Before floppy disk’s were used, early Apple computers ran software off of cassettes. The developer ecosystem was surprisingly vibrant, with games like Slot Machine, Star Wars, and Lemonade Stand.”Image Credits:Yesterbits (opens in a new window)Back in the early days of computing, most computer companiesu00a0had to make their own printers. Apple introduced the Silentype in 1979, a thermal printer retailing for $599 (almost $2k in today’s dollars). Apple got out of the printer business after releasing the LaserWriter in 1985, which retailed for u00a0$6,995 (almost a whopping $15,000, adjusted for inflation).
Image:u00a0StromBeru00a0“Who says computers are only useful for work if they are running Microsoft word? Apple released MacWrite, a word processing application for the original Macintosh in 1984. It was one of the first WYSIWYGu00a0editors ever available, which was considered incredible in a worldu00a0of computers which still ranu00a0text-only DOS or BASIC environments. MacWrite eventually evolved into MacWrite Pro, AppleWorks, and now Pages.”Image Credits:www.jnkmail.com (opens in a new window)Yes, it’s true. Apple once had a fashion line. The Apple Collection was the company’s catalogue attempt to sell clothing. Far from the minimalist Steve Jobs turtleneck aesthetic, the Apple Collection featured 80s style baggy sweatshirts, rainbow caps and visors with the Apple logo, and layered popped-collar polos.
Image:u00a0Apple via The Trad“Continuing the trend of creating their own peripheral devices for the Macintosh, Apple launched a 300 dpi, A4 scanner in 1988. While replaced in 1991 with the Apple OneScanner, neither really took off, and Apple stopped selling the product in 1997.
Image:u00a0Stephen Edmonds“The Newton! Often discussed, the Newton was a personal assistant OS designed for Apple’s MessagePad tablets. The device shipped with familiar apps like Notes, Names, and Dates. Additionally, all versions came with a stylus and handwriting recognition software. While the device was financially unsuccessful, it helped pave the way for devices like the iPhone and iPad.”Image Credits:staticworld.net (opens in a new window)Theu00a0Apple PowerCD was actually a product designed by Phillips, and just branded with an Apple Logo. The device could read data discs when connected to a Mac, and traditional CDs when connected to speakers.
Image:u00a0Hellisp“Believe it or not, Apple was once in the camera business. The QuickTake was one of the earliest consumer digital cameras, and was built for Apple by Kodak and Fijifilm. Retailing for $749, the first camera had a resolution of .3 megapixels, and came with 1MB of Flash storage.
Image:u00a0Flickr“Image Credits:redjar (opens in a new window) / Flickr (opens in a new window) under a CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new window) license.If you went to school in the 2000s, you probably used an eMac. Originally designed as an education-only version ofu00a0the iMac, it never fully caught on and eventually just became a cheaper version of the iMac.u00a0The first version came with 128MB of memory, a 40GB hard drive, and ran Mac OS X Puma.”Image Credits:Amazon (opens in a new window)This was Apple’s attempt at making a speaker for the iPod. Originally retailing for $349, it was quickly phased out and Apple started recommending third-party systems in its place.
Image:u00a0Andrew Zuckerman“Image Credits:Sotheby's (opens in a new window)
While Apple’s product line is now pretty consolidated, it wasn’t always that way. There was once a younger, riskier Apple which had no problem rolling out a new product, only to shelf it just a few years later. Here are 13 Apple products that for one reason or another, are no longer with us today.
Fitz Tepper is a junior in the Marshall School of Business at The University of Southern California. He’s been a passionate Apple fan and developer for over 10 years, and loves covering the business-side of startups.
