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While Apple Computer has been written off countless times over the year, it lives today to celebrate its 30th birthday on April 1.
The company has its origins in the home brew computer pioneers congregating around the Silicon Valley in the mid-1970s. Today, that ancient history is difficult to imagine as computer technology finds its way into every niche of our consumer society.
Instead of a long thought piece, chronicling the rise and fall and rise again of Apple and its co-founder Steve Jobs, I offer this quiz that will test your memories of Apple, the Macintosh and in places the industry. Its a tough one: Are you up for the challenge?
There are four parts to the quiz: Apple Beginnings, Young Macintosh Days, Apple hardware trivia, and Think Different.
Some of these questions go back to the beginnings of Apple and others look at more recent iPod-era events; some are easy and others are on the tough side. And beware of a couple of trick questions.
Apple Beginnings
Question 1. What was the list price of the Apple I computer?
Question 2. What was the operating system of the Apple III computer?
A. Apple DOS 3
B. ProDOS III
C. The Apple Sophisticated Operating System
Question 3. When did Apple discontinue the Apple II line?
A. October 1988
B. April 1990
C. November 1993
Bonus Question: The “two Steves” founded Apple Computer. What are their full names?
Next Page: Young Macintosh days.
Young Macintosh Days
Young Macintosh Days
Question 4. What was Carl Sagan?
A. The code name for the Power Macintosh 8500.
B. The code name for Apples planetarium software.
C. The code name for the Power Macintosh 7100.
D. The code name for the PowerPC Macs SCSI controller.
Question 5. According to Mac users in 1997, Mac OS 8:
A. Offered the first multithreaded version of the Mac Finder.
B. Provided easier Web integration with a new Internet Config control panel.
C. Sucked.
D. All of the above.
Question 6. Mac vs. Windows: The last round?
In the summer of 1997, Steve Jobs took the stage at the Macworld Expo Boston keynote and told the crowd that Apple was down but not beaten. During part of the address, Jobs warned that Apple must work better with its partners. To cat-calls and boos from the audience, he said that Apple and Microsoft were burying the hatchet. Microsoft and Windows 95 had won.
Bill Gates then appeared on a screen above the stage, exchanged greetings with Jobs and pledged support for the Macintosh platform, including future versions of the classic Mac operating system as well as the nascent, Mach-based Rhapsody OS that would become Mac OS X.
Is this account true or false?
Next Page: Apple Hardware Trivia
Apple Hardware Trivia
Apple Hardware Trivia
Question 7. Apples all-in-one iMacs once came in colors. Which one of these sets has a color scheme NOT used on an iMac model?
A. Bondi Blue, Graphite, Snow, Ruby
B. Flower Power, Indigo, Blue Venetian, Lime
C. Sage, Grape, Blueberry, Tangerine
Question 8. Over the years, Apple has introduced new technologies to the notebook category. Which of the following features was not first seen on an Apple notebook?
A. Trackpad input device
B. Built-in CD-ROM drive
C. Backlights for keypads
D. Battery fires
E. MagSafe power connector
Question 9. The iPods click wheel technology can measure changes in position greater than:
A. 1/5,000th of an inch.
B. 1/1,000th of an inch.
C. 1/500th of an inch.
Next Page: Please, please, think different.
Please, Please, Think Different
Please, Please, Think Different
Question 10. In the first expression of Apples 1997 “Think Different” advertising campaign, Apple paid tribute to:
A. Muhammad Ali
B. Picasso
C. The Crazy Ones
D. Rocker Dudes
Question 11. Put these names for Mac OS X into the correct order:
Panther
Rhapsody DR2
Cheetah
Tiger
Puma
Leopard
Jaguar
Question 12. Think Retail
According to Apples recent Q4 filing with the SEC, the company had 136 stores open as of Jan. 31. But not all states are blessed with the Apple retail experience.
How many states have at least one store?
Bonus Question: Name five states without a single store.
Next Page: Apple Beginnings: The Answers.
Apple Beginnings
: The Answers”>
The Answers
Here are the answers and bonus information to boot. See how you did.
The questions can be both difficult and tricky. But Im not sorry. If you get 7 answers correct, then you must be one of the first Apple employees and still work at the company. A score of 5 is very good and youve been using the Mac for at least a decade. A score of 3 correct answers shows that youre on the road to productivity and content creation with a Mac (or listening hard to that iPod).
Apple Beginnings: Answers
Question 1. What was the list price of the Apple I computer?
Answer: $666.66
The advertisement said “Byte into an Apple.” The semi-homebrew computer was the first from the team of Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs. It was a bare board and came with 8KB of RAM (from 16 512-Byte chips soldered on the board), a built-in video terminal subsystem (you could connect it to a television instead of a teletype) and Apple Basic loaded on a cassette.
Apple Computer and Apple Corps—the Beatles company that only exists to sue—have scrapped over the Apple brand over the past 25 years or so. The fight started up again in 2003 and appears to be heading to court over Apples success with the iPod music player and the online music store.
Question 2. What was the operating system of the Apple III computer?
Answer: C. The Apple Sophisticated Operating System
The “Sophisticated ” OS for the Apple III was pronounced “Applesauce” inside the company. Like many things associated with the troubled Apple III computer, the branding for the OS was troublesome, as SOS must fight the common association with Morse Codes S.O.S. distress call.
From the I-did-not-know-that department: In addition to this year being Apples 30th anniversary, it is also the centennial anniversary of the standardization of the SOS distress call, which was decided at the second Berlin Radiotelegraphic Conference.
Question 3. When did Apple discontinue the Apple II line?
Answer: C. November 1993
Most people believe that the Macintosh quickly supplanted the Apple II computers. However, it took years for Mac sales to overtake the popular Apple lines, which had a very high profit margin (more than 50 percent) and a large installed base in the education market.
In October 1988, Apple execs said that the company would begin to “phase out” the Apple II lines. But that transition took years. For example, in 1991, Apple offered a NuBus card for the Mac LC (low cost) with a IIe onboard. Finally, in late 1993, Apple dropped the Apple IIe off of its product rolls. The Apple II history site has an interesting story of the fabled “Mark Twain ROM 4” for the IIGS that tried to bring more Mac features over to the Apple platform.
Of course, today, there is no dissonance between the Mac and Apple branding. “Apple” doesnt mean that old Apple IIe and software for the primary education market (well, it still does the latter but thats not a bad thing anymore). Apple is the iPod and digital content and cool stores.
Bonus Question: The “two Steves” founded Apple Computer. What are their full names?
Answer: Stephen Gary Wozniak and Steven Paul Jobs.
Next Page: Young Macintosh Days: Answers.
Young Macintosh Days
: Answers”>
Young Macintosh Days: Answers
Question 4. What was Carl Sagan?
Answer: C. The code name for the Power Macintosh 7100.
Released in January 1994, the 7100 ran a PowerPC 601 processor, the first generation of PowerPC chips. However, when it was revealed in the pages of MacWEEK that the code name of the model was Carl Sagan, the astronomer complained and brought legal action against Apple.
The product team didnt take to his rejection of their bestowed honor (the code naming of a product for a living person) and when asked by management to rename the model came up with the name “BHA,” reportedly standing for “Butt-head Astronomer.”
In 1995, Apple and the scientist came to a settlement.
“Dr. Sagan has made great contributions in many areas of higher learning and in particular has made complex subject matter interesting and understandable to a wide audience. Apple has always had great respect for Dr. Sagan, and it was never Apples intention to cause Dr. Sagan or his family any embarrassment or concern,” the company said in a statement.
Question 5. According to Mac users in 1997, Mac OS 8:
Answer: D. All of the above.
Mac OS 8, introduced in 1997, proved a big step forward for the platform—bringing a number of features from the long-awaited next-generation Copland OS. Unlike earlier steps in the previous System 7 series, Mac OS 8 required a PowerPC processor, orphaning many older machines.
However, the advances came with great pain, breaking many third-party applications and plug-ins. Worse, the multithreaded Finder was very slow for many ordinary tasks, such as copying files.
I attended a “party” at the 1998 Macworld Expo Boston held by the development team of the Mac OS 8.5 update. It was an informal affair—a bag of chips tossed on a hotel room table—marked only by the rather defensive tone of the t-shirts handed out to attendees. In white letters on a black background, the shirt proclaimed that “Mac OS 8.5 Sucks Less.” And it was so.
It really wasnt until the arrival in 1999 of what Apple called a “nanokernel” in Mac OS 8.6 that things were settled and the performance issues really resolved. And by that time, the speeds of the PowerPC G3 and PowerPC G4 chips had climbed, helping the situation.
Question 6. Mac vs. Windows: The last round?
Answer: False.
According to my late colleague Don Crabb, the conversation between Gates and Jobs was fake, done by means of a slick video tape fed into the venue in real time. It sure fooled me and most everyone in the hall.
“One last note: Bill Gates, whose 25-foot-high video image filled the Castle midway through the Jobs keynote to bless the Apple/Microsoft agreement, was not live, not on satellite. He was, dear friends, on a videotape. It was a good tape, and it was made to look like Bill was just then calling in. But it was still just a tape, all the gee whiz aside. The lack of a downlink dish ought to have given it away! Still, it was a nice touch … A nice bit of PR spin,” Crabb wrote that day.
The announcement proved to be a boost in the arm for Apple and its core users. After years of hearing that “Apple was dead” from the press and analysts, and with the NeXT team still finding desks in Cupertino, Mac customers were concerned that Microsoft would pull back Office from the platform. While nobody cared for the applications, Office was the cross-platform standard and the best word processor on the Mac.
Microsoft pledged to continue development of the Office productivity suite and Internet Explorer for the Mac platform, and to invest $150 million in Apple stock. Apple said it would make Internet Explorer the default browser for the Mac. And finally, the pair agreed to a broad patent cross-licensing agreement that ran until 2002.
Microsofts Mac Business Unit in Santa Clara, Calif., was given the green light to make “real” Mac applications for OS X, without adhering to the Windows version. As a result, Office 2004 on the Mac was very well received by the Macphile community.
Next Page: Apple Hardware Trivia: Answers
Apple Hardware Trivia
: Answers”>
Apple Hardware Trivia: Answers
Question 7. Apples all-in-one iMacs once came in colors. Which one of these sets has a color scheme NOT used on an iMac model?
Answer: B. Flower Power, Indigo, Blue Venetian, Lime.
This is a trick question, since the correct color scheme was Blue Dalmatian, which sported a pattern of blue dots. So, its the Dalmatian of a dog, rather than the waters along the coast of Croatia. The “Bondi” of Bondi Blue in the first iMac was supposedly based on the water at the Bondi Beach in Australia.
The Flower Power and Blue Dalmatian models introduced in 2001 were described as “hideous” and “retro” by some. I thought they looked better in person than in photos, especially the Flower Power model.
At the same time, Apple will sometimes change the base components or even the logic board of some models, while leaving the outside (and product numbering) the same.
Some iMac models were easy to discern but others were more difficult. When in doubt, there were helpful guides online that enumerated the differences.
Question 8. Over the years, Apple has introduced new technologies to the notebook category. Which of the following features was not first seen on an Apple notebook?
Answer: D. Battery fires
Apple and other notebook vendors keep having trouble with batteries. While Apples problems with LiIon batteries for its 1995 PowerBook 5300 were widely reported, overheating is a longstanding issue. This was the first PowerPC-based notebook and had many other quality issues.
However, Apple continues to be a leader in packing technologies into notebooks. The first Trackpad was found on the PowerBook 540, code-named Blackbird, which was a real advance for notebook input. (Why does my ThinkPad have that red nubben Trackpoint?) The PowerBook 1400 (introduced in 1996) was the first notebook computer with a built-in CD-ROM drive.
The new Intel-based MacBook Pros big new feature is MagSafe, a magnetic power connector that can keep your notebook on the table instead of being pulled onto the floor.
Question 9. The iPods click wheel technology can measure changes in position greater than:
Answer: B. 1/1,000th of an inch.
Apple is usually mum about the technology it uses on the iPod from Synaptics of Santa Clara, Calif. However, according to an Electronic Design article, the solid-state touch wheels “analog circuitry measures the changes in capacitance that occur as a users finger moves around the wheels surface, pinpointing the fingers location at any given moment with accuracy in excess of 1/1000th of an inch.
The click wheel design has changed with each new iPod series. The Scoutingaround.com site offers a visual guide to each generation of iPod, including some code names. Did the first generation really carry the code name “Dulcimer?”
Next Page: Please, Please, Think Different: Answers.
Please, Please, Think Different
: Answers”>
Please, Please, Think Different: Answers
Question 10. In the first expression of Apples 1997 “Think Different” advertising campaign, Apple paid tribute to:
Answer: C. The Crazy Ones
When you read the advertisement, we can understand that its supposed to be a poem. One where the poet couldnt find a rhyme for “them.”
And how much are those old Think Different posters worth? Start looking in the back of the server closet for them. According to the Redlight Runner store, the Sinatra poster is priced at $249.95. And Bob Dylans poster is marked down to $299.95 from $499.95. Poor Joan Baez is only $79.95.
Question 11. Put these names for Mac OS X into the correct order:
Answer:
Rhapsody DR2: A major testing version for Mac OS X.
Cheetah: Mac OS X Version 10.0 (2001)
Puma: Mac OS X Version 10.1 (2001)
Jaguar: Mac OS X Version 10.2 (2002)
Panther: Mac OS X Version 10.3 (2003)
Tiger: Mac OS X Version 10.4 (2005)
Leopard: Mac OS X Version 10.5 (Expected Q1 2007)
According to a post by Frank Warner at Code Comments, there are some 36 wild cats in the genus. So, theres decades to go for the current branding scheme. In 2003, Apple registered four cat trademarks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for Cougar, Lynx, Leopard and Tiger, so Cougar and Lynx would appear to be due in the future.
Sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand or so words. Check out the visual aid at kernelthread.com that shows the family trees of OpenStep, Rhapsody, Mac OSX and Darwin. It really puts all the pieces together.
Question 12. Think Retail
According to Apples recent Q4 filing with the SEC, the company had 136 stores open as of Jan. 31. But not all states are blessed with the Apple retail experience. How many states have at least one store?
Bonus Question: Name five states without a single store.
Answer: 31 states have an Apple store. And three countries: Canada, England and Japan.
With Stores
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin
Without Stores
Alabama
Alaska
Arkansas
Idaho
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Mississippi
Montana
Nebraska
New Mexico
North Dakota
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Vermont
Washington, D.C.
West Virginia
Wyoming
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