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I definitely wanted one of those too. I had a Black PowerBook that I picked up for $200 years ago. It barely passed the usefulness test at the time. I ended up selling it. I wish I still had it now, but wouldn‘t pop for another os9 device unless I had oodles of software on hand.

It looks brand new! The seller won’t ship to m location and it’s almost as expensive as a new MacBook Ai, but an incredible find indeed.
 
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Not a single product. I bought whatI needed/wanted. Not one regret.

Me too. By the time I was interested in Apple products, I was working full time out of college. But before then, there were plenty of tech things I wanted that were non-Apple, but didn't get ;)
 
Ironically my first Mac was a...Dell. A hackintosh. And I got everything working on it, even the 3G broadband built in - a "Mac" that had cellular 10 years ago, while Apple still hasn't done it themselves. But it did motivate me to buy my first actual Macbook Pro ever, the 2011 15 inch. And of course, I had to hack that up too, removing the DVD player and adding a second har drive, then SSDs, then upgraded the RAM. That 2011 was the best device of any kind I ever owned.
 
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What a timely post: I was lamenting just the other day of THREE products I wished I had owned when they were relevant and able to run iOS well.

It all started when I saw that current commercial with Mr. Ben Kenobi himself. He asked a question something to the effect of, “how many products have you looked back on and wished you had?” The commercial went on to make the point that it’s vacations and the places you visit that are meaningful, and it’s not the “stuff” that you regret not buying.

Every time the commercial comes on I think of those three products immediately that I will forever regret not owning:

iPhone 4s: I should have spent $200 (contract) to buy one for my first smartphone when they came to Sprint, instead of the Palm Pixi for $100 (contract).

iPhone 7 128GB Jet Black: why of why did I not spend an extra $100 to get the jet black? Regret it.

iPhone 11pro: the last great pro size. You may say “it’s not too late”, but I’m not spending 600-800$ for a new phone that has a two/three year old chip, when my mini has better camera tech but no telephoto :(

At least I can be happy about the things I DO appreciate having: PowerMac g4 silver door, iPhone mini, iPhone 7 gold, iPhone 5c blue (oh no! Forgot I regret not getting the green.), iPod nano.

That’s all I can think of.
 
Back in the day, I really wanted one of the high-end PowerBook Duos (280C, I think maybe was the model number), complete with a DuoDock and a desktop monitor, keyboard, etc.

I had just graduated from college at the time so couldn’t afford such a luxury.
 
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I wanted the original iMac. I wasn't making much money at my first big-boy job, so all I could afford was the eMachines eOne. It was terrible, and the first computer I ever bought. I would eventually end up owning one of the later blue iMacs, but it didn't have all of the charm of the original.
 
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For years I lusted after a lime green clamshell iBook but could never justify buying one because I always had a more powerful Powerbook G3 to use. I simply wanted the clamshell iBook because of the cool color and handle.

Maybe 10 years later, a neighbor was having a garage sale and I was finally able to get that lime green iBook for a whopping $15. Ordered a new battery for it and played with it for a while (but by then it really was pretty antiquated in terms of usability). I still have it but, alas, it's been relegated to my storage loft. However, I still think the color is awesome, almost as awesome as the color of my green M1 24 inch iMac.
 
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Well...I was considering getting an iPod (the classic or whatever was the biggest one in 2010-2011) but ended up getting my first iPhone instead in early 2011 and here I am.
 
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Posting some replies to other topics in here got me thinking... What are some of the Apple products (first ones that comes to mind) that got away from you? That slipped through your fingers? That you were never able to afford? That the timing just wasn't right on? That you lusted after but never brought to fruition..?

For me, it was the 2003 12" PowerBook G4. I spent more than a few afternoons sauntering into the Apple Store to daydream with this svelte piece of tech.

The other one would have to be the classic iPod. I still have my gen 1 iPod mini, but I never did get my hands on a full size version. I could never stomach the price. Too young, too poor for such luxuries.
The Black MacBook from 2006. I love the complete black feel to it.
 
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iPhone 4.

I studied in Germany for a couple of years (I'm from Mexico). I remember when the iPhone 4 came out, the design was absolutely beautiful to me, fell in love with it. I didn't buy it because I didn't know how much longer I was going to stay in Europe and at the time there were different versions of the iPhone because of the antennas, so a european phone wouldn't work if/when I came back to Mexico.
When I finally came back the iPhone 4 was no more and the iPhone 5 ended up being my first iPhone, but without the glass back.
 
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The G4 Cube. I could never justify the expense (price/performance) nor the lack of expansion. I brought a PowerMac G4 instead. It was only years later that I regret not getting a Cube, because Apple never recycled that look like they've done with a lot of old macs. The IIcx, IIci, Quadra 700 all the same. 128K, Fat Mac, Plus, SE, SE-30, Classic...same basic design. Blue PM G3, Grey PM G4, Mirror Door G4, PM G5...same basic design
I wanted the Cube, too, but also couldn't justify the Apple tax, so I built a PC that was in my budget.
 
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I wanted the Cube, too, but also couldn't justify the Apple tax, so I built a PC that was in my budget.
I agree. I lusted after the Cube but could not justify it, since I already had a more powerful, expandable desktop Mac. I've thought about looking for a Cube on Ebay but I'm not sure what I'd do with it at this point, even if I found one inexpensive enough to buy. So, I'll just have to be satisfied with the cloth sales poster of the Cube someone gave me years ago and that still hangs on my wall.
 
I always wanted an Apple IIgs, but I kept on trucking with my //e for many years.

In college I never owned my own Mac. I always lusted after the Macintosh Iix with a good 24-bit graphics card and a 19" Trinitron display, but I didn't buy my first Mac until after I graduated: a Iici with a mere 14" color display.

I also really coveted the Quadra 840av, but my job ended up buying me a PowerMac 8500/120, , which had the nifty A/V features and also had a much longer useful linespan due to a procession of CPU and GPU upgrades over the years.

I was in the market for a new tower in 2000 when the Cube came out. I had to really think long and hard about that one, but ended up getting the base model PowerMac G4 instead. Definitely the right call from a practical perspective, as that system also underwent many upgrades to keep it productive and useful for many years.

I wanted one of the first two generation iPods, but the first one I bought was the third gen. I kind of regret not getting one of the last generation iPod Classics, but I had migrated my music over to the iPhone and didn't want to have to carry another specialized device.

I've owned a pretty wide variety of iPhones since the original, so don't have any major regrets there. I'd say the iPhone 4 was my favorite design, and it was a really wonderful device despite the antenna design flaw.

Laptop-wise, the Powerbook 170 was the most drool worthy for me. That first generation was such a game-changer. I didn't actually get a full-fledged laptop until the first generation white iBook, which was such a wonderfully elegant design and a complete 180° turnaround from the older toilet seat iBooks.

I never owned a Cinema Display. The original 22" was a thing of real beauty, and the 30" felt outrageously huge when it was first released.
 
Awesome share. I remember flipping through time magazine month after moth, year after year and seeing big beautiful ads for iPods that I would never own. I wish I’d had a classic as well. My only iPod was a 1st gen mini and I loved it. Still have it, still works.
The nano was pretty darn special, too.
 
What a timely post: I was lamenting just the other day of THREE products I wished I had owned when they were relevant and able to run iOS well.

It all started when I saw that current commercial with Mr. Ben Kenobi himself. He asked a question something to the effect of, “how many products have you looked back on and wished you had?” The commercial went on to make the point that it’s vacations and the places you visit that are meaningful, and it’s not the “stuff” that you regret not buying.

Every time the commercial comes on I think of those three products immediately that I will forever regret not owning:

iPhone 4s: I should have spent $200 (contract) to buy one for my first smartphone when they came to Sprint, instead of the Palm Pixi for $100 (contract).

iPhone 7 128GB Jet Black: why of why did I not spend an extra $100 to get the jet black? Regret it.

iPhone 11pro: the last great pro size. You may say “it’s not too late”, but I’m not spending 600-800$ for a new phone that has a two/three year old chip, when my mini has better camera tech but no telephoto :(

At least I can be happy about the things I DO appreciate having: PowerMac g4 silver door, iPhone mini, iPhone 7 gold, iPhone 5c blue (oh no! Forgot I regret not getting the green.), iPod nano.

That’s all I can think of.
*update: I bought a used green iPhone 11pro as a gift to myself for putting up with a bunch of stressful stuff lately.

My oh my. This device is amazing 🫣

So, if you see something you’ve always wanted, just get it ASAP. Even if it’s used…. Just make sure it’s in decent shape if you plan on using it, and make sure it can still run current OS.

Good luck. NO REGERTS!
 
I like this thread topic. Interesting answers from all apart from some poster who has bizarrely taken offence at the OP.

Anyway, I sight the Pixar Lamp iMac or whatever it’s called. With the swivel screen. Loved the design! But I had laptop at the time along with a Blue and White tower or quicksilver (Can remover the timeline). So I didn’t jump on. But it was so cool. It is up there with the clamshell MacBook. Which I loved and had.
 
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The Black MacBook from 2006. I love the complete black feel to it.
Oh man, yes. This the one?

I can still feel the matte texture, and imagine the experience of opening it.
 

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I don't think I really loved the iMac G4 until the 20" model came out late in its lifespan. The larger, wide aspect ratio screen really worked well with the base in a way the smaller, more square 15" display didn't. I bought a used one for a great price for my grandfather — since his vision was failing, he could tilt the screen forward and up-close and really zoom in, so that served him well for a number of years. When he passed away, I kind of regret not taking it with me, but it was pretty obsolete by that time and I didn't have space or inclination to set up a personal computer museum. I still have all his writing, which I've been editing and working on anthologizing in my (ha!) spare time.

The black MacBook was also a very nice looking machine. I got a really good deal on one from the Apple Refurb Store after they discontinued the last generation of that model. Of all the Macs I've owned, it was a middle of the road model: the plastic felt a bit hollow and spongy, and the SATA3 drive interface meant that upgrading to an SSD didn't give it a huge speed boost. The texture of the outer case really was delightful, though. I gave that one to my father in law, and again declined to take it back after he passed away.
 
Oh man, yes. This the one?

I can still feel the matte texture, and imagine the experience of opening it.
Yes that one. I wanted one; however, I never got one as they were stuck with the horrendous Intel GMA graphics. It took the combined power of nVidia's 9400M and Apple's tech savvy to get a decent GPU in a MacBook.
 
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