This duffel bag is from the late 1990s when the Internet was still considered “new” to most users. The bag is made of black nylon with stitched straps and features a zippered side panel with a plastic enclosure to separate shoes or clothing. It also has a clip-on shoulder strap with silver metal hardware.
The cartoon-style embroidery logo is a stylized surfer carrying a surf board with a tiny red Apple logo. The figure is holding a cable that is likely a “surfboard leash”—a cord attached to the deck of a surfboard to a leg strap that prevents the board from being swept away or hitting other surfers. Although the cord at first glance appears to be a music player, this duffel bag predates the iPod by several years, and Apple sold no other portable devices with this design.
Under the surfer are the embroidered letters www.apple.com in a sans serif type that resembles Helvetica.
In my research, I have never seen another duffel bag of this design. Please contact me if you have additional history or information on this item.
With a foreword by Steve Jobs, the book “1998: The Year of Thinking Different.” features the Think different manifesto and two-page layouts of many of the Apple Geniuses (cultural icons) featured in the Think different series.
The book begins with the Think different “manifesto:”
Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. Think different.
The book includes the following Apple Geniuses:
Albert Einstein Mahatma Gandhi Pablo Picasso Alfred Hitchcock Rosa Parks Bob Dylan Buzz Aldrin Muhammad Ali Thomas Edison Martha Graham Jim Henson Maria Callas Dalai Lama Amelia Earhart Ansel Adams Joan Baez Paul Rand Miles Davis Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz John Lennon & Yoko Ono
The final page of the book states, “This is a limited-edition publication to commemorate the first year of the ‘Think different’ series. It is not for sale or resale, and is only available to employees/affiliates of Apple Computer, Inc.”
The book is paperback, measures 11 x 14 inches, and is printed in black and white.
These Apple playing cards feature Macintosh operating system imagery reminiscent of Mac OS 8 and the never-released Rhapsody operating system of the mid- to late-1990s. At the time, Mac OS 8 (beginning with Mac OS 8.5) used 32-bit icons and supported 24-bit color (16.7 million colors). The design of the playing cards uses the design aesthetic of the time, but the art does not appear pixelated.
The playing cards originally shipped in a plastic wrapper with a plastic pull that allowed for easy unwrapping. Although this deck is not sealed, photos of sealed decks show the plastic pull printed with “HOYLE,” the card manufacturer, in gold.
The deck contains 54 cards in four suits with two Jokers. Each suit is labeled traditionally as Ace, 2–10, Jack, Queen, and King. However, these cards to not use traditional suits of diamond (red ♦), heart (red ♥), club (black ♣), and spade (black ♠). Instead, the deck uses an alarm clock icon (red symbols), user profile icon (stylized face profile, red symbols), trash can icon (black symbols), and bomb icon (black symbols). The Jack, Queen, and King of each suit have a unique design, although each Jack holds a feather and wears a hat, each queen holds a flower and wears a two-pointed crown, and each king holds a sword and wears a three-pointed crown. The Joker is an original-style all-in-one Macintosh wearing a three-pointed jester hat.
The font used on the cards is similar to Chicago, the Mac OS system font of the time, but is more customized.
The card backs use all four suits in a repeating pattern and displayed primarily in red. The back center of each card features the multi-color Apple logo in a white circle.
“Think different” is the slogan used by Apple in advertising 1997–2002, and is still used in some circumstances as of 2021. The “Think different” concept was created by advertising agency TBWA\Chiat\Day while working with Apple and Steve Jobs. “Think different” was used in its original concept in a TV commercial and in print/digital advertisements, and the “Think different” slogan was used as part of TV commercials, print/digital ads, and on product packaging.
The “Think different” advertising campaign was notable in that its original concept did not feature Apple products. The original version began with a “manifesto” that began famously with “Here’s to the crazy ones.” During the commercial, voiced by Richard Dreyfuss, black-and-white footage of iconic personalities served as visuals to accompany the voiceover. Personalities included Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, Martin Luther King Jr., Thomas Edison, Muhammad Ali, Mahatma Gandhi, Amelia Earhart, Alfred Hitchcock, Jim Henson, Pablo Picasso, and others.
Although the image depicted on the bus follows the black-and-white photo convention of the Think different series, the poster itself is printed in color. Incidentally, the name of the man in the original iconic photo of Rosa Parks is Nicholas C. Chriss, according to the New York Times. The original photo can be viewed in the Library of Congress digital archive.
“Think different” is the slogan used by Apple in advertising 1997–2002, and is still used in some circumstances as of 2021. The “Think different” concept was created by advertising agency TBWA\Chiat\Day while working with Apple and Steve Jobs. “Think different” was rolled out in its original concept as a TV commercial and in print/digital advertisements. The “Think different” slogan was also used as part of many TV commercials, print/digital ads, and on product packaging.
This advertising campaign was notable because its original concept did not include mention of any Apple products. The original version began with a “manifesto” that began famously with “Here’s to the crazy ones.”
Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. Think different.
During the commercial, voiced by Richard Dreyfuss, black-and-white footage of iconic personalities served as visuals to accompany the voiceover of the manifesto. Luminaries included Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, Martin Luther King Jr., Thomas Edison, Muhammad Ali, Mahatma Gandhi, Amelia Earhart, Alfred Hitchcock, Jim Henson, Pablo Picasso, and others.
The print and digital ads also did not feature Apple devices, just a black-and-white photo, the multi-color Apple logo, and the words “Think different.” One of the creative team members who worked on the campaign described the print concept: “The rainbow-colored logo served as stark contrast to the black and white photography, and, to me, it seemed to make the ‘Think Different’ statement all the more bold.”
Author Maggie Macnab described the ideal of the “Think different” campaign well in her 2011 book Design by Nature: Using Universal Forms and Principles in Design. She said:
“By identifying Apple’s core philosophy with the rebels and geniuses that changed the world by ‘thinking differently,’ the campaign established Apple as the ideology of the future. Apple was perceived as saving the day by making technology accessible to anyone. This move repositioned it well above its competition and far beyond the status of ‘product’ by connecting the user into a world of possibility.”
In the United States, four sets of 24 x 36 inch “Think different” posters were released. Set 1 included: Amelia Earhart, Alfred Hitchcock, Pablo Picasso, Mahatma Gandhi, and Thomas Edison. Set 2 included Maria Callas, Martha Graham, Joan Baez, Ted Turner, and the Fourteenth Dalai Lama (not officially released due to licensing). Set 3 included, Miles Davis; Ansel Adams (landscape orientation); Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz (landscape orientation); and Bob Dylan (not officially released due to licensing). Paul Rand and Jimi Hendrix were part of Set 3, but not included in all sets that were shipped. Set 4 included Frank Sinatra, Richard Feynman, Jackie Robinson, and Cesar Chavez.
A Set 5 included film directors that was never officially released, including: Charlie Chaplin, Francis Ford Coppola, Orson Welles, Frank Capra, and John Huston.
In 2000 an Educator Set was provided to school leaders. The posters were 11 x 17 inches and arrived in a white box printed with the “Here’s to the crazy ones” manifesto. Each box contained three packs of posters sealed in plastic of 10 posters each. This set includes: Albert Einstein; Amelia Earhart; Miles Davis; Jim Henson; Jane Goodall; Mahatma Gandhi; John Lennon and Yoko Ono; Cesar Chavez; James Watson; and Pablo Picasso.
I have collected many of Apple’s Think different posters, print ads, and other material.
This poster of Bob Dylan is considered rare. I ordered the first three sets of Think different posters directly from Apple in approximately 1999. The poster sets were essentially free, but Apple charged $8.00 for each set for postage. When my Set 3 arrived, it included only Miles Davis; Ansel Adams; and Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Apparently, earlier versions of the set included Bob Dylan, Paul Rand, and/or Jimi Hendrix.
At one time I read an account that the Bob Dylan photo Apple had used was not properly licensed, and although some Dylan posters had shipped, Apple stopped including them in the sets. I was lucky to find this poster on eBay for a reasonable price.
According to CNN and Getty Images, this photo of Bob Dylan was taken in November 1961 while Dylan was recording his first album for Columbia Studio in New York City. In other photos in the series, Dylan can be seen holding his acoustic Gibson guitar.
When the original iMac shipped in 1998, it had a unique design never before seen in a personal computer. Apple also took the opportunity to redesign the internal packaging of the iMac, down to the book of CDs that shipped with every iMac.
The iMac CD book had cardboard front and back covers in bright yellow. Its white pages with clear fronts each held one CD. The iMac shipped with a bright orange Software Restore CD, a bright orange Software Install CD, and various third-party CDs, including Williams-Sonoma Good Cooking, Quicken 98, and others.
This collection of Apple Service Source CD-ROMs is from 1995–1998. These CDs were provided by Apple to allow authorized repairs of Apple equipment.
The CDs contain the following types of files and information:
Service Source Startup—A HyperCard document explaining the contents of the CD-ROM and a folder containing Service Source Files.
System Stuff (folder)—Applications and system files such as Apple QuickTime extension file, the Apple CD-ROM driver, 32-bit Color Quickdraw, and TeachText.
Disk Images (folder)—Applications such as HyperCard.
Clips (folder)—QuickTime movies and animations that demonstrate difficult repairs and the locations of hard-to-find components.
Viewer (folder)—Inside Mac Viewer, a utility to display archived and international-only service information.
Apple TechStep (folder)—release notes for late-breaking and critical information about TechStep tests.
AppleOrder (folder)—AppleOrder application.
Q-Stack TAC (folder)—HyperCard stack to send technical questions to the Apple Technical Assistance Center.
What’s New.Archive (TeachText document)—text file that archives the “What’s New” section of previous releases of Service Source, organized by release date and product.
My collection of Apple CD and DVD media includes operating systems, applications, software collections that shipped with devices, promotional media, diagnostic tools, and educational content. In general, Apple-branded CD or DVD examples in original packaging have been presented separately, while single discs or collections of discs are presented chronologically.
Apple CDs from 1998 include:
Mac OS 8 (Version 8.1, 691-1912-A, U97073-121A, 1998)
FileMaker Home Page 3.0 (Web site design software, U98073-029C, 1997–1998)
WebObjects 4.0 Developer For Windows NT (1988–Version 4.0.1, Z691-2252-A, 1998)
Power Macintosh G3 For all-in-one computers (SSW 8.1, CD Version 1.0, 691-1802-A, 1998)
Power Macintosh G3 For all-in-one computers (SSW 8.1, CD Version 1.1, 691-2043-A, 1998)
Power Macintosh G3 Minitower and Desktop Computers (SSW 8.5, CD Version 1.0, 691-2121-A, 1998)
Mac OS 8.5 (Version 8.5, 691-2157-A, 1998)
Mac OS 8.5 (Version 8.5, 691-2017-A, 1998)
iMac bundle, including iMac Software Restore (SSW Version 8.1, CD Version 1.0, 691-2044-A, 1998)
When the original iMac was released in 1998, Apple changed the CD packaging to a book style. The CD book had cardboard front and back covers in bright yellow. The general software license was printed on the inside covers (in the Apple Garamond font), and the Apple CDs inside were bright orange in white CD sleeves with a clear vinyl front. In addition to the Apple CDs, various bundled software was also included such as a Willams-Sonoma cookbook and Quicken.
The Macintosh Server G3/300 Minitower was released in 1998 as the final beige tower design by Apple. This G3 Server used a 300 MHz PowerPC 750 G3 processor, a single 4.0 GB SCSI hard drive (with space for a second drive), and a 24x CD-ROM drive.
This minitower also contained a “Whisper personality card” that added audio input and output ports. According to LowEndMac, Apple had planned various “personality cards,” but only audio (“Whisper”), audio/video (“Wings”), and audio/video/DVD playback (“Bordeaux”) were ever produced.
The case design of this minitower includes a removable side panel and two internal tabs that, when released, allow the entire tower to tilt 90 degrees on a hinge allowing easy access to all internal components. Interestingly, the side door panel latch and internal tabs are made from translucent blue-green plastic, a design aesthetic that would soon become the Mac design norm that same year when the original iMac was released.
Ports on this computer include SCSI; ADB (Apple Desktop Bus); Ethernet (10-100); Mac serial and printer ports; Apple Video (DB-15), line-out and microphone 3.5 mm jacks. Three card slots are available: the first is empty, but ready for a high-speed SCSI port; the second slot has a second high-speed ethernet port; and the third slot adds two USB ports.
The exact factory configuration of the server is shown as: 1MB Cache/128MB/2x4GB UW/CD/10-100 ENET. The model is M4405, and the serial number area specifies a production date of May 27, 1998, at 3:30 PM.
AppleFacts 1.98 (January 1998) is a 4×6.25-inch soft cover booklet that lists the Apple products and system specifications available at the time. The subtitle on the cover reads, “The Very Informative Guide to Apple Products.” Inside, the introduction reads, “Welcome to AppleFacts 1.98—a concise guide to Apple products offered worldwide. Because product availability, configurations, and part numbers vary worldwide, we suggest that you contact your local Apple dealer or Apple office for this information.”
Apple hardware featured in this guide included the following:
Desktop Computer Systems Power Macintosh 5400 Series Power Macintosh 5500 Series NEW Power Macintosh 6500 Series Power Macintosh 8600 Series Power Macintosh G3 Series NEW Power Macintosh 9600/300 The Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh
Portable Computers Macintosh PowerBook 1400 Series Macintosh PowerBook 2400 Series NEW Macintosh PowerBook 3400 Series Macintosh PowerBook G3 NEW
Servers Workgroup Server 7350/180 Workgroup Server 9650/350
Displays and Printer Products Apple Multiple Scan 15AV Display Apple Multiple 720 Display NEW Apple ColorSync Display (17-inch Color Display) NEW Apple ColorSync Display (20-inch Color Display) NEW Apple LaserWriter 12/640/PS Apple LaserWriter 8500
Newton Mobile Products MessagePad 2100 NEW Apple eMate 300
