Category: Software

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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

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Mac OS X Tiger, Version 10.4, installer DVD, Not for Resale (2005)

Mac OS X, Version 10.4, was the fifth major release of the Mac OS X [ten] operating system. It was referred to by its codename, “Tiger,” in its product marketing. Previous versions were codenamed “Cheetah” (Version 10.0) and “Puma” (Version 10.1), but they were referred to only by their version numbers. Version 10.2 was announced as “Jaguar,” 10.3 was named “Panther,” and this version, 10.4, was called “Tiger.”

According to Apple, “Tiger delivers more than 200 new features and innovations including Spotlight, a revolutionary desktop search technology that lets users instantly find anything stored on their Mac, including documents, emails, contacts and images; and Dashboard, a new way to instantly access important information like weather forecasts and stock quotes, using a dazzling new class of applications called widgets.”

This Not for Resale DVD is unopened.

When it was released on April 29, 2005, this Mac OS X upgrade cost US$129. Likely because this DVD is “Not for Resale,” it is packaged in a plain white cardboard envelope.

Source: Apple

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Multimedia Learning Tools CD Library (1995)

This collection of CD-ROMs is part of the Apple Education Series and is titled “Multimedia Learning Tools CD Library.” The CD booklet measures 7.5 x 9.25 inches and is made of clear vinyl. It has a side attachment that allows the book to be bound in a 3-ring binder. The booklet’s front and back cover design use a beige-on-beige woodcut pattern design with a bold rectangle woodcut image in the center depicting stylized characters and multimedia icon images.

The interior front and back flap have internal pockets for paperwork. Three inside pages contain pockets that can hold 4 CDs each (2 in front and 2 in back).

The CD-ROMs in this collection include:

  • MediaClips 1: Animal Kingdom, Tropical Rain Forest & Deep Voyage (Softkey, 1993–1995)
  • Apple Education Series Multimedia Learning Tools (1995)
  • HyperStudio (Roger Wagner, 1993–1994)
  • Kid Pix (Brøderbund, 1994)
  • Claris Impact 1.0 (1995)
  • Avid VideoShop 3.0 (1995)
  • Microsoft Bookshelf (1995)
  • Famous Faces (Jasmine Multimedia, 1995)
  • MultiWare Multi-Media Collection (BeachWare)
  • 1995 TIme Almanac
  • MacGallery, Version 1.1 (1994–1995)
  • MediaClips 2: Space Odyssey, American View, & World View (Softkey, 1993–1995)

Source: Apple

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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

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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

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Mac OS X Public Beta CD folder (2000)

On September 13, 2000, Steve Jobs released the Mac OS X Public Beta at Apple Expo in Paris. During the unveiling, Jobs said:

“Mac OS X is the future of the Macintosh, and the most technically advanced personal computer operating system ever. We’re excited to have our users test drive this public beta version and provide us with their valuable feedback.”

Somewhat controversially, Apple charged $29.95 for the software—a Beta version that was known to be buggy and not quite finished. The issue was not that the operating system was buggy and unfinished—that is the definition of a software “Beta”—but that Apple was charging faithful users to get an early look at the future of their products while testing it for the purpose of improving the final release. In an article at the time, a writer at Ars Technica provided a balanced opinion:

“Taken all together, ‘Mac OS X Public Beta’…means that for $29.95 you get an unfinished, buggy version of Apple’s next generation operating system. Charging for public beta software is increasingly common among the big software companies… If you don’t want to pay for buggy software, don’t buy the beta.”

The Mac OS X public beta was a completely new operating system for the Mac and provided the foundation of the macOS we still use today—over 20 years later. Apple’s press release described some highlights of Mac OS X:

“Mac OS X features true memory protection, pre-emptive multi-tasking, and symmetric multiprocessing when running on the new dual-processor Power Mac G4 line. Mac OS X includes Apple’s new Quartz 2D graphics engine (based on the Internet-standard Portable Document Format) for stunning graphics and broad font support; OpenGL for spectacular 3D graphics and gaming, and QuickTime for streaming audio and video. In addition, Mac OS X features Apple’s new user interface named ‘Aqua,’ which combines superior ease-of-use with amazing new functionality such as the ‘Dock,’ a breakthrough for organizing applications, documents and miniaturized windows.”

This white cardboard folder measures 8 x 9.5 x 0.25 inches and opens to reveal a compartment for a single CD. Unfortunately, the original installer CD is not included in this folder. The welcome message in the folder reads:

“Dear Mac OS X Beta Tester,

You are holding the future of the Macintosh in your hands.

Mac OS X is a new, super-modern operating system that will usher in a new era for the Macintosh. New from the ground up, Mac OS X is specifically designed for the Internet and includes advanced technologies for incredible improvements in stability and performance. It also features a stunning new interface called Aqua.

This Public Beta will give you a chance to start using Mac OS X and give us a chance to hear what you think. Let us know by visiting our website at www.apple.com/macosx.

Thanks for your help and for being a part of Apple history. We couldn’t do it without you.”

Sources: Ars Technica, Apple

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Mac OS X Panther, Version 10.3, installer CDs and guides (2003)

Mac OS X Panther, Version 10.3, was the fourth major release of the Mac OS X [ten] operating system, and the second to be referred to by its codename, “Panther,” in its product marketing. Previous versions were codenamed “Cheetah” (Version 10.0) and “Puma” (Version 10.1), but they were referred to only by their version numbers. Version 10.2 was publicly announced as “Jaguar,” and this version, 10.3, continued the “big cat” codenames with “Panther.”

According to Apple, “Panther delivers more than 150 breakthrough new features including a completely new Finder that provides one-click access to a user’s favorite files and folders; Exposé, a revolutionary new way to instantly see all open windows at once; and iChat AV, a complete desktop video conferencing solution for business, education and consumers.”

This set includes all installer CDs and a set of three 7.5 x 9-inch booklets, including installation directions, the software license, and a “Welcome to Panther” booklet describing the operating system’s main features. The set is packaged in a 8.25 x 9.25-inch clear plastic envelope.

When it was released on October 24, 2003, this Mac OS X upgrade cost US$129.

Source: Apple

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Mac OS X Jaguar, Version 10.2, installer CDs and guides (Not for Resale, 2002)

Mac OS X Jaguar, Version 10.2, was the third major release of the Mac OS X [ten] operating system, and the first to be referred to by its codename, “Jaguar,” in its product marketing. The previous two versions were codenamed “Cheetah” (Version 10.0) and “Puma” (Version 10.1), but they were referred to only by their version numbers.

Among over 150 new features, Jaguar included Quartz Extreme, “which accelerates graphics performance by using the power of the Mac’s built-in graphics engine to make the desktop more responsive and deliver seamlessly blended 2D, 3D and QuickTime content directly onto the desktop.” This new graphics technology was used to render the Jaguar fur in high resolution on the “X” [Roman numeral 10] that was used in the image on the install CD and on other product marketing.

Other Jaguar features included:

“a new Mail application designed to eliminate junk mail, iChat AIM-compatible instant messenger, a system-wide Address Book, Inkwell handwriting recognition, QuickTime 6 with MPEG-4, improved Universal Access, an enhanced Finder, Sherlock 3 with Internet Services and Rendezvous, Apple’s revolutionary home networking technology.”

This is a “Not for Resale” set of all installer CDs and a 7.5 x 9-inch brochure with installation directions. The set is packaged in a 8.25 x 9.25-inch clear plastic envelope.

Sources: Apple, Wikipedia

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Logic Studio, Version 2.0, Install DVDs (NFR, 2009)

Logic Studio was a music production suite of software by Apple sold between 2007-2011. The suite included Logic Pro, Mainstage, Soundtrack Pro, WaveBurner, Studio Instruments, Studio Effects, Apple Loops, Impulse Response Utility, Compressor, QuickTime Pro, and content DVDs with Jam Pack collections, sound effects, and more.

Apple’s press release quoted Phil Schiller, Apple’s-then senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing:

“The new Logic Studio is ideal for professional musicians, live performers and GarageBand enthusiasts who want to take their music to the next level. Guitar players are going to love Amp Designer and Pedalboard and the new Flex Time tools allow you to quickly improve your recordings and create tighter performances.”

This version of Logic added a Loopback plug-in to allow “musicians to record, layer and jam along with their own performance so a single musician can lay down a rhythm and then play a lead over it” using a Mac onstage during their live performance.

This set includes 9 DVDs. This version is NFR, Not for Resale.

Sources: Apple, Wikipedia

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Final Cut Studio, Version 3.0, Install DVDs (NFR, 2009)

Final Cut Studio was a suite of video editing, production, and post-production software created by Apple and sold between 2005–2011. Version 3.0 was the final release of Final Cut Studio and contained the following applications:

  • Final Cut Pro 7—real-time video editor for DV, SD, and HD formats
  • Motion 4—real-time motion graphics design application
  • Soundtrack Pro 3—advanced audio editing and sound design application
  • DVD Studio Pro 4—application for encoding, authoring, and burning DVDs
  • Color 1.5—color grading application
  • Compressor 3.5—video encoding tool for exporting projects in different formats
  • Cinema Tools 4.5—application providing tools specific to film processing
  • Qmaster 3—distributed processing tool

Apple’s press release for this version of Final Cut Studio began with:

“Apple today announced a significant update to Final Cut Studio with more than 100 new features and new versions of Final Cut Pro, Motion, Soundtrack Pro, Color and Compressor. Final Cut Studio features Final Cut Pro 7 which expands Apple’s ProRes codec family to support virtually any workflow and includes Easy Export for one step output to a variety of formats and iChat Theater support for real-time collaboration.”

This set includes 7 DVDs. This version is NFR, Not for Resale.

Sources: Apple, Wikipedia