The Apple Store at 679 North Michigan Avenue (at East Huron Street) was the original Apple Store in Chicago’s loop on the “Magnificent Mile.” The store opened on June 26, 2003. This store originally included an Internet cafe, a class Studio that overlooked an eco-friendly greenroof garden, a forty-foot long Genius Bar, “solution centers” for music, photography and movies, an expanded kids section with seven computer stations connected to the Internet, a software section with hundreds of software titles for the Mac, and a 48-seat theater. This was considered Apple’s first “flagship store.”
I attended this store opening where Apple gave t-shirts to the first visitors. The shirt is white with a blue Apple logo and the words North Michigan Avenue in the Myriad Apple font in light gray. The shirt is in its original packaging.
Apple closed this location on October 20, 2017, and replaced it with Apple Michigan Avenue on Chicago’s riverfront.
The student information system PowerSchool was owned by Apple from 2001–2006. PowerSchool began as an independent company in 1997, was purchased by Apple in 2001, was purchased by Pearson in 2006, and again became an independent company in 2015 when it was purchased by a private equity group.
This Apple PowerSchool insulated cup is stainless steel with a white Apple PowerSchool logo with the logotype in the Myriad Apple font used at the time. I was a PowerSchool user from 2000–2014 while I was a Technology Director in four different school districts.
The student information system PowerSchool was owned by Apple from 2001–2006. PowerSchool began as an independent company in 1997, was purchased by Apple in 2001, was purchased by Pearson in 2006, and again became an independent company in 2015 when it was purchased by a private equity group.
This Apple PowerSchool pen is translucent gray with a white Apple logo and the logotype Apple PowerSchool in the Myriad Apple font used at the time. I was a PowerSchool user from 2000–2014 while I was a Technology Director in four different school districts.
This polished silver valet-style keychain features a white Apple logo. It was available at The Company Store at the Infinite Loop Apple Campus. The keychain measures 98 x 58 mm. It is in its original packaging and sold for $9.95.
This t-shirt was issued in 2002, Apple’s twenty-fifth year as a company, and its twenty-fifth year in the classroom. The shirt is light blue with a dark blue, red-orange, and white design. The brand of the shirt is Comfort Colors and its size is XL. My collection also includes a lapel pin with the same design in the same colors.
This lapel pin was issued in 2002, Apple’s twenty-fifth year as a company, and its twenty-fifth year in the classroom. The pin has yellowed with age, but was originally light blue with a dark blue, red-orange, and white design. The pin measures 25 x 18 mm. My collection also includes a t-shirt with the same design in the same colors.
The Apple Watch was released in 2015, right? Not exactly.
Twenty years before the (smart) Apple Watch, Apple offered a product they referred to as an Apple Watch as a “FREE gift” for customers who updated their operating system to System 7.5. From May 1 to July 31, 1995, Apple allowed customers who paid $134.99 for System 7.5 to select between two gifts, the software application Conflict Catcher 3 (by Norton to resolve Mac system extension problems) or this Apple Watch. An article written in 1994 that is (surprisingly) still available online (as of February 2020) outlined all the methods to upgrade to System 7.5.
The Apple Watch (1995) was not a smart watch, but it was high-style for the mid-1990s. The watch followed the “Memphis” design aesthetic that originated in Milan, Italy. In an article presenting ten iconic examples of Memphis design, the origin of the style is reported as, “The Memphis Group…a collaborative design group founded by Italian designer Ettore Sottsass” (Creative Bloq). This Apple Watch is included among ten designs in the article. The style itself is “characterized by ephemeral design featuring colorful and abstract decoration as well as asymmetrical shapes, sometimes arbitrarily alluding to exotic or earlier styles” (Wikipedia).
The Memphis Design group is still represented online at www.memphis-milano.com. Even a cursory look at the designs on the site reveals an unmistakable connection to the look of the 1995 Apple Watch.
As an Apple collector, I have been searching for this Apple Watch for many years. I was able to acquire an example from a friend of mine from Minnesota.
If you wish to see the original print advertisement for this Apple Watch offer, I found a version published in the June 1995 MacWorld magazine. The vintageapple.org website has digitized past MacWorld issues and a PDF is available here. Please see magazine page 82 for the full-page ad.
I began collecting Apple computers, accessories, and collectibles in the 1990s. When iPod, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch devices were introduced, I began to collect those items as well. About twenty-five years later, I have an extensive collection of all things Apple.
Beginning in late 2018, I began to document and catalog my collection. I use a Nikon D3500 (with 18–35mm lens), iPhone 12 Pro Max, a basic lighting setup, and a white IKEA table. Blog entries include information, photos, and personal commentary. My Instagram account that features highlights from this collection.
