MacKiDo/CodeNames/DeveloperCDs

Apple Developer CD Codenames Puns, fun and satire

In 1991 Apple started sending monthly CDs to developers. At the start of the Apple Developers CD Program, Apple was naming each CD with satirical names (referencing some movie) both for fun and because it is far easier to tell someone a name of a disc than to search for a number. Each DISC also got a cool picture and theme -- and it made things more interesting. Unfortunately lawyers got involved, and it was taking so much time to do name checks and preventing copyright / trademark infringement that the idea was killed. Of course the fact that it was taking time to do the graphics, and the fact that people were having too much fun didn't help either.

It is also interesting to note that the first two CDs had audio tracks embedded in them (Audio Easter Eggs).

Here are the classic DISCs that made it past legal:

1991

• Volume I: Phil and Dave's Excellent CD [Front]
• Volume II: Phil and Dave's Excellent CD (Release Version)
• Volume III: A Disc Called Wanda [Front]
• Volume IV: Discy Business [Front]
• Volume V: Night of the Living Disc
  (over 600 megabyes of unspeakable code) [Front] [Back] [CD]
• Volume VI: Gorillas in the Disc
• Volume VII: Lord of the Files
• Volume VIII: Desperately Seeking Seven [Front] [Back]
• Volume IX : Code Warrior
  (Yes, Metrowerks had to get permission from Apple to use the name).
• Volume X : On a clear day you can CD forever
• Volume XI : The Silence of the ROMs [Front]

1992

• January 1992 : The Winter of our Disc Content [Front]
• February 1992 : 20,000 Leagues Under the CD [Front]
• March 1992 : The Hound of the Bitmapsville [Front]
• April 1992 : Hex, Drives, and Videotape [Front]
• May 1992 : The Byte Stuff [Front]
• June 1992 : ROMin Holiday [Front]
• July 1992 : Butch ASCII and the Runtime Code [Front] [Back]
• August 1992 : Hack to the Future [Front]
• September 1992 : A ROM with a View [Front]
• October 1992 : The Hexorcist [Front]
• Nov/Dec 1992 : Wayne's Gworld [Front]

1993

• January 1993 : The Postman Always Clicks Twice [Front]
• February 1993 : New Hack City [Front]
• March 1993 : Other People's Memory [Front]
   

  ---

  Because there was too much data to fit on a single CD-ROM, Apple started alternating between 3 DISCs:
  1. System Software
  2. Tool Chest
  3. Reference Library.

  The System Software Edition also lost its name -- so I just note the picture on the CD.

  ---

• April 1993 : Penguin on DISC (no name) - System Software Edition
• May 1993 : Bright Bytes, Big CD - Tool Chest Edition
• June 1993 : ROM the world in 80 nanoseconds - Reference Library Edition
• July 1993 : Pyramid & Palm Tree on DISC (no name) - System Software Edition
• August 1993 : CD Slickers - Tool Chest Edition
• September 1993 : Spinal Trap - Reference Library Edition
• October 1993 : Windmill on DISC (no name) - System Software Edition
• November 1993 : Northern Hexposure - Tool Chest [Front] [Back]
• December 1993 : Of Mouse and Men - Reference Library Edition [Front]

1994

• January 1994 : Bull & Bullfighter on DISC (no name) - System Software Edition
• February 1994 : In the Seek of the Night - Tool Chest Edition
• March 1994 : Little Bit Man - Reference Library Edition [Front]
   

Apple dropped the cute names with April 1994 version.

Now days developers get these bland, but valuable, DISCs, all with the same covers -- but at least there are still different pictures on the CDs and covers. Of course now it is easier to tell people "The June 98 Reference Library CD" rather than saying "The CD with Flowers all over the cover".