The Apple Store Holiday 2004 catalog (2004)

I remember picking up this catalog at an Apple Store in 2004. It is large for a catalog at 11 x 17 inches and is printed on heavy matte paper. Each spread features “lifestyle” photos of people using then-current Apple products in everyday settings. Each product is then described in detail including features, uses, and available peripherals. Full-page “case studies” from regular people using the products in real life are also included.

The first product featured is iPod. The 2004 models included iPod with scroll wheel (with a monochrome display), iPod Photo (color display), and iPod mini (monochrome display and available in four colors).

The next spread highlights the iMac G5. These were Apple’s second flat-panel iMac models that were available with 17 or 20-inch “widescreen flat panel” displays. The iLife apps are mentioned here in holiday contexts.

Apple “notebooks” are shown next, including the white 12 and 14-inch iBook models and the 12, 15, and 17-inch PowerBook G4 models. The AirPort Express is mentioned as a solution for streaming music and wireless printing in the home.

The last 2-page spread includes “A day in the life of a Genius,” and highlights in-store workshops and presentations.

The back page shows a map of the United States and the locations of all Apple Stores worldwide. Six happy Apple customers are also featured with their Apple Store purchases across the US.

AirPort Express Base Station (Generation 1, 2004)

The AirPort Express Base Station was part of Apple’s AirPort line of wireless products. Although its design was more compact and it had fewer features than the AirPort Extreme Base Station available at the time, the AirPort Express Base Station included the ability to receive streamed audio from a wirelessly connected computer that was running iTunes. The AirPort Express Base Station could play the streamed audio through speakers connected to its analog/digital audio output jack, a feature the AirPort Extreme lacked.

The original AirPort Express offered 802.11g wireless, contained an analog–optical audio mini-jack output, a USB port for remote printing, and one Ethernet port. The AirPort Express could only stream audio to a powered speaker or stereo system via iTunes—it could not stream video.

Source: Wikipedia

AirPort Express 802.11n (Generation 2, 2012)

The AirPort Express Generation 2 functioned as a wireless access point, to extend the range of a network, as an Ethernet-to-wireless bridge, as a print server, and/or as an audio server. This model allowed up to 50 networked users using the 802.11a/n Wi-Fi standard.

Connectors included an audio connector that combined a 3.5 mm minijack socket and a mini-TOSLINK optical digital connection. On August 28, 2018, AirPlay 2 support was added to the Generation 2 AirPort Express, giving it features similar to HomePod.

Source: Wikipedia