Daily Apple Quiz

Do I smell something burning in here?

In the mid-1990s, Apple’s reputation had begun to take a hit, in part due to the fact that the company failed to maintain its competitive lead in laptop computers. When Apple shipped the first batch of new PowerBooks containing the new PowerPC processor, things only got worse.

Two of the early production models caught fire. The new laptop model featured lithium-ion (LiIon) batteries that were manufactured by Sony, and the batteries could overheat and catch fire due to excess pressure inside the cells.

Nobody was hurt in the 2 incidents that occurred, but Apple’s reputation for quality was seriously hurt.

Which trouble-prone Apple laptop model had a habit of going up in smoke when it was first introduced?

Think you know the answer? Post a response in the comments and we’ll post the answer later.

Identify this Mac

If you’re an Apple fan and you happen to be visiting New York City, consider visiting the Museum of Modern Art (MoMa). It’s not only one of the most influential museums of modern art in the world, but a few of Apple’s products have been acquired by the museum for display in its design collection. Apple products in the MoMa design collection include an original Macintosh from 1984, and a Macintosh SE from 1987.

For today’s quiz, name the correct Apple Macintosh model based on the following clues:

- It was introduced in 2000
- It’s also part of the MoMa design collection
- It featured a revolutionary case design
- It was described by Steve Jobs as “a wrong concept — fabulously implemented”

Think you know the answer? Post a response in the comments — we’ll post the answer later.

The Macintosh SE

Trim levels on cars are frequently denoted by two or three letter abbreviations that used to mean something years ago, but now most of them mean nothing. Many cars carry badges on the back that say “GLX” or “SE”. What do those letters mean, anyway? I suppose that at one point “SE” actually stood for “Special Edition” or maybe “Sport Edition”. Of course, you can easily spot “SE” on the back of a minivan nowadays and there’s really nothing sporty about a minivan.

But when Apple introduced the Macintosh SE back in 1987, the “SE” designation actually stood for something.

What did the letters “SE” stand for in the Macintosh SE name?

Post a response in the comments if you think you know the answer. We’ll post the real answer tomorrow.

Adjusting alert sounds in the OS X System Preferences Window

If you do something stupid, or your Macintosh needs your attention, it will let you know through the use of the alert sound. Most seasoned Mac users will adjust the alert sound at some point by going into System Preferences.

Most of the available alert sounds have names that coincide with the sound coming out of the speakers. “Glass” sounds like somebody tapping a wine glass with a fork. “Pop” sounds like… well, a ‘popping’ sound. But there’s one sound in there that carries an unusual name.

The Macintosh alert sound called “Sosumi” is related to what?

Post a response in the comments if you think you know the answer. We’ll post the real answer tomorrow.

The svelte Apple MacBook Air. Image credit: Apple.

Steve Jobs enjoys product introductions that are full of drama, and by pulling the MacBook Air out of a manila envelope on stage, he definitely emphasized the fact that it is thin.

Aside from being the first subnotebook from Apple in a long time and the first Mac to support Multi-Touch (the same screen gesturing technology found on the iPhone), the MacBook Air offered a new disk drive choice called an SSD. The SSD is a costly option and has limited capacity, but dramatically improves battery life and reads information much faster than a conventional hard drive.

System 7 in black and white (on a Mac Plus) and in color (Mac LC)

By the mid-1980s, Apple followed up the success of original Macintosh with a number of new models including the Mac 512K, the Mac XL and Mac Plus. With the release of the Mac SE, Apple introduced a computer that could be customized via an expansion slot, paving the way to even more enhancements to the Macintosh platform.

Macintosh signatures. Macintosh Image credit: Old Computers

Have you ever looked inside the case of the original Macintosh? No, we’re not talking about the motherboard or the disk drive here — we mean the case itself. On the inside of the case, in raised plastic, were the signatures of the Mac division employees.

Why would Apple do something like this? Simply put, the Mac was special. Specifically, Steve Jobs felt that the Mac was a work of art. Artists sign their work, so it only made sense to have the signatures on the Mac.

Apple included the signatures on the original Mac and continued this practice part way through the production of the Mac SE. Several years later, Apple again included signatures on the inside of 2 Macintosh models.

The “Revision C” iMac was available in 5 colors. Image credit: Apple

Let’s give thanks today to Apple, shall we? Because if it weren’t for the iMac, all of us might still be using computers that have all the visual charm of an IBM PS/2. (That’s beige, boxy and boring to those of you that have never laid eyes on a PS/2)

When the original iMac was released in 1998, it represented a serious attempt by Apple to differentiate its products from the competition in terms of industrial design. The original iMac was offered one “flavor”: Bondi Blue. The lineup was eventually expanded to include 11 colors and 2 patterns.

Mac clones now and then. Left: Psystar OpenComputer. Right: Macworld April 2005 cover.

Ever since Florida-based computer maker Psystar started selling its OpenComputer Mac clones in 2008 without authorization from Apple, most observers knew it was only a matter of time until Apple’s legal team would pounce.

But during the mid-1990s, Apple did officially license its Macintosh ROMs and operating system software to other computer manufacturers, giving customers looking for a computer that ran the MacOS more options other than just Apple.

Jonathan Ive, Senior Vice President of Design at Apple. Image credit: Apple

Apple is known for using new materials, technology and manufacturing processes to better its products. Some of the more notable examples of this include the use of colored, translucent plastic in the iMac and the Titanium case of the PowerBook G4.