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What are your favorite Apple products of all time?

awshucks

awshucks

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
As we remember Apple's 50th birthday, I would like to ask what are your favorite Apple products? Here are mine:

-PowerBook G4 17" 1.33ghz: I bought it last year as a collector, but it is so cool to have such a giant laptop.

-iPod nano 7: Actually the blue 2015 color revision, I used that thing until I finally decided to start using Apple Music in 2021.

-Blue iPhone 5c: Unpopular opinion, but I remember how I felt when it came out. I liked it so much when I was younger that I have all five colors now.

-Gold 12" MacBook: My first MacBook. Enjoyed the newness I felt using it.

-Apple Studio Display (tilt and height): In 2022, I decided to get something nice to replace my 1080p 24" Dell monitor as my main monitor, and I love it. Love the design and the high quality display.

-iPhone Air: Just like the 2015 MacBook, it feels so new and lightweight, just without a butterfly keyboard.

Studio Display is my absolute favorite.
 
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awshucks said:
As we remember Apple's 50th birthday, I would like to ask what are your favorite Apple products? Here are mine:

-PowerBook G4 17" 1.33ghz: I know, I bought it last year as a collector, but it is so cool to have such a giant laptop.

-iPod nano 7: Actually the blue 2015 color revision, I used that thing until I finally decided to start using Apple Music in 2021.

-Blue iPhone 5c: I know, unpopular opinion, but I remember how I felt when it came out. I liked it so much when I was younger that I have all five colors now.

-Gold 12" MacBook: My first MacBook. Enjoyed the newness I felt using it.

-Apple Studio Display (tilt and height): In 2022, I decided to get something nice to replace my 1080p 24" Dell monitor as my main monitor, and I love it. Love the design and the high quality display.

-Phone Air: Just like the 2015 MacBook, it feels so new and lightweight, just without a butterfly keyboard.
Click to expand...
I haven't had a whole lot of them over the years (because they're so expensive), but I'll list what I did manage to snag:

iPod Classic
iPhone 6s
iPhone X
iPhone 14 PM
MacBook Air
Magic Mouse
AirPods 2 and 3

EDIT: To answer your question, I would have to say the Apple II (I think that's what it was!). I had a Windows machine at home, so using a Mac at school was a whole other world to me. I was immediately drawn to it and wanted to learn more (thinking different?), but life got in the way and I was stuck with Windows. But I snuck in a game or two of Scarab of Ra and loved it. Now that I'm an adult and the M-series took off, I took the plunge and switched to Mac. I have a lot of Apple stuff in my house already, so it was sort of a no-brainer. The big machine I was using prior has been converted to Linux and now I don't have any Microsoft tentacles keeping me in the ecosystem!
 
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Apple Extended Keyboard II.

It's certainly the longest-lasting one. I still use one every day, and am typing on it now. It has an ADB-to-USB adapter, but is completely functional.

About 15 years ago I bought a second one at a surplus reseller that had some missing keycaps. That was fine, because I only wanted it to pull replacement keyswitches from should the active one fail. I have yet to replace any keyswitches.

In fact, I think the only thing I ever replaced on it was the space-bar wire stabilizer thing. Oh, I also soldered on an ADB cable, because the jack wore out and lost all ability to retain a plug.
 
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There are two such products that come to mind: First, is the revolutionary iPod classic: This was my introduction to the world of Apple, - I loved it then, and I still love it - and the "halo effect" meant that it functioned as a sort of "gateway device" for me into thinking about the purchase of Apple products.

And secondly, there is (or was) the 11" MBA; an amazing, reliable, portable, yet powerful computer (I have a CTO maxed out version that has, quite literally, travelled the world with me).
 
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1. The AppleTV 4K. I've used a Roku, Amazoid Stick, and the Google OS built in to my current TV, but the Apple box stands out for its features, ease of use, and clean interface; AND at an unusually-competitive price!
2. The Apple Polishing Cloth 😍. I'm still saving up for a second one, before it's discontinued.

I've had a small bunch of computer hardware; G3, 2 iMacs, Studio, tablet, iPhone and MBP, but I can't identify a "favorite"; with those boxes, the OS matters more, to me.
 
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I really enjoyed the 5th generation iPod nano. It was such a great form factor for such a device.

The first MacBook Pros were amazing to me when they came out. My boss had one while I was on a Pentium 4 Dell desktop just a year or two older. His Core Duo MBP with Radeon X1600 did circles around my computer.
 
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Keeping it simple: iPhone. If want to be specific, iPhone 3G.

Used Macs over the years in work settings, PC at home as tied easily into work related things and no real reason to go full Apple at the time (still some things that were PC only or more feature rich there). Once iPhone was announced, gave me a reason to drop my Palm Pilot, replace my Samsung flip phone and get an iPod in the deal to tie into my car head unit (had a Mini Disc player in 2007). A friend pulled the trigger on the original iPhone and I was impressed, but felt it was not yet there.

New car in 2008 where I installed an aftermarket iPod controller, 3G iPhone came out with App Store, 3G... so got a MacBook Pro for home and work [with all the Unix-y goodness I've dealt with for ages under the covers] in March, iPhone in July, and have not looked back since. iPad later, Watch much later once the 3 became the entry level Watch (2019) and became a cheap way to see if this gizmo has some value. Hooked on Watch as the health aspects have been a blessing and the integrations with Notification, Maps as a bonus (like that the Watch buzzes the wrist for what do to next, though to be fair, I don't use navigation often).

Seamless syncing across devices vs apps/processes to keep everything in sync made life easier (also had a Dell netbook that I Hackintoshed that did not cooperate well).

Honorable mention: M series Macs. Replaced my previous Intel MBP with an M4 Air and it runs rings around the Intel, sips battery. And since I got it on sale, got a more powerful device for only $100 more than a top-end Neo.

My gizmos are tools to me so I don't really have an attraction to specific ones. Right tool for the right job and whatever is nearby. But if Apple came out with a iPhone Mini replacement, THAT would be my favorite device as I'm loathe to get rid of my 13 Mini as like the OG-ish size of it.
 
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1. iMac G5 iSight: My first foray into Mac and freedom from constantly BSOD-ing Windows. So liberating...!
2. Mac Pro Intel 8-core Xeon (Harpertown): Beast for DC, running the best OS X to date. Worked my ass off for that.
3. iPod Touch 4th-gen: First Retina display that's good on my eyes.
4. MacBook Pro 15" Intel: Lasted me 12 years thru thick and thin, portable workhorse.
5. iPhone 16 Plus: Glad to have gotten this before Apple replaced it with the Air...
 
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For me it has to be iPhone 4, and the 2011 13’ MacBook Pro with quad core processor. These were my first Apple products and still hold a place in my heart. Then it’s the first 13’ retina MacBook Pro which I still have! Great bit of design.
 
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I owned a lot of apple devices over the years. But the iPhone 3GS is a device that comes to my mind first. It blowed my mind back in 2009. It was years ahead of the competition.

Also the polycarbonate white MacBook 2007 is a device I really love. Coming from a win XP tower machine it felt like entering a new century. Used that machine for 7 years, until it was hopelessly outdated.

And not to forget the 12” MacBook. While painfully slow, it ist so light and thin. The Retina display is gorgeous even today. I still use it as a couch surfing machine.
 
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I’ll always have a soft spot for the Apple II and the Centris 650.

Others: iPod Shuffle, Apple Watch, anything running Apple Silicon, all iPhones I’ve had (they keep getting better).

My favorite of those is probably the Apple Watch. That product has been life-changing for me.
 
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The only Apple hardware that didn’t fail me:

- iPod touch 2nd and 4th gen (my introduction to Apple, iOS and iTunes)
- EarPods
- 2010 Magic Keyboard and Trackpad
- secondhand M1 Pro 14“ MBP

The rest, in chronological order:

- iPhone 4 (iOS 7)
- iPhone 5s (iOS 9)
- iPhone SE (had it replaced 6 times in a row until „service wasn’t available for my region“…)
- 2017 13“ TB MacBook Pro (replaced and repaired ~4 times)
- 2010 iMac (screen discolored, came lose in chassis „only“ 8 years after release)
- iPhone X (replaced once, in „repair“ ~5 times)
- iPhone 11 Pro (price, UW camera)
- Apple Watch S7 (watchOS 9, now watchOS 26)
- iPhone 15 Pro (dusty camera replaced with even more dusty camera near end of warranty, now stuck with it)
- 2014 & 2019 MacBook Pro‘s (just died for no good reason)
-AirPods Pro 2 (3 pairs, all faulty to a degree and Apple refuses to service)

I think the iPhone 15 Pro is what the 11 Pro should have been and Apple wanted us to believe it is, it’s a great phone overall and part of an upwards trend concerning hardware, just like MacBooks since 2021.
I like what Apple did in the last 5 years muuuuch more than in the 5 years before that, but I’m worried about the next 5 years.

I like Apple a lot, at least compared to their competitors. But it hurts when they gimp their own products for either cost reasons or bad planning. They could do so much better for their customers, especially those not living in California.
 
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The ones I enjoyed more when having them:

- iPod mini (first Apple product bought with first pay check)
- iPhone 4, was truly revolutionary at the time, screen was insane
- iPhone 7
- MacBook Pro 2012, first Retina MacBook, was absolutly great. Bought a new one in 2015 with butterfly keyboard and I missed *a lot* my 2012 one.
- MacBook Pro M2 Max, first time I see no reason to upgrade at all 3 years later.
 
Apple ][ plus (how it all began)
SE/30 (compact and powerful)
IIci (compact, powerful, and expandable)
LaserWriter II (workhorse)
PB Wallstreet II aka PDQ (finally a mature laptop; expandable as well)
PM 7500 and 8600 (the easily expandable desktop era)
MBA (design icon)
iMac 27 (AIO if you must)

iPod Nanos (up to 6G)
iPhone 5 and XS (form factor still not bettered; a genuine leap for iPhone in many respects)

Extended Keyboard (its reputation precedes it)
Aluminum Keyboard with Numeric Keypad (the spiritual successor to the above)
 
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Because of their longevity and compatibility, my favourite Apple products are their monitors.
I still use my 22-inch ADC Cinema Display from 1999 with my M4 MacBook Air. I just love using it!
 
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mectojic said:
Because of their longevity and compatibility, my favourite Apple products are their monitors.
I still use my 22-inch ADC Cinema Display from 1999 with my M4 MacBook Air. I just love using it!
Click to expand...
Not something I currently use, as my Mac only supports 2 monitors and not 3, but I can use my 17 inch ADC LCD Studio Display with my M1 Mac mini. Bought a dongle just for the fun of watching the two be compatible.

The Studio/Cinema Displays of 1999-2003 were truly astonishing with the acrylic design. I need to get mine out the closet, but I need to find a place to display it first.
 
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