apple a day / 1994

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POWERBOOK 540
"Introduced in May 1994 alongside the 520, the PowerBook 540 was the most powerful PowerBook of its time. The 540 was priced at $3,160." (photo credit: Apple Computer)

CPU

CPU: Motorola MC68LC040
CPU Speed: 33 MHz
Bus Speed: 33 MHz
Data Path: 32 bit
ROM: 2 MB
RAM Type: unique
Minimum RAM Speed: 70 ns
Onboard RAM: 4 MB
RAM slots: 1
Maximum RAM: 36 MB
Level 1 Cache: 8 kB
Expansion Slots: modem, optional type II/III PC Card bay

Video
Screen: 9.5" active-matrix
Max Resolution: 8 bit grayscale 640x480
Video Out: 8 bit 832x624 (mirror only)

Storage
Hard Drive: 240-500 MB
Floppy Drive: 1.4 MB SuperDrive

Input/Output
ADB: 2
Serial: 1
SCSI: HDI-30
Audio Out: stereo 16 bit mini
Audio In: stereo 16 bit mini
Speaker: stereo
Microphone: mono

Networking
Ethernet: AAUI-15

Miscellaneous
Codename: BlackBird, SR-71, Spruce Goose
Gestalt ID: 72
Power: 40 Watts
Dimensions: 2.3" H x 11.5" W x 9.7" D
Weight: 7.1 lbs.
Minimum OS: 7.1.1
Maximum OS: 8.1
Introduced: May 1994
Terminated: October 1994

This byte of Apple's history from Wired's, "30 Years of Apple Products."



For my birthday, a/g was kind and thoughtful enough to upgrade my flickr account to PRO status, thank you very much! (No more rationing of monthly uploads for me! Yay!) So tonight, to break 'er in, I uploaded some of my Taliesin West pictures (famed architect Frank Llyod Wright's Arizona home and school of architecture). I have many more to add to the set -- these are just a start. Flickr rocks. Thanks a/g. What a great gift.



We are nearing the end of April '06, but it's not too late to feature Miss April, as she appeared in Esquire back in 1953. She is gorgeous, and beautifully illustrated by E. Chiriaka. For more on the Esquire calendar girls of yesteryear, and copious quantities of assorted retro illustrations, visit one of the best blogs ever (!): "Today's Inspiration."


apple a day / 1994•1995

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POWERBOOK 520
"Introduced in May 1994, the PowerBook 520 was the first PowerBook with '040 power. A trackpad replaced the rolling ball in older PowerBooks, and the 520 had a built-in microphone and stereo speakers. The 520 was priced at $2,270 and came with a 4-bit, passive-matrix grayscale screen." (photo credit: Apple Computer)

CPU

CPU: Motorola MC68LC040
CPU Speed: 25 MHz
Bus Speed: 25 MHz
Data Path: 32 bit
ROM: 2 MB
RAM Type: unique
Minimum RAM Speed: 70 ns
Onboard RAM: 4 MB
RAM slots: 1
Maximum RAM: 36 MB
Level 1 Cache: 8 kB
Expansion Slots: modem, optional type II/III PC Card bay

Video
Screen: 9.5" passive matrix FSTN
Max Resolution: 4 bit grayscale 640x480

Storage
Hard Drive: 130-320 MB
Floppy Drive: 1.4 MB SuperDrive

Input/Output
ADB: 2
Serial: 1
SCSI: HDI-30
Audio Out: stereo 16 bit mini
Audio In: stereo 16 bit mini
Speaker: stereo
Microphone: mono

Networking
Ethernet: AAUI-15

Miscellaneous
Codename: BlackBird LC
Gestalt ID: 72
Power: 40 Watts
Dimensions: 2.3" H x 11.5" W x 9.7" D
Weight: 6.3 lbs.
Minimum OS: 7.1.1
Maximum OS: 8.1
Introduced: May 1994
Terminated: June 1995

This byte of Apple's history from Wired's, "30 Years of Apple Products."



{fig. 1} famous: mary
visit photo friday



Remember when you pee'd & poo'd in v's brand new house the very 1st day we got you? A couple times over? Remember when you would pee on our bed in spite? When you pee'd on my Edward Gorey collector's pop-up book? When you came to work with me and scratched the hell out of a's office door and pee'd on the carpet? When you pee'd in the pool? When you barfed under our bed so profusely we had to buy a carpet steamer to clean it? When you got an intestinal infection from a lamb bone djedo slipped you and... well... made a significant, ungodly mess? When s & d went home to toronto and you cried and barfed in their room? When you cried so much in the night with a/g she had to go home to sleep? When you ate not 1, but 2 strands of icicle lights? When you chewed on the playstation cable? When you tore my bath-loofah-thingy into thousands of teeny shreds? When you tore my pretty skirt? When you pulled that tuft of hair out of that dog's back? When you wrapped yourself around that staffordshire's head and tried to pull his eyes out? When you used to lick the iguana? When you walked over a snake in the desert not knowing what it was? When you caught that bird in your mouth? When you ate all that rotini out of the garbage? When you ate a... erm... feminine hygiene product? When you ate a Cheweez beefy roll in one 30-minute sitting and slept like an anaconda who'd just swallowed an antelope for about 14 hours? Yay! All were good, good times. Happy 7th bday, little 'ro dog!



Yesterday's sidebar drama had me hacking around in ih2b's template, and put me in the (obssesive compulsive) mood to tinker. I decided that this here blog, so close to it's 100th post, deserved a makeover. It's not quite done -- I still have to put in the site of the week & goody of the week links, my flickr badge, and a couple of other pre-existing features... and I'll be adding some new sidebar categories, too... so there's still quite a bit of futzing around to do. But that's to be expected, because, well you know, i do heart to blog! And should there be any glitches - and there well may be - please forgive them along the way!



POWERMAC 6100
"Introduced in March 1994, the PowerMac 6100 was the first Mac to run on a PowerPC processor. An optional AV configuration was available. The 6100 came in a Centris 610-style low-profile case, cost $1,700 and was replaced in January 1995 by the 6100/66, which upgraded the processor to 66 MHz. It was discontinued at the end of 1995. The 6100/66 DOS was also available, with a 66-MHz 486DX/2 processor card, and was discontinued in early 1996. The 6100 was also offered bundled with a monitor and various hard drives, as the Performa 6110CD, 6112CD, 6115CD, 6116CD, 6117CD and 6118CD." (photo credit: Apple Computer)

POWERMAC 7100
"
Introduced in March 1994, the PowerMac 7100 was a faster, more expandable, 6100. It came in a slightly restyled IIvx case, and was speed-bumped to 80 MHz in January 1995. It was originally priced at $2,900. (photo credit: Apple Computer)

This byte of Apple's history from Wired's, "30 Years of Apple Products."



Yay! He's back! Oh, sidebar, how I missed you. Let us never be apart again! Thank you, t-cos, and thank you, a/g. Being reunited feels so good!



Where oh where has my little sidebar gone? Where oh where can he be?

He's gone to the south of my page for a wee trip of some kind. Perhaps he's bored with the right, or perhaps he's taking some sort of stand and retaliating against me, looking for some space. I'm not sure. But whatever the case, it's clear we're going to have to spend some quality time together until we sort through this problem. I'm comitted to sidebar though, and I vow to get him back where he belongs just as fast as I can. Feel free to take a jaunt down there to see him... just in case he's feeling lonely.


apple a day / 1994•1995

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NEWTON MESSAGE PAD 110
"Announced in March 1994 alongside the NMP 100, The NMP 110 included more RAM and a redesigned case. It also included a new version of the Newton OS which improved the handwriting-recognition somewhat and fixed a number of bugs. The NMP 110 cost $599 and was discontinued in August 1995. For much more about the Newton Message Pad 110, and all Newton devices, check out the Newton Gallery." (picture credits: EveryMac.com)

CPU
CPU: ARM 610
CPU Speed: 20 MHz
ROM: 4 MB
Onboard RAM: 1.0 MB
RAM slots: 0
Maximum RAM: 1.0 MB
Expansion Slots: 1 Type II PCMCIA

Video
Screen: reflective LCD
Max Resolution: 1 bit 320x240

Input/Output
Serial: 1
Speaker: mono

Networking
Modem: 9600 bps, optional

Miscellaneous
Codename: Lindy
Dimensions: 8" H x 4" W x 1.25" D
Weight: 1.28 lbs.
Minimum OS: Newton OS 1.3
Maximum OS: Newton OS 1.3
Introduced: March 1994
Terminated: April 1995

This byte of Apple's history from, "30 Years of Apple Products."


may desktop

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I wanted to keep with the instructional theme of my "keyboard shortcuts" April desktop, so for May, I kept essentially the same layout, but added some handy css pointers this time (I'm trying to become more css savvy). I kept the amazing "Goodbye Sky" artwork along the sides by James Wignall, but modified it's colour balance to something a little more earthy. I switched up my background colour too, (with some inspiration from Pantone's Fashion Colour Report Spring 2006, thank you) and replaced last month's butterflies with Fruit icons by Monochrom. I couldn't resist putting in a pair of fabulous fishies from Colheres Pets icon set for good measure. It seemed like the right thing to do. I think it will serve me well this month.



This is why i heart the internet so. There is just so much out there, that you never knew existed, or even fathomed would exist. But then you stumble upon it, quite by accident, and you think to yourself, "how delightful and how very fascinating that this should exist... Of course this should exist!" I Am Bored gives us an animated video for Radiohead's "Creep" because they can; because the internet is wonderful, and makes people want to create and bring unlikely things into existence if for no other reason than just to exist. And should you feel like singing along, please, just do so...

"when you were here before / couldn’t look you in the eye / you’re just like an angel / your skin makes me cry / you float like a feather / in a beautiful world / and I wish was special / you’re so f***ing special /// but I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo / what the hell am I doing here? / I don’t belong here /// I don’t care if it hurts / I want to have control / I want a perfect body / I want a perfect soul / I want you to notice / when I’m not around / you’re so f***ing special / I wish I was special /// but I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo / what the hell am I doing here? / I don’t belong here /// she’s running out again / she’s running out / she’s run run run running out... / whatever makes you happy / whatever you want / you’re so f***ing special / I wish I was special... ///

but I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo / what the hell am I doing here? / I don't belong here..."


apple a day / 1993•1994

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MACINTOSH TV
"The limited edition Mac TV had a bit of an identity crisis. It came in a black LC-250 style case. (It is one of only a few Macs to have ever been black.) It came with a cable-ready TV tuner card, and included a CD-ROM drive. Only 10,000 Mac TVs were made before it was discontinued. However, its TV-tuner card has become a popular option on many LCs and Performas." (photo credit: AppleDesign)

CPU

CPU: Motorola MC68030
CPU Speed: 32 MHz
FPU: 68882
Bus Speed: 16 MHz
Data Path: 32 bit
ROM: 1 MB
RAM Type: 72 pin SIMM
Minimum RAM Speed: 80 ns
Onboard RAM: 4 MB
RAM slots: 1
Maximum RAM: 36 MB
Level 1 Cache: 0.5 kB

Video
Monitor: 14" CRT (built-in)
Video Card/Chipset: tv-tuner card
VRAM: 512 kB
Max Resolution: 640x480

Storage
Hard Drive: 160 MB
Floppy Drive: 1.4 MB SuperDrive
Optical Drive: 2x CD-ROM

Input/Output
ADB: 2
Serial: 2
SCSI: DB-25
Audio Out: stereo 8 bit mini
Speaker: mono

Miscellaneous
Codename: Peter Pan, LD50
Gestalt ID: 88
Power: 60 Watts
Dimensions: 17.9" H x 13.5" W x 16.5" D
Weight: 40.5 lbs.
Minimum OS: 7.1
Maximum OS: 7.6.1
Introduced: October 1993
Terminated: February 1994

This byte of Apple's history from,"30 Years of Apple Products."



I think of myself as primarily a print designer, even though I do dabble in a bit of web here & there. My web knowledge is admittedly pretty basic, but with the amount of reading I do on html, css, web 2.0, etc., I can confidently say I know a lot in theory (though not as much in actual practice). Well, theory only gets you so far -- and seeing as though css (cascading style sheets) is clearly the more efficient, flexible method of web page design, (even messing with this blog's template has given me some introductory insight), I decided today (yes, another slow day in the world of freelance), to read up on it at the "Web Page Design For Designers" site, while simultaneously creating my May desktop, featuring some oft used, basic css rules. I got through the first 7 sections, and while a lot of it reiterated what I already understood of css, it read incredibly well and was easy to follow -- more so than any other css tutorials I've encountered. If you're new to the world of web design, or css, or both -- you may want to check out this site. You're sure to learn a lot, even if only for theory's sake. And stay tuned for May's css-inspired desktop. I'm attempting to beautify it now, and hope to post it today or tomorrow.



This morning's stumbling on the web lead me to UK-based, You Are Beautiful. It's a very nice body of work, indeed; and while the sports illustrations at the beginning almost lost me, I hung in there, kept clicking away, and found some, well, beautiful stuff. I heart that messy-bits-of-tape-and-smudged-ink look Kerry employs from time to time, and found the identity pieces to be particularily inspiring.


apple a day / 1993•1994

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NEWTON MESSAGE PAD OMP
"Announced in August 1993, the Newton Message Pad was Apple's first completely new product in many years. Indeed, it represented Apple's entry into (and perhaps creation of) an entirely new market: personal digital assistants. The PDA market was barely present when the Newton was released, but other companies were working on similar devices. The Newton Message Pad featured a variety of personal-organization applications, such as an address book, a calendar, notes, along with communications capabilities such as faxing and e-mail. It featured a pen-based interface which used a word-based, trainable handwriting recognition engine. Unfortunately, this engine had been developed by a third party developer, and was notoriously difficult to use. While later Newton models would show improved hand-writing recognition, the Newton's reputation for poor recognition would haunt it for years to come. It sold for $699." (photo credit: EveryMac.com)

CPU

CPU: ARM 610
CPU Speed: 20 MHz
ROM: 4 MB
Onboard RAM: 640 kB
RAM slots: 0
Maximum RAM: 640 kB
Expansion Slots: 1 Type II PCMCIA

Video
Screen: reflective LCD
Max Resolution: 1 bit 336x240

Input/Output
Serial: 1
Speaker: mono

Networking
Modem: 9600 bps, optional

Miscellaneous
Codename: Newton
Dimensions: 7.25" H x 4.50" W x 0.75" D
Weight: 0.9 lbs.
Minimum OS: Newton OS 1.0
Maximum OS: Newton OS 1.11
Introduced: August 1993
Terminated: March 1994

This byte of Apple's history from Wired's, "30 Years of Apple Products."



Ok, people, spring has sprung -- and if you're like me, you're on the lookout for some light & bright (fresh and so clean) colour schemes to reflect the season. You'll find this a useful resource (from the one and only colour source, of course: Pantone.) It's their Fashion Colour Report Spring 2006. Pantone numbers for the print people, and hexidecimal codes for web folk. Enjoy!



Why did I choose Brian Rea's site as Site of The Week? Because I've always been a firm believer that Less Is More. You don't always have to be all flashy and have things move around and morph shape and colour while making little hi-tec sounds to get noticed. And his illustration style is so wonderfully... lo-fi. It's perfectly imperfect. One could conceivably argue that because his drawings are so simplistic and so unpolished that Rea has little talent, but his crude, seemingly unsophiticated technique tells me straightaway that he has oodles of it. And if upon viewing his work you still can't conclude what's so great about it.... check out his client list. Can you say, "laughing all the way to the bank?"


i too will perish of fits

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Thanks to the sage Quizilla's,"What Horrible Edward Gorey Death Will You Die?"quiz, I now know that I will die the death of fits, just like little Susan here. Hey, everyone has to go somehow.



MACINTOSH QUADRA 660av
"Originally announced as the Centris 660av in July 1993, The Quadra 660av got a name change in October, when Apple phased out the Centris name. It was one of the first Macs (along with the Quadra 840av) to integrate audio-visual features into its basic design. It was originally priced at $2300, making it Apple's first low priced AV option." (photo credit: Upgrading and Repairing Macs)

CPU
CPU: Motorola MC68040
CPU Speed: 25 MHz
FPU: integrated
Bus Speed: 25 MHz
Data Path: 32 bit
ROM: 2 MB
RAM Type: 72 pin SIMM
Minimum RAM Speed: 70 ns
Onboard RAM: 4 MB
RAM slots: 2
Maximum RAM: 68 MB
Level 1 Cache: 8 kB
Expansion Slots: 1 7" NuBus, 1 PDS

Video
VRAM: 1 MB
Max Resolution: 1152x870
Video Out: DB-15, s-video, composite
Video In: s-video, composite

Storage
Hard Drive: 160-320 MB
Floppy Drive: 1.4 MB SuperDrive
Optical Drive: optional

Input/Output
ADB: 1
Serial: 2
SCSI: DB-25
Audio Out: stereo 16 bit mini
Audio In: stereo 16 bit mini
Speaker: mono
Microphone: mono

Networking
Ethernet: AAUI-15

Miscellaneous
Codename: Tempest
Gestalt ID: 60
Power: 86 Watts
Dimensions: 3.4" H x 16.3" W x 15.6" D
Weight: 14 lbs.
Minimum OS: 7.1
Maximum OS: 8.1
Introduced: July 1993
Terminated: September 1994

This byte of Apple's history from Wired's,"30 Years of Apple Products."



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