# Will this 1st gen Apple remote work with anything? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 12, 2016, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-1st-gen-apple-remote-work-with-anything/742906 "2016-01-12T04:51:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-1st-gen-apple-remote-work-with-anything/742906/1 "2016-01-12T04:51:45Z")
I just found an unopened first generation Apple remote (short and white with white buttons and black on one end). I can’t remember now what device it came with. In wondering if it will still work with anything—provides it hasn’t already died just from being left sealed in the packet for several years. We have an Apple TV 3rd gen, 2 MacBook Pros (1 almost 3 years old and one 5-6 years old), 2 iPhone 5s, 1 iPad (probably 5 or so years old). ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-1st-gen-apple-remote-work-with-anything/742906/2 "2016-01-12T05:50:15Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I just found an unopened first generation Apple remote (short and white with white buttons and black on one end). > > I can’t remember now what device it came with. In wondering if it will still work with anything—provides it hasn’t already died just from being left sealed in the packet for several years. > > We have an Apple TV 3rd gen, 2 MacBook Pros (1 almost 3 years old and one 5-6 years old), 2 iPhone 5s, 1 iPad (probably 5 or so years old). Wiki answers your questions > **[Apple Remote](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Remote)** > > The Apple Remote is a remote control introduced in October 2005 by Apple Inc. for use with a number of its products with infrared capability. It was originally designed to control the Front Row media center program on the iMac G5 and is compatible with many subsequent Macintosh computers. The first three generations of Apple TV used the Apple Remote as their primary control mechanism. It has now been replaced with the Siri Remote in the fourth generation. Prior to the Apple Remote, Apple produc... ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-1st-gen-apple-remote-work-with-anything/742906/3 "2016-01-12T12:31:53Z")
You quoted my entire OP, but you couldn’t quote any portion of that Wikipedia article that answers the question? ---
**Author:** ![iljitsch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/77aa72/32.png) [@iljitsch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iljitsch)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-1st-gen-apple-remote-work-with-anything/742906/4 "2016-01-12T12:51:16Z")
Works with the older TVs and any Mac that has an infrared port, not sure when they ditched those. I think it also does something with the new Apple TV, but obviously it’s going to be limited relative to the fancy new remote. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-1st-gen-apple-remote-work-with-anything/742906/5 "2016-01-12T13:02:58Z")
> [@iljitsch](#): > > Works with the older TVs and any Mac that has an infrared port, not sure when they ditched those. I think it also does something with the new Apple TV, but obviously it’s going to be limited relative to the fancy new remote. Well, the new and the old one seem to have pretty much the same input options, and the obvious inputs are the only ones I’ve ever used. … I take that back—the old one is missing the “select” button. Hmm … interesting.