Applemuseum

Hidden in the early Macintosh is one of the more unusual characters in Apple history: Clarus the Dogcow.

The Dogcow began as a tiny bitmap created by legendary Macintosh designer Susan Kare, who was responsible for many of the icons and typefaces that gave the original Mac its personality. The creature appeared as a character in the Cairo font and looked somewhat like a dog.

Its real claim to fame came when the image was used in Apple’s Page Setup dialog. The little animal showed users the orientation of the page and changed position depending on their printing settings. Apple’s employees eventually decided that it wasn’t actually a dog at all. It was a Dogcow. The character became an inside joke at Apple and particularly as a mascot within Apple’s Developer Technical Support team. It was given the name Clarus, along with its own distinctive ‘Moof’ sound, a blend of “moo” and “woof”.

What started as a tiny piece of pixel art eventually developed an entire mythology. Apple documentation included references to Dogcows, their habits and even the correct way to reproduce their “Moof” sound. For a while, Clarus could be found on badges, T-shirts and other items within Apple’s developer culture. Clarus may have started as just a few black pixels, but the Dogcow became a small piece of Macintosh history.

The first iMac weighed around 16 kg (35 pounds). It wasn’t designed to be portable. Yet one its most noticeable features was a large, reinforced handle built into the back of the computer. So why put a handle on something that wasn’t really meant to be carried?

For Jony Ive, the answer had less to do with transportation and more to do with making technology feel approachable. When the iMac was being developed in 1997, Apple’s research showed that many people still felt nervous or intimidated around computers. Ive believed that something as familiar as a handle could change the way people instinctively interacted with the machine: “Seeing a handle, you know that you're given permission to move it. You understand something about its physicality." The idea initially faced resistance within Apple. It meant additional engineering, manufacturing complexity and higher costs. But Steve Jobs immediately understood and supported Ive’s reasoning.”

After the iMac was released, Ive visited a computer store and watched customers gathering around one of the machines. “I remember watching somebody absentmindedly, without thought, holding the handle while talking to somebody else. And there was just almost a physical affection.”

The handle is an easily overlooked detail on the iMac G3, but it reflects a much bigger part of Apple’s design philosophy at the time. Good design wasn’t only about how a computer looked or worked, but also about how people felt when they encountered it.

Steve Jobs believed the people behind the Macintosh weren’t just engineers, they were artists. And artists sign their work.

When the design for the Macintosh was locked in, Jobs called the Macintosh team together for a small ceremony, where he had each team member sign their name on a piece of paper. Just as painters sign a canvas, the people behind the Macintosh could leave their mark on the product. In total, 47 signatures were later engraved inside the case of each Macintosh.

Ironically, most customers would never see the signatures, because a special tool was required to open the case. But for the Macintosh team, it symbolized pride, craftsmanship, and a shared belief that technology could be a form of art. It's hidden details like this that reminds us how much passion went into creating one of Apple's most iconic products.

Did you know about the signatures inside the Macintosh?

Explore 50 years of Apple technology at IBC 2026!

To make your visit to IBC even more worthwhile, the Apple Museum will be additionally open from 11 to 13 September, from 19:00 to 22:00.

Located in Utrecht, just a short trip from IBC, the museum offers a chance to discover 50 years of Apple technology and see our collection brought back to life.

We hope to see you there!

Apple just wrapped up its September Keynote, the first led by new CEO John Ternus! This year’s event brought one of the biggest changes to the iPhone since its introduction in 2007: the first foldable iPhone.

The iPhone Duo opens to reveal a 7.6-inch display, while a 5.4-inch screen on the outside allows it to be used as a more traditional iPhone when folded. Apple has adapted iOS specifically for the new form factor, including multitasking with two apps side by side and an interface that changes depending on how the device is folded or positioned. Besides the iPhone Duo, Apple also introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5.

From the original iPhone in 2007 to the iPhone Duo in 2026, the way we interact with iPhones keeps evolving. Now the foldable iPhone just needs to find its place in the Apple Museum collection too!

Explore 50 years of Apple technology at IBC!

From Friday to Monday, we are bringing the Apple Museum to IBC 2026 in Future Tech Hall 14 (stand 14.B22). Rather than simply displaying a collection of computers at our booth, we want to show the development of Apple technology across different generations: from the early days of personal computing through creative and professional workflows, to the technology we use today.

IBC visitors will be able to travel from the early days of personal computing with the Apple //e, through the Macintosh era and the rise of professional digital workflows, all the way to today’s Mac Studio and iPad Pro. Along the way, you’ll find machines including the Macintosh Plus, Macintosh IIfx, the Flower Power iMac G3 and the Power Mac G4, alongside period equipment such as the Canon XL1 Mini DV camera. And these setups won’t just be static displays. We’re aiming to have as many of the setups to be switched on and working, demonstrating what these machines were capable of in their time.

Our booth will be a compact version of what we do every day at the Apple Museum: preserving technology while bringing its history back to life. While you’re there, make sure to enter our hourly raffle! Every hour, we’ll draw a new winner who will take home an Apple Museum goodie or a free ticket to visit the museum!

And if you’re leaving IBC ready to see more, we got you! We are extending the museum’s opening hours from Friday to Monday, giving IBC visitors the opportunity to combine their visit with a trip to the Apple Museum in Utrecht!

Will we see you this weekend?

The Apple Museum is looking for marketing volunteers!

Whether you love social media, writing, making videos, or simply have lots of creative ideas, we could use your help!

📱 Create content for our social media channels
✍️ Write stories, blogs and newsletters
🎥 Film and edit videos
💡 Come up with new ideas to share Apple’s history and our collection

We’re looking for people who are based in the Netherlands, with speaking Dutch being a plus.
Interested in joining our team? Get in touch via [email protected]!

Yesterday marked Tim Cook’s final day as CEO of Apple. After 15 years, Cook has handed over the reigns to John Ternus.

Cook joined Apple in 1998 and became CEO in August 2011, succeeding Steve Jobs. Under his leadership, Apple introduced new product catagories, including Apple Watch, AirPods and Apple Vision Pro, made the historic transition from Intel processors to Apple Silicon in the Mac, and built services such as Apple Music, Apple Pay and Apple TV into major parts of the Apple ecosystem. During this time, Apple grew from a company valued at around $350 billion to around $4 trillion by 2025.

In his farewell message to Apple employees, Cook reflected on the culture behind the company and credited its people for what Apple achieved during his tenure. He also expressed his confidence in John Ternus, describing him as someone who deeply understands what it takes to build products that can change te world.

Cook isn’t leaving Apple completely. From today, he takes on a new role as Executive Chairman.

When Apple launched the iconic iPod silhouette campaign in 2003, it broke away from the typical approach of highlighting product specifications and technical feature. The advertisements featured brightly coloured backgrounds and black silhouettes of people dancing with the instantly recognisable white iPod and earphones. Steve Jobs was hesitant about the campaign at first, worrying that it wouldn’t be clear what the product did. Copywriter James Vincent suggested to add the tagline “1,000 songs in your pocket” and Jobs decided to go with it. The campaign quickly became one of the most recognisable advertising campaigns ever.

At the Apple Museum, you can create your own silhouette iPod commercial. In our interactive iPod room, visitors are able to dance in front of a camera and afterwards watch themselves be transformed into the unmistakable black silhouette, complete with the signature white earbuds and an iPod appearing in your hand.

Have you already tried it out?

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗺 𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝗕𝗖𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲!

In the early 2000s, Apple was a regular presence at IBC - International Broadcasting Convention, demonstrating how products such as Final Cut Pro, Shake, DVD Studio Pro and QuickTime were changing professional video production. Many people working in media today will remember these products and the impact they had on their work.

The Apple Museum Foundation will be at IBC2026 and invites visitors to look back on that period. Our small presentation in Hall 14 brings together a series of recognisable moments in Apple’s history. From the rise of desktop video to today’s pocket-sized production tools and the emergence of spatial computing. For many visitors, seeing these products again will bring back memories of the computers, software and ideas that accompanied them throughout their careers.

IBC ranks among the largest international trade shows held annually in the Netherlands and is regarded as one of the world’s most important meeting places for the media, entertainment and technology industries. With around 45,000 attendees from more than 170 countries, IBC also offers us a unique opportunity to introduce the Apple Museum to an international audience. Many of those visitors will have their own memories and stories connected to Apple products. We hope that moment of recognition will encourage them to discover the much broader history presented at our museum in Utrecht.

𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟭𝟭 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟰 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝟭𝟰, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟭𝟰.𝗕𝟮𝟮!
Our 22 m² stand can offer only a small glimpse of the complete Apple Museum, which extends across more than 2,000 m². But it follows one simple theme: from desktop to pocket – and beyond the screen.

A free IBC2026 Visitor Pass provides access to the entire show floor and can be obtained via https://reg.ibc.org/?code=EXFL5D2LKJ&sign=ea093a411f7133e2f682e5c545585796c30a16f09eb19ec3e3d200bde931b9ae&utm_source=mp_apple_museum&utm_medium=media_partner&utm_campaign=ibc_2026&utm_content=free_pass