Once Was Our Future: Apple wearable prototype (1991)

From Japanese mag Axis‘ collection of Apple concept devices, kindly scanned by zacislost. [via ★]

1. [SC_Wolf]

   The PipBoy 3000! From Vault-tec!

2. [frankiez]

   AXIS is my super favourite Japanese magazine (with GAME LABO and Otona no Kagaku)!

3. [themark]

   I worked at frogdesign for 7 years, and I can tell you that there was a huge filing cabinet just packed with apple concepts from when they were on retainer. You’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. I used to marvel at one prototype keyboard that had no discernible frame or body. Just a set of keys floating in space on your desk.

4. [GeekMan]

   Turanga Leela is opening he wallet…

5. [Lonin]

   Reminds me of the Left4Dead box art.

6. [Enochrewt]

   I find it pretty amazing that the dork that’s wearing that thing is married.

   Now that I’ve shown my true colors, it’s time to go hand out purple nurples to the engineering department…

7. [erzatsen]

   i remember that on the back cover of a Wired or Mondo 2000 or maybe Industrial Design in the 90s. there was another gizmo, i think Apple, that was a foreign exchange converter. american money was being fed into one side and some euro currency was coming out the other. i’d like to see that set of concepts again.

   and, yes, this is very Apple iPip for Fallout3

8. [Anonymous]

   I wanna see it from the side or bottom. How is it attached. Is it comfortable?

   I like the hard button design on the “hand” end.

   I want one.

9. [The Unusual Suspect]

   Wrist computer from Jonathan Littell’s post-cyberpunk Bad Voltage (1989).

   Strap your iPhone to your wrist for a working version of this.

10. [cinemajay]

    Man, I’ve been dreaming about computer wrist bands for YEARS! I figure I’d need one for my wrist PC and a second to navigate my flying car.

    And they’d be bullet proof….of course.

11. [Dillenger69]

    I’d love for someone to take a small LCD screen and make a pip-boy. I doubt they’d sell to more than fans, but it would be pretty cool.

12. [Halloween Jack]

    I totally would have gotten this, if only Apple had been smart enough to go the Palm route instead of making their already-clunky Newton even bigger.

13. [Capn Barcode]

    This ought to be a promotional still from the film “Cupertino! the Musical”.