The Apple Catalog (Spring 1993)

The Apple Catalog opens with the description:

“In this catalog, you’ll read about a lot of tremendously useful products. Products that could change your life. You’ll also read about the way some people really did change their lives—and a lot of other peoples’ lives—in significant ways.”

The Table of Contents includes:

  • Color Classic—Introducing the Macintosh Color Classic computer
  • Color made easy—Scan it, display it, and print it—all in color
  • PowerBook computers—Macintosh power in a notebook size
  • PowerBook accessories—Carrying cases, batteries, rechargers, and more
  • Printers—StyleWriter and ImageWriter printers and accessories
  • Laser printers—Personal LaserWriter NTR and LS printers and accessories
  • Desktop publishing—New tools for the black-and-white publisher
  • Multimedia—Bring full-color video, sound, and animation to your Macintosh screen
  • Disability solutions—Tools for people with disabilities
  • Software—Word processing, drawing, page layout, presentations, and more
  • Learning and communicating—Self-paced training, technical support, and communications software
  • Networks—Networking software and cables
  • Compatibility—How Macintosh works with other systems: AUX, SNA•ps, and MacX
  • Macintosh security—Anti-glare filters, security kits, and system savers
  • Macintosh add-ons—Keyboards, mice, and disk holders
  • Desk accessories—Accents for the well-appointed office
  • Apple wear—Apple clothing and accessories
  • Apple II, too—Products and accessories for Apple II computers
  • The Apple II on Macintosh—Plus a library of useful manuals

The Apple Catalog from Spring 1993 measures 9.125 x 11 inches and is printed in full color on a matte finish paper.

Source: Apple

Final Cut Studio, Version 3.0, Install DVDs (NFR, 2009)

Final Cut Studio was a suite of video editing, production, and post-production software created by Apple and sold between 2005–2011. Version 3.0 was the final release of Final Cut Studio and contained the following applications:

  • Final Cut Pro 7—real-time video editor for DV, SD, and HD formats
  • Motion 4—real-time motion graphics design application
  • Soundtrack Pro 3—advanced audio editing and sound design application
  • DVD Studio Pro 4—application for encoding, authoring, and burning DVDs
  • Color 1.5—color grading application
  • Compressor 3.5—video encoding tool for exporting projects in different formats
  • Cinema Tools 4.5—application providing tools specific to film processing
  • Qmaster 3—distributed processing tool

Apple’s press release for this version of Final Cut Studio began with:

“Apple today announced a significant update to Final Cut Studio with more than 100 new features and new versions of Final Cut Pro, Motion, Soundtrack Pro, Color and Compressor. Final Cut Studio features Final Cut Pro 7 which expands Apple’s ProRes codec family to support virtually any workflow and includes Easy Export for one step output to a variety of formats and iChat Theater support for real-time collaboration.”

This set includes 7 DVDs. This version is NFR, Not for Resale.

Sources: Apple, Wikipedia

FileMaker Pro 7 software box (2004)

The FileMaker database application (in various forms) 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” as “Claris International Inc.”

As of 2023, the Claris “About Us” website declares, “Claris is the leader in workplace innovation.” A black Apple logo is displayed prominently on the page with the words “Claris, an Apple company.”

When this software box was produced in 2004, the company was called “FileMaker, Inc.” At version 7, FileMaker Pro was described as:

“the world’s leading workgroup database software, combines legendary ease-of-use with rich new features to help you get organized quickly and painlessly. With FileMaker Pro 7, you can create robust business database solutions in minutes, and instantly share them with your team or your customers over your intranet or the web with legendary Instant Web Publishing. For managing people, projects, processes, and information, FileMaker Pro 7 has everything you need to instantly turn your ideas into productive, creative, and scalable solutions.”

This box contains a Not for Resale FileMaker Pro 7 install CD, the FileMaker Pro 7 User’s Guide, a FileMaker Pro 7 Tutorial, licensing agreements, and various brochures and advertisements for add-on products and services.

The CD installer is part number Z04073-013B.

Source: Claris

eWorld 3.5-inch disk (1995)

eWorld was a relatively short-lived online service operated by Apple from June 1994—March 1996. eWorld’s services included email, news, a bulletin board system, and access to Apple software. According to the website, Remember eWorld, “eWorld competed directly against AOL, CompuServe, and MSN, and finally lost this competition.”

The service was available for Apple IIGS, Macintosh, and offered limited support for the Newton. Although AOL (America Online) was, by far, the most popular service of the time, Cult of Mac author Rob LeFebvre wrote fondly about eWorld, remembering, “When eWorld went online…the combination of real time chat and a distinct graphical style really made it stand out.”

Several historical references to eWorld noted its relatively high price. A Business Insider article reported that eWorld cost “$8.95 per month, which included two hours of evening or weekend use, with each additional hour costing $4.95.”

This 3.5-inch disk contains the software (Version 1.1) that allowed a Macintosh to access eWorld. According to TechNotif, “Users accessed eWorld through Apple’s custom client software and connected by way of a dial-up modem. Once you connected, the eWorld software displayed a playfully illustrated aerial view of a small city.”

Sources: Wikipedia, Remember eWorld, Cult of Mac, Business Insider, TechNotif

Macintosh Educational Software Guide 1992 (3.5-inch disk, 1992)

The 3.5-inch floppy disk was used in the very first Macintosh computer in 1984 after its initial introduction by Sony in 1981. By 1992 the format had evolved several times and was used as a relatively inexpensive and reliable way to share digital files before the Internet. At the time, the CD-ROM was gaining popularity, but most users had access to 3.5-inch floppy drives.

This Macintosh Educational Software Guide from 1992 contains a compressed HyperCard Stack.

HyperCard was a software application and development kit for Apple computers that allowed users to create and/or read hypermedia documents, a format that was used before the World Wide Web. The system was developed and used extensively between 1987 and 1994, and retired in 2004.

According to its accompanying envelope—found digitally, but not a part of my collection:

The “MacEduGuide ’92” compressed HyperCard stack on this floppy disk includes information about more than 1,300 software programs for students, teachers, and administrators in K-12 schools. Each product listing includes the following information:

  • Product description
  • Publisher’s name, address, and phone number
  • Education pricing (when available)
  • Grade range
  • System requirements
  • Additional items included with the software
  • Product review citations in educational software journals
  • Publisher’s policies (copy protection, site licensing, 90-day free trial, and so on)

The special features of this stack allow you to search for information using any combination of elements: title, publisher, subject and topic, specific grade or grade range, and system requirements.

You can print any or all of the product lists and product information. The “mailer” button that appears with each product description allows you to print a letter to the publisher requesting additional information.

Further, the HyperCard Stack was compressed using the .sea compression method popular at the time for Macintosh computers. While Windows primarily used .zip for compression, Apple used .sea (Self Extracting Archive). The format was built into the Macintosh Operating System at the time and did not require a “helper app” to open and decompress the file.

Sources: Macintosh Repository, Wikipedia (floppy disk, HyperCard, archive formats)

Apple CD media (1999)

My collection of Apple CD and DVD media includes operating systems, applications, software collections that shipped with devices, promotional media, diagnostic tools, and educational content. In general, Apple-branded CD or DVD examples in original packaging have been presented separately, while single discs or collections of discs are presented chronologically.

Apple CDs from 1999 include:

  • Mac OS 8.6 Updater CD (1999)
  • Mac OS 8.6 (Version 8.6, 691-2312-A, 1999)
  • Mac OS 9 (Version 9.0, 691-2386-A, 1999)
  • Macintosh PowerBook G3 Series Software Install (SSW version 9.0, 691-2458-A, 1999)
  • iMac Software Install (SSW version 8.6, CD version 1.1, 691-2376-A, 1999)
  • iMac Software Restore (SSW version 8.6, CD version 1.1, 691-2375-A, 1999)
  • Software Bundle (600-7647-A, 1999)
  • iBook Software Install (SSW version 9.0, 691-2472-A, 1999)
  • Apple Network Assistant (Version 4.0., Z691-2474-A, 1999)
  • SoftRAID For Power Mac G4 and Macintosh Server G4 computers (1999, SSW version 9.0, CD version 2.2.1, 691-2534-A, 1999)
  • AppleCare Service Source For Power Macintosh computers before G3 (includes AppleCare License Booklet, November 691-2508-A, 1999)
  • Mac OS 9, Not for resale
  • A New Take on Digital Video (Final Cut Pro demo)

Apple shipped CD bundles in cardboard envelope packages in 1999. The envelope design shown here is orange with a white Apple logo.