer

This video tape is in a plastic VHS case.

Source: Stanford University