Apple Pippin
Apple's open multimedia platform licensed to third-party manufacturers.
The Pippin (stylized as PiPP!N) was an open multimedia technology platform from Apple Computer, now defunct. Apple aimed it at the home market, calling it "an integral part of the consumer audiovisual, stereo, and television environment." The platform ran on the Macintosh platform and used the classic Mac OS architecture. Apple created a demonstration unit, the Pippin Power Player, to show at trade shows and to the press, hoping to attract software developers and hardware makers. Apple then licensed the Pippin technology to outside companies. Bandai Company Ltd. built the ATMARK and @WORLD models, focusing on gaming and entertainment in Japan, Canada, and the United States. Katz Media produced the KMP 2000, targeting vertical markets across Europe and Canada.
The name Pippin came from the Newtown Pippin, a smaller, tarter apple variety related to the McIntosh (which gave the Macintosh its name). Apple said it wanted the Pippin to be more than just a game console platform, stating, "Apple believes that over time Pippin will take many forms, including home telecommunication devices and much more. Apple did not want to choose a name that would be specific for certain market space, as it will certainly appeal to many types of consumers and be shipped in a variety of forms from many manufacturers." During early planning, the console was called "Sweet Pea." Apple had used "pippin" before; the Apple ProFile external hard drive for the Apple III and Lisa was codenamed Pippin during development.
Apple never planned to release the Pippin itself. Instead, it wanted the platform to be an open standard by licensing the technology to third parties, similar to how JVC shared the VHS format in the 1970s. Relying on other companies to make Pippin systems was a way to grow the Macintosh market share—the same goal as Apple's clone effort in the late 1990s. Apple encouraged differences between systems to foster competition, as long as they followed Apple's reference design to avoid fragmentation. Licensees could improve their systems with better industrial design, integrated telephony, enhanced video and audio, more memory, and other upgrades.
In 1993, Bandai wanted to create a scaled-down Macintosh just for playing CD-ROM games. Bandai's President and CEO, Makoto Yamashina, chose the Macintosh platform over others available at the time.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Apple Computer
- Manufacturer
- Bandai
- Generation
- Fifth
- Release Date
- JP · April 21, 1996 · NA · November 4, 1996
- Lifespan
- 1996–1998
- Discontinued
- 1998
- Units Sold
- Worldwide: 42,000 / Japan: 30,000 / U.S.: 12,000
- Media
- CD-ROM
- Os
- Pippin OS (System 7.5.2)
- Cpu
- PowerPC 603
- Display
- 640x480, 8-bit and 16-bit color
- Sound
- 16-bit, 44 kHz
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Apple never intended to release Pippin on its own; instead it aimed to make the platform an open standard by licensing the technology to third parties, much like JVC shared VHS. The goal was to increase Macintosh market share, and Apple encouraged differentiation between systems to foster competition, as long as licensees stuck to the reference design. In 1993, Bandai wanted a scaled-down Macintosh for CD-ROM gaming and approached Apple in early 1994. The original design used a Macintosh Classic II 16 MHz Motorola 68030, but customer feedback requesting Internet connectivity led Apple to incorporate a modem and switch to a PowerPC 603 processor, moving away from the 68030 footprint.
Bandai marketed its Pippin models as game consoles, so most releases were games, entertainment, or edutainment software. Unlike conventional consoles, Pippin had no dedicated graphics or sound processors; it relied on Macintosh system software services such as 2D and 3D QuickDraw. The MPEG codec was not supported—QuickTime was the only video format. Bandai spent US$93 million on marketing alone. As part of the licensing agreement, Bandai and Katz Media could not use the term 'computer' when marketing the systems. Apple expected to receive $20 per Pippin sold from hardware vendors and a couple of dollars per software title.
Bandai originally planned a 1995 launch but pushed it to March 1996 in Japan and June 1996 in the US. The white ATMARK went on sale in Japan at 64,800 yen with a dial-up modem and four bundled CD-ROMs; the black @WORLD launched in the US at US$599.00 with a six-month unlimited PSINet Internet account. Bandai predicted 200,000 ATMARK sales in Japan and 300,000 @WORLD sales in the US within twelve months. In May 1996, Apple became a partner in Oracle's Network Computer platform through Pippin, and Katz Media used that concept to push the Pippin toward eliminating the floppy disk, about two years ahead of the iMac.
Reader's Guide
The Pippin platform is notable as Apple's attempt to enter the home entertainment market through an open licensing model rather than a proprietary console. By relying on third-party manufacturers like Bandai and Katz Media, Apple sought to expand Macintosh market share without bearing the full cost of hardware production and marketing. The platform's reliance on Macintosh system software meant it lacked dedicated graphics or sound processors, setting it apart from contemporary game consoles. Its inclusion of a modem and GeoPort technology reflected early efforts to integrate Internet connectivity, though the platform ultimately failed to achieve commercial success. The Pippin's significance lies in its demonstration of Apple's strategy to extend its ecosystem beyond traditional computers, a concept that would later influence products like the iMac. The platform's failure also highlighted the challenges of open licensing in a market dominated by closed, vertically integrated consoles.
Did You Know?
- The Pippin platform was named for the Newtown Pippin apple cultivar, a smaller, more tart relative of the McIntosh apple.
- The platform was initially codenamed 'Sweet Pea' during planning.
- Bandai spent US$93 million on marketing alone for the Pippin line.
- The Pippin had no dedicated graphics or sound processors; it used Macintosh QuickDraw for graphics and QuickTime for video.
More in Video Game Consoles by Generation 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced