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· Announcement

AirPort Extreme 802.11n (3rd gen), Apple Keyboard (short), iMac (Early 2009), Mac Mini (Early 2009), Mac Pro (Early 2009) and Time Capsule (2nd gen)

Apple announced six products on 3 March 2009: AirPort Extreme 802.11n (3rd gen), Apple Keyboard (short), iMac (Early 2009), Mac Mini (Early 2009), Mac Pro (Early 2009) and Time Capsule (2nd gen). The day spanned Accessories, Mac, Networking and Storage.

It was the 3rd of 11 dated moments the archive holds for 2009, 33 days after the previous one, 29 January 2009.

AirPort Extreme 802.11n (3rd gen) product photograph

Raimond Spekking · CC BY-SA 4.0

What Apple announced

AirPort Extreme 802.11n (3rd gen)

Networking · AirPort · discontinued 20 October 2009

AirPort Extreme is a discontinued line of residential gateways made by Apple Inc. that combine the functions of a router, network switch, wireless access point and NAS as well as varied other functions. The latest model, the 6th generation, supports 802.11ac networking in addition to older standards. Versions of the same system with a built-in network-accessible hard drive are known as the AirPort Time Capsule.

Apple discontinued its wireless routers in 2018, but as of 2023 continues limited hardware and software support.

Apple Keyboard (short)

Accessories · Keyboards · discontinued 20 October 2009

Apple Inc. has designed and developed many external keyboard models for use with families of Apple computers, such as the Apple II, Mac, and iPad. The Magic Keyboard and Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad are designed to be used via either Bluetooth and USB connectivity, and have integrated rechargeable batteries; The Smart Keyboard and Magic Keyboard accessories for iPads are designed to be directly attached to and powered by a host iPad. All current Apple keyboards utilize low-profile key designs, and common modifier keys.

As of 2015 the butterfly keyboard design was implemented with a complex polymer. In 2018 the MacBook keyboard was redesigned to contain a silicone membrane interior and keys made of nylon. In 2019 the scissor mechanism design was adopted to replace the butterfly design.

iMac (Early 2009)

Mac · iMac · discontinued 20 October 2009

The iMac is a series of all-in-one desktop computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Inc. Between 2006 and 2022, the iMac series used chipsets based on Intel architecture. While sold, it was one of three desktop computers in the Mac lineup, serving as an all-in-one alternative to the Mac Mini, and sat below the performance range Mac Pro. It was sold alongside a higher-end, Xeon-based iMac Pro from 2017 to 2021.

The earliest Intel iMacs reused the same white polycarbonate enclosure as the iMac G5. Later models shifted to aluminum and plastic, and then a unibody aluminum case. The iMacs released after October 2012 also featured a much thinner display, with the edge measuring just 5 mm. This design would persist until the line was discontinued.

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Mac Mini (Early 2009)

Mac · Mac Mini · discontinued 20 October 2009

The archive holds no written summary for this product. Its photographs, family, and dates are on its product page.

Mac Pro (Early 2009)

Mac · Mac Pro · discontinued 9 August 2010

The archive holds no written summary for this product. Its photographs, family, and dates are on its product page.

Time Capsule (2nd gen)

Storage · AirPort, drives · discontinued 31 March 2010

The AirPort Time Capsule (originally named Time Capsule) is a wireless router which was sold by Apple Inc., featuring network-attached storage (NAS) and a residential gateway router, and is one of Apple's AirPort products. It is essentially a version of the AirPort Extreme with an internal hard drive. Apple describes it as a "Backup Appliance", designed to work in tandem with the Time Machine backup software utility introduced in Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.

Introduced on January 15, 2008 and released on February 29, 2008, the device has been upgraded several times, matching upgrades in the Extreme series routers. The earliest versions supported 802.11n wireless and came with a 500 GB hard drive in the base model, while the latest model, introduced in 2013, features 802.11ac and a 3 TB hard drive. All models include four Gigabit Ethernet ports (3 LAN ports, 1 WAN port) and a single USB port. The USB port can be used for external peripheral devices to be shared over the network, such as external hard drives or printers. The NAS functionality utilizes a built-in "server grade" hard drive.

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AirPort Extreme 802.11n (3rd gen) product photograph
AirPort Extreme 802.11n (3rd gen)

Raimond Spekking · CC BY-SA 4.0

Apple Keyboard (short) product photograph
Apple Keyboard (short)

KKPCW · CC BY-SA 4.0

iMac (Early 2009) product photograph
iMac (Early 2009)

Rafael Fernandez · CC BY-SA 3.0

Mac Mini (Early 2009) product photograph
Mac Mini (Early 2009)

LoMit · CC0

Mac Pro (Early 2009) product photograph
Mac Pro (Early 2009)

17jiangz1 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Time Capsule (2nd gen) product photograph
Time Capsule (2nd gen)

Malabooboo at Flickr · CC BY 2.0

Also in 2009

Sources

  1. AirPort Extreme 802.11n (3rd gen) · Wikipedia
  2. Apple Keyboard (short) · Wikipedia
  3. iMac (Early 2009) · Wikipedia
  4. Mac Mini (Early 2009) · Wikipedia
  5. Mac Pro (Early 2009) · Wikipedia
  6. Time Capsule (2nd gen) · Wikipedia

Dates on this page are announcement dates, not shipping dates. Product summaries are drawn from the linked articles, and specification claims in them are the publisher’s, not independent testing. Photograph credits and licences are listed in full on the image credits page.