FAQ

How long has apple-history.com been online, and how did apple-history.com get started?

www.apple-history.com has been online since May, 1996. It started as a final project for a Computer Science class. I expected to find a wealth of information on Apple models on the internet, but as I researched, I realized there was no single source for this info. I decided that if I could get a complete listing of Apple models together, then I might as well post it online, so that others wouldn't have to look as hard as I did for such information. The site has grown considerably since it began, and much information has been added. To my knowledge, it is still the most complete list of Apple computers on the internet.

There are new models out. Why haven't you updated your site? Is it because you're lazy? Have you stopped updating the site?

I make large site updates about every three nine months. Sometimes more often, sometimes less. If you think that I don't know about a recent Apple model, you're probably wrong. I pay close attention to Apple's product releases, I just don't always have time to add them immediately. It's not that I'm lazy, exactly, I just have a full time job in which I stare at a computer all day, so my motivation to stare at a computer in my spare time is somewhat reduced.

Rest assured that I am still deeply invested in keeping this site current, and plan to add whatever new models were just released. It just might take a month or two or ten. Take a deep breath, and repeat this mantra to yourself: "apple-history.com, not apple-current-events.com." If that doesn't work, try going to Apple's site. I'm willing to bet they have got the latest models.

Is apple-history.com connected to Apple Computer, Inc?

apple-history.com is not affiliated with Apple in any way. As far as I know, Apple doesn't know or care that this site exists, and I don't have any pull with them about anything. I can't get you a free computer, and I can't help you with your genius idea for a killer new product.

I am doing a project/paper/essay/thesis/website on Apple, can I use text or images from apple-history.com?

You may use content from apple-history.com, if you observe the following rules:

1. Include a link to the site (or a footnote, if on paper) for each use of text, image, or paraphasing of content.
2. Include a link or listing in your bibliography
3. Use the contact form to let us know what and how content was used from the site.
4. Content from this site can not be used for profit in any manner without the permission of its author.

Be advised that I do not own the copyrights to any of the images on the site. I have listed the copyright holders when possible. You will need to contact them to obtain permission to use their images.

If you have any questions regarding any of these points, email me.

What is Apple's mission statement?

According to apple's Investor Relations FAQ:

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market this year with its revolutionary iPhone.

There's an old investor FAQ page—still present on Apple's site, but with a 1997 copyright—that lists the following:

Apple will be a leader in providing simple, powerful, high-quality information products and services for people who learn, communicate, and create.

I've also had several readers tell me that this is their mission statement, as quoted in Strategic Management Cases, 11th Edition by Fred David:

Apple Computer is committed to protecting the environment, health and safety of our employees, customers and the global communities where we operate. We recognize that by integrating sound environmental, health and safety management practices into all aspects of our business, we can offer technologically innovative products and services while conserving and enhancing recourses for future generations. Apple strives for continuous improvement in our environmental, health and safety management systems and in the environmental quality of our products, processes and services.

I'd bet on the first one, since it's the one that's currently linked to from Apple's Investor Relations FAQ.

How did Apple get its name, and how did Apple get that logo?

Steve Jobs had worked during the summer at an apple farm, and admired the Beatles' record label, Apple. He also believed Apples to be the most perfect fruit. He and Steve Wozniak were trying to figure out a name for their new company, and they decided that if they couldn't think of one by the end of the day that was better than Apple, they would choose Apple. They couldn't think of anything better, so on April 1, 1976, Apple Computer, Inc. was born.

But they needed a logo. The first design included Sir Isaac Newton, a tree and a banner that said "Apple Computer." Jobs decided they needed a less busy logo, one that would signify a brand. The second logo attempt was very similar to the current logo, but without the bite taken out of it. Jobs thought this logo looked too much like an orange. The third attempt was the logo that Apple still uses.

I heard that Apple was so named because Alan Turing took a bite of a poison apple when commiting suicide, and the name was picked as an homage. Is this true?

This theory cropped up several years ago, and has popped up from time to time. As far as I know, it is entirely untrue.

What does the "i" in iMac/iBook/iPod/iWhatever stand for?

It originally stood for Internet, but now it pretty much stands for "Cool Apple Consumer Device". See http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=515863 for a more detailed answer.

I don't see {insert model or device here} in the gallery, why isn't it there?

First, check that the computer is not on the list. Second, check again that the computer is not on the list. Keep in mind that if machines share a motherboard design or are otherwise closely related, they may be listed together. (The Apple ///+, for example, is listed with the Apple ///.) If you are looking for a Performa model, make sure that "Show Performas" is selected.

I had to limit the scope of this site somewhere, and I decided to draw the line at Apple-branded computers. This is why you may never see Clones, Monitors, Printers, PDAs, or other peripherals listed in the gallery. There are already more than 200 entries, and that is more than enough to maintain.

When I click {insert model or device here} in the gallery, I get {insert different model or device here} instead. Is this a mistake?

If machines share a motherboard design or are otherwise closely related, they may be listed together. (The Apple ///+, for example, is listed with the Apple ///.) Note particularly that Performa links almost always go to the machines on which they are based. With a few notable exceptions, Performas were consumer branded versions of existing Apple models, and are listed as such.

I think the maximum RAM of {insert model here} is different than what you list. What's the deal?

Maximum RAM is a hard one to pin down, because Apple officially supports only the RAM chips that were available when the model was released. In many cases, larger chips are subsequently made available, but the resulting change in Max RAM is not listed in Apple's tech specs. Some models support larger RAM values than Apple lists, and some don't. I try to be as accurate as possible, but it's a good idea to check directly with your RAM vendor for the specs of your machine before purchasing RAM. Most RAM vendors have more detailed Max RAM specs for different machines.

Will you ever add the Displays? How about Printers? Other Peripherals?

I finally managed to add the Newtons and iPods, after years and years of reader requests. I don't expect to ever add displays, printers, or other peripherals. There are now more than 200 entries in the database for the site, and I have to draw the line somewhere, or the site will become impossible to maintain or navigate. Apple-branded computers used to be where I drew the line, but I think that categorization is flexible enough to hold Newtons and iPods too. Don't expect to ever see other peripherals, though, nor should you expect to see clones on the site.

What about the Pippen? Why isn't it there?

Though Apple designed the Pippen, it never sold under its own brand. Instead it was sold by Bandai as the "Pippen @World". As such it doesn't fall under the category of "Apple-branded hardware," which is why you will probably never see it here.

I need help with my computer.

Sorry, I cannot answer hardware/software support questions. I get a ton of these questions, and I've stopped even replying. Please don't take it personally, but history and hardware repair are very different things. If you're stuck, A good place to start is Apple's Knowledge Base. You might also try MacFixit.com.

My computer's broken. Can you fix it?

See above.

How can I hook {insert random pereipheral} up to my {insert random computer model}?

See above.

I lost data on my hard drive. How can I get it back?

Sorry. See above.

I need help finding software or a manual for my computer.

Apple has some software posted on their website. The Mac 512 is a great site for people trying to jump start their old Macs. If you do a search for "Apple II Software" on any of the major search engines, you should be able to find some info. I have no idea how to find old manuals. Please don't ask me.

Do you have a personal webpage?

Yes I do. it can be found at http://www.glen.nu

I need more/other information than what I found on apple-history.com. Can you help? Do you have sales figures?

Unfortunately for you, Most of the information I have regarding Apple is on this site already. I don't have any information about their marketing strategy, their corporate structure, or their sales figures.

I'd like to mirror apple-history.com.

If you have a well-connected server in a region not already covered by existing mirrors, I'd love for you to mirror my site. However, I require that any mirror of my site be "owned" and maintained by me, and I'll need an FTP account to do so. It's important that I be able to update the mirrors as soon as possible after making an update to the main site. The site runs on php/mysql, but there is a flat html verson of the site as well. My preference would be to run the php/mysql version, since it's way easier to update, but either way is fine. If you have a server with extra space and extra bandwidth, please let me know.

I'd like to translate apple-history.com.

I am no longer authorizing translations of the site. It's a ton of work, and I admit to failing to support translators as much as I'd like to. The administrative work of keeping all translators up to date on even minor changes to the site outweighs (for me anyway) the value of having translations at all. I will continue to link to existing and in-progress translations, but can no longer accept requests for new translations. There are a variety of decent machine translation tools available on the web, and I think these work just fine.

I have IE 5 on OS 9 and I can't see the list of computers!

I have verified that certain flavors of IE 5 intermitently fail to show the gallery navigation when browsing the site. I have no idea why this happens, but it is not a mistake in the code. My only suggesting is either to upgrade to OS X or use a different browser.

Why is the no-frames version of the site no longer available?

It was growing difficult to maintain two different versions of the site, even with the optimizations I had developed. While I usually don't like frames much, I really feel that they are the best form of navigation for this particular site, allowing the scrollable list at the right at all times. I could do this using inline frames and DHTML, but since frames have been around for more than a decade and seem to work well, I have elected to use them. Sorry if this bugs you. I plan to replace the frames version with a fancy CSS/AJAX implementation that looks the same at some point, but am still in the very early prototyping stage.