Ever wonder what the most iconic Apple Stores like the very first location, Apple Fifth Avenue, and Infinite Loop were like for their grand openings? Or maybe you were there and want to revisit the magic? Apple Retail aficionado Michael Steeber has put together his most impressive project yet, Apple Store Time Machine. It’s an amazingly immersive Mac app to experience and explore the most significant Apple Stores in incredible detail, exactly how they were on their grand openings.
My former 9to5Mac colleague Michael Steeber is a master of Apple Retail, history, and design. Past projects have included mapping out Apple’s vast universe of space gray shades, exploring brand new Apple Stores like Tower Theater in LA, Apple Carnegie Library, tracking which of the 500+ stores were open during the pandemic, and so much more.
Now with his most incredible project to date – building on work he started last year – he’s created a jaw-dropping experience that takes you back in time to four of Apple’s important retail stores – exactly how they were on their opening days with stunning historical accuracy.
Here’s how Michael describes Apple Store Time Machine:
“The Apple Store Time Machine is a celebration of the places and products that have shaped our lives for more than twenty years. This interactive experience recreates memorable moments in Apple history with painstaking detail and historical accuracy.”
Hands-on with Apple Store Time Machine – Tysons Corner
I got to test out Apple Store Time Machine over the last few days and I was grinning from ear to ear during the whole experience. From the opening loading screen with flying toasters, sound effects, and Mac OS Aqua main menu, you’ve entered the teleport.
The four stores you can visit include Tysons Corner – the world’s first Apple Store, the Standford Shopping Center – the mini store era, Fifth Avenue – the design that defined a decade, and Infinite Loop – the Apple Store, reimagined.
As you enter each store, there’s a short explainer about the history and significance of each location. To navigate you can use the ASDW or arrow keys plus your mouse or trackpad. Below I’ll talk specifically about Tysons Corner but all four stores are so amazing to explore!
As I shared above, the level of detail Michael has put into this is just unbelievable. Everything from price tags and specs on the original products that were available on opening day to Steve Jobs giving pitches (with video and audio!) on a PowerBook screen, the exact software that Apple sold on its shelves, and the original Genius Bar with the bright red phone are all here.
Michael’s incredible expertise in Apple Retail history and design paired with the sharpest eye for fine detail I’ve ever witnessed have created the closest thing to a real-life time machine you could experience for these Apple Stores.
Download Apple Store Time Machine
If you have any interest in Apple or have just had some good memories of buying your first iPod, iPhone, or Mac, Apple Store Time Machine is such a delight. I can’t recommend trying it out highly enough!
Apple Store Time Machine is available now as a free download (for Mac) with the ability to donate to support the amazing work and hundreds of hours of time that went into researching, designing, and building the app. Look for the Download and Donate button at the bottom of the site.
You can follow more of Michael’s wonderful work on Twitter, his website, and our Apple Retail guide on 9to5Mac.
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