v1 vs. v2 Apple Products
A look back at key products to help me determine if I should order a Vision Pro on launch day or wait for v2.
I’ve been thinking a lot about whether or not I will order a Vision Pro when it becomes available or if I will wait for v2. Based on early reports it sounds magical. I have not heard a single person who has used the device say otherwise. However, it is incredibly expensive. At $3,499 it would be the most expensive computer I’ve ever purchased (including a maxed out PowerBook I bought at the end of my Apple internship in 2002 with a 25% discount).
While chatting with a friend about the pros and cons of waiting, I began reciting the differences between a few first and second generation Apple products. “Wait a minute,” I said. “This would be a great blog post! Let me check some details.” I thought it would be fun and helpful to take a close look at several products and get a sense for how often it’s actually worth waiting. We can see what features were the highest priority to immediately add. I decided to focus on a few key v1 products: the Macintosh, PowerBook, Power Mac, iMac, iPod, MacBook Pro, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPods.
I’ll be honest. Much of this analysis is swayed by my current age, disposable income, nostalgia, and where I was in life when these products were announced.
TLDR: I’m going to buy a Vision Pro even though I should wait for a v2.
Macintosh 128k vs. Macintosh 512k
Since I was born in 1983 I didn’t get to experience the rise of GUIs and personal computers with the Macintosh. In the late 1980s I remember playing with gigantic, noisy, ugly Compaq and Toshiba boxes that ran DOS at friends’ houses while at school there were slick, elegant, and easy to use Macs.
Here are the differences between the original Mac 128k and its quickly arriving successor, the Mac 512k:
Just 8 months after the Macintosh 128k’s debut the 512k model was released. The big change was an increase in RAM which improved performance and allowed the Mac to run more software including future versions of Mac OS. However, the Mac 128k was not a new product line in an existing category like an M3 MacBook Air. It was a paradigm shift; a new way of using computers. The excitement after the 1984 Superbowl commercial must have been immeasurable. Perhaps this a result of hindsight and my selfish desire to build out my museum, but I believe I would have purchased a Mac 128k on launch day and not waited for v2.
Macintosh 128k vote: Buy
PowerBook 140 vs. PowerBook 145
I first encountered a PowerBook in either 1993 or 1994 when I began playing the alto saxophone in elementary school. The music teacher connected a PowerBook to a MIDI keyboard to play accompanying music. For a kid who was excited by computers it was extremely cool to see a computer working with other hardware.
Here are the differences between the PowerBook 140 and its successor, the PowerBook 145:
Note: I chose the 140 and 145 because there was no successor to the 100.
If you waited just 10 months you got a faster processor, more RAM, and a lower cost with the PowerBook 145. Similar to my views on the Mac 128k, this was another revolution in computing. Apple released the Macintosh Portable in 1989, but it was wildly expensive at $7,300 ($17,200 adjusted for inflation) which seems slightly unrealistic. The PowerBook was smaller, lighter, and more affordable. You could now take your Mac off your desk and work on the go! I don’t think waiting for v2 was worth it.
PowerBook vote: Buy
Power Macintosh 8100 vs. Power Macintosh 8500
I first encountered a Power Mac in a lab at summer school where I learned about building websites, graphic design, animation, and 3D modeling using applications like Strata Studio Pro, Bryce 3D, Photoshop, and Director. On Fridays we got to play Marathon and Warcraft II all day. It was a good summer.
Here are the differences between the Power Macintosh 8100 and its successor, the Power Macintosh 8500:
When the Power Mac line was announced we already had the very capable Quadra line. The 601/604 PowerPC processors were exciting (my dad’s Performa 6115 had a 601 and my Performa 6300 had a 603e), but I think it was safe to wait a year for a v2 while continuing to rely on the weathered but experienced 68040. Waiting got you double the storage, double the RAM, a graphics card, better expansion, and the much more powerful 604 processor.
Power Mac vote: Wait
Please read the rest of this post on diklein.com where I discuss the iMac, iPod, iPhone, MacBook Pro, iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPods.