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Since Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, the computer company has released hit after hit with the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad. However, over its 40-year history, Apple has released a few forgotten products. As the brand unveils a new slate of products, let's visit 11 lesser-known releases.
1. APPLE IPOD BY HP
Believe it or not, Apple wasn’t the only company to make the iconic iPod. In 2004, Apple partnered with Hewlett-Packard (HP) on the HP iPod (or Apple iPod + HP). At the time, Apple didn’t have the same retail reach as it does today and HP didn’t have a portable music player. The companies joined forces to help each other in the growing music market. Apple could sell the iPod (and iTunes) through more retailers, while HP could have “their own” mp3 player. The partnership only lasted for a year, as Apple refused to service and repair the HP iPod.
2. APPLE MACPHONE
In 1982, German designer Hartmut Esslinger was commissioned to come up with a production line for Apple Computer. He conceived the Apple MacPhone prototype, a landline telephone and tablet combination with a connected stylus and Mac operating system. Although the product was never released, the Apple MacPhone was the precursor to the iconic iPhone.
3. IPOD SOCKS
Introduced in 2004, Apple sold iPod Socks in various colors. A six-pack retailed for $29 and were made to stylishly protect an iPod from scrapes and scratches from daily use. Apple later discontinued the iPod Socks in 2012.
4. ADJUSTABLE KEYBOARD
In 1993, Apple released the Apple Adjustable Keyboard that featured the ability to split in half for better ergonomic typing. It came with a separate numeric keypad with function and navigation keys to the right of the numbers. The keyboard retailed for $219, which is about $369 today. Now that’s a lot of money to spend on a keyboard.
5. IPOD HI-FI
In 2006, Apple designed a speaker system made specifically for the iPod called the iPod Hi-Fi. With the hefty price tag of $349, the iPod Hi-Fi was met with criticism due to the lack of battery charging, AM/FM radio tuner, and compatibility with newer iPods and the iPod Shuffle.
It was discontinued a year later and according to an official statement from the computer company, “Apple has decided to focus priorities on the iPod and iPhone and will not be making more iPod Hi-Fi units. There are over 4000 accessories in the iPod ecosystem and hundreds of speakers systems designed specifically for the iPod, which provide customers with a wide variety of options.”
6. APPLE TIME BAND
The Apple Time Band concept was featured in a Japanese magazine called Axis in 1991. It resembled an Apple Newton personal digital assistant that could be worn on your wrist like a watch. Almost 25 years later, Apple released the Apple Watch.
7. EWORLD
With the emergence of America Online (AOL) during the early '90s, Apple wanted to get Mac users connected to the Internet with eWorld, an online web portal and “Town Hall” that featured email, news, and community bulletin boards. It launched in 1994 with a price tag of $8.95 a month with just two free hours of online time. It cost an additional $7.95 an hour for day time hours or $4.95 for nights and weekends after that. It's no surprise that eWorld ended just two years later. Apple just couldn’t compete with AOL because it was only open for Mac users and didn’t include a web browser.
8. APPLE EMATE 300
In 1997, Apple made a “budget” touchscreen personal digital assistant for the education market called the Apple eMate 300. It ran the Apple Newton OS and was designed for word processing, note taking, and sketching. The Apple eMate 300 also retailed for $799 and was discontinued a year later (along with the entire Apple product line) when Steve Jobs returned to the computer company and released the original iMac.
9. FLOWER POWER IMAC
In early 2001, the “Flower Power” iMac was released after Apple ran out of colors towards the end of the original device's run. It was a throwback edition to Steve Jobs’s hippie roots in the late '60s and early '70s. The Flower Power iMac was considered tacky at the time and was discontinued five months later during the summer. In addition, Apple also released and discontinued a “Blue Dalmatian” iMac, which was blue with white spots.
10. MACINTOSH BASHFUL
During the early '80s, Apple created a tablet prototype called “The Bashful” in reference to one of the Seven Dwarfs from Disney and the computer company’s “Snow White Industrial-Design Language” they used throughout the decade. There were a number of variations of the Apple tablet that included an attached keyboard, a floppy-disk drive, a stylus, and a handle for mobility. It even featured a version that included an attached phone. More than 25 years later, Apple finally released a tablet with the iPad.
11. THE APPLE COLLECTION
In 1986, Apple didn’t just make computers and electronic accessories, it also had a fashion and lifestyle product line with The Apple Collection. A year after Steve Jobs left Apple, the company released Apple-branded clothing and accessories, which featured sweatshirts, belts, wristwatches, stadium cushions, sneakers, jean jackets, Swiss Army knives, and playing cards. The Apple Collection even featured a sailboard with a big ol’ Apple logo on its sail for $1100.