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

Resource Library CDs, set 2 (1999, 2000)

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.

Set 1 of my collection includes:

  • November 1998 (1 CD)
  • January 1999 (3 CDs)
  • April 1999 (2 CDs)
  • August 1999 (1 CD)

My collection also contains the May 1999 Resource Library CDs without the packaging.

This collection includes:

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

Source: Apple

FileMaker spiral notebook (2000)

FileMaker has been owned by Apple since the late 1980s, first as a product in Apple’s “wholly owned subsidiary” Claris, then as a separate company called “FileMaker, Inc.,” and (coming full-circle) in 2019 FileMaker International Inc. changed its name back to Claris International Inc. As of 2021, the Claris website reads, “Claris International Inc. is a subsidiary of Apple Inc.”

This FileMaker spiral notebook has black cardboard front and back covers. The front cover includes the FileMaker logo in metallic silver. The first page of the notebook includes FileMaker Licensing Programs information.

The notebook measures 5.75 x 7.125 inches and is 0.625 inches thick.

Sources: Wikipedia, Claris (blog, about)

Think different. magazine ads directors collection (2000)

“Think different” was 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 many TV commercials, print/digital ads, and on product packaging. This advertising campaign was notable in that its original concept did not feature Apple products, just iconic cultural figures that Apple selected to represent their ideals.

Several series of Think different ads were released. The final set of five film directors was never released to the public in poster format, but was run as magazine ads in 2000. This series featured John Huston, Orson Welles, Charlie Chaplin, Francis Ford Coppola, and Frank Capra.

I was able to collect four of five of these magazine ads (I do not have Frank Capra). Each of these ads has been laminated and measures approximately 8 x 10.5 inches.

Source: Wikipedia

Apple Education folders and materials collection (2000, 2001, 2002)

In the early 2000s, Apple Education hosted education events at conferences, schools, and at their Executive Briefing Centers. These events often included providing printed materials to attendees on various topics, product brochures, and/or event agendas.

This small collection of Apple Education folders from 2000–2002 included three different folders from Apple Education. Each folder measures 9 x 12 inches and includes two internal pockets.

Mini-brochures collection (2000)

These product mini-brochures were available in Apple Stores and elsewhere in the early 2000s. They measured 3 x 4.5 inches folded, and designs unfolded into different configurations. All of these mini-brochures feature a photo of the product on the front panel, information inside, and specifications on the back panel.

iMac (July 2000)
This iMac mini-brochure featured the graphite and snow iMac DV Special Edition models. It opened to four horizontal panels and featured all iMac colors of the time—ruby, indigo, sage, snow, and graphite. Features described included Internet, playing DVDs, digital video editing with iMovie, optional AirPort wireless capabilities, and AppleCare. iMac Specifications on the back outlined the four available configurations: iMac DV Special Edition, iMac DV+, iMac DV, and iMac.

AirPort (original, July 2000)
The AirPort mini-brochure opens first to a 2-up layout showing Apple’s Wi-Fi-capable devices at the time (iBook, iMac, PowerBook G3, and graphite Power Mac G4 tower). The brochure then opens to a 4-up horizontal layout showing “Three easy steps to a wireless world.”

Apple Displays (July 2000)
The Apple Displays brochure pictures an Apple Studio Display on the cover (17-inch CRT model). The brochure folds into a horizontal 4-up layout that shows all three available display models at the time along with features—Apple Studio Display (17-inch CRT), Apple Studio Display (15-inch LCD), and Apple Cinema Display (22-inch LCD).

TBWA Chiat/Day magazine spread set (1999–2000)

This set includes five magazine spreads printed on 18 x 14.1875 paper and laminated. Each magazine spread is labeled at bottom-center with “TBWA CHIAT/DAY INC. LA” (Apple’s ad agency at the time) and a code number. The spreads feature slot-loading iMac computers and one features the tangerine iBook.

Q200-99-P2618AO features the tangerine iBook with the tagline “iMac to go.” (1999)

Q200-99-3172A features the lime slot-loading iMac with the tagline “And the award for Best Home Movie goes to…” (1999)

Q200-99-3502A features the grape slot-loading iMac with the tagline “Baywatch Baby” (2000)

Q200-99-P3739A features the tangerine slot-loading iMac with the tagline “Rock‘n Roll Machine” (2000)

Q200-99-P3740A features the lime slot-loading iMac with the tagline “Leapin’ Lizards.” (2000)

The iBook magazine spread introduces the iBook laptop and touts its built-in 56K modem as “the world’s easiest path to the Internet.”

All iMac magazine spreads feature slot-loading iMac models and DV camcorders with “Desktop Video” or “Desktop Movies.” Apple mentions the iMovie app in three of the four ads, but the main purpose of the ads is to show the ease of using the iMac to create videos, a relatively cumbersome task before Apple introduced FireWire and iMovie.

Unfortunately, I have no idea where I acquired these magazine spreads. I’m not now—nor have ever been—in the publishing, printing, or advertising business. If anyone has additional history on these, I’d appreciate it!

Think different. educator poster set (11 x 17 inches, 2000)

“Think different” was 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 many TV commercials, print/digital ads, and on product packaging.

This advertising campaign was notable in that its original concept did not feature 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 (Apple referred to them later as “Apple Geniuses”) served as visuals to accompany the voiceover of the manifesto. Personalities included Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, Martin Luther King Jr., Thomas Edison, Muhammad Ali, Ted Turner, Mahatma Gandhi, Amelia Earhart, Alfred Hitchcock, Martha Graham, Jim Henson, Pablo Picasso, and others.

The print and digital ads also did not feature Apple devices, just the Apple logo and the words “Think different.” One of the creative team 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.”

In 2000 this Think different poster 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.

I have two of these education sets. The one pictured was shipped directly to a high school principal. One set has been removed from its shrink wrap, and two sets are still unopened. I have a second compete set still in shrink wrap and has no shipping label.

The set also includes three 8.5 x 11 sheets inside. One is a letter from Apple, and the other two sheets include a “key” naming each Think different portrait with an adjective and mini-biography of each person’s life. The set contains the following “Apple Geniuses:”

Albert Einstein: “Questioner”
Cesar Chavez: “Laborer”
Jane Goodall: “Observer”
Pablo Picasso: “Creator”
Amelia Earhart: “Aviator”
Miles Davis: “Improviser”
Jim Henson: “Muppeteer”
John Lennon & Yoko Ono: “Dreamers”
Dr. James Watson: “Code cracker”
Mahatma Gandhi: “Leader”

Sources: Wikipedia, Forbes, Apple (documentation included in this set)

Shopping bag, white glossy paper, red logo (c. 2000)

This shopping bag is made of glossy white heavy paper and includes a white rope handle. It measures 15.25 inches tall x 16 inches wide x 5.5 inches deep.

Both sides of this bag feature a stylized Apple logo that appears glossy and translucent. This style was in use by Apple in the early 2000s and matched the design aesthetic of the iMac at the time.

My research has not yet uncovered where this bag originated. It does not appear to have been used at the Apple Store. It may have been provided at a technology conference.

Business card wallet (leather, c. 2000)

This black business card wallet is made of “genuine calfskin” leather and embossed with an Apple logo on one side. The inside is lined with microfiber and has two pockets that hold 10-12 business cards each. The wallet is made by Leeman.

This is one of several Apple-logo products that was available at “The Company Store @ Apple” located in the Infinite Loop Campus (in the 1 Infinite Loop building). When Apple began moving to the Main (“spaceship”) Campus at Apple Park, a new Visitor Center was built near the new campus and The Company Store was closed and replaced by more standard Apple Store.