Macintosh Centris 650 (1993)

The Macintosh Centris 650 has the distinction of being Apple’s Macintosh product with the shortest lifespan (along with the Centris 610). The Centris 650 and 610 were introduced on February 10, 1993, and discontinued on October 21, 1993—a lifespan of only 253 days. The short life resulted from a technicality when Apple made the decision in late 1993 to follow a new naming scheme for all their products: “Quadra” for business, “LC” for education, and “Performa” for home. As a result of the name change, the Macintosh Centris 650 became the Macintosh Quadra 650.

The Centris computers were introduced as Apple’s midrange offerings in 1993 as replacements to the Macintosh IIci and Quadra 700. The Centris 650 used a Motorola 25MHz 68040 or 68LC040 chip and could run System 7.1, up through and including Mac OS 8.1 (without a PowerPC upgrade).

The Centris 650 includes onboard video with VGA support via an adapter, 3 NuBus slots, two ADB ports, two serial ports, an external SCSI connector, and a 5.25-inch drive bay. This was one of the earliest Macintosh computers to be available with an internal CD-ROM drive (an AppleCD 300i model).

According to MacWorld in April 1993, five configurations were available:

  • 25 MHz 68LC040, 4 MB RAM (on board), 512 KB VRAM, 80 MB HDD, no Ethernet
  • 25 MHz 68040, 8 MB RAM (on board), 512 KB VRAM, 80 MB HDD, Ethernet
  • 25 MHz 68040, 8 MB RAM (on board), 512 KB VRAM, 230 MB HDD, Ethernet
  • 25 MHz 68040, 8 MB RAM (on board), 1 MB VRAM, 230 MB HDD, Ethernet, AppleCD 300i and microphone
  • 25 MHz 68040, 24 MB RAM (including 8 MB on board), 1 MB VRAM, 500 MB HDD, Ethernet

Sources: Wikipedia, Low End Mac (naming, specs), MacWorld (via Internet Archive)

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

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

Why Macintosh? complete box set (1997)

One of my Apple collection entries includes a set of books I titled the “Macintosh Advantage Collection (1996)” that contains the following materials:

  • 50 Macintosh Advantages book (1996)
  • Why do People Prefer Macintosh? brochure (1996)
  • Why Macintosh? brochure (1996)

I recently acquired a brown cardboard shipping box measuring 11.5 x 8.75 x 6.5 inches, complete with its original shipping label to its original recipient—a former Apple sales rep. Apparently, the three items I cataloged above are a part of a larger collection for potential Apple customers that was used in late 1990s.

The shipping label refers to this box as Apple part 52241, and based upon the part numbers that follow, this box contains all its original contents. I have listed the part numbers below and matched them to their items. At the end of each part number an asterisk is followed by a number, likely indicating the quantity of each item (all quantities are “1” in this box, except for the 5 Apple logo window clings).

Curiously, two of the VHS video tapes in the box include both the NTSC and PAL formats—an odd choice since, generally, only NTSC was used in the United States.

Part number list and box contents:

  • 52241—Part number for entire box
  • L02206A—6-color Apple logo sticker set
  • L02270A—Apple’s Operating System Strategy, March 1997, VHS tape (NTSC format) L02270APAL—Apple’s Operating System Strategy, March 1997, VHS tape (PAL format)
  • L02222A—Apple and NeXT: Combining unparalleled ease of use with industrial-strength performance, Information About Apple’s OS Strategy, January 1997, 8.5 x 11-inch whitepaper, 4 pages
  • L02181A—Apple Technology Update—Mac OS 7.6, January 1997 VHS tape (NTSC format)
  • L02177A—The 1997 Apple MacAdvocate CD-ROM. (Spring 1997)
  • L01760A—Macintosh or Windows? Spring 1996 VHS tape (NTSC format)
  • L01760APAL—Macintosh or Windows? Spring 1996 VHS tape (PAL format)
  • L01856A—Personal Computer Satisfaction: An Independent Study of People Who use Both Macintosh and Windows 95 Computers (Evans Research Associates) (1996)
  • L01973B—Go figure: A Quick Look at Some Important Apple Facts, 1.97 10-panel, full-color brochure (1997)
  • L01970A—Apple logo window clings (quantity 5)
  • L01667A—Why Macintosh? booklet (1996)
  • L00440C—50 Macintosh Advantages, Why Macintosh computers are better than PCs running Windows 95. 1996, 8.5 x 11-inch booklet
  • L01749A—Why do People Prefer Macintosh? (Why people think Macintosh computers are better than PCs running Windows, in their own words.) April 1996, 8.5 x 11-inch booklet
  • Not listed on box, likely sent with Mac OS 7.6 VHS tape: L02182A—Mac OS 7.6 At a glance tri-fold brochure (2-color)

While the above books are detailed in my previous post, a fascinating new addition to my collection is the seemingly innocuous Apple and NeXT whitepaper. The 4-page document is the first printed source I have seen that describes Apple’s plan to proceed after their acquisition of NeXT. The whitepaper describes the “Rhapsody” project—the operating system that eventually becomes Mac OS X—the basis for the macOS we use today, over 25 years later. The whitepaper includes this description:

“Rhapsody is the code name of the first system software effort planned from the prospective union of Apple and NeXT. Its intent is to extend the existing strengths of both companies to provide a computing environment that is both stronger and more flexible—and, ultimately, better able to meet the needs of our customers.”

This Why Macintosh? complete box set is a fascinating glimpse into Apple’s pre-Internet communications plan with customers at a pivotal time in their history—just after Steve Jobs returned to the company.

Source: Apple

CD-ROM discs booklet (1996)

This CD booklet has a bright red cover and is titled “CD-ROM discs” in the Apple Garamond font used between 1984–2003. The cover includes a badge-style graphic that declares “Great Value!” and “Apple #1 Computer Used in Schools.”

This booklet is made from clear vinyl and measures 7.5 x 9.25 inches. The front and back flap have internal pockets that hold paperwork such as software licenses, and the three inside pages can hold 2 CDs each.

The CD-ROMs contained in the booklet are all video games and include:

  • Bungie (the company that would eventually create the Halo video game, 1996)
  • Wing Commander 3 (4 CDs, 1995)
  • Flight Unlimited, Special Edition (1996)
  • Panzer General (1996)
  • EntoMorph: Plague of the Darkfall (1995)
  • Diamonds 3D (1995)

Source: Apple, Wikipedia

Apple Learning Series Secondary Multimedia CD collection (2001)

This Apple Learning Series Secondary Multimedia CD set contained 10 CD-ROM titles curated and sold by Apple Education as a bundle. The CDs were packaged in a 2-ring binder with vinyl pages that each held one CD-ROM.

The PDF spec sheet states that, “This product provides an outstanding collection of educator-evaluated software along with a comprehensive website that includes model student projects, step-by-step instructions, an online professional development course, and a tool that correlates the software and projects to select state and national standards.”

The set includes the following CDs:

  • Art Mania 12,000, Nova Development—A collection of clip art and quality photographic images on two CDs.
  • Cinema 4D XL, Maxon—A completely integrated 3D modeling, animation, and raytracing program.
  • Director 8 Academic, Macromedia—The standard for delivering powerful multimedia for the Internet, CD-ROMs, and DVD-ROMs.
  • Final Cut Pro 2, Apple—The all-in-one solution for professional digital video editing, compositing, and special effects. The set also included Boris Script LTD, Boris FX; Cinema 4D GO, Maxon; Commotion DV, Puffin Designs; Cleaner 5 EZ, Terran Interactive; EDL Access, Focal Point Systems; and QuickTime Pro, Apple.
  • Inspiration, Inspiration Software—A dynamic diagramming and outlining environments to help you organize ideas and information.
  • Painter Classic, Corel—An easy-to-use version of the world’s leading paint program.
  • Photoshop Elements, Adobe—An introduction to the world-standard image-editing solution.
  • SmartSound for Multimedia, Sonic Desktop—Tools to produce professional-quality soundtracks.
  • The Archives of History, MPI Multimedia—More than 100 QuickTime movies that can be used in presentations or viewed on their own.
  • The VR Worx, VR Toolbox—A complete suite of authoring tools for QuickTime VR (virtual reality).

Surprisingly, the PDF Spec Sheet for this product was still available on Apple’s website as a download as of January 2023.

Source: Apple

Getting Started With the Apple Web Page Construction Kit booklet and CD-ROM set (1997)

This booklet and set of CD-ROMs included software and how-to guides to teach a user to create the elements of a web page at a time when the Internet was still considered new and unknown by many. In true Apple style, the set provided easy-to-use tools and directions “that can help you build creative and engaging Web pages of your own—without any complicated programming.”

In 1997 the “World Wide Web” was defined as “the fastest growing part of the Internet.” The guide provided a handy definition of a Web page:

“Using Web browser software, you can view color images, animation, and video, and even hear sound on the Web. The documents that you view on the Web are known as Web pages, and can contain links to other pages so that when you click a word or image that has been designated as a link, your browser will automatically display the contents of the linked page.”

The three CD-ROMs included in the kit were an Apple Web Page Construction Kit CD (containing Kaboom! Special Edition and Web Explosion Special Edition from Nova Development Corporation and WwwART from Microfrontier. Inc.), Claris Home Page 2.0, and WebPainter.

The kit was comprised of a 7.5 x 9.25-inch booklet and a single frosted vinyl CD packet containing 3 CDs. This kit was shipped in a cardboard box that I do not have in my collection.

Source: Apple

AppleCD 150 (1993)

The AppleCD 150 was among a few nearly identical SCSI-connected external CD-ROM drives manufactured by Apple. All AppleCD models used a SCSI (Small Computer System Interface, pronounced “scuzzy”) connection. According to PC Magazine, SCSI was “used in mainframes, servers and storage arrays in the late 1980s and 1990s… The SCSI bus connects up to 15 devices in a daisy chain topology, and any two can communicate at one time: host-to-peripheral and peripheral-to-peripheral.”

The AppleCD had a 1x Read-Only CD-ROM that could read CDs with with up to 750 MB of data. Ports on the back of the device included two 50-pin Centronics SCSI connectors, red and white audio RCA connectors, and device power input. A front input included a mini-headphone audio jack. The AppleCD could read five CD formats: CD-Audio, CD-ROM, HFS, ProDOS, and High Sierra.

To insert a CD in the AppleCD 150, a “CD Caddy” was required. The CD Caddy was a tray that slid out of the CD-ROM drive and required the user to pinch the edges of the tray to open a clear plastic hinged lid, insert the CD-ROM, and then slide the tray into the drive so it could be read by the drive.

Several models of the AppleCD drive were made, including the SC, SC Plus, 150, 300, 300e, 300i plus, 600i, 600e plus, and 1200i.

Source: Wikipedia, PCMag

Mac OS 8 Demo Tour CD (1997)

This Mac OS 8 Demo Tour CD is in its original cardboard envelope packaging. It contains a single CD that touts Mac OS 8’s “Performance, Ease of use, Internet, Multimedia, Compatibility, Information, Personalization, and Dependability.”

This CD Contains all the files and applications to deliver a Mac OS 8 Demo experience. Upon inserting the CD-ROM, the user is presented with a Mac OS 8 graphic and three icons:
Mac OS 8 Demo
Read me
QuickTime 2.5

Double-clicking the Mac OS 8 Demo icon would launch the demo file. Double-clicking “Read me” would open the SimpleText application and provide directions on how to use the Demo application and list the system requirements of the Demo. The QuickTime 2.5 folder contained an installer for QuickTime 2.5, in case the Macintosh had an earlier version installed. Created in 1991, QuickTime is the multimedia framework developed by Apple to handle various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity.

Sources: Apple, Internet Archive, Wikipedia

Resource Library CDs, set 1 (1998, 1999)

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 computer. Each package is also dated.

The CD contents include:

November 1998 (1 CD)
Pictured: Power Macintosh G3 (beige desktop) with keyboard, mouse, and monitor
CD 1
Interop Seminar Materials
Apple Loan Reseller Sign Up
Mac OS 8.5 Interactive Demo
Mac OS 8.5 Data Sheet & FAQ
“e-mail” and “Beige” Commercials
PowerBook G3 Overview & FAQ
PowerBook G3 Sales Pres
USB Sales Fact Sheet & Pres
Apple Commercial Credit
New/Revised Data Sheets

January 1999 (3 CDs)
Pictured: Macintosh Server G3 (tower)
CD 1
Tales of the iMac
“Hal” Commercial
Publishing Market Guide
MacWorld Product Intro Materials
New Product Presentations
New Product Photography
Mac Products Guide
Data Sheet Library
CD 2
Creator2
In Concert
SFX Machine
Conflict Catcher
Mac OS 8.5.1 Update
fusion EFFECTS
Unity DS-1
Retro AS-1
ReBirth
4D V6
CD 3 (Apple PowerSales)
SAP
New Apple Products (MacWorld)
Jeff Hansen

April 1999 (2 CDs)
Pictured: G3 Tower (blue and white)
CD 1
PowerSales Apr 1999
Gistics AppleScript ROI Rpt
Ed ANAT Volume Lic. Promo
AMA/Enhancing the Workflow
Small Business and iMac Presentation
PM G3 AV for Education Data Sheet
Power Macintosh G3 Poster
Pfeiffer Technology Report
PowerBook Ad Slicks
Mac OS X Server Material
(and more)
CD 2
Myth II: Soulblighter
Dark Vengeance Demo
Hoyle Card Games Demo
3D Ultra NASCAR® Pinball
Quest For Glory V: Dragon Fire
M.Y.O.B. Trial Version 8
Lode Runner 2 Demo
Civilization II Demo
AppleWorks 5
(and more)

August 1999 (1 CD)
Pictured: iBook (blueberry)
CD 1
QuickTime 4
[Resource Library CDs appear to be lost]

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

Source: Apple