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Apple Prototypes: 5 Products We Never Saw

Posted by samzenpus on from the blast-from-the-past dept.

Michael writes "For every Apple product we see on the shelves, there are dozens that never make it to production. Sometimes, these rare gems surface on the web for us to take a look at, and ponder what might have been. Scouring through the interweb, I've compiled this list of 5 Apple products that only the most hardcore of hardcore MacAddicts have ever stumbled across. Surprisingly, some of these products, over 10 years old, are still being speculated about in one form or another to this day. Will we see new products based on these old prototypes? It's far more likely that anything resembling the devices listed below have been rebuilt from the ground up, but still, it's fun to look back on the products that didn't make it to the mass market."

3 of 169 comments (clear)

  1. This is why I like Apple by Rude+Turnip · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Apple seems to have a philosophy of "just because we *can*, that doesn't mean we *should*" Many of the products in that article would have been plausible, but incredibly half-assed in terms of practical functionality, given the state of technology at the time. The videophone Newton is a pretty good example of this...sure, it might have worked, but the device was gigantic. Apple has a knack for waiting until tech gets small enough that it will fit into a tight package.

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    Bill Clinton: Pimp we can believe in. - The Shirt!!!
    1. Re:This is why I like Apple by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "Apple seems to have a philosophy of "just because we *can*, that doesn't mean we *should*""

      That could be said of just about any technology company. Heck, I worked at a really small software company a few years ago and despite a shortage of resources, they invested some time into a variety of products that never saw the light of day. The philosophy was more like "it's neat... but would it sell?" Any project goes through this phase, it's not just some business practice exclusive to Apple. Yeah, stupid products still make it to market, but there's a great deal more that never saw the light of day.

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      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

  2. Re:Alternate article title by espressojim · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Except that "funny" doesn't count towards karma. Mission (not) accomplished!