Interesting, as my early 2011 has the F4 key dashboard icon.
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Mac Spotting
- Thread starter eyoungren
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Interesting, as my early 2011 has the F4 key dashboard icon.
As does mine. Maybe it was changed after Lion‘s and Launchpad‘s release.
That is interesting.
My old, early 2011 MBP was purchased August 2011, and Apple shipped it with 10.7.0 on the hard drive. That was the first time I saw the amended key, unaware initially why and how the grid varied from the dashboard icon. (Frankly, I never gave the dashboard icon much thought, as I never used Dashboard or, later, Launchpad. I still don’t use that key unless it’s assigned in an application.) Since then, that keyboard was replaced twice — once by Apple (the whole top case, that is) and once by me (just the keyboard). Both times, it featured the later keys.
What intrigues me is when I bought the second replacement from, I think, ebay, I don’t remember it mentioning it was the later type — only that it was compatible with the 2008–2012 unibody 13-inch models. I kind of wonder whether there are many aftermarket keyboards with the older Dashboard key for F4, given how models with the Launchpad key were sold over the span of almost six years, compared with just under three for the Dashboard models.
Mine was built in January 2011 and shipped with 10.6.6… and the old F4 key. However, this prototype has the new F4 key.
According to Chipmunk: Klantenservice, mine was built in April 2011 and also shipped with 10.6.6 if EveryMac's info is correct.
It is, the DVDs shipped with mine contain 10.6.6 10J3210.
mach_kernel is from January 31st.
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Take the Chipmunk reports with a pinch of salt. I checked two of my late 2011 MBPs and this is what the site reported back:
See how the week 53 that came after week 43 is listed as January of the same year?
A search for active "macbook pro 2011" auctions on eBay.ca/.de reveals ten with the old F4 key:
https://www.ebay.de/itm/156050111646
https://www.ebay.de/itm/235412207815
https://www.ebay.de/itm/204638947592
https://www.ebay.de/itm/276324179324
https://www.ebay.de/itm/225984695726
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/326001220679
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/27631595665
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/276324684956
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/176226364182
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/156044026348
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All the late 2011 models had the launchpad key. The early ones I’ve had seem about half and half. Lion was released in July, and the late 2011 MacBooks weren’t introduced until October. My theory has always been that been that the “early 2011” models sold between July and October of 2011 likely had the launchpad key.
See how the week 53 that came after week 43 is listed as January of the same year?
Week 53 is possible.
To wit: my A1138 DLSD PowerBook G4, the “mule” I used for testing all of the Clouded Leopard/SL-PPC stuff, had its board replaced with a “week 53” unit, built sometime between 25–31 December of 2005.
Indeed, a “week 53” was possible for 2005 because “week 01” of that year began on a Saturday (Jan 1), and thus “week 01” product, if any was made, would be confined to 1 January 2005. Carry that forward, and the final week of 2005 would count as a seven-day “week 53”. Even if starting calendar weeks on a Monday, this would still mean 2005 had a “two-day week” of “week 01” (1–2 Jan) and a “six-day week” of “week 53” (26-31 Dec).
That length is also why chances are higher that one could receive/find a product serialized on “week 53” of that year versus, say, the following year, 2006, when “week 01” began on Sunday, meaning “week 53“ of that year was only one day long (Sunday, 31 December 2006) — which is to say: those holding a “week 53” serial for 2006 would be a rare group.
For 2011, the exact same calendar layout as 2005 was why there are probably, statistically speaking a fairly high number of “week 53” serials for boards, Macs, etc.
Now, that all said, y’all need to stop looking at me like I’m a nerd. No, I mean it… stop that.!
My early 2011 15" MBP (Manufactured 21 March 2011) has the Dashboard key as well
![IMG_3299 2.jpg]( "IMG_3299 2.jpg")
Back to actual Mac Spotting, sorta:
An incidental, slow-pan shot from the 1991 film, Grand Canyon, in which what appears to be another M0297 12-inch colour CRT display and a 1986-era M0116 Apple ADB keyboard, but no Mac appears in scene. It’s possible there was no Mac on set and just the two peripherals (note how there’s not even a mouse!) were put there to connote the… comfortable station of this household.
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So this might be a bit much, but I think I’ve found an exception to the rule on Mac Spotting — that is, when Macs and other Apple gear show up in a film or TV episode, but probably shouldn’t be showcased here:
When the series episode or film comes from Apple’s own streaming productions.
I’ve just watched a couple of episodes of an “Apple Original Series” which wasn’t For All Mankind (something on which I posted a while back in their portrayal of extremely advanced Newton messengers which, although creatively executed, never existed in reality).
What I found on this unnamed Apple series was gratuitous, predictable insertions of contemporary Apple products a multiple of times within each episode: Macs, iPads, slow shots of iPadOS and macOS, iPhones, and Apple Watches. At this point, I won’t be shocked to see a Vision Pro pop up later in the series, just because.
So yah: I‘m thinking the Mac Spotting thread ought to nix “Apple Original Series” productions from inclusion here. It may be the only stipulating rule for Mac Spotting. Of course, maybe y’all can persuade me otherwise.
When the series episode or film comes from Apple’s own streaming productions.
I’ve just watched a couple of episodes of an “Apple Original Series” which wasn’t For All Mankind (something on which I posted a while back in their portrayal of extremely advanced Newton messengers which, although creatively executed, never existed in reality).
What I found on this unnamed Apple series was gratuitous, predictable insertions of contemporary Apple products a multiple of times within each episode: Macs, iPads, slow shots of iPadOS and macOS, iPhones, and Apple Watches. At this point, I won’t be shocked to see a Vision Pro pop up later in the series, just because.
So yah: I‘m thinking the Mac Spotting thread ought to nix “Apple Original Series” productions from inclusion here. It may be the only stipulating rule for Mac Spotting. Of course, maybe y’all can persuade me otherwise.
Do we really have such a rule?
We don’t. I’m thinking we ought to have that as the one prohibitory rule, as Apple products appearing gratuitously on such productions amount to embedded advertising and sort of obviates the point of, well, Mac spotting.
We don’t. I’m thinking we ought to have that as the one prohibitory rule, as Apple products appearing gratuitously on such productions amount to embedded advertising and sort of obviates the point of, well, Mac spotting.
That's understandable but then it means that a large swathe of our existing posts - particularly mine - would need to be removed because they'd fall into the category of embedded advertising because they were promotional considerations.
We could share the Apple media stuff with a caveat as to the context...
Nah. If Apple paid to, say, have their Macs show up in a production by 20th Century Fox or Universal or Paramount or whatever, that’s one thing. But stacking the game by having multiple Apple products embedded within an Apple Original Series streaming on Apple TV+ is just beneath the low, low bar of qualifying as incidental appearances or enough to fulfil a third-party contract of embedded advertising.
Like, Macs showing up in episodes of Fringe because Apple paid for promotional consideration is fine, as Warner Brothers produced it, and FOX aired it.
Then, have a look at the pilot of the new series, Constellation, featuring Noomi Rapace, and find yourself running out of fingers on your hands for the number and variety of Apple products to appear gratuitously throughout. It was tedious enough that I’m struggling with deciding whether I’ll set aside time to continue watching subsequent episodes.
ABC News journalist Darla Miles filmed using a couple of MBPs.
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This one appears to be more recent, judging by the styling and absence of a backlight.
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![Z1oVzCG.png]()
![jHJKubi.png]()
This one appears to be more recent, judging by the styling and absence of a backlight.
This may be a basic question.....🤪
But what is your method of capturing your screen shots...?
They always look crisp.
But what is your method of capturing your screen shots...?
They always look crisp.
No question is ever too basic.
Awww, thanks so much!
I nearly always use VLC. It's a godsend taking snapshots from video files. As you can see, from the menu you just select Snapshot - or hold down CMD-Option-S...
...and a PNG file is immediately created and stored in your preferred folder.
Behold, a crisp snapshot!
Unbelievably easy!
It's high time that I sent the the Videolan people a donation considering that I've used VLC across various platforms for almost 20 years now.
After reading your posts, I noticed on an episode of 'How I met your Mother' Ted with a 12" PowerBook....(sorry no pic, it was live TV). But I noticed it even had the pulsing sleep light.....😁
For reference it was the 'but erm' (Robin drinking game) episode.
For reference it was the 'but erm' (Robin drinking game) episode.
Thanks for the extra info, I was about to ask for the episode title.
Was this on E4/E4 Extra? I'll keep an eye out for a repeat - or see if I can track it down elsewhere...
Well spotted!
From the episode, S5E13 "Jenkins" of How I Met Your Mother:
The sleep light is visible in this frame:
An enjoyable 21 minutes and 35 seconds of viewing.