The iPod nano Generation 5 was notable because of its impressive color choices. This model was available in nine colors: (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition, pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, silver, and black. The finish for the generation 5 nano is glossy and the case is made of aluminum and glass. It was available with 8 GB or 16 GB of flash memory (2,000 or 4,000 songs).
This iPod nano also features a video camera with an integrated microphone and speaker that takes advantage of its high-quality 2.2″ TFT display (240×376, 204 ppi). The video quality is H.264 VGA 640×480 at 30 FPS with AAC audio, but it cannot take still photographs. This iPod also has a built-in FM Radio with “live pause,” allowing pause and rewind up to 15 minutes.
This example is black, although this shade of “black” is reminiscent of the “space gray” colors Apple would later introduce.
This iTunes Apple Store brochure from 2003 announced an iPod giveaway. The cover is bright green with the iconic “silhouette” design featuring a person dancing in black silhouette carrying a white iPod and wearing white Apple wired earbuds. The cover reads:
“iTunes. It’s the world’s best jukebox software. It’s for Mac and Windows. It’s free. And it could win you an iPod.”
The back of the brochure has the headline “iTunes. Ready. Set. Download.” It includes the directions to set up iTunes online, thereby automatically entering to win an “iPod-a-day” until December 23, 2003.
iPod “Take One” store brochures (2004)—Each of these set of three 1-page brochures measures 4.375 x 6.5 inches and features an iPod (“Actual Size”) on the front with a bright pink, bright green, or bright blue background. The back features a photo of the back of the iPod photo with a description of features in an ink color that matches the front. The iPod image is perforated and can be punched out.
iPod mini “Take One” store brochure (2004)—This 1-page brochure measures 4.375 x 6.5 inches and features a pink iPod mini on a white background on the front with various features highlighted. The back has a quirky suggestion about naming playlists and a photo of the back of the iPod mini. The iPod mini image is perforated and can be punched out.
This iPod mini magazine ad from 2004 includes two light blue pages and a set of four iPod mini devices in gold, pink, blue, and green—die-cut with a perforated edge. The iPod mini devices are actual size and look identical to the actual devices.
The back page of the ad features the silver iPod mini with the headline “Little. The next big thing.”
The ad measures 7.875 x 10.8125 inches, and the cut-out iPod mini devices measure 3.625 x 2 inches each.
This iPod brochure from 2005 uses the unique, play-on-words title, “EncycliPodia,” a mash-up of the words “encyclopedia” and “iPod.” The cover is understated in light blue with a small Apple logo in the corner and the title in the Apple Myriad font.
The 2-page spreads at the beginning of the brochure feature iPod devices on a color background on the left page and text and diagrams on the facing right page on a white background. Many of the iPod photos specify that they are actual size.
After the iPod devices are outlined, the EncycliPodia presents 2-page spreads of accessories on a light blue background, including “In the Car Accessories,” “At Home Accessories,” “On the Go Accessories,” and “Apple Accessories.”
The back cover features a grid titled “Which iPod are you?” Among other information, each iPod model is identified by size—“About the size of:” iPod shuffle: pack of gum iPod mini: cell phone iPod: deck of cards
The brochure measures 7 x 7 inches and has 10 pages.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, part of Apple’s print advertising included magazine inserts. These inserts were like “mini-magazines” within magazines. They were glued with a pliable rubber cement that could be easily removed.
This example is an advertisement for the new (at the time) iPod. The headline on the cover reads, “Say hello to iPod.” An iPod is pictured along with its earbuds.
Open, the 2-page spread reveals the right panel with an iBook running iTunes and the headline “1,000 songs on your Mac.” A dotted line labeled “Super-fast FireWire auto-updating” connects to the (actual size) image of the iPod on the right panel with the headline, “1,000 songs in your pocket.”
The back panel features several iPod screens depicting the iPod user interface (on the LCD grayscale display).
Folded, the size of the insert is 7.5 x 10.5 inches. Fully unfolded it is 15 inches wide.
These product brochures were available in Apple Stores and elsewhere in the early 2000s. They measured 4.25 x 6.5 inches folded, and designs were sometimes stapled and folded out into different layouts. All of these brochures feature a photo of the product on the front panel and specifications on the back panel.
Apple Displays (January 2003) This stapled Apple Displays brochure features a 3-up fold out section showing three models: 20-inch Apple Cinema Display, 23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display, and 17-inch Apple Studio Display. The next 2-up layout includes: 10 reasons why Apple all-digital LCD displays are clearly superior. All-digital active-matrix LCD. Pure digital interface. Wide viewing angle. Fast pixel response. Save on energy bills. Color fidelity. Uniform color. Stable colors. Easy to calibrate. Clutter-free. The final pages include product specifications.
Power Mac G4 (January 2003) This stapled 8-page brochure features a Power Mac G4 (mirrored drive door) on the cover. The next 2-page spread shows the Power Mac G4 with the door open and the copy: “Power Mac G4. Super fast. Super affordable. Supercomputer. The new Power Mac G4 features faster performance, more expansion, and the highly efficient Xserve-based dual processing architecture.” The center spread features the headline, “The ultimate system for the digital pro.” The last pages contain Technical Specifications and Power Mac G4 configurations.
iPod+iTunes Mac and Windows (October 2003) The cover of this brochure is bright yellow and features the iconic “silhouette” iPod imagery—a black silhouette of a person holding a white iPod wearing white earbuds connected by white wires. The opening copy reads: “iPod and iTunes. Perfect harmony. Together, iPod and iTunes changed the way Mac users listen to music. Now everyone can join the digital music revolution, because iTunes now works on Windows PCs—the same way it does on a Mac. So no matter what computer you use, you can enjoy the most acclaimed portable digital music player and jukebox software ever created. And go anywhere with up to 10,000 songs in your pocket.” The remainder of the brochure features iPod and iTunes features and specifications.
Power Mac G5 (July 2003) The Power Mac G5 brochure opens to a 2-up layout with the headline “Power Mac G5 The worlds fastest personal computer.” along with a “hero” photo of the product. The next 4-up horizontal layout features four stunning photographs, each representing one of four disciplines: color graphics, video production, scientific research, and music production. It fully opens to an 8-up mini poster with the headline, “The Power Mac G5. Unprecedented everything.”
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.
This is a rare example of a dated Apple t-shirt created to celebrate the release of “The new iPod” (the iPod Generation 3) on May 2, 2003. Apple Store employees wore this t-shirt during the in-store release of the new iPod, and store visitors were given posters to commemorate the device’s release.
The front of the black t-shirt features a simple line drawing of the iPod Generation 3 that highlights its scroll wheel and four buttons under the LCD screen: back, MENU, play/pause, and forward. The screen shows the Apple logo.
The back of the shirt includes the stylized type “LIVE ON STAGE 5.2.03” in large size in the top-center, and adds a line of smaller text at the bottom-center of the shirt that reads “The new iPod. More than 7500 songs in your pocket.”
The t-shirt tag indicates it is a Hanes Beefy-T brand made from 100% cotton in size ADULT 2XL. It was made in Honduras.
In 1984 Apple premiered the iconic television commercial, directed by Ridley Scott, to introduce the original Macintosh computer. The commercial was televised to a national audience one time on January 22, 1984, during Super Bowl XVIII.
The commercial is described in detail on Wikipedia. Here is shorter version of the plot:
In a gray dystopian setting, a line of people march in unison. Full-color shots are cut in showing a female runner wearing a white tank top with a Picasso-like drawing of the Macintosh computer. She carries a large brass-headed hammer. A Big-Brother-like figure speaks on a view screen while police officers in riot gear chase the runner. The runner hurls the hammer at the screen, and in an exlosion of light and smoke, the screen is destroyed, leaving the audience in shock. A voiceover, accompanied by scrolling black text reads, “On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like 1984.” The screen fades to black, and the classic multi-color Apple logo appears.
In 2004 Apple re-released this commercial at the San Francisco Macworld event. The 2004 version was identical to the original, except an iPod was digitally added to the runner’s waist, and she wore Apple white wired headphones.
