Project codenames based on color

Project codenames based on color were used internally at Apple Computer (later Apple Inc.).

History
The color codenames originated from the use of colored index cards to organize proposed features for future operating systems. Red cards were used for features that could only be implemented in the far future. Pink cards were used for features that could be implemented in the near future. Blue cards were used for features that could be implemented immediately for the next system software release, in this case System 4, which was released in January 1987.


 * Pink was originally scheduled to lead to a new operating system by 1989, but the scheduled slipped and it was spun off from Apple, in partnership with IBM as Taligent.
 * Blue included some features, such as cooperative multitasking, virtual memory, and multi-user support, which did not appear until System 4.2's MultiFinder, System 7 (the engineers were called "Blue Meanies"), and Mac OS 9, respectively. This later led to Blue box being the codename for the application environment and the Carbon API that would allow classic Mac OS applications to run under PowerPC builds of Mac OS X. This became known as the Classic environment which appeared in the Mac OS X Public Beta in 2000.
 * Red box was the codename for the application environment that would allow Windows applications to run under Intel builds of Mac OS X. However, this never shipped as Intel builds of Mac OS X ended up supporting Boot Camp and 3rd party virtual machines such as Parallels.
 * Yellow box was the codename for the modern application environment that became known as Rhapsody, and then the Cocoa API of Mac OS X itself.
 * Purple was the codename of the port of Mac OS X to ARM architecture to run on the first iPhone. This became released as iPhone OS 1 in 2007, which was later renamed iOS.