MacBook family
Encyclopedia
The MacBook family is a range of Macintosh notebook computers by Apple Inc. that merged the PowerBook
and iBook
lines during Apple's transition to Intel processors. The first model released under this family was the MacBook Pro
, which was announced on 10 January 2006 at the Macworld Expo
. The consumer-focused MacBook
was released on May 16, 2006, and the MacBook Air
was revealed on January 15, 2008. As of July 20, 2011, the unibody MacBook has been discontinued for consumer sales.
construction first introduced with the MacBook Air. The MacBook family (with the exception of the white polycarbonate MacBook) uses a black keyboard that was first used on the MacBook Air, which itself was inspired by the sunken keyboard of the original polycarbonate MacBooks. The now-standarized keyboard brings congruity to the MacBook line, with black keys on a silver aluminum body.
keyboards. FireWire 800 and Thunderbolt ports and a SD Card slot (ExpressCard
/34 slot on the 17 inch model) are included with the MacBook Pro; the polycarbonate MacBook has no FireWire 400 or FireWire 800 port and uses a Mini DisplayPort
port for connecting to displays, and the MacBook Air lacks FireWire. The unibody MacBook refresh introduced a Mini DisplayPort for all unibody aluminium MacBooks (i.e. all except for the polycarbonate model). The MacBooks feature two USB 2.0 ports, with the exception of the 17" MacBook Pro with three ports. The minimum price tag which comes with MacBook Pro is about $200 more than the price of MacBook to cover for the additional goodies in MacBook Pro.
The lids of the MacBook family are held closed by a magnet with no mechanical latch, a design element first introduced with the polycarbonate MacBook. Memory and hard drive access is straightforward in the current MacBook lineup, aside from the MacBook Air which does not allow easy access for upgrades.
PowerBook
The PowerBook was a line of Macintosh laptop computers that was designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1991 to 2006. During its lifetime, the PowerBook went through several major revisions and redesigns, often being the first to incorporate features that would later become...
and iBook
IBook
The iBook was a line of laptop computers sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted the consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers....
lines during Apple's transition to Intel processors. The first model released under this family was the MacBook Pro
MacBook Pro
The MacBook Pro is a line of Macintosh portable computers introduced in January 2006 by Apple. It replaced the PowerBook G4 and was the second model, after the iMac, to be announced in the Apple–Intel transition...
, which was announced on 10 January 2006 at the Macworld Expo
Macworld Conference & Expo
Produced by Boston-based IDG World Expo, Macworld | iWorld is a trade-show with conference tracks dedicated to the Apple Macintosh platform. It is held annually in the United States, usually during the second week of January...
. The consumer-focused MacBook
MacBook
The MacBook was a brand of Macintosh notebook computers built by Apple Inc. First introduced in May 2006, it replaced the iBook and 12-inch PowerBook series of notebooks as a part of the Apple–Intel transition. Positioned as the low end of the MacBook family, the Apple MacBook was aimed at the...
was released on May 16, 2006, and the MacBook Air
MacBook Air
The MacBook Air family is a line of Apple ultraportable Macintosh notebook computers.The first-generation MacBook Air was a 13.3"-only model, previously promoted as the World's Thinnest Notebook, introduced at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 15, 2008. It featured a custom Intel Merom CPU...
was revealed on January 15, 2008. As of July 20, 2011, the unibody MacBook has been discontinued for consumer sales.
Products
| Ultraportable (Thin) notebook | Professional | |
|---|---|---|
| Portable Laptop A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit... (MacBook) |
MacBook Air MacBook Air The MacBook Air family is a line of Apple ultraportable Macintosh notebook computers.The first-generation MacBook Air was a 13.3"-only model, previously promoted as the World's Thinnest Notebook, introduced at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 15, 2008. It featured a custom Intel Merom CPU...  11.6" and 13.3" ultraportable with aluminium Aluminium Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances.... unibody casing; uses Intel Core i5 processor |
MacBook Pro MacBook Pro The MacBook Pro is a line of Macintosh portable computers introduced in January 2006 by Apple. It replaced the PowerBook G4 and was the second model, after the iMac, to be announced in the Apple–Intel transition... 13.3", 15.4" or 17" models with aluminium Aluminium Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances.... casing; uses Intel Core i5, or Intel Core i7 8 Core processor |
Overview
A majority of the MacBook family makes use of the unibody aluminiumAluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
construction first introduced with the MacBook Air. The MacBook family (with the exception of the white polycarbonate MacBook) uses a black keyboard that was first used on the MacBook Air, which itself was inspired by the sunken keyboard of the original polycarbonate MacBooks. The now-standarized keyboard brings congruity to the MacBook line, with black keys on a silver aluminum body.
Comparison of MacBook family models
The MacBook Pros feature illuminatedLighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...
keyboards. FireWire 800 and Thunderbolt ports and a SD Card slot (ExpressCard
ExpressCard
ExpressCard is an interface to allow peripheral devices to be connected to a computer, usually a laptop computer. Formerly called NEWCARD, the ExpressCard standard specifies the design of slots built into the computer and of cards which can be inserted into ExpressCard slots. The cards contain...
/34 slot on the 17 inch model) are included with the MacBook Pro; the polycarbonate MacBook has no FireWire 400 or FireWire 800 port and uses a Mini DisplayPort
Mini DisplayPort
The Mini DisplayPort is a miniaturized version of the DisplayPort digital audio-visual interface. Apple, Inc. announced the development in the fourth quarter of 2008, and now applies it in the LED Cinema Display and in all new Macintosh computers: MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini,...
port for connecting to displays, and the MacBook Air lacks FireWire. The unibody MacBook refresh introduced a Mini DisplayPort for all unibody aluminium MacBooks (i.e. all except for the polycarbonate model). The MacBooks feature two USB 2.0 ports, with the exception of the 17" MacBook Pro with three ports. The minimum price tag which comes with MacBook Pro is about $200 more than the price of MacBook to cover for the additional goodies in MacBook Pro.
The lids of the MacBook family are held closed by a magnet with no mechanical latch, a design element first introduced with the polycarbonate MacBook. Memory and hard drive access is straightforward in the current MacBook lineup, aside from the MacBook Air which does not allow easy access for upgrades.
Displays
The larger MacBook Pro models offer the largest screens at higher display resolutions (the 15.4" at 1920×1080 or 1680x1050; 17" at 2080x1200), whilst the rest of the MacBook family's 13.3" screens use a 1280×800 resolution except the 2010 Macbook Air, which uses a 1440x900 display. The MacBook family makes use of LED backlighting for the screen displays. All MacBooks now come standard with a glossy display, which was first introduced with the polycarbonate MacBook (though the 15" and 17" MacBook Pro models have an optional matte display).| Portable Macintosh timelines and sales figures |
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See also
- Comparison of Macintosh modelsComparison of Macintosh modelsThis is a comparison of Macintosh models, produced by Apple Inc. This list encompasses current models only.-Market matrix:Apple follows a product matrix of having a model of computer for both consumers and professionals, in both desktop and portable configurations...
- MacBookMacBookThe MacBook was a brand of Macintosh notebook computers built by Apple Inc. First introduced in May 2006, it replaced the iBook and 12-inch PowerBook series of notebooks as a part of the Apple–Intel transition. Positioned as the low end of the MacBook family, the Apple MacBook was aimed at the...
- MacBook AirMacBook AirThe MacBook Air family is a line of Apple ultraportable Macintosh notebook computers.The first-generation MacBook Air was a 13.3"-only model, previously promoted as the World's Thinnest Notebook, introduced at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 15, 2008. It featured a custom Intel Merom CPU...
- MacBook ProMacBook ProThe MacBook Pro is a line of Macintosh portable computers introduced in January 2006 by Apple. It replaced the PowerBook G4 and was the second model, after the iMac, to be announced in the Apple–Intel transition...